GK-3 & Acoustic Guitar?

Started by chamav, April 15, 2008, 01:12:04 AM

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chamav

Hi,

has anybody tried to install an external GK3 on an acoustic guitar? I am considering doing so with a Yamaha LD-10.

I wonder if the Pickup cable is long enough to reach the back of the guitar and whether the space between the two holders is long enough to hang the guitar body.

Thank you

Kostas Greece

Vasika den eimai sigouros an katw oi apostaseis metaxi twn xordwn einai idies me tin ilektriki. An einai idies fisika kai ginetai. Apla prepei na anoixeis dio tripes gia tis vides tou magniti, kai na valeis diplis opsews kollitiki tiania gia to ipoloipo sistima.
Fender American Lone Star Strat (HSS+floyd rose), Roland VG-99, FC-300, Roland GR-20

Kenmac

Yes, back when I was using my VG-8 I had, not a GK3, but a GK-2A pickup on my acoustic guitar. I had no problems with cable length.

Quote from: chamav on April 15, 2008, 01:12:04 AM
Hi,

has anybody tried to install an external GK3 on an acoustic guitar? I am considering doing so with a Yamaha LD-10.

I wonder if the Pickup cable is long enough to reach the back of the guitar and whether the space between the two holders is long enough to hang the guitar body.

Thank you

"Let them brush your rock and roll hair."

guitarmandp

I currently have a GK-3 on a shop guitar. I was wondering if anybody has ever used one with an acoustic guitar? I was thinking of putting it on a dreadnaught or an ovation custom legend that I own.

Does it sound the same as it would if it were on a solidbody guitar?

Kenmac

Well I don't have a GK-3 but at one time I put a GK-2A pickup on my Simon & Patrick acoustic when I used to have a VG-8 and it was kind of wild to be playing an acoustic and to have it come out sounding like an overdriven Les Paul or out-of-phase Strat.  :) One thing I'd advise against though is using alternate tunings on either the acoustic or the virtual tunings in the VG-99 because quite frankly the noise is quite cacophonus. Try it out and let us know how you like it.
"Let them brush your rock and roll hair."

germanicus

Quote from:  guitarmandp on April 23, 2009, 11:45:20 AM
I currently have a GK-3 on a shop guitar. I was wondering if anybody has ever used one with an acoustic guitar? I was thinking of putting it on a dreadnaught or an ovation custom legend that I own.

Does it sound the same as it would if it were on a solidbody guitar?

Well sort of. I used it on a Variax 700 Acoustic. This is not really an acoustic guitar (although it looks like one), but it does use acoustic guitar strings. The vg99 modelling worked extremely well with it. The key thing to remember is that due to where you are placing the gk pickup, the guitar itself has very little influence on the tone you get out of the 99. If it were otherwise there would be too much variability from guitar to guitar for the COSM modelling to sound anything like their intended target instruments.
My albums done with modeling/guitar synth at http://music.steamtheory.com

JTV69/59P/Godin LGXT/Multiac ACS/Variax 700 AC
Helix/FTP/GP10/VG99/SY1000
Traynor k4

sixeight

I came across this video of acousticon the other day. gives you a good idea of an acoustic with GK-3 attached. Doesn't sound very acoustic to me:



Elantric

Martin used to make one a couple years ago

It had a metal top and Factory installed GK-3A

Martin Alternative -X
http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/10U-3876.htm

G

I'm interested in getting an acoustic guitar with a buffer preamp thingy (so it can plug in to an amp on stage), but I am curious if I can get it working with my VG-99 and hook up a GK-3 pickup to the bridge.

Anyone have any experience with this?

paults

#9
Although I mainly use the VG for electric gigs, I also have an Ovation Custom Legend that I use for occaional acoustic gigs, with its pickup going into a GK3 and the VG99.  It works great - so well, that I like the sound of the COSM guitar better than the real pickup :)  I use it for layered guitars, 12-String, and MIDI it to a Roland XV5050 for strings, piano, etc.  

   

guitarmandp

I just installed a Roland GK-3 pickup on an Ovation and I notice a difference in sound between the Ovation and the Warmoth.

The Jazz guitar patches don't sound as warm, and the distortion sounds doesn't sound as heavy on the ovation as on my Warmoth parts guitar.

paults

Yes, I have a GK3 on a Custom Legend, and the VG99 acoustic models sound really good to me.  Since the guitar has less sustain than a solidbody, electric models have less sustain than they would if the source guitar was a solidbody.


bbob

Quote from:  paults on March 23, 2010, 04:50:21 PM
Although I mainly use the VG for electric gigs, I also have an Ovation Custom Legend that I use for occaional acoustic gigs, with its pickup going into a GK3 and the VG99.  It works great - so well, that I like the sound of the COSM guitar better than the real pickup :)  I use it for layered guitars, 12-String, and MIDI it to a Roland XV5050 for strings, piano, etc.  

   

Paults,

I am considering adding a GK3 to an Ovation Applause.  Any suggestions on the installation?  What strings are you using?  With the GK3 installed the guitar will probably no longer fit in the Ovation case.

Thanks.

Bob

paults

I use Adamas acoustic strings on it.  You're right about the case - I use a gig bag when the pickup is on the guitar.  I had enough string clearance to use velcro to mount it. 

Jim Williams

I have a Charvel eletric accoustic with a GK3 and I am getting some cool rsults. I mounted it with thick double sided tape, the tape also muffles the vibration to the GK3. otherwise your strings will bleed together. The sounds are nice and more acousticly realistic. First you can get the sound of a real acoustic guitar (then add in the guitar to midi and WOW). Then when you use modeled acoustic guitars it has more of a ringing quality. when you model eltric models watch out for high gain sounds, the acoustic body will feedback more. Your modeled hollow body guitars will be more realistic also. I don't use it as my primary guitar it's not very practcial I use a few differnt guitars live but adding the acoustic is prety cool. I used to think it didn't matter what guitar you put a GK3 on but it does, you do get differnt tone on differnt guitars. I don't think Roland realy knew all the ins and outs of the VG99 when they shipped it out. I keep finding new stuff every time I start playing around with it. just keep trying new stuff and you will never need anythig elce.
Skype: (upon Request)

Everything from modeling to the real deal, my house looks like a music store.

BDH

#15
Hi I am new to this forum & glad I have found this. I have using guitar synths for sometime now and started with a Casio PG380 midi guitar. I have a Roland GR-20 and now a GR-55 which I have hooked to my Roland Ready Fender Strat. I am curious about mounting the GK-3 to a acoustic guitar & wondering if anyone else has done this and what could I expect as far as the install goes and the sound?  Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Brian

midiman

I have a GK3 installed on my Guild F4 and works great. I use blutac to hold both the pickup and the controls in place. I know its rec comended that you either use the screws or the double sided strips but I found feedback from the guitar occasionally affected the tracking. Blutac between the pickup and the body of the guitar seems to filter that out and my guild tracks as well as my Strat.

BDH

Quote from:  midiman on April 12, 2011, 05:42:13 AM
I have a GK3 installed on my Guild F4 and works great. I use blutac to hold both the pickup and the controls in place. I know its rec comended that you either use the screws or the double sided strips but I found feedback from the guitar occasionally affected the tracking. Blutac between the pickup and the body of the guitar seems to filter that out and my guild tracks as well as my Strat.
Thanks for replying. I am surprised you put it on that Guild. I have a brand new Martin that I could not bring myself to think about that one, but I am going to try it on a older less expensive Takamine. Did you just mount the GK-3 right up next to the bridge and what settings did you use for yours?
Thanks
Brian

midiman

The main benefit of using blutac is that it dosent damage the bodywork at all. Of course it does have an impact on the overall tone of the guitar because it slightly dampens the sound but still sounds great. It is the instrument I play most of all so made sense for me to use it. In terms of mounting the pickup I do have it set close to the bridge. When I set the parameters for the GK3 on the GR-55, I set top E at 10mm from the bridge and then incremented it at .5 across the strings. Bottom E (Low) is set at 12.5mm. I also adjusted the string sensitivity's to get an even level across the strings. Top E is around 40 and bottom E around 90. Probably need to redo the blutac for the bridge as it has been on their for a long time.

The Takamines are not bad instruments so sounds like it might be a good combo. Give it a go and see how you get on.  :)

BDH

Thanks alot for the info Midiman. That Blu-tack sounds good but I don't see it over here in the USA but I am sure there must be something comparable like perhaps plumbers putty or something.
Brian

Elantric


paults

I have one on an Ovation Custom Legend -  I used double backed tape for the pickup, and three small pieces of velcro to attach the controller to the face of the guitar, where I can easily use the knob and switches.   


gumtown

No-one's setup could be worse than what i tried..
I have this crappy blue coloured acoustic i brought for a play toy for my young daughter which i got for $4 off a local e-auction.
After trying to tune it, i decided it was not even worthy as a toy, since the fret board seems in the wrong place and the strings over the hole are about 20mm above the fretboard because of the banana neck, and it's thrown into a wardrobe and forgotten about. :-X

Meanwhile i buy a used GK-3 and GK cable on the local e-auction (because the price was right), only to find the GK-3 didn't work. :o
I open up the hex pickup to find the wiring had been ripped out, and someone had replaced the cable cover screw with a long one that pierced right through the cable to hold it in there to make it look intact (yet to place auction feedback on that one).
So i cut the cable back and re-soldered the wires back to the hex pickup, and Huray !! it works. :)

So after reading this thead, i decide to get out that crappy acoustic and slap on the GK-3 with some blu-tac, and what do you know, the guitar still can't be tuned but the sounds are freak'n awesome coming from this P.O.S instrument. The sounds aren't that much different from using a solid body guitar, and it was really strange hearing electric guitar tones being produced on an acoustic.
So i guess the quality of the instarument does not affect the GK tones that much, just so long as the thing stays in tune and has good intonation.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

BDH

Quote from:  gumtown on April 12, 2011, 09:51:13 PM
No-one's setup could be worse than what i tried..
Wow that is a amazing story gumtown!  ;D

Quote from:  Elantric on April 12, 2011, 05:38:21 PM
get yer Blu Tack here:
http://www.amazon.com/Blu-Tack-Reusable-Adhesive/dp/B001FGLX72
Thanks Elantric I often forget about looking on Amazon

Quote from:  paults on April 12, 2011, 07:13:17 PM
I have one on an Ovation Custom Legend -  I used double backed tape for the pickup, and three small pieces of velcro to attach the controller to the face of the guitar, where I can easily use the knob and switches.   

I am glad to see everyone is getting good results on a acoustic. I have always played my synths with my Roland Ready Strat and thought about that extra GK-3 sitting there and how it would sound on a acoustic.
Brian

paults

#24
If you do a forum search for "Ovation", you'll see my previous posts, including a link to a Recording using the Reso model.