Best pickup and preamp set for big venues

[Juan]

Hi, I have a Takamine EAN20c which comes with a CT4B preamp.

I'll use it in a rock/pop band in very big venues at very loud monitoring levels (with a high risk of getting feedback). I mainly play hard strumming.

I'm thinking about the M1 or the new M80 and the VENUE DI.

I'm also wondering if i can take any advantage of the guitar built in system. Wood worth it mixing both signals. How?

Another question: Passive or active?

Thank you very much and sorry for my English. I'm from Argentina.

[Bryan McManus]

The passive M1 or the M80 in passive mode could connect to the auxiliary input of the Cool Tube preamp currently installed in your guitar. Either should be nearly as feedback resistant as the stock pickup in the Cool Tube system.

The Takamine Triax pickup is an M1Active with a preamp bypass switch that allows it to be used as a passive M1(for connecting to the Cool Tube). It's made by LR Baggs for Takamine and has a black exterior. The Triax is supplied with a 1/8" to RCA connector cable for plugging into the auxiliary input of the Cool Tube.

[Juan]

Hi,
My guitar doesn't have the Cool Tube preamp. My Takamine EAN20c comes with the CT4B preamp. It doesn't have the ability of mixing two signals. So I'd have to change it.
In that case, would you recommend buying the Cool Tube preamp? Or you think I can get something better around that price (U$s280)?

Thank you again!

[Bryan McManus]

Hi Juan,

Oops. My bad. I saw the letters "CT" and I thought it was a Cool Tube model.

If that CT4B system does not have an auxiliary input for a second signal - and you've confirmed that it doesn't - I am unable to recommend a pickup to use in place of the original. That preamp would have been designed around the output signal from the stock pickup. Any other pickup may not interact as well with the gain structure and tuning of the preamp circuit.

Whether or not to replace it with the Cool Tube is up to you. I'm reluctant to suggest it just so you can add an auxiliary pickup but if that's ultimately what you're after, it could be worth it to you.