amplifying dulcimers & guitars
03/01/2010

I need a reliable system for stage use that gives a clear and smooth sound, is quick to set up and allows me to move around a little with the guitar. The answer for me is transducer, saddle-type pickups. I have these fitted to all my instruments and they give a controlled, strong and smooth sound.

Pickups mask squeaks and fingering noises but still convey the character of the instrument. They also allow high SPLs (sound pressure levels) before the onset of feedback (howl around).

Critically, the signal from the pickup needs to be conditioned by an acoustic pre-amp before being fed into the mixing desk (board). The preamp ensures that the impedance of the signal is matched to the desk, which results in a balanced sound (EQ-wise).

If there’s the facility, a little reverb doesn’t do any harm, especially on the dulcimer. The very strong bass my guitars is in part due to Open C tuning.