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Post by rosantu on Sept 8, 2020 10:35:01 GMT
Hi there, I guess someone stole my piezo pickup from my amistar tricone. Since I came back from England the piez doesn't work anymore so today I opened it and found one lead cut. Does someone know where this piezo should be located?
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 8, 2020 13:35:04 GMT
Hello Rosantu,
I can only assume that the piezo pickup was attached to the underside of the aluminium T bridge, somewhere around the centre.
A piezo is not a great way to amplify and resophonic guitar. I remember when Amistar used to build them into the V in the underside of the T bridge with black resin. I don't think it is a good pickup to use, but that is up to you.
Triplates are very difficult to amplify because there are so many overtones and harmonics going on when notes are played. Nothing can compare to a microphone, but second best is a Highlander Magnophonic, if you can find one.
I hope that helps
Shine On
Michael
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Post by rosantu on Sept 8, 2020 13:57:34 GMT
Hi Michael, thanks for your answer. Unfortunately highlander are not available any more. And I need something to amplify it. A piezo is far better than the telecaster neck pick up. I was thinkik of a piezo and install a myers goos pick up and use the blend system of the amistar to mix both pickups. They told about headway pickups may be you know about them. I had a schatten for tricone and it was quite horrible. Of course, if highlanders were available i'd go for one for sure.
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 8, 2020 14:07:40 GMT
Rosantu,
I know that Magnophonic pickups are not made anymore, but I am sure that if you hunt around you will find one. So far nothing else comes close. A gooseneck pickup is a condenser microphone, not my favourite thing to use. I prefer a Shure SM57 with good EQ settings.
Shine On
Michael
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Post by bonzo on Sept 8, 2020 14:58:43 GMT
Hi Rosantu. I have a highlander on my Busker tricone, it is good as we all know, if a bit of a chore to set up. On my Amistar 12 string I used a MM Sixtus humbucker pickup. I found it easy to fit, like you replacing a bridge pickup that had been removed, so I was able to use the existing jack. It's VERY clean sounding and I personally like it as much as the Highlander. I run it through my Fishman Jerry Douglas Aura, results are excellent. Hope this helps.
Best wishes to you all, John
Ps. It's only my opinion but the Sixtus on a reso will sound way better than a piezo and its easier to fit.
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Post by rosantu on Sept 8, 2020 21:38:26 GMT
Hi Rosantu. I have a highlander on my Busker tricone, it is good as we all know, if a bit of a chore to set up. On my Amistar 12 string I used a MM Sixtus humbucker pickup. I found it easy to fit, like you replacing a bridge pickup that had been removed, so I was able to use the existing jack. It's VERY clean sounding and I personally like it as much as the Highlander. I run it through my Fishman Jerry Douglas Aura, results are excellent. Hope this helps. Best wishes to you all, John Ps. It's only my opinion but the Sixtus on a reso will sound way better than a piezo and its easier to fit. |
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Post by rosantu on Sept 8, 2020 21:39:41 GMT
Hi bonzo, thanks for your explanation about sixtus pu. I ll try to get one and i ll tell you. Thanks again Robert.
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Post by snakehips on Sept 9, 2020 8:50:23 GMT
Hi there !
The Highlander pickup company have now actually closed their business, due to retirement, and not having anyone interested to buy it off them to keep it going.
It’s a real shame as they made the best pickups (despite what I have said in the past about their preamps).
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 9, 2020 9:07:53 GMT
Hi there ! The Highlander pickup company have now actually closed their business, due to retirement, and not having anyone interested to buy it off them to keep it going. It’s a real shame as they made the best pickups (despite what I have said in the past about their preamps). Yes, I know they have closed their business. It is a real shame and it has left a massive gap in the market. There is nothing else that even comes close to their two resonator guitar pickups. I had a feeling this was happening a while ago, but nothing was said until it was done. Shine On Michael |
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Post by calvoi on Sept 9, 2020 9:19:37 GMT
No chance of MM branching out to Highlander pickups?
I suspect it is a bad time to be making business ventures. Would be great to see the production of excellent pickups continue.
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Post by ken1953clark on Sept 9, 2020 12:03:32 GMT
#You don’t miss your water till your well run dry#
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Post by gaucho on Sept 9, 2020 15:17:37 GMT
I have two Tricones, one with a Highlander and one with a National Slimline pickup. Yes the Highlander is superior, but the slimline is actually pretty decent tool Did I read somewhere that the Slimlines were now being made by Kirvo?
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Post by rosantu on Sept 11, 2020 4:59:30 GMT
Hi Gaucho, thanks for your answer. I might go for a National PU and replace tele neck pick up that is completely useless fort the tricone, and also for the telecaster by the way.
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Post by bonzo on Sept 11, 2020 6:39:25 GMT
Hi Rosantu. I maybe wrong about this but you can check it out yourself.
I use a Lace ultra simline on a MM lightning with good results. I think the Lace and the National Resophonic pu are the same. I'm pretty sure that it has been discussed here. Maybe easier to get hold of one. That being said I personally think the MM Sixtus pu to be the equal of them and a lot less expensive. Hope this helps.
Don't want to mislead anyone so please let me know if I'm wrong about Lace and National pu's being the same except for branding.
Best wishes to you all, John
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 11, 2020 8:20:44 GMT
I think there is an important point being missed here. Certainly I agree that you will struggle to find a better "magnetic" type of pickup for a National-style resophonic guitar than a Sixtus, whether it is an MM branded one or a Sixtus branded one. They are fantastic pickups in any price range. However, they are "magnetic" pickups and they do a completely different job than a Highlander Magnophonic Tricone pickup or a Highlander iP-1X for single cones.
The Highlander system of amplifying a resophonic guitar, is in my humble opinion, apart from using a microphone, unsurpassed. In the case of the Magnophonic, it is taking the signal from underneath the aluminium T bridge, whereas any other magnetic type of pickup is fitted on the front of the guitar and therefore turns the instrument into a type of electric guitar. There are too many overtones and harmonics going on in a Tricone for a magnetic pickup mounted on the front to capture any of that, but I do understand that it is easier than getting a sound from a Highlander Magnophonic.
However, what I am reading in this thread are posts about amplifying instruments from people that amplify them at home using guitar amplifiers. That is a whole different thing to what I am talking about. I would never have any reason to amplify a resophonic guitar at home or in a studio. I only ever have the need to amplify my resophonic guitars at gigs, so we are talking about something completely different here. A Highlander pickup was designed with professional musicians in mind to be run through a PA system, or a high quality acoustic amplifier, which essentially is a PA system in a box. Highlander pickups require a good graphic EQ system to optimise them and get a good sound. So plugging a Highlander Magnophonic or an iP-1X into a guitar amplifier is defeating what it was designed to do and it does not work properly. Occasionally I have done that at a rehearsal and I found the sound to be almost unusable.
I had not really thought this through until now, but to sum up all that I have written; if you are amplifying a resophonic guitar at home, or at gigs, and using a guitar amplifier, then in my humble opinion, a Highlander of any type, or any acoustic piezo-type pickup is not the pickup for you.
I hope all that makes sense and is helpful information.
Shine On
Michael
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