K&K Sound Systems Pure Western

Pickup features: Passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin DM
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, pop, country, bluegrass (hear my style at www.birdhousegourds.com)
Reason for pickup change: My Martin DM had no pickup previously.

Perceived output level: Hot, even without a preamp
Tone: Balanced and beautiful
Sonic evaluation: I've played my Martin DM with this pickup installed through an SWR Workingman 10, a Peavey KB300, and direct to PA. It sounds great through any of these. Like many reviewers, I based my decision to purchase one of these after reading the reviews posted here and listening to the .wav file on the K & K website. It seemed like this was the best way to get a natural sound without spending a lot more. I believe that this pickup accomplishes that, and exceeds the expectation by surpassing a lot of more expensive systems. It sounds banal to say it after everyone else has said the same thing, but this pickup sounds just like the guitar does unamplified. Maybe a little less high end, but that is quickly remedied with just a tiny bit of high EQ. I have Elixir Nanoweb light strings on right now, and the combination of guitar, strings and pickup are great. Total cost of all three was less than $600. I challenge anyone to find a better sounding electrified acoustic without spending at least $1,000.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Acoustic rock and pop, with some country and bluegrass thrown in. I can get a good Union Station sound with this outfit.

Comments: I'm extremely glad that I chose this pickup. The only thing that made me at all nervous was gluing in the pickups with the superglue. It worked like a charm (only once did I have a fingertip glued to the underside of the bridgeplate... got that off quickly!). It would be a disaster to glue the pickups in the wrong place. I decided to go with the permanent installation to provide better signal (you can install it with a supplied piece of tape that allows you to remove it if you want, but the output is supposed to be 20% less). It was a bit of a gamble, but I'm please with the result, so no removal will be necessary. You can hear the style of what music I play by trying out the demo track for "That Girl" at www.birdhousegourds.com. Great job to the folks at K & K!

Pickup features: passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin OM18V
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Just Me
You musical style(s): Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Blues etc.
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: very good output, strong enough that a preamp is not required
Tone: balanced and warm, sounds natural like my guitar
Sonic evaluation: I am plugging directly into a Crate CA112-D acoustic amp and the K&K Pure Western is delivering plenty of volume and a warm tone. There is not any odd noise at all. It sounds just like my guitar, just louder.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Blues sometimes aggressive and percussive. This pickup is a very good match.

Comments: I am very satisfied with the K&K Pure Western and have no regrets. I have been playing for a few years. I installed this pickup myself and although it was tricky it was easy to install. I chose this pickup after hearing about it on The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum. I would also like say that it was a pleasure buying experience with MaurysMusic.com

Pickup features: Bridgeplate Transducer
Impedence or other specs: passive

Model of guitar or bass: Martin OM28VR
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: too many to list
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: not sure
You musical style(s): acoustic rock / folk rock
Reason for pickup change: I've read many great reviews and I wanted to hear it for myself.

Perceived output level: As hot as a Fishman Matrix - no preamp needed here
Tone: Rich, authentic acoustic tone. Perfect string balance & nothing harsh about it. Very warm.
Sonic evaluation: Mackie 808M - Community CSX25 speakers. No FX, just straight up. This pickup sounds so much like my guitar, its going to take some getting used to.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: 70's acoustic classic rock ala James Taylor, Jackson Browne, CSNY - works very well strummed and fingerpicked

Comments: How long have you been playing? 18 years
What other gear do you own? Martin "kit" OM18
In the past 5 years I've played the Rare Earth Blender, Fishman Matrix, Baggs iBeam and Baggs Element. These pickups all performed well for me, but the Matrix & Element are my favorites of the bunch. The K&K is much more real sounding than both of these.

Pickup features: Passive bridgeplate pickup...not under-saddle
Impedence or other specs: unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez AW300 spruce top (about $420) with replacement bone nut &saddleu
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none; stock guitar
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: unknown
You musical style(s): Fingerpicking: country, classical, Renaissance, blues, rock-influenced
Reason for pickup change: Not a change, but reviews here indicated the K&K is a great pickup system for the money. And they are right!

Perceived output level: Passive and louder than a Fishman under-saddle with 9V boost. Remarkably loud!
Tone: Balanced, cear, percussive and squeaky: just like your natural guitar!
Sonic evaluation: Three 'lobe' shaped transducers are super-glued into place just forward of the bridgepins (under the bridge) on the bridgeplate. And be careful as you do it! I suggest using a rubber surgical glove in case you get super glue on a fingertip. Don't laugh...super glue is really serious stuff in the eyes or on the skin. I have only heard mine with a Fender Princeton Chorus (Weber VST speakers) and it's remarkable. It really does sound like an acoustic guitar just louder. Is the sound perfectly like an acoustic? Of course not because you are hearing a signal amplified and driven through two 10" speakers. But the Princeton is a clean amp and not an acoustic amp. But the guitar is reproduced really well and definitely better than a Fishman under saddle type. The string dynamics (squeak, etc.) are all faithfully reproduced.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For the closest thing to no amplification, this is the one to get for a modest price.

Comments: At about $100 bucks, this is unbelievable and you will love it! I am pretty particular and critical about my sound, but this pickup delivers! That artificial buzzy sound so common to acoustic pickups is not there. That 'boomy' bass sound so annoying is not there. The Pure Western is really clean, natural, quiet, and fairly easy to install. If you are able to drill out the endpin hole carefully and take your time gluing in the 3 transducers, and have pretty good dexterity, you can install it. If you are intimidated by the job, let a luthier do it. It would be easy to make a mess if you don't have the 1/2" bit and are careless with super glue ("hello...911? I have a problem with my fingers ..).

Pickup features: 3-way passive transducer system
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin D-1R
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Lace sound hole
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Folk/Acoustic rock
Reason for pickup change: Mag PU sounded OK, but I heard so much about this pickup that I had to try it. Also, I was ordering a pickup for the violin player in my band so I said what the heck, I'll get one for me too.

Perceived output level: Slightly hotter than the Lace, definitely don't need a pre.
Tone: Tone is exactly as my guitar sounds, in this case Martin bass w understated top end.
Sonic evaluation: I play folk/ac. rock with a Martin D1 into a genz-benz shenandoah. I thought the thing wasn't working at first then I realized, OMG, no color! This is the sound, only louder. My band noticed the change immediately. For those used to the artificial sound of other pickups the pure takes some getting used to. In fact, I had to add some upper mids to cut through the band. Warning: if your guitar sounds crappy naturally then this is not going to help at all, garbage in garbage out, grok? I play rather percussively, and I was afraid that the pure would suffer from "bass drum" syndrome, like the i-beam. Not so, very balanced, you get a nice thump with no boom. Also, on the subject of the i-beam, I have played with that one, and the Pure blows it away.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: As before, folk- acoustic rock in a full band type of situation. I think this is the most challenging situation for an acoustic guitar, playing against electric instruments, but I don;t have any issues with this pickup application.

Comments: It would be very hard to steal this pickup, but I would go so far as to say that if I ordered a guitar that came with another pu, I would have it changed out for this one. Like I said before, having played the i-beam I have to say this one is WAY better. I think this is about as close as we're going to get to a mic'd acoustic in a live situation. I have to say that the Pure changed my sound for the better and everyone has noticed the change.

Pickup features: Under bridge plate contact
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 514C
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Crown condensor mic
Other pickups on guitar: Fishman RareEarth Humbucker
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic rock/blues/americana
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a natural pickup that's not as temermental as onboard mic.

Perceived output level: Plenty hot. No preamp required
Tone: Balanced, to a touch bassy
Sonic evaluation: I'm running the Pure Western and the Fishman RareEarth via a stereo jack into the K&K Dual Channel Preamp. There I blend the signal with the seperate volume controls and straight into the PA system.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a sweet and balanced sounding pickup for open strumming OR lead playing or fingerstyle.

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen I'd replace it immediately. I've been playing for about 8 years now, but they've been years since having a good day job. I've been able to afford "the good stuff" and I have developed a very picky taste for tone. I love this pickup design because it's nonintrusive. It amazes me how folks will buy a piece of art in a guitar that has had a gaping hole cut in the side to stick an onboard preamp in. Then they stick that peizo pickup under the saddle and disrupt the natural connection between the bone and the wood, and for WHAT? To get some *facsimile* of what the guitar sounds like.
The K&K pickup is the closest thing to the way the guitar actually sounds I've heard short of a mic, and much less fuss than a mic! It's got a nice percussiveness and smooth dynamics. I was playing out last night. I had been playing my K&K equiped guitar, but for one tune picked up one that had a Fishman Matrix under the saddle. I found that the guitar got REALLY nasty when I got aggressive with the string attack. This is not so much of a problem with the K&K, probably because the strings don't sit right on top of the pickup! They are decoupled by the bridge plate, bridge, and saddle. I think this is the key to the true response.
Also, Deiter at K&K is an awesome person to deal with. Support is second to none. I wanted to make a minor mod to my preamp and he sent me the parts and a diagram telling me how to do it! Most excellent.
The warning I have to say about this mic is that when playing next to someone who's using a typical peizo pickup, the harsh nastiness of their guitar can tend to cut too much and make the K&K seem to not be as loud. In reality, what you're hearing is the smooth majesty of the K&K in a way that's not grating as the Peizo is. I suggest working with your non-K&K blessed sidekicks and trying to get them to roll off the highs so as not to spoil the sound with their rabid quack!
And, with all these accolades, it's still one of the more economical solutions around!
I'm most likely going to add another one to a different guitar I have. It's the real deal!

Pickup features: Passive under bridge contact transducer
Impedence or other specs: yada yada

Model of guitar or bass: Alvarez Yairi DY90 Jacaranda Dreadnought
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Fishman Acoustic Matrix 1
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Acoustic Rock/pop/folk. Mostly flatpicking/strumming, some finger picking
Reason for pickup change: see below

Perceived output level:
Tone: Bassy, a bit muddy
Sonic evaluation: This is a follow up evaluation to one I posted about a year ago. I recently reinstalled the Fishman matrix I had taken out a year ago and here's why: I am not slamming the K&K, I think it still sounds a little more natural than the Fishman, However: Dsipite their claims it is more prone to feedback than the Fishman. Ihave recnetly started playing out more and have run into lowend feedback problems that I didn't have just playing in my den. Especially at open mics where the sound person (if there even is one) has everything set for the standard Under saddle pickups it can be a problem. I have to roll off a lot of bass with either the PA or Baggs paracoustic DI to avoid feedback. #2 The K&K, while it may sound more microphonic, also picks up A LOT of other stuff besides the strings when you play at higher volumes, like the buttons on your shirt, your arm brushing the top. My particular problem is that when I flat or finger pick I have a habit of resting the heel of my hand on the bridge pins. Because it is right over the pickups you can hear the slightest movement of your hand. Also, there will be more strings noise, if you have a tendency to squeak strings, it will be magnified. I read in an article tha Fishman is often criticized for being to bright (my main reason I had switched to the K&K) but in actuallity when people A/B their pickups it's usually in a quiet den, not in an actual playing situation whre you really can't have that much bass without feeding back. I think that for recording the K&K sounds more natural, but I have a condensor mic for that. The K&K doesn't have the piezo "quack" but I also think it lacks the definition of individual notes. I still have it installed int the guitar and I may decide to blend it someday with the fishman. But I think if I get another guitar I would go with a Baggs Double barrel or dual source that has an under saddle piezo for the initial attack and a condensor mic for the "air" that can be blended for differnt situations. I think "ANY" contact pickup (K&K, B-Band, PUTW, Ibeam)
will have these same drawbacks. They may sound a bit better in your den, but aren't as practical for live gigging. That may be the reason you see so many name artists using the Fishman and not Too many(any?) using K&K. Again, I'm not slamming K&K, but if you play out you should be made aware of the shortcomings. PS I've tried K&K, Baggs para acoustic DI, a friend's Fishman Pro EQ platinum and do you know what has made the biggest improvement and has gotten me the most compliments on my sound? A cheap $80.00 Zoom 504II acoustic processor!
(see my review on that,too)

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

Comments:

Pickup features: Passive transducer system
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1972 Martin D-18
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Acoustic Roots
Reason for pickup change: I didn't change a pickup in this guitar I just decided to install a pickup as I was playing out more.

Perceived output level: Perfectly acoustic
Tone: Like my guitar only louder
Sonic evaluation: Going into a K&K dual channel preamp, then into a DI box and then into the sound board. Let me say that after 35 years of playing
acoustic guitar, and having tried almost every system out there, and there are quite a few really good ones, this
system far and away completely exceeds every other pickup I've ever used or heard. I was truly amazed that when I pluged in my guitar it sounded just like my guitar, with no color or any sonic deveation.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Folk, Acoustic Roots music, Old time

Comments: I'd buy this pickup again in a heart beat, as a matter of fact I did. I had one installed in my 1921 Gibson A mandolin
and the sound is amazing. I don't work for K&K, I'm not a company endorcee, I'm just a guy looking ofr that perfect woody,acoustic sound everone wants from a pickup. This K&K pickup spunds as if there was a $2000.00 condensor mic in front of my D-18. Nuf said!

Pickup features: Triple Internal transducers, passive.
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Tacoma RR9C "Roadking"
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: B-Band UST / A1 System
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, country, rock, pop.
Reason for pickup change: Faulty system came with guitar.
Wanted to try somethign which would give me the true 'natural' sound of my guitar.

Perceived output level: Very hot, althogu it's passive, it's at least as hot as the (active) B-Band UST/A1 or Fishman Acoustic Matric I which I have in other guitars.
Tone: Absolutely superb, perfect string-to-string balance. Completely natural & true to the unplugged sound of the guitar.
Sonic evaluation: Tried with Ashdown "Acoustic Radiator" combo so far.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues (incl. bottleneck/slide), Country, Rock, Pop.

Comments: I have a new (4 weeks old) Tacoma RR8C Roadking (Sitka/Rosewood) that came with a B-Band which had a faulty jack (kept cutting out) and no sound from the top 'E' string, despite trying all their 'remedies'- seems the system may have been damaged during installation by Tacoma.
After 10 days of voice-mail I finally got through to Pekka Rintala at B-Band who very kindly said they would send me a replacement UST/A1 set (from Finland).
With 3 gigs coming up this week, by last Friday I was beggining to panic & ordered a Pure Western from K&K (my friend wants one installed in his C3C Chief anyway) with the thought in mind that if the replacement B-Band didn't arrive in time, I could install the K&K in my Roadking & order another for my friend's Tacoma Chief.
Well, it didn't, so I did. (...if you catch my drift), but the K&K arrivced (by UPS) early Monday morning.
What a surprise! I've just tried the Roadking with the K&K through a small Ashdown acoustic combo so far, but it sounds absolutely superb, the best acoustic sound I've heard in 30 years of guitar playing, many of them professionally. I've used & installed Baggs, Fishman, B-Band, Shadow, you name it.
I seldom play 'plugged-in' at home, as the pickups usually sound so unnatural. However, after installing the Pure Western, I couldn't stop playing for hours, it sounded totally natural, *SO* much better than the B-Band!
After I unplugged the guitar to plug in a tuner, I inadvertently went to turn the amplifier up a little - it wasn't plugged in - the acoustic sound was indistinguishable from the plugged-in sound using the Pure Western...
I have a 3 concerts this week, including one Acoustic trio and a big outdoor gig with a 7-piece band. I will write again after these with my thoughts / comments after using it through the large P.A. & monitor systems.
I went with the 'direct to the wood' method, & installation in my Roadking was a bit of a nightmare, not least because of my VERY large hands/arms, and the Roadking's small & awkwardly shaped 'paisley' sound hole far away from the bridge - up by the neck, opposite the cutaway.
I had installed a B-Band in the other guitarist in one of the bands I play in's Larriv?e dreadnought on Saturday (replacing a broken Fishman), and it certainly wasn't any easier than the Pure Western, even with the Larriv?e's larger & better positioned sound-hole. A lot less worrying without the super-glue though, hehe!
Although his new B-Band UST/A1 (same as the faulty unit my Roadking came with) definitely sounds better than the Fishman Acoustic Matrix I which was in before, the K&K is far more 'natural' than either of them. No comparison. I was surprised how loud it is with no batteries too, same settings on the amp as for the B-Band & Fishman, even though no battery.
Believe it or not, I think my guitar even sounds fractionally better UNPLUGGED with the K&K system, now the transducer element has been removed from under the saddle, allowing better saddle-to-bridge contact.
You can hear pretty much what your guitar would sound like with the K&K system installed NOW, without even ordering one...
Put your ear up close to the sound hole (unplugged) and play... That's virtually the same sound you will get with the K&K!

Pickup features: passive transducer
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson gospel
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: fishman under saddle
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): pop/rock, singer/songwriter
Reason for pickup change: wanted to better capture the sound of guitar

Perceived output level: as hot as an active Fishman under saddle
Tone: extremely well balanced
Sonic evaluation: plugging straight into various p.a systems

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: great match for all styles

Comments: Out of all of the acoustic guitar pickups I've tried (and I've tried 'em all... even invented a few!) I've never been more happy than with the K&K system. I use it with their Pure preamp as well and that's just icing on the cake. I play full time professionally and need to know that my guitar is going to sound good no matter where I'm playing, and no matter how hard the soundman is trying to make me sound bad. I can't imagine using another acoustic guitar without one at this point.