Schertler DYN-M for Mandolin Review

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(More customer reviews)I've only played one gig with this pickup but I'm very impressed. Mandolin pickups tend to over-accentuate the highs I find, giving a brittle, harsh sound. Not so this pickup - it really does sound very true to the acoustic sound of the instrument.
I went direct from the instrument to the mixer, and I'm not sure that I'd bother with a preamp. The signal is strong enough to not really require a preamp, and the tonal balance is so good that I don't feel the need for any further control.
I had some reservations about the method of affixing the pickup to the instrument top, but it works surprisingly well. On my first attempt I had no problems putting it on, and it seemed quite solidly fixed. Plus, if someone does trip over the cord, it might be just as well if it comes off the instrument. Yes, it's a little fiddly to have to go through fitting business this every time you play in public, but the upside is that:
- You don't need to modify your instrument at all
- You can easily switch the pickup from one instrument to another
All in all, yes expensive but it does exactly what it claims to do.


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Swiss-made Schertler DYN-Series electrodynamic contact transducers are designed to be used in a variety of applications, from home recording to live performances, encompassing all types of music and musical playing styles where the utmost in accurate acoustic reproduction is required.DYN-Series transducers provide a sound that is exceptionally 'acoustic" in nature - the sound is close to that of a studio microphone, but without the on-stage problems of bleed or feedback.The Schertler DYN-M is the most natural-sounding mandolin transducer available.The easily-installed contact microphone (attached to the instrument's top with the included, inert putty) delivers a warm, accurate reproduction of YOUR instrument's acoustic tone, regardless of your style.Used and endorsed by mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile.DYN-Series transducers ship in an elegant wooden box.

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Gibson J-45 Custom Acoustic-Electric Guitar, Vintage Sunburst Review

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(More customer reviews)This is quite simply THE sound for an acoustic guitar. It is an instrument with no challengers. I can not ever imagine playing something else as my main guitar after using this for a couple of days. For one thing, it is the loudest acoustic guitar I've ever played and has incredible projection without losing anything in clear pristine tone. To me, it is the ultimate singer / songwriter guitar.

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The legendary J-45 clearly defines the storied legacy of Gibson acoustics. Without question, the J-45 is one of the most beloved and played acoustic guitars in the history of modern music, and the icon of Gibson's round-shoulder dreadnought acoustic line ever since its introduction in 1942. Today, it stands proudly as Gibson's number one-selling acoustic, and in recognition of this distinguished rank Gibson Acoustic presents the J-45 Custom--one of the most elegant and best-sounding versions of this classic model ever produced by Gibson Acoustic's master craftsmen in Bozeman, Mont. Combining vintage appointments with several modern features, the J-45 Custom delivers the model's renowned tone while adding a new, refined appearance that complements its fundamental design, including a brand new floral and vine abalone pearl headstock inlay designed by Gibson master luthier Ren Ferguson. The J-45 Custom is available in the model's original Vintage Sunburst finish and Antique Natural.

J-45 Custom.
Traditional Gibson Logo and New Headstock Inlay Design The Gibson name has graced the most innovative and revolutionary acoustic guitars of our time, including the J-45 Custom. There is no mistaking the classic block logo, inlaid in beautiful mother of pearl, representing more than a century of originality and excellence. There is simply no equal. The headstock also features a new flower and vine abalone pearl inlay designed by Gibson Acoustic's longtime master luthier, Ren Ferguson. The elegance and stunning detail of this new hand-engraved figured design gives the J-45 Custom a distinct identity, ensuring its rightful place among the finest Gibson designs of the past.
Gold Grover Rotomatic Tuners Grover's original Rotomatic tuners are an engineering marvel, with style and performance exactly suited for the J-45 Custom. With a gear ratio of 14:1, the Rotomatics deliver precision tuning in a durable housing that provides maximum protection for the gear and string post. All moving parts are cut for exact meshing, eliminating the possibility of slippage. A countersunk tension screw lets players regulate the tuning tension to any degree. A special lubricant inside the gear box provides smooth and accurate tuning stability.
Pickguard The pickguard for theJ-45 Custom is Gibson's standard fire stripe tortoise tear drop shape, exactly as it appeared on the very first J-45 in 1942. As with all of Gibson's pickguards, the coloring, inlay, and binding are all done by hand.
L.R. Baggs Element Active Acoustic Pickup System The J-45 Custom comes equipped with the popular Element Active Acoustic Pickup System from L.R. Baggs, which features a low-profile undersaddle element--or transducer--that's proven more stable and durable than many standard ribbon-type pickups. Combined with an onboard preamp with an unobtrusive and removable volume control mounted just inside the soundhole, the Element delivers performance not previously attainable from an undersaddle pickup. Its sleek and effective design removes unnecessary internal components to enhance the coupling between the pickup and the guitar and improve the sensitivity of the transducer for a robust, lively and natural acoustic sound with excellent dynamics and delicate high end. The Element works with a standard 9V battery, which is housed inside the guitar in L.R. Bagg's new "Battery Bagg."
Tapered Dovetail Neck Joint The dovetail neck joint is one of the oldest--and best--ways of securely joining the neck to the body of a guitar. It is also a complex and expensive neck joint to build, but the result is a tight, locking connection that supports the neck at the proper neck-pitch angle, allowing the body and neck to become one solid piece of resonating wood, with no metal to impede vibration. This process is done entirely by hand, requiring patience and skill.
Body Tonewoods The top of the J-45 Custom is made from AA-grade Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are constructed from pattern-grade Indian rosewood, giving the model the same full, balanced expression, warm bass, and excellent projection that earned the original J-45 its much-heralded reputation. Selecting the right wood, and the formula to dry it out, are two of the most central procedures to Gibson's guitar-building process. Beginning with its first catalog in 1903, Gibson has assured its customers that every guitar would be built using woods with "the most durable, elastic, and sonorous qualities," and today's guitars from Gibson Acoustic are no different.
Abalone Rosette A rosette is the beautiful, hand-crafted circle around the soundhole, and can be one of the most ornamental elements of any acoustic guitar. It is also one of the most subtle and complicated woodworking decorations on any acoustic guitar. The rosette on the J-45 Custom is one of Gibson's finest. It is a double-ring rosette with an abalone-filled middle. The main ring consists of seven-ply binding, and the second ring is three-ply binding, adding a stylish, understated elegance to the J-45 Custom.
Bracing Every acoustic guitar made by Gibson features hand-scalloped, radiused top bracing inside the body, a feature normally found only in limited run, hand-made guitars. By scalloping each brace by hand, the natural sound of the acoustic is focused more toward the center of the body, enhancing the instrument's sound projection. The J-45 Custom features a variation of Gibson's "X" bracing pattern situated behind the soundhole, with a set of tall and thin braces for the back, and scalloped tall and thin braces for the top. This legendary bracing design delivers a balanced expression, with punchy, deep lows, warm mids, and clear, crisp highs. It also projects a natural compression, which helps the J-45 Custom blend nicely with any accompaniment.

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Gretsch Guitars G5265 Jet Baritone Electric Guitar, Black Sparkle Review

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(More customer reviews)The Gretsch Jet Baritone is a long scale solid body electric guitar that comes setup as a bassVI out of the box which while interesting isn't nearly as cool as a true baritone electric guitar.
BassVI? Baritone?
What's the difference you may ask? A bassVI is essentially a six string electric guitar with a longer scale that is tuned an octave below a standard electric guitar making it a six string bass. It uses lighter gauge strings than a traditional bass but still too heavy for barr chords and is too muddy for chording anyway. A baritone on the other hand is tuned from B to B and uses strings somewhere in-between those used on a bassIV and and a standard electric guitar. A set of light gauge electric baritone strings will be from .062 for the low string to .013 for the highest. (D'Addario Electric Baritone Guitar EXL158)
Converting From BassVI to Baritone
To convert from bassVI to a true baritone entails changing the strings, adjusting the neck tension, reintonating the guitar and raising the pickup heights as these smaller diameter strings need to be closer to the magnets to get the most out of the guitar. This sounds like a lot more work than it actually is. I'm an intermediate at guitar tech work at best, and was able to do it in about an hour and a half. The truss rod adjustment on the headstock is done with an allen wrench and was a breeze to do as you don't need to detune the guitar or remove the pickguard as with some instruments. If this all seems too intimidating it is easy work for any guitar shop's tech.
A Couple Of Notes On Restringing.
There were a couple of issues with restringing the Jet. First the D'Addario EXL158s were barely long enough to fit on this beast. At first I was afraid the 3rd string wasn't long enough to use but it was... b a r e l y. The second is the way the strings attach to the Bigsby Tremelo bridge. There are small straight posts that stick out of a round bar that the strings wrap around. At first I couldn't for the life of me get the strings to stay in place while I was trying to tighten them. I finally found that if I pre-bent the base of the string at the ball end with a pair of needle nose pliers into the approximate shape of the bar they wrap around, they then easily held on until there was sufficient tension for them to stick. All of that said, it has worked well and I haven't had any problems with the strings staying in tune.
Is It Worth All That?
So, what is it like to play and is it worth the money and the work to convert it? Absolutely. The Jet is a joy to play. The neck is really nice and doesn't take anymore finger pressure that an acoustic to get a great tone. It has 2 mini humbucking pickups that share a single volume and tone knob to good effect along with a 3 position toggle switch for pickup selection. With a bit of reverb and tremolo it becomes the biggest clean guitar tone you've ever heard. Huge and clear. For recording it's a voice that sits in it's own pocket with plenty of room for standard guitars above and traditional bass below. That said, I have done entire recordings with just this guy and they sound fantastic. I use the tremolo just for subtle effects and haven't had any problems with it throwing the guitar out of tune. Using it for dive bombing will throw it out of tune but this is a known problem with all Bigsby tremolo bridges.
Would I buy this guitar again? Yeah,In a heartbeat.

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How low can you go!? With its TV Jones Designed dual mini Gretsch humbuckers and Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, the Electromatic Jet Baritone will peal the paint and crack the walls. Other features include a bolt-on maple neck, die-cast tuning machines, Adjusto-Matic bridge, 3-way pickup selector and master volume and tone controls.

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