Product: B-Band A1/UST
Price Paid: US $109
Submitted
10/08/2005
at
11:00pm
by
Anonymous
Features
:
Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:
Instrument
:
Model of guitar or bass:
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:
Sound
:
No Opinion
Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:
Overall Rating
:
9
Comments: I just had to submit somthing for the UST... I just replaced a Fishman undersaddle with B-Band's basic UST/A1 preamp. I am truly shocked at how utterly superior it is. It sound infinitely better - hard to believe an undersaddle ribbon alone could capture so much of an acoustic guitar's sound. Bes tof all, I went to EQ it, and lo and behold no matter I did the EQ setting that sounded best through my acoustic amp was all flat. Now that's impressive.
Some minor string balance issues - this pickup is very very sensitive to minor variations in the bridge wood. Luckily, it's not too bad.
Also one more distinct advantage to the B-Band UST that seems to go unsaid: because ti is so extremely thin, it will not impact unplugged ton whatsoever. Not sure the same could be said about the big clunky Fishman piezos (theoretically, anyway).
Product: B-Band A1/UST
Price Paid: US $100
Submitted
11/19/2004
at
10:46pm
by
Doug Jones
Email: sonovox at earthlink<dot>net
Features
:
Pickup features: Under saddle Pickup and preamp
Impedence or other specs: 9V Battery and endpin jack combo
Instrument
:
Model of guitar or bass: 1964 Hummingbird
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan Sadducer
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Pepino D'Agostino, etc.
You musical style(s): Folk, Rock, Comedy
Reason for pickup change: Want better more natural sound
Sound
:
No Opinion
Perceived output level: Fairly hot and realistic!
Tone: Very balanced---a bit bright like the guitar itself.
Sonic evaluation: Ultrasound-50 or Fender AcoustcSonics, big and small ones.
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Fingerstyle, flat-picking. Sounds fantastic.
Overall Rating
:
10
Comments: The sound is fairly bright, but that reflects the guitar's real tone, so that's all right. I replaced the Sadducer, since it had a brittle, in-your-face sound. This is more woody, and airy. A fantastic clear sound, very real, and I am quite pleased with it.
The B string initially was too loud; I removed the bridge and made sure the ribbon was not bunched up there, and that settled it nicely.
You have to beware when drilling a 30 to 45 degreee hole from the low E side of the groove, not to hit the brace there, and the ribbon electret is fragile, so be careful and otherwise it is a snap.
Oh, this is an electret film, not piezo! So it far surpasses the quacky piezo sound!
