Pickup or Preamp?

[richieconwaymusic]

What makes the bigger difference, the preamp or the pickup?

I'm looking for a realistic tone and am wondering if the tone would be realistic with an anthem alone, or if it really needs the preamps to make it sound realistic. I have an M1, would it be better to just get a preamp for it?

Thanks!

Richie

[MorganEliot]

Hi Richie,

This is a great question. Both play an integral role in your amplified tone. A great pickup can do a lot of good for amplifying your acoustic instrument. A good pre-amp will usually improve thee best pickup's amplified tone by use of EQ, phase inversion, and the use of a notch. However, a great pre-amp will not make a bad pickup sound great.

As for using a pre-amp with your M1A (as you clarified in your other post), I would say using a re-amp will make a world of difference. It may not be exactly what you are hoping for. The M1A and M80 pickups both sound great in a band mix, especially Indie Rock. The M80 will have a more natural tone than the M1A, but it is still a magnetic pickup and won't give you a studio acoustic tone. The Anthem SL will probably give you the most easy to use, straight forward, and natural acoustic tone. It is also a great option.

At the end of the day, I believe that the decision will come down to personal taste and style.

[richieconwaymusic]

Hi Richie,

This is a great question. Both play an integral role in your amplified tone. A great pickup can do a lot of good for amplifying your acoustic instrument. A good pre-amp will usually improve thee best pickup's amplified tone by use of EQ, phase inversion, and the use of a notch. However, a great pre-amp will not make a bad pickup sound great.

As for using a pre-amp with your M1A (as you clarified in your other post), I would say using a re-amp will make a world of difference. It may not be exactly what you are hoping for. The M1A and M80 pickups both sound great in a band mix, especially Indie Rock. The M80 will have a more natural tone than the M1A, but it is still a magnetic pickup and won't give you a studio acoustic tone. The Anthem SL will probably give you the most easy to use, straight forward, and natural acoustic tone. It is also a great option.

At the end of the day, I believe that the decision will come down to personal taste and style.

Thanks Morgan, that's what I needed to hear! I was looking at the SL vs the standard option. What would you recommend? What would be the real benefit of having the standard option over the SL? What kind of musician in what circumstances would need it? Thank you so much! I'll get one as soon as I hear back=]

[MorganEliot]

No problem Richie,

Both systems are great. Your decision will come down to what you want out of the system. The SL is going to be a straight forward, easy to use, straight forward acoustic tone. Once you get it dialed in, you will be able to plug and play in most settings without having to change in anything on the SL. The full Anthem System will give you the same set up as the SL, as well as the ability to play on the under-saddle pickup alone. This will essentially give you 2 systems in one resulting in more tonal options from your guitar on the fly.
As for which pre-amp to use, both the Venue and the Session are great options. The Venue will give you more of a foundational tone, whereas the Session will give you more of a polished tone. Both have a notch control and a phase switch button to help combat feedback.