K&K Sound Systems Quantum Blender

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: C. Fox SJ
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: LR Baggs Dual Source
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Fingerstyle, Worship, Christian Folk
Reason for pickup change: I purchased the Quantum Blender along with the Trinity Pickup & mic system. I am having the Trinity installed on a custom guitar that is being built for me by Trevor Kronbauer (www.kronbauerguitars.com) in Canada. In the mean time I decided to try out the blender on my C. Fox and BOY!! was I impressed.

Perceived output level: The output is incredible and clear!
Tone: I am able to adjust throughout the sound of my guitar.
Sonic evaluation: I justed tried out the Quantum blender with my LR Baggs Dual Source and it sounds amazing. I set it up in our sanctuary while no one was there the other night and totally cranked the house. With a little tweaking of the EQ, my guitar filled the room with a brilliance and distinction that has not been evident being run through our sound system before. I can't wait to try it on my new guitar with the Trinity system that will be installed. Also, I have an Ashdown Acoustic Radiator 2 Amplifier on the way. I'm certain that they will make a great combination!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Fingerstyle, Worship, Christian Folk

Comments: Incredible!!! I'll return with more reviews once I have my new guitar in my hands.

Pickup features: 3 Transducers and 1 Condenser Mic
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 414 CE
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fishman Onboard
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: John Standefer
You musical style(s): Contemporary Christian, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Classical, Country, etc.
Reason for pickup change: My Fishman sounded overly processed. It's not that the sound was bad, it's just that it did not provide the guitar's true sound. I heard John Standefer live and was very impressed with his sound. He highly recommended K&K pickups.

Perceived output level: The Trinity Western system through the Quantum Blender gives more than enough output. It considerably hotter than the Fishman I replaced.
Tone: Without the Blender, the tone is a little heavy on mid range and bass. The Blender makes all the difference in the world. With a little tweaking, it accurately produced the true sound of my guitar.
Sonic evaluation: I am amazed to see how much progress has been made in acoustic amplification. In 1991, I used a friend's Martin for a live performance. Unplugged, it sounded great. Plugged in, however, it was very harsh and trebly. It was as if I had run it through an electric amp. When I first heard the Fishman Onboard pickup, I was impressed. After a while, though, its charm wore off. A few months ago, a friend of mine bought a Taylor 614 CE with a Fishman Blender. It was better, but still had a hollow sound. Somehow, it missed the guitar's "sweet spot". I remember talking with a number of friends about the frustration of producing a true acoustic sound in a live setting. Several "experts" said it simply couldn't be done. They were wrong.
When I first bought the Trinity Western system with the Quantum Blender, I tried it out through my Ultrasound amp. The sound was amazing. It was very accurate. However, I wasn't fully convinced because almost everything sounds good through my Ultrasound. The following Sunday, I plugged into the church's sound system. This was the exact sound I was looking for. It was difficult to contrate on playing because I was mesmerized by the sound. My guitar now sounds the same live as it does unplugged. If you own a poor quality guitar, you might be better off with a Fishman. If you are looking to reproduce the true character of your guitar, however, I highly recommend this product.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This works great for fingerpicking, strumming, and acoustic leads. I can't think of any styles for which this would not be suitable.

Comments: If this were destroyed or stolen, I would buy another one. I have played for 16 years and this is the sound I have been searching for. The only complaint I have is that the supplied stereo chord is too short for a live performance. It would also be nice to have an overall master volume. However, neither of these detract in any way from the sound. I give it a 10.

Pickup features: 3 transducers and condenser mic
Impedence or other specs: perfectly matched to Quantum

Model of guitar or bass: Ryan Nightingale
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Contemporary fingerstyle and contemporary Christian - broad styles
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: More than you'll ever need with the Quantum Blender/preamp
Tone: I'll explain in next section - not enough room here.
Sonic evaluation: This pickup is the most natural, open, airy combination I've ever heard. Baggs, Fishman, Sunrise -- don't even bother. I'll be honest though, I've not yet played D-Tar (Duncan) stuff yet, and I hear good things about them, so check them out too. As for K&K, its in a totally different class than anything else. First, I'd recommend the mini-western, even on a full size guitar, because the transducers on the Western are SOOO low end heavy. To give you an idea, the first time I had one installed on a Koa Goodall, I only had the transducers, no mic, and most of all ..... no preamp. Running through our system, first time I plugged in, the EQ was set for an ovation, and it literally thumped the subs harder than our bass guitar player! and this was w/out preamp!! The mini has a better balance for a full sized guitar, and even has plenty of output (just like its bigger counterpart), but with the Quantum blender, there is more than you'll ever need. What I love about this system is that the low-end response is amazing - most pickups are nasty piezo's that just give you that rubberband quack. (Fishman is the worst ..... Baggs is a bit better, but still not up to par) Here's what it comes down to folks ...... if you're under 30, you've probably grown up hearing and enjoying the piezo - that high end bell-chime imitation that a guitar does NOT sound like. And thats ok! It just depends on what you're looking for. If you want the system thats is going to sound different depending on the guitar its in ..... the wood combinations its built of ........ the chamber size ..... then K&K is it. A piezo sound the same in a $50 guitar as it does in a $5000 guitar ..... and rest assured, after dropping some serious coin (too much to mention) into this Ryan, I wanted something that amplified MY guitar. This is the closest sound you'll get to having a mic in front of your guitar ..... a GOOD condenser mic, not a 57 or something like that. Its very natural and warm, and the Quantum is AWESOME! Lets you totally eq both the transducers and the mic seperately before blended and sent to the board, amp, etc ..... and all kinds of inputs and outputs on this thing. Here's some personal info (the kind you're looking for!) about usefullness of the Quantum. First, there's a volume AND gain for BOTH the mic channel and the transducer channel. I hate some pre's where you have to use gain for volume ..... they're 2 totally seperate things and if you've ever had a problem w/a soundhole mic feeding back on you, then you know what I mean. Second, There is an XLR out for the blended signal, but there are individual outs from each channel as well, so here's what I do: I run a reverb unit through the FX loop of the Quantum (another plus - effects loop!) and get both channels tweaked just as I like. So the signal sent XLR is all reverbed to my settings ..... but then, here's the cool part ...... I send another signal from the seperate mic out (or transducer out) to the board, totally dry. This means that I've got this big wonderful ball of eq'd, reverbed sound from both the mic and transducers, then I have seperate, fundamental, dry signal sent and added into the mix from the mic, so there's a bit more clarity added on top of the overall sound. Very cool, very simple, very nice sounds.
Ok, here's the negative. For all you out there that love the piezo chime (perhaps I should say 'us' - I'm only 21- wait, no ... nevermind - that doesn't make any difference. :P ) it doesn't sound like a piezo. For some of the stuff that I play, I find that perhaps a bit of piezo BLENDED into the mix would actually sound good. In the future, I'm considering putting in maybe a B-band or Duncan piezo and adding another jack to the guitar, just to REALLY be able to dial into the tone I'm wanting. If i

Comments: I'd replace it in a heartbeat if it were lost. I give it an 8 because of the box its housed in and the plastic knobs. But wow, the sound! A good installation is crucial, too. Its not an extremely difficult process, but get someone that knows what they're doing, or else you'll pay for it.