K&K Sound Systems Pure Western

Passive transducers. Three transducer disks you super-glue, or use sticky-tape to secure under the bridge inside the guitar. The idea is to spread them across the bridge area to pick up vibrations equally.

Installed in a Gibson J-40, a guitar with a big, mellow sound. From reviews on this site, I went with the Pure Western since I wanted something passive and easy to install. Sound quality was paramount since the guitar is my favorite sounding instrument I was hoping to capture it through the pickup.

Output level is quite high for a passive pickup. I play acoustic singer/songwriter material with mostly strumming. While I took great pains to position the disks (drilling small holes beneath the saddle to slide toothpicks through so I could get the disks directly underneath), the sound is good on the bass side, but the treble side has a very unusual tinny, almost mechanical sound to it. It is completely unusable without major EQ'ing. I have run the guitar through a Fishman Aura processor and get semi-decent results, but that mechanical sound on the high end remains. Perhaps it is the nature of the guitar...but I consider it unusable and am auditioning new pickups at this time.

I've been playing over 30 years and have owned any number of guitars. I do my own luthier work to set up my guitars and many were purchased as damaged disasters that I've repaired. I have found I prefer pickups that have a mixing feature between a microphone and undersaddle transducer, so perhaps that colors my view of this pickup and its sound since I look for a balanced REAL sound from a pickup as if the guitar was being mic'd. I chose this one due to great reviews, its relatively low price, and no need to cut up the guitar to install it. However, I am not at all pleased with it and will be replacing it as soon as I find something else that works well with this guitar.

Passive 3 way contacts mount under bridge plate

Installed on a 2005 Gibson Advanced Jumbo

Awesome sound. I have used lots of different pickups on various guitars and this one is by far the best sounding one...and the least expensive, go figure. It is warm and full with no piezo quack, no feedback, and can get plenty loud and keep sounding very pure. At first I thought it was too round and warm until I turned up my high freq on the P/A and it totally came to life. The signal is there you just have to turn it up a little compared to my other pickups. I also just put a Baggs I-Beam in another guitar and found it to be a little too bright and sounded like a microphone inside the guitar which is not so good. This K&K sounds like a microphone outside the guitar. I installed it myself in minutes with no problems. I also like the fact that it is passive so no battery to fool with. It really sounds killer through a Baggs Para-Acoustic DI but it is not totally necessary and I would still give it a 10 without that.

If it were stolen that would mean they probably took the guitar as well and I would by another AJ and put the exact same pickup in it. I am very happy with this rig. It is an excellent match for a big guitar. Been plying 40 years. I have played Fishmans, Baggs, EMG's, B-Band, and this is definitely the best. Second place would be the Baggs M-1 and third would be the Fishman undersaddle with the onboard EQ coupled with an Audio Technica condenser mike run through a Fishman pocket Blender. That's a lot of gear to hassle with so why not just get the K&K?

Passive pickup; glues to underside of bridge plate

Installed in Guild A-50 as a replacement for Fishman Matrix active; no further mods required. The usual complaint about the Fishman: quacky, harsh saddle transducer tone.

The output was good; when I added the Pure Preamp it increased considerably. The sound quality of this pickup and preamp together is really amazing, and for the price (around $200 for both) it's unbeatable. I've played scores of writers nights around Nashville with this guitar, and other guitarists--many of whom play instruments with much more expensive pickup systems--routinely comment on how good mine sounds. It also sounds excellent through my jazz amp setup (Clarus 1R and Raezer's Edge Twin 8). This pickup is one of those rare products that really does exceed expectations.

I would definitely get another. I've been playing for over 25 years, in almost every popular style. Currently I also own a Martin D-17 (with a Pure Western Mini), an American Double Fat Strat, a Japanese Strat with EMGs, a Japanese J-bass, and a Baby Taylor. If there's a shortcoming to this pickup it would be the installation method--getting those sensors in just the right position before the super glue sets up is quite tricky! It's doable, though, even for someone who doesn't normally install pickups. (I've put in two of them now.)

Previous submissions describe it.

Custom-built hand-crafted Armbrust thin-line cutaway and 1962 Gibson SJ-25 "Southerner Jumbo". See my previous review submitted in March 2004.

Quite simply, doesn't get any better than this short of using a top-quality mic. No hassle. Just tell the soundman to set everything flat at the soundboard and if your guitar has a good sound and his equipment is up to snuff, then you'll sound great. No need for pre-amps, batteries, etc. Just plug and play. Doesn't get any easier or better than this!

I've ben playing for over 40 years and play a lot of different styles, finger picking, strumming, flat picking, "chicken plucking", flailing, hammering, pounding, etc. Whatever I choose to do on my guitar sounds just as good amplified as it does unamplified. I've played a lot of "open mics" in the Niagara Peninsula in the 3 years since I've installed this pickup and invariably someone (usually another seasoned or "Pro" musician) asks me how I'm getting such a great sound out of my guitar. My answer, "K&K Pure Western". No muss, no fuss, no bother. You owe it to yourself to get one of these. It's a 20 out of 10!

Pickup features: Preamp
Impedence or other specs:

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: Update to my previous review

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: Have been using the Pure Preamp for more than a year now and it has become my preamp of choice. I a/b'd with a Baggs PADI and the K&K Pure preamp is cleaner and make my guitars sound better - more natural. I still use the Baggs, but ONLY if I have feedback, which is maybe 1 out if 5 shows. Then I swap out the Pure for the PADI.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: Ecellent preamp. Still whish it had notch filter, though. Then I could sell the Baggs PADI.

Pickup features: Passive Under bridge
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 414
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Strummer , learning how to fingerpick/flatpick
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: High output plenty of power anf fullness of sounds
Tone: IT has a very full tone , not too bassy as some reviews say .I used the tape on mine and it gives a great sound.
Sonic evaluation: Pretty simple set up Straight into my tascam 424 4 track no pre amp just set the fader about half way and I'm ready to go .Coupled with a mic at the 14 th fret and it sounds like a million bucks

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I like to strum although I have been getting into more flat picking/finger picking .The pick up does a great job of picking out the individual notes

Comments: I would replace it if it were destroyed .Think I might get one for my other guitar just cause it would be great to add. Been playing for 15 years finally have the set up a I want a great bright clear sounding acoustic and a very responsive pick up could not be happyer. THe folks at the factory sent me a cd of some sound samples which really help with my decision .I looked at all kinds of passive undersaddle pick ups and everyone has their opions but this one produccess a true to life sound .Installing it was fun took about a hour just get every thing together first and read the instructions 4 or 5 times first . The trick for me was lining up the tape whilst looking through the pegs holes .Anyway you won't be dissapointed I brought one of the "seconds" which claimed to have a cosmetic blemish but i'm damned if I could tell......

Pickup features: passive bridgeplate pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: acoustic steel string
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: Hello, this is Dieter from K&K. I thought that I should write this in order to clarify some issues regarding higher stage volume. The Pure Western IS capable of quite substantial stage volume. Rock bands like Tom Petty are using it. But I highly recommend the use of a soundhole-plug if you play the Pure with a band.
The Pure has a very strong bass response, stronger that most other pickups. This may cause boominess if you don't know how to counteract this. Some players set the EQ to a center position and wonder why the Pure sounds so "bassy". Please be aware of this fact and simply turn DOWN the bass especially in higher volume situations.
There is another issue which has to do with input impedance. Most acoustic amps are geared towards undersaddle pickups and have extremely high impedance inputs (5-10 megs or more). This technically beefs up the weaker bass response of undersaddle pickups.
With the Pure this is overkill ! But again, if you simply turn down the bass, it should be fine with most acoustic amps. On my Ultrasound I.E. I have to turn down the bass ALL THE WAY. But then it sounds absolutely great !
Of course there are guitars which are more prone to feedback than others. I did not yet find out why. We installed Pure pickups in many guitars and we had I.E. some Taylors and Martins which played very loud before feedback. On the other hand, undersaddle pickups still beat the Pure in respect to stage volume. This is why we introduced the K&K PowerBlend Pure system, a combination of our undersaddle pickup and the Pure. The best out of both worlds.
The Pure is foremost designed for natural tone. If your main goal is high stage volume please consider the PowerBlend Pure system rather that the Pure alone.

Pickup features: Passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1995 Taylor 422
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fishman Matrix
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues and all others
Reason for pickup change: Fishman never had string to string balance

Perceived output level: Suprising high output for a passive pickup
Tone: Natural and balanced
Sonic evaluation: Trace 30 watt and Crate Acoustic 125

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Play all styles of music. This pickup works great with all acoustic styles.

Comments: Would replace if destroyed and will purchase this pickup for other guitars I own.
Been playing 35 years.
The natural sound is increable.
It was a somewhat harder to install on the pinless bridge Taylor.
This guitar has never sounded this good plugged in.

Pickup features: Passive contact transducers
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin CEO-4
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: N/A there was no pickup on the guitar when i bought it
Other pickups on guitar: Sunrise now
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Acoustic Rock
Reason for pickup change: N/A

Perceived output level: High output ...no need for a preamp
Tone: Extremely bass heavy in my guitar.Totally unbalanced.
Sonic evaluation: Have tried several combinations...straight thru the PA and also with effects...could never get a decent sound from this thing

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play acoustic music at high volumes

Comments: Would i buy it again...definitely not.I'm a little cheesed off that i actually glued it to the bridge.Now i'm stuck with the bloody thing.It's ok jamming around at home thru a small PA but as soon as you try playing with this in a loud pub ...forget it.I tried on several occasions without success.
I've been playing 20 years now and was lured into buying this from all the great comments on this website and other places on the net.I'm very disappointed.I'll be sticking with the sunrise ...not the best sound in the world but streets ahead of this one.Maybe it's my guitar ..i know mine sounds beautiful unplugged and it tends to be a little bass heavy so maybe this pickup might be ok in a small sized guitar.

Pickup features: passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: WM-45
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): banging uptempo
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: loud
Tone: very balnced , with deeeeeep bass
Sonic evaluation: direct into Mackie board ?jbl powered speakers

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: This is an update on my earlier post . I have used this as a duo a few times with no problem but never in a band setting. Well I used it last weekend for a set with a band , drums , keyboard etc . They were runing a mackie board into large powered JBL's and had it pretty loud . I went direct into the board and fiddled with the EQ a bit and off we went . I was jammed up right in front of the drums and had no issues with feedback . It sounded great and the guys in the band thought so to.Now this wasn't a heavy metal band , country/rock but we were pretty loud and I was very happy that I had zero issues as I had no sound hole damper thingy . Great stuff K&K !!