How to Get Great Acoustic Guitar Tones Live

#acousticguitar #acousticelectric #guitar
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Ever wonder how to make your acoustic guitar sound better plugged in? Here are some tools and tricks to help make your acoustic-electric sound more natural when you're playing live! In this video I use a Martin DM with a K&K Pure Mini pickup and a Gretsch Roots Acoustic with an active Fishman pickup into the Fender SFX II Acoustic amp and Boss Acoustic Singer Live, and I use a Joyo 6-Band EQ, a One Control Pale Blue Compressor and a Keeley Hydra to improve my tone.
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This is a semi sponsored video as mentioned. The Joyo 6 Band EQ appears as part of a collaborative promotion. I own the Fender SFX II, One Control Pale Blue Compressor and Keeley Hydra as part of promotional collaborations, however, those collaborations were limited to their individual reviews, and my use of them in this video was done entirely of my own volition.
Disclaimer: I do basic audio editing on my videos to account for the microphones, preamp and room. This editing, mostly light EQ and compression, is intended to give you the most accurate representation of how the featured gear actually sounds. NO editing is done to misrepresent how the featured gear sounds in any way.

[@SteveRyan1965]

This is a fantastic primer! I've been playing live for years and never knew why certain settings sound more "appropriate" for a specific setting. This would be great ifor anyone who is just starting.

[@jnbtravel]

I always read the first comment to see if I should continue watching, so I will, thanks. heres hoping for a good 'live' sound

[@egycoordinator1470]

FINALLY, a very complete video with a lot of necessary information. There are too many videos of guitarists on electric guitars and almost none with info on acoustic guitars. Thank you so much for the info, I have been looking for the best info on an acoustic guitarist with the necessary effects and the reason for each one. You completed the knowledge that I was missing, or better to say ... the piece of the puzzle that I was missing. I wish you the best of success, and I like the strum you use for demos. I didn't know those chords and they sound great. Success!

[@SKOVDEPETE]

Thank You so much Jack. I loved this info. I love steel strings for "their sound" and dislike amps with "muddy sounds". I even have A Martin Dm, so I loved this even more, since You've given Me a taste of what is actually possible to achieve with this particular guitar. My brother-in-law and I always discuss new tricks on acoustics. Will forward this to him immediately. Hope to see/hear You soon again. Happy Strings to You. 🙂

[@mikestewart5443]

Ive tried different acoustic pickups over the years and always looking for a studio sound! Easily, hear is my list best no1 1 .cole clark angel 3 guitar has,sound board , under saddle, mic ,3 pick ups all controls on board for 3 pickups and bass ,mids ,treble as well 2. Mysi magpie air 3. Lyric 4. Trance audio Good quality guitars usually come with good pickup systems built in.

[@empathysgone96]

Trinity by k&k is tops in my mind. Gets the microphone and undersaddle . Hits all angles

[@casey17w]

Thank you so much for this. I got the KK pups based on ur opinion. I also got a Boss Eq Pedal cuz it would match the imedance. Never knew how the set the EQ until this vid. Rock on dude.

[@yogimarkmac]

Last year I finally bought an acoustic guitar with a pickup. I went with a Taylor 114CE. It has a nice blend that avoids too much of that annoying piezo sound. That was then quickly followed up with a Fishman Loudbox Artist, a purpose made acoustic guitar amplifer that also does a wonderful job handling vocals. It didn't take long before I got a Line6 HX Stomp XL and a DigiTech Trio+. I now have a nice set of patches for acoustic guitar as well as electric with amp/speaker sims. Pair all that with one or two extension speakers and you have what in my mind is the ideal solo guitarist/singer rig setup. Great rule thumb when you're getting started is to turn the FX up till you like it, then dial it back -3dB or so to keep it from being too much.

[@briangardner5905]

Jack, very helpful video. I have an acoustic band - Manzanita in Las Vegas. I play an Ibanez Jumbo body acoustic Artkore with a built in acoustic mic which does have some ability to mold the sound HZ's. I play it through a Berringer 40 Watt Acoustisonic amp, which I like very much. This amp comes with reverb and again the ability to modify the HZ's some other mods but not compression. I really like the Boss pedals, though they can be expensive. Great advice to run my guitar through my amp THEN into the PA, and not direct. One piece of advice for guitarists on a budget. I have found the Yamaha FG800 at around $200 to be a fantastic sounding guitar for the price. I plan to have a mic installed very soon. Yamaha re-did the bracing on this model and it has beautiful bass response, looks great ( I got mine in what is called Sandburst finish) and plays very easily and so affordable! Plan to look into the pedals you mentioned, especially the compressor one. Thanks!

[@HelenStone-cf1kb]

Great practical advice from a dedicated 'teacher!' Thanks!

[@cthanks8203]

Soft pics mellow the strig sounds

[@Mrdecc100]

Thanks Jack. Love that acoustic guitar sound you have. I agree Fishman pickups provide excellent sound and would recommend Fishman Loudbox series amps. They sound excellent with all controls set right in the middle; straight up. When you love the sound you're getting, well, you just want to keep playing.

[@patrickestwick5675]

Thank you. You just explained why i am never happy with my amplifier tone when I plug in to play with the band

[@JackFossett]

Glad to help!

[@dwaynenewton1]

A few years ago i started playing around with the artec guitar electronics and i really like the sound of my acoustic electric going through the band control unit.

[@cthanks8203]

The accoustic amp does help

[@scottbergman8999]

What a great resource!

[@evarsingersongwriter6228]

Excellent sounds and ideas 💡

[@GoneDogging]

Superbly clear. Thank you

[@johnmorrell]

I really enjoyed this video. One thing I think may be overkill, is using the Boss Acoustic amp just for guitar. Half the money you pay for this amp is for its vocal effects and capabilities. I used this amp for 3 or 4 gigs, then sold it. It was extremely sensitive to feeding back when it got turned up. It was very sensitive to feedback. (even with the tweeter off) Several folks had the same problem on stage with this amp. I ended up using a Fishman Artist as my on-stage monitor (I'm old school) I´ve since upgraded to a Fishman Performer as an 'all in one solution'. I've never had feedback problems with the Fishman amps yet. Unless you really need the vocal stuff, the Boss Acoustic Pro, can easily be equalled - if not bettered, by the Fishman Loudbox series - depending on your needs. Plus, the Loudbox Artist and Performer both, are great for vocals - minus all the fancy effects of the Boss. I run my gtr/voc through a TC Play Acoustic or voice live 3 into the Fishman, and I'm more than covered for guitar and vocals. Cheers.

[@JackFossett]

Interesting, I’ve never had a feedback problem with the Boss and tonally I much prefer it to the Fishman amps.

[@johnmorrell]

@@JackFossett It happens when you start to crank the amp up a bit on stage. It became an unusable amp for me because of this. I now use the Performer, and can dial in the sound I need before hitting the amp. And so far , pretty much feedback free. The amp was very good for certain things. Here's. video where I recorded straight into my laptop from it. It just didn't meet my needs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2fHhKuQe8miZrc

[@JackFossett]

@@johnmorrell Yeah, I used it live a bunch of times and never had any feedback issues. Sorry you had trouble!

[@johnmorrell]

@@JackFossett Do you also sing through the amp? It may just be when voice and guitar get loud that the feedback issues appear. Anyway, I'm just back from a 4 set open air gig, and the Performer worked great. I'm glad we live in a time when we are spoiled for choice and riches.

[@rickwilliams5457]

Jack, thanks for the video. Would love to see you review the Boss VE8 acoustic pedal. It has all the settings of your Boss amp but can be run into any amp.

[@CatharticGuitar]

Great. I love the part around 8:30, using the EQ pedal. I’m going to use a Boss GE-7, which is similar.

[@woowah32]

Maton acoustics sound great plugged in. They have a fantastic pups, plus a small mic in the sound hole, you can mix the 2 together to find a great natural sound

[@ecmarchesan]

Great video, Jack.

[@JackFossett]

Thank you!

[@SergeUnplugged]

Solid video, !

[@misterh55]

Thanks for the video! Ton of info here. I have to play a couple of songs for an event in a couple of days and haven't really had to ever set up my own sound. So this is a life saver. I have a cheap Fender Sonora (it was inexpensive but sounded great compared to quite a few substantially more expensive ones that I played the day I bought it years ago). As you can imagine it has a low end active Fishman and sounded kind of thin and plunky through the equipment I'm using. I have an Ampeg 115 and the CD RCA input is the only one working currently (talk about horrible timing!) so I'm using an Amp Buddy direct box as a preamp to fix that. I'm running through an old Digitech GNX4 processor which has a ton of effects including compression and some EQ. I have it set on a clean tube/vintage 4x12 simulator. All of that was getting the sound close as I was following your EQ and compression suggestions and then you said something about how the reverb effect (at the end of the effects chain) can't quite capture the natural reverb of a simply unplugged acoustic guitar. I have one of the Tonewood amps so I put it in to the signal in an attempt to recreate the natural reverb and it made a drastic improvement in making the amplified signal sound like a nice clean acoustic (just a whole lot louder lol). I have a little bit more tweaking to do with EQ and volume (especially after watching what you did with the Gretsch). I figured I'd share what I found. What are your thoughts on the idea of a pre-reverb?

[@flwolf2000]

Excellent Video! Clear and eloquently spoken. And thanks for not starting with "yo wasup".

[@JackFossett]

As much of a fan of Henry Blake as I am, "Yo!" has never been my style.

[@lordjs9726]

Quite the coincidence that this is the topic of your video today. I've just recorded a few videos today where I plug in some acoustic guitars. My favorite pickup for an acoustic guitar is the Trance Audio Amulet system, but that one is expensive so I only have it in two of my guitars right now. It's the best pickup system for an acoustic I've ever heard.

[@JackFossett]

I’ve never tried that one! I’ll check it out.

[@lordjs9726]

@@JackFossett Okay. It's what I have in my Gibson Doves in Flight and also in a custom guitar.

[@anmolshakya4288]

Helped me a lot.. thank you. Keep up he good vibe

[@JackFossett]

Glad it helped!

[@johnwashburn3793]

Would you consider updating this video? Now that there are new pickups available.

[@b-vk8441]

Good video, very interesting. Great to see some experience behind presentation!!

[@gclaytony]

Boss AD-2 is “magic” where acoustic guitars are concerned and it’s notch adjustment lets you get rid of feedback in just a couple of seconds. I think KISS is better than trying to throw every pedal imaginable - you wind up compensating for the various pedals rather than the actual goal - preserving the complexity of acoustic sound.

[@johnkozlowski6993]

Thank you for all the helpful info. What about the use of IR in the chain?

[@Jef-sj6zc]

Very usefull. But I would start with explaing to set your amp in the best sound mode you can get . Are you not satisfied than bring on the pedals . And , by the way , you almost always need an equalizer pedal to get rid of those ugly mid frequencies but that is also what Jack said. Tip : for a warm tone take the high frequencies back on your EQ ; me personally I don't like them.

[@redcurrantrecords]

great video

[@jspendleton3898]

Check out the Tonedexter pedal by Audio Sprockets. Its seriously a complete game changer, and the closest I've found one can currently get to a mic'd sound with the typical live setup. It'll work perfectly with your K&K equipped Martin.

[@PeteJake100]

Aren’t they out of production at the moment?

[@jspendleton3898]

@@PeteJake100 I think you're correct. Hopefully that'll change soon.

[@Angus.Maclean]

I found the eq set too bright for strumming and compression too muddy for strumming. Both way better on fingers but still a bit more compression than I would want. Great overview. Thanks!

[@PeteJake100]

I really like my Boss Singer amp for guitar and vocals. However, do you find that you use the Boss Amp when playing out?

[@cthanks8203]

I have that sound problem...and have found that trying different pics to change the tone in the strings

[@ellenrik]

Excellent video and it explains a lot that may be a mystery. I personally don't use compression as it tends to ruin dynamics, something most people forget about. Keep up the great work.

[@nekkon1989]

Could you possibly do a follow-up video on how to get great acoustic guitar sounds in a home studio?

[@JackFossett]

Maybe! I’ll see if I can plan something useful

[@sgg6927]

​@@JackFossettI second that request!

[@tomward5293]

Great video

[@DCooper1717]

I love the humour in your reviews 😂 This was very insightful as always Jack, thanks for the tips!

[@JackFossett]

...what humor? 😐

[@DCooper1717]

@@JackFossett it’s a G chord, because of course it’s a G chord 😂 so true 👏

[@guy8973]

I'm just starting to experiment with slivers of material ! between the piezo pickup and the bridge , in order to soften the tone. 🤔

[@wingdwolf56]

I have long since given up trying to find that elusive tone. But, since I no longer perform in public anymore, I can just stay acoustic. Thanks for the great tips though!!!

[@wingdwolf56]

@Rodney Naramore I for one, don't give a shit! Quit replying to my comments

[@thecorz72]

You might like to try a maton guitar they have the best pick up system ap5 pro best I've heard

[@rodrigocuadra9708]

Do you have a preference between these two amps? Or a comment of note for someone deciding between the two?

[@SteveRyan1965]

Ps, I wish my fingers were as long as yours it would be so much nicer!

[@StevenBosco]

This is so helpful and I really appreciate all the effort and time you put into making this video, Jack! I've got a Taylor 614ce and I really want to get my sound dialed in, as I play out live every day. I'm looking at getting the Fishman Loudbox Performer. Question... When you have you pedals on (including the 6 band eq), do you then just leave the amp's eq flat and the amps effects off? Also you mentioned stereo vs mono. When coming DI out of the back of the amp, how does that effect the stereo/mono subject you talked about? Where are things panned? I'm confused about that.

[@nomandad2000]

Maybe I can help: I leave the EQ on the amp flat if I use external EQ. The effects as well, unless I can’t access the corresponding effect pedal on my board. I personally don’t mess with stereo..Everything on mono...I get a great sound on stage...

[@douglasmayhall8279]

thanos.. nice reference bro.. i am impressed.. but not surprised..

[@kurtisloew108]

I purchased a LR baggs m1 soundhole pickup for my Martin D16. Sounded great right out of the box. Been inn my guitar for 9 years. the battery lasts over a year. I gigged for years plugging straigh into a fender Acoustasonic on stage. Just ordered a Taylor. Curious how the e2 will sound compared to the Baggs

[@chhabratanuj]

What cheaply priced output device can I use for plugging in a singing microphone? My current guitar amplifier only comes with one channel.

[@Carlosdanielworship]

Have you tried the behringer Adi 21? Great budget EQ/DI pedal for acoustic.

[@JackFossett]

No I haven't but that looks like a great buy. Behringer products tend to be good and reliable as well.

[@Carlosdanielworship]

@@JackFossett it is definitely a great buy! It even has the option for 9v battery. Comes in handy, you gotta try it! God bless bro!

[@Carlosdanielworship]

Do you think the boss singer live lacks low end? I ask because I have one too, and I feel like something is missing in the sound.

[@Carlosdanielworship]

I’m looking to sell it and maybe buy a black star sonnet 60, they seem to have great reviews. Cheaper but from what I hear, it seems like it has a fuller sound.

[@jamespatrick5872]

Am I missing something? I only see one cable running out of your Hydra

[@guycampbell2083]

I have the same fender amp with the fender pedal could I just use the reverb on the amp

[@attybong]

if the compressor has built-in eq, is it not better to place if before the actual eq pedal? 😢

[@nomandad2000]

Hi there! Great vid. I wanna do some looping and add a little overdrive for certain songs. Can you do that with an acoustic amp or is there a better route? Thanks!

[@davidezenari]

Thanks for the video. Now I know that I'll never use a piezo on a Martin

[@cthanks8203]

Picks,picks,picks

[@crazywisdom2]

what brand is the tobacco guitar ? thank you ! great vid as always !

[@JackFossett]

Gretsch, but sadly they don't make that model anymore

[@aaronlarsen7447]

Money better spent on a knk mini. I used to need all that junk too. Active piezoelectric systems suck. I have a ton of extra gear, pedals, power strips, wall warts, cables, extention cords, ect, ect. just trying to make under saddle pickups sound decent. A nice guitar, a KnK Mini and your favorite acoustic amp, is what people need. Less complicated, less to go wrong, no batteries required, and just sounds way better. I did everything you are doing. It's an expensive, time consuming hassle, putting makeup on a pig, and bringing a studio worth of gear to do it.

[@nomandad2000]

Would you recommend an external EQ pedal if you are playing through an amp with eq already on it?

[@JackFossett]

Yes definitely

[@TommyLikeTom]

man I'm so far behind, I just wanted to know how to get my acoustic guitar to sound, but I don't even have a plug in

[@nickalvarado4537]

man my problem is i want a electric guitar for the looks but want to play music that leans more to acoustic

[@JackFossett]

Doesn’t hurt to have both - especially nowadays when there are some really good budget options available!

[@janjahnke6432]

Nice Video! I just would like to add my opinion: as a solo acoustic player I partly disagree. Maybe in a band context this works but solo it is compressed too much. Why should I want to lose dynamics? It's one of my ways to express myself musically. The attacks sound unnatural. Maybe you just exaggerated a little to make your adjustments noticable. I agree with the lower mids- but as a singer for me the guitar is much too trebly- it get's in the way with the voice.)

[@bathizargupta249]

Do you set the EQ on your amp channel flat if you are using an EQ pedal or do you make adjustments to both?

[@believer936]

I would like to see a reply to this question. It was on my mind too.

[@mkrj2576]

Set the guitar relatively flat. Dial the eq pedal. Then when live, during the performance, when room dynamics/volume change, it’s easier to just do quick changes on the guitar.

[@wanazami7667]

Hmmm….l find them all sound unnatural sounding compared to condenser miked. Still searching how best to play live plugged in.

[@sasapavsic5686]

...of course it's a G chord :) Of course it's a subscribe button

[@jameslifetimelearner]

Great demo, the reverb really messed up your tone overall.

[@toyotozan]

You really like that awkward quacky tone?

[@JackFossett]

I consider it a very good tone, and not awkward at all.

[@soofitnsexy]

no quack at all here...are u drinking??

[@soofitnsexy]

@@JackFossett fantastic tone!!

[@ronniecole1397]

Maybe it’s your quacky speakers.

[@mkrj2576]

What is your opinion of the Taylor pickups, e2 I think? I’ve been on a Takamine for decades but thinking about going Taylor for live accounting gigs.

[@cthanks8203]

Too many electronics dude