I dig it! I love a good fuzz pedal, but I get so much more knew knowledge from these type of shows, and that carries over to live performances where I can take advantage of what I've learned. Amazingly valuable.
Friendly sound guy here, great show as usual and LOVE this topic because I can't tell you how many crap sounding acoustics I've run sound for. I'm not much of an acoustic player myself, but here's just some sound guy nuggets to enrich this guitar loving audience: - Acoustic amps are way better than wedges most of the time because the front surface of your acoustic resonates, and changing the location and angle of the stage sound putting a human body between the speaker and the guitar helps enormously. - cheap sounding pickups just can't be fixed at the board, but the good ones while kinda gross pre-eq can sound fantastic once they've been EQ'd. So far the best sounding direct sound I've ever heard came from a Mcpherson guitar played by a blue grass pro who's been playing longer than I've been alive. The worst sound is tied between Ovation and Ibanez (sorry) - The back side of speakers put out a ton of low end, so 99 times out of 100, I'm having to trim a bunch of low out of your signal to keep it from resonating into feedback, that's why it sounds so "thin" to you, and sorry but that's just the way it's gotta be - A feedback buster DOES have a negative effect on your guitar, but it's far less negative that howling feedback, so if you're playing in a loud situation or with a full band, plug that hole. - The number one sign for me of an acoustic player that's going to give me a good signal is walking in with one of those LR Baggs acoustic preamps, the one with the built in tuner and parametric EQ. I don't know why, but almost everyone who walks in with one of those just does a better job. - Play your strings harder than you think you should, it just makes everything sound better. I'm not saying full punk rock jackhammer, but put some heat on it when playing live. Hope that helps, or at least gives you a little more idea of how your sound guy is thinking.
Funny how I found the pedal show while searching for videos on amps and pedals, and I think I've learned almost as much about tips to help my sound board running. Thanks Sven, some nice pointers.
Thank you very much for such a great advice. I am one of the nerdyes walking with LR Baggs preamp and my acoustic amp as my monitor. Always getting from the rest of the band --there is no need-- feel revindicated 📣😀
Sven, hi, having been dissatisfied with my cheap piezo equipped guitars for years I asked my bandmate how he got such a good sound with his Martin x series electro acoustic. It turns out that it's not the onboard preamp but a passive DI box between the guitar and PA. I tried it with my low budget acoustic and it works well, it now sounds like an acoustic when amplified. Perhaps this would work with the Ovation and Ibanez guitars too? Or did you do this already? Ian
as a sound engineer and musician myself, I fully support this! It's true, whenever I see LR Baggs, it's like and instant tell that the player is no schmuck lol
"Here Comes the Sun" is such a great song for two acoustic guitars - you get kind of a 12 string type sound with one capo'd up high. My friend and I jam that one often when we see each other. Good singing and playing! I know you guys sing all night at your gigs, so no surprise there. I can see why there are so many acoustic gigs - the bigger rooms with big, loud bands are currently diminishing. It seems that the big clubs all have house DJs and the 'real' music is in small places - restaurants, pubs, lounges, etc. That could be just in my little corner of the world, but our town is losing it's last 300 seat bar, which is where I had a house gig every Saturday.
As a regular (aren't we all!) viewer, I can't tell you how long I have been waiting for this!!!!!! More Acoustic stuff, please!.... as Mick says.... "people like it!"
Fantastic episode. Really looking forward to part two. Gotta say, really enjoyed all of your playing here. There's definitely something about the dynamics of acoustics that just make a duo work so well. Also gotta say, that AER amp sounds GODLIKE. Never heard a plugged in acoustic sound THAT good.
F Me. Here I am in Covid Iso, North of Sydney. My wrists ache from too much guitar, I'm a bottle of Hunter Shiraz in, I've watched ALL of TH-cam. And you guys have just made me smile so wide and so long that I feel like a new man. Thanks fellas!
Dan just showed exactly how to play with another person. As soon as Mick played a lead part in that last section of this, Dan backed off with a much simpler rhythm part. It didn’t take much space up in the mix and it made Mick sound awesome. I wish more musicians understood this!
I’m 44 and I picked up the guitar during Covid! Now I can not put it down! I should have started a long time ago! But now I am determined to get as good as you guys one day! There is something about acoustic guitars! Keep up the great work!
Thank you guys for doing this show! I plug my acoustic into a DI every Sunday (with a few pedals in between) and this has opened my eyes to some new gear. Love all your shows!
Ok - the universe as we’ve known it has just imploded! Dan playing a Martin with a PRS strap, acoustic guitars on TPS, and this videos wasn’t blocked by the TH-cam police! LOL. Seriously, you guys do have to take the acoustic set on the road. It would be an amazing show.
If you are going to use a passive piezo, then you would do well to plug it into a very high impedance input, on the order of 5-10 Megaohms, like a Z.Vex Super Hard-On. Piezos have a very high characteristic impedance, and they improve greatly by plugging them into an appropriate impedance, rather than the usual 1 Megaohm of the average guitar amp or other audio gear. A Countryman Type 85 DI has an input impedance of 10 Megaohms.
@@hectorgrande8000 if you turn the knob all the way down on a SHO, you get kind of a superbuffer. The impedance will then be very high like this commenter said (10,000 Ohms) and clean. The cable disappears and your pickups will sound like new (great if you want an extra glassy tone on your strat for example). But yeah also great for piezos or dynamic mics with low output. They used to make mixing desk mic preamps with that type of circuit.
I’ve been watching you guys for years I’ve known the band you played in and played in, but I didn’t realize how great your vocals are! Nicely done guys !!!
This is so relevant to me in my band right now that this has become such a perfectly timed release of a video. Thank you both for your deep exploration!
A couple of years ago, I was searching for “effects for acoustic guitar” on TH-cam, and I stumbled across your channel, then you guys helped me learn how to enter the electric guitar world. If you’re worried that your audience won’t like acoustic episodes, I can tell you that most worship leaders in the US play acoustic and are constantly wanting to improve their acoustic sound through a PA, or they’re wanting to transition to electric. Either way, you guys can make a show about almost anything and you’ll be helping someone out there. Keep up the good work!
Holy Cow! I came across this TPS episode while researching use of a compressor pedal with an acoustic guitar. I love hearing you two play and to hear you sing - Most Excellent Dan & Mick!!! As always, I come away from another of your presentations with new knowledge to improve my sound/tone. Best Regards, James
Awesome as always!!! I remember the first time I saw an AER. I was walking down the street where we have several music stores here in Sao Paulo. Among the traffic noise and everything else, I heard an AMAZING acoustic guitar. Started searching for the source of that. Went into the biggest store there and way there on the back was a guy testing some acoustics on his amp he brought along. Men. What a sound from a box even smaller than yours I think. I went wtf and will get one of those as soon as $ allows :)
Hey man. lol, they probably know that already. How's your wonderful home made looper and pedal board? I hope your getting lots of good use out of them.
A lovely detour from the norm seeing you guys perform together, well done ! I play regular acoustic gigs so im quite interested to see what wisdom i can absorb here; thanks for all your hard work guys!
Great work guys, maybe not as "cool" as wet dry wet rigs or binson echo recs BUT a really useful video tackling a real issue a lot of us have to deal with. Thanks for being brave and making this video. Also, loving the duo at the start. More of that please! 😊
Absolutely wonderful! Great cover! had no clue you guys did anything with acoustic guitars and I absolutely love it! I would definitely be interested in watching more shows on this topic.
You guys are freaking awesome! Been watching your videos for years! Every time I need to learn about something, you folks have got my back. Thank you. :)
Once you do a gig with a great acoustic amp ... you will never go back. Ever. It allows you to play expressively and get away from the strummy-strummy. And if you use it as your monitor running vocals and guitar through it ... say good bye to being at the whims of a sound man. It is heaven. HEAVEN!
I couldn't believe my ears the first time I heard a proper, high-quality acoustic amp. I ran a Tele through it for THE clean Jazz guitar tone. And ofc, an acoustic. Alas, I can't remember the brand and it was super-expensive so I didn't end up buying it. Belongs to a mate who has a store in Sydney.
I mean.. in a more practical sense.. it’s a hell of a lot easier to lug one acoustic amp and throw a mic/cables in a backpack to go gig most bars/coffee shops. You can add a 400w powered speaker run from the output of the amp if you need more power, or go into a PA the venue has. If you’re doing acoustic/electric mixed gigs things change but for a solo or small group acoustic amps just win.
Aw man, love the tune at the beginning! Was awesome seeing you guys playing with the band on the Greg Koch episode, awesome seeing the concepts put into context/practice.
I've still got, and will always have, a Taylor DN3 that my mom bought me before she became sick and died. She wanted me to have something real and solid to remember her with. Thanks, mom, love you! I want a Martin too though! Nice show guys, refreshing for sure.
How's your dad? When my dad died I bought a Porsche, a very old one. When my mum died I bought a Merc. Fairly old. Other dead relatives bought me a MusicMan and decent amps, which I couldn't have afforded otherwise. They all represent them, so have near mystical attachments to me. And I get to have interesting things around me. I'd prefer to have the people back.
@@pd4165 oh wow. I'm so sorry you've lost both of your parents, and other relatives. lost my dad first, then mother next. But dad gave me my first chances to act on taking music into my life physically... by teaching me rhythms with wooden spoons at age 12 😁 His father played music for a living, and he actually sessioned during some rehearsals with Roy Orbison! Thanks for sharing your story. Cool cars! A friend of mine is jealous of my inheritance, I say the same as you, trade it all for my folks back in heartbeat if you show me how!
My favorite electro-acoustic sound is actually a soundhole pickup into a clean, fender-y amp with loads of headroom. It's definitely not a typical acoustic sound, but it has a certain warmth and midrange to it that makes it a unique and completely usable sound that actually sits in a mix quite well! It's not gonna jump out at you, but it works great as a sort of bed for the other sounds to sit upon. Listen to The Tallest Man On Earth for some examples, he's a big fan of this sound and will even use it playing solo! Also, Elliott Smith was a big fan of passive soundhole pickups; except he would just plug into the mixer. I think he might've even recorded with one, but don't quote me on that
Ahhhhh! (A huge sigh of pleasure.) I am primarily an acoustic player but freaking love this show. I have made the switch to electric and am learning, but this was a great episode even for me. Thanks for doing this guys!
Thank you for doing an acoustic episode. This topic has been rattling around in my mind for a while now, so I cannot wait to see what you guys do in the next episode! Also, the opening song was absolutely incredible! Your voices compliment each other nicely and your talents never cease to amaze me. Impressive!
Wow I’ve watched the show for years and am just now discovering this video - so lovely to hear D&M singing and playing a George tune. Warms my heart. Thank you for your inspiration and for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us all for so long!
Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Dan and Mick Here - The Here Brothers! ........So sorry, I am a 52 year old father of 4 this is best I can do! Please don't block me. Great show.
This just popped up in my feed. 5yrs on I still absolutely love this one. But it's bloody alarming it's been 5 years, could've sworn it was one or two.
Just some thoughts and ideas: 1. The AER sounds fantastic 2. That Acoustic Pedal Show on Tuesdays and the standard show on Fridays??? 3. Since I don’t play for audiences bigger than family, I find using the electric guitar modulation pedals (mix knobs set to full effect)and amp fun for a low volume stereo effect. Wonder if that becomes exponentially more complicated with trying to run an acoustic amp in stereo? Considering phasing and such. 4. It would be cool to expand your budget conscious acoustic guitar idea to the most purchased models from Martin, Taylor, and ... maybe Yamaha or Epiphone.
Awesome guys I’m made up. Asked to do a church gig and with not a lot of experience I took along my Taylor 310 with a K&K and my Marshal acoustic amp which went to the PA system in the church and bingo quite a good sound for a novice performer so yes I’m with you all the way on acoustic amps!
I think we need more pedal show "shows" like this. And bravo on the acoustic boards. I love playing acoustic gigs. Especially since wrangling a full band is like herding cats on the best of days. Acoustic solo or duo gigs allow to be nimble, get the songs super tight, and have tons of fun. Well done lads. ;)
AWESOME episode guys. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I love electric guitar but must of my gigs tend to be on acoustic as you mentioned. Super informative as always :D PD: clean sounds Pt. 2 PLEASE 🙄
In my personal opinion the BEST Box to make ANY PICKUP (from a shitty Seymore Duncan or a vintage Lawrence stick in the hole) the BAGGS PARA Box makes ANY pickup sound like a diamond. I ran open mics for years, and it was my GO TO for ALL guitars.
I use an my old Trace Acoustic amp 99% of the time for exactly the reasons Mick states. My sound is available to the PA with no additional faff, plus I can monitor myself. Admittedly it doesn’t sound as good as that AER but it certainly beats any direct-to-PA sound Ive ever achieved. I’d say it sounds better than the Mesa though. If I can earn the thick end of £900 through gigs I may consider upgrading to an AER.
That fancy-pants cutaway Martin sounds delightful The boys here show how to do two acoustics at the same time: one guy should always capo and play differently voiced chords--two dudes banging out open position cowboy chords all night is lazy and boring.
45:00 a bluegrass band opened for us on some dates on our last tour and played round a centrally positioned condenser mic. The bass was mic'd separately. It was awesome to see how they worked. The sound guys loved it 😁.
Fantastic vid!! I don't know if you answered this somewhere else but here goes a question: Will a good acoustic amp compensate for a cheap acoustic guitar??
Thanks guys. I can't tell you how much I needed this episode. Getting a good sound out of a good electric is so simple. But anytime to try to make an acoustic louder it sucks all the character out.
So, I've chewed up and spit out a plethora of acoustics and preamps. What I've learned. 1. Taylor ES system is not the greatest. Blind listen to just about any other pickup system and you will agree. 2. In just about any acoustic preamp and or pickup, the first thing to do is cut the mids down by at least 60%. 3. Micing an acoustic is always better than any pickup but not convenient in a gig environment. 4. Play before you buy. Dont take the reviews as gospel. Go to the store and tey it out! We gig professionally. My gear is as follows. Guitars - Martin GPCPA1 with fishman Aura. Martin D28 with K&K pure mini. Preamps- LR Baggs Venue DI. Fishman Aura Spectrum.
A very big thank you for taking on this topic, gents. As a songwriter, and a guy in a band, I love what acoustic can do for a song, even as a smaller part of a huge rock sound at times, but have always struggled with getting it to sound good enough to justify using it live over a clean electric. For big events I'll rent one with a much better pickup, but it's still not the same. This, and the follow up episode, are such useful information. And this from a guy who plays electric 95% of the time, and has a board with 15+ pedals on it. I think many of us wanted to know more about this stuff WAY more than you thought we would. If my acoustic could sound as good on stage as it did in the house, I'd consider myself more of an acoustic player.
"Whoops should have brought something cheap to test." If that isn't the That Pedal Show mantra by now I don't know what is! ;-) Look forward to part 2 just based off that brief moment with the pedals, that sounded proper good & seemed like the best option for a small footprint type acoustic rig, guitar, pedal a couple cables...rig in a case.
The right sound hole pickup can work well for different applications. I’ve played in open tunings and DADGAD for years and hated my plugged in sound, then I learned that Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons) uses a sound hole pickup because it works and sounds better with those type of tunings compared to a piezo. I now use the same Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking sound hole pickups on all of my guitars that Mumford uses run into a Radial J48 DI and am very pleased with the sound.
Nice. Sounds pants past the sixth or seventh fret though right!? But as we all know, no acoustic guitarist should be up there anyway. Everyone’s a winner. Cheers!
That Pedal Show Have a quick listen to this sound - now I’m sure there’s loads of stuff happening at the desk, but played with finesse it doesn’t sound terrible up the neck. th-cam.com/video/3V-ZRNnlt4A/w-d-xo.html
I can always hear a bit of electric guitar. Which can be cool I guess! But you’re right about the touch and approach. Ultimately it’s about a setup that works for you and how you interact with it. There is no plugged in acoustic guitar that actually sounds much like an acoustic guitar so it evolves into its own thing and you bend it to work. I’ve kinda given up trying and now just run the K&K because it has the least physical impact on the guitar. AER does the rest. Cheers!
That Pedal Show Fair enough - like you said before, no acoustic guitar player has any business being that far up the neck anyway. There’s no money above the 12th fret!
Damn that space makes such a great studio! Awesome balancing and mixing as usual of course. Thanks for doing this show! P.S. This is another "headphones needed" video. You'll not hear much difference on a phone or smallish computer speaker.
You should do a show on “mic simulation” pedals and preamps. I have been playing in a folk rock band for years and have been using the fishman Aura Spectrum DI and the mic blend on it has given me the best plugged in sound I’ve ever had, and has become quite a standard among professional players.
That was FANTASTIC. Who knew Mick had such a great singing voice? (Probably lots of people, but that was the first time I heard him singing the lead part.) Fine harmony by Daniel. Bravo!
I have a Epiphone with a ESonic preamp and a Shadow Nano Flex pickup. Absolutely loved it. But apparently the pick ups break very easily and they do not make them anymore. Mine just broke and I am having a very hard time finding something comparable. I record in my home studio with my kids next to me. I do not have the ability to record in a quiet place which is why this pick up was so great because it’s Piezo with a transducer combined. So I could jam away on my acoustic and never hear the children in the recording. Now that it’s broken my heart is broken and I cannot find something that gives me the ability to have both sounds intertwined without buying two separate systems. I don’t like the way Piezo sound on their own too harsh and brassy, but recording with my microphone or a system that has a microphone inside is not an option. Please tell me if there is something that exists for my situation? From what I can tell I’m going to have to buy a new piezo and a separate transducer to repair my guitars system. I have called a couple music stores and done a ton of research. I just want the German company to start making the nano flex again. It was the perfect blend and allowed me to record the way I want to with no limitations. Have you got any ideas at all if there is something out there for what I need? The K& K ultra pure mini has gotten really good reviews but I would need an under saddle Piezo also without breaking the bank. I am responsible for the care of my children 24/7 and having a babysitter is not an option on our budget and in the remote place where we live.
Accoustics are great topic for you especially considering your insight. I am hoping for part on the "work needed to be done at mixing console". Can you see into that for a bit - eq, compression, etc.. What can a sound guy do to make accoustic sound nice (especially whet there are more of them). I would appreciate that because i am being on both sides of the PA.
Loved the start to the show. Ultimately, I play music to be in a band, and to play with my friends, and for others, and this came across more strongly in the first 10 mins of this show than in any other one. before AER Compact 60. I have one of these brilliant tiny boxes. Dan's reaction to it was unexpected and delightful! Don't let the size deceive you, they are serious kit. I mostly use it for home rehearsal using my modelling pedalboards (Headrush, Amplifire) and backing vocals (SM58 clone). It's a perfectly formed compact mono PA system. Anyway, my next challenge is how to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic for a tiny part in one song, through a modelling pedalboard into a PA, and this has given me inspiration. Thanks guys!
ive been playing the acoustic guitar live for 20 years. Through my journey i used a few different Preamps before (LR Baggs Para, AER, Firewood DI Japan) until i realised recently that I prefer just a normal DI Box (sometimes without DI) straight into the mixer. That way I rely more on my ears to bring out the most accurate, true-est sound of my acoustic guitar. I no longer wanna be spoilt by choices and options and i just wanted things simple.
About 8 months ago I walked into the guitar center, plugged a new Guitar Center model d'Angelico acoustic guitar into a new Fender Twin. $400 and thousands of air miles later that guitar still sound wonderful!
I play in an acoustic two piece. I hated gigging until because our lovely sound we honed in our living rooms disappeared the second we plugged in. In the end we threw caution to the wind and just decided to one-mic the act (single condensor) and it's the best thing we've ever done. Not only does it sound lovely, you get to use mic technique; and because you're slightly quieter, the audience shuts up and engages with you. I know it's not possible for all setups but I will never go back to plugging in.
All I can say is FINALLY!!! 😍 I’m an acoustic performer only and I’ve spent 10 years forming my wet/dry/wet rig with my Blackwood Cole Clark that blends a piezo, condenser and transducer for the dry and a fishman black stack hunbucker soundhole pick up into my pedal board including stacked o/d and modulations into an ac30/Roland ac60 acoustic amp/68 reissue Princeton reverb. The devil is in the details for acoustic and I’m so happy you mentioned about the utilities making the difference. Keep it up fellas I loved this episode!!! #LifeLongSubscriber 😍😍😍
This sums up so much of my experience playing live with an acoustic guitar and all the challenges that come along with it. The right gear would have helped me out back when I really was doing gigs on a frequent basis. Now it’s whenever I have time so I like watching these videos and simply enjoying shaping the sounds and if I get to share them one day then awesome; if not that’s ok too. Great Video guys!
Do you think you'd ever manage to get away with micing up an acoustic with condenser in your average pub gig? Or do you think it would just pick up way, way too much noise and feedback - I've never actually tried using a condenser in a live situation 'cos I've just assumed it would be a disaster.
I've done it in coffee shops. You have to be very careful about mic placement in relation to the mains. It only worked when playing without stage monitors.
One more comment. As you guys pointed out in the latter half of the video - context is everything! I recently started playing at an open blues jam session with a house band. They love backing me up when I play acoustic fingerstyle blues. But in that context, I have to set my EQ brighter to cut through the band. I would never set my EQ that way if I was playing solo - too much treble and the bass is too low. But in the band setting it works. The audience can hear my guitar, including the attack of my percussive alternating bass, but I stay out of the way of the rhythm section frequency-wise.
That Pedal Show has officially become That "how to be a great gigging musician who's ready for anything" Show, and I love it!
Cheers Pat :)
I dig it! I love a good fuzz pedal, but I get so much more knew knowledge from these type of shows, and that carries over to live performances where I can take advantage of what I've learned. Amazingly valuable.
the perfect balance of helpful gigging advice and pure guitar nerdery
Seeing Dan and Mick actually performing together might have been the greatest That Pedal Show moment ever, and there’s been some epic moments.
Oh wow. Thank you kindly! Gives us great confidence for the band. We were worried people would think we were just being indulgent. Thank you.
What a nice surprise!
Friendly sound guy here, great show as usual and LOVE this topic because I can't tell you how many crap sounding acoustics I've run sound for. I'm not much of an acoustic player myself, but here's just some sound guy nuggets to enrich this guitar loving audience:
- Acoustic amps are way better than wedges most of the time because the front surface of your acoustic resonates, and changing the location and angle of the stage sound putting a human body between the speaker and the guitar helps enormously.
- cheap sounding pickups just can't be fixed at the board, but the good ones while kinda gross pre-eq can sound fantastic once they've been EQ'd. So far the best sounding direct sound I've ever heard came from a Mcpherson guitar played by a blue grass pro who's been playing longer than I've been alive. The worst sound is tied between Ovation and Ibanez (sorry)
- The back side of speakers put out a ton of low end, so 99 times out of 100, I'm having to trim a bunch of low out of your signal to keep it from resonating into feedback, that's why it sounds so "thin" to you, and sorry but that's just the way it's gotta be
- A feedback buster DOES have a negative effect on your guitar, but it's far less negative that howling feedback, so if you're playing in a loud situation or with a full band, plug that hole.
- The number one sign for me of an acoustic player that's going to give me a good signal is walking in with one of those LR Baggs acoustic preamps, the one with the built in tuner and parametric EQ. I don't know why, but almost everyone who walks in with one of those just does a better job.
- Play your strings harder than you think you should, it just makes everything sound better. I'm not saying full punk rock jackhammer, but put some heat on it when playing live.
Hope that helps, or at least gives you a little more idea of how your sound guy is thinking.
Thank you for that Sven - useful and enlightening!
Funny how I found the pedal show while searching for videos on amps and pedals, and I think I've learned almost as much about tips to help my sound board running. Thanks Sven, some nice pointers.
Thank you very much for such a great advice. I am one of the nerdyes walking with LR Baggs preamp and my acoustic amp as my monitor. Always getting from the rest of the band --there is no need-- feel revindicated 📣😀
Sven, hi, having been dissatisfied with my cheap piezo equipped guitars for years I asked my bandmate how he got such a good sound with his Martin x series electro acoustic. It turns out that it's not the onboard preamp but a passive DI box between the guitar and PA. I tried it with my low budget acoustic and it works well, it now sounds like an acoustic when amplified. Perhaps this would work with the Ovation and Ibanez guitars too? Or did you do this already? Ian
as a sound engineer and musician myself, I fully support this! It's true, whenever I see LR Baggs, it's like and instant tell that the player is no schmuck lol
That Pedal Show - The Album. Do it.
I agree. Let's like this until they do it :-)
DO IT!!!!
DO IT!!!
That Pedal Album
rasm0225 Dude, I actually laughed out loud! Great stuff.
"Here Comes the Sun" is such a great song for two acoustic guitars - you get kind of a 12 string type sound with one capo'd up high. My friend and I jam that one often when we see each other. Good singing and playing! I know you guys sing all night at your gigs, so no surprise there. I can see why there are so many acoustic gigs - the bigger rooms with big, loud bands are currently diminishing. It seems that the big clubs all have house DJs and the 'real' music is in small places - restaurants, pubs, lounges, etc. That could be just in my little corner of the world, but our town is losing it's last 300 seat bar, which is where I had a house gig every Saturday.
As a regular (aren't we all!) viewer, I can't tell you how long I have been waiting for this!!!!!! More Acoustic stuff, please!.... as Mick says.... "people like it!"
Fantastic episode. Really looking forward to part two. Gotta say, really enjoyed all of your playing here. There's definitely something about the dynamics of acoustics that just make a duo work so well. Also gotta say, that AER amp sounds GODLIKE. Never heard a plugged in acoustic sound THAT good.
Thanks Brandon! It’s a super simple setup that just works. :0)
F Me. Here I am in Covid Iso, North of Sydney. My wrists ache from too much guitar, I'm a bottle of Hunter Shiraz in, I've watched ALL of TH-cam. And you guys have just made me smile so wide and so long that I feel like a new man. Thanks fellas!
Dan just showed exactly how to play with another person. As soon as Mick played a lead part in that last section of this, Dan backed off with a much simpler rhythm part. It didn’t take much space up in the mix and it made Mick sound awesome. I wish more musicians understood this!
I’m 44 and I picked up the guitar during Covid! Now I can not put it down! I should have started a long time ago! But now I am determined to get as good as you guys one day! There is something about acoustic guitars! Keep up the great work!
Great stuff Doug 🤓👍
Resonator next😅
Thank you guys for doing this show! I plug my acoustic into a DI every Sunday (with a few pedals in between) and this has opened my eyes to some new gear. Love all your shows!
Senses Working overtime & Walking on the spot! Great tunes
Ok - the universe as we’ve known it has just imploded! Dan playing a Martin with a PRS strap, acoustic guitars on TPS, and this videos wasn’t blocked by the TH-cam police! LOL. Seriously, you guys do have to take the acoustic set on the road. It would be an amazing show.
I have a Gibson strap on my Fender and a Fender strap on my Gibson.
When worlds collide...
And a strap-on..
No. Stop there, Gilbert. Quit while ahead.
What an awesome intro!!
If you are going to use a passive piezo, then you would do well to plug it into a very high impedance input, on the order of 5-10 Megaohms, like a Z.Vex Super Hard-On. Piezos have a very high characteristic impedance, and they improve greatly by plugging them into an appropriate impedance, rather than the usual 1 Megaohm of the average guitar amp or other audio gear. A Countryman Type 85 DI has an input impedance of 10 Megaohms.
Super hard-on? I don’t know if I would sound any better playing with one. I think it may be a little distracting but hey whatever works.
@@hectorgrande8000 if you turn the knob all the way down on a SHO, you get kind of a superbuffer. The impedance will then be very high like this commenter said (10,000 Ohms) and clean. The cable disappears and your pickups will sound like new (great if you want an extra glassy tone on your strat for example). But yeah also great for piezos or dynamic mics with low output. They used to make mixing desk mic preamps with that type of circuit.
I’ve been watching you guys for years I’ve known the band you played in and played in, but I didn’t realize how great your vocals are!
Nicely done guys !!!
This is so relevant to me in my band right now that this has become such a perfectly timed release of a video. Thank you both for your deep exploration!
A couple of years ago, I was searching for “effects for acoustic guitar” on TH-cam, and I stumbled across your channel, then you guys helped me learn how to enter the electric guitar world. If you’re worried that your audience won’t like acoustic episodes, I can tell you that most worship leaders in the US play acoustic and are constantly wanting to improve their acoustic sound through a PA, or they’re wanting to transition to electric. Either way, you guys can make a show about almost anything and you’ll be helping someone out there. Keep up the good work!
Holy Cow! I came across this TPS episode while researching use of a compressor pedal with an acoustic guitar. I love hearing you two play and to hear you sing - Most Excellent Dan & Mick!!!
As always, I come away from another of your presentations with new knowledge to improve my sound/tone.
Best Regards,
James
Awesome as always!!!
I remember the first time I saw an AER. I was walking down the street where we have several music stores here in Sao Paulo. Among the traffic noise and everything else, I heard an AMAZING acoustic guitar. Started searching for the source of that. Went into the biggest store there and way there on the back was a guy testing some acoustics on his amp he brought along. Men. What a sound from a box even smaller than yours I think. I went wtf and will get one of those as soon as $ allows :)
Your voices go well together. I'd pay to see this cover band. :)
Alright fishy paw? Thought you might tell them that in Scotland "hen" means lassie ;-)
Hey man. lol, they probably know that already. How's your wonderful home made looper and pedal board? I hope your getting lots of good use out of them.
The board went through a radical downsize - less is more (controllable!).
Loved the little insertion of the intro to XTC Senses Working Overtime around 30:40. More XTC please.
A lovely detour from the norm seeing you guys perform together, well done ! I play regular acoustic gigs so im quite interested to see what wisdom i can absorb here; thanks for all your hard work guys!
Enough chemistry between Dan and Mick for a whole GCSE. Great when Dan gets all ecstatic when hears a good tone!
It's Friday, that means one thing....That Pedal Show!!!!!
Great work guys, maybe not as "cool" as wet dry wet rigs or binson echo recs BUT a really useful video tackling a real issue a lot of us have to deal with. Thanks for being brave and making this video.
Also, loving the duo at the start. More of that please! 😊
Absolutely wonderful! Great cover! had no clue you guys did anything with acoustic guitars and I absolutely love it! I would definitely be interested in watching more shows on this topic.
You guys are freaking awesome! Been watching your videos for years! Every time I need to learn about something, you folks have got my back. Thank you. :)
Once you do a gig with a great acoustic amp ... you will never go back. Ever.
It allows you to play expressively and get away from the strummy-strummy. And if you use it as your monitor running vocals and guitar through it ... say good bye to being at the whims of a sound man. It is heaven. HEAVEN!
Yep!
Agreed! LOVE my Fishman amp. Bye bye sound guy. ; )
Which acoustic amp do you recommend Murray? I tried a Fender Acoustic 200 with guitar and vocal, and really liked it.
I couldn't believe my ears the first time I heard a proper, high-quality acoustic amp. I ran a Tele through it for THE clean Jazz guitar tone. And ofc, an acoustic. Alas, I can't remember the brand and it was super-expensive so I didn't end up buying it. Belongs to a mate who has a store in Sydney.
I mean.. in a more practical sense.. it’s a hell of a lot easier to lug one acoustic amp and throw a mic/cables in a backpack to go gig most bars/coffee shops. You can add a 400w powered speaker run from the output of the amp if you need more power, or go into a PA the venue has. If you’re doing acoustic/electric mixed gigs things change but for a solo or small group acoustic amps just win.
I like your show a lot. I genuinely had joy in my heart hearing you guys play those acoustics so lovingly! What a great episode!
Aw man, love the tune at the beginning! Was awesome seeing you guys playing with the band on the Greg Koch episode, awesome seeing the concepts put into context/practice.
I've still got, and will always have, a Taylor DN3 that my mom bought me before she became sick and died. She wanted me to have something real and solid to remember her with. Thanks, mom, love you! I want a Martin too though! Nice show guys, refreshing for sure.
How's your dad?
When my dad died I bought a Porsche, a very old one.
When my mum died I bought a Merc. Fairly old.
Other dead relatives bought me a MusicMan and decent amps, which I couldn't have afforded otherwise.
They all represent them, so have near mystical attachments to me. And I get to have interesting things around me.
I'd prefer to have the people back.
@@pd4165 oh wow. I'm so sorry you've lost both of your parents, and other relatives. lost my dad first, then mother next. But dad gave me my first chances to act on taking music into my life physically... by teaching me rhythms with wooden spoons at age 12 😁 His father played music for a living, and he actually sessioned during some rehearsals with Roy Orbison! Thanks for sharing your story. Cool cars! A friend of mine is jealous of my inheritance, I say the same as you, trade it all for my folks back in heartbeat if you show me how!
My favorite electro-acoustic sound is actually a soundhole pickup into a clean, fender-y amp with loads of headroom. It's definitely not a typical acoustic sound, but it has a certain warmth and midrange to it that makes it a unique and completely usable sound that actually sits in a mix quite well! It's not gonna jump out at you, but it works great as a sort of bed for the other sounds to sit upon. Listen to The Tallest Man On Earth for some examples, he's a big fan of this sound and will even use it playing solo! Also, Elliott Smith was a big fan of passive soundhole pickups; except he would just plug into the mixer. I think he might've even recorded with one, but don't quote me on that
Ahhhhh! (A huge sigh of pleasure.) I am primarily an acoustic player but freaking love this show. I have made the switch to electric and am learning, but this was a great episode even for me. Thanks for doing this guys!
Thanks Adam. So glad you enjoy the show!
Love all the electric stuff but super pumped that you guys are covering off acoustic gear in this show. Awesome!
Thank you for doing an acoustic episode. This topic has been rattling around in my mind for a while now, so I cannot wait to see what you guys do in the next episode!
Also, the opening song was absolutely incredible! Your voices compliment each other nicely and your talents never cease to amaze me. Impressive!
Thank you Jerod - very kind of you to say!
Well, as an insignificant part of the TPS audience, I love this!
Wow I’ve watched the show for years and am just now discovering this video - so lovely to hear D&M singing and playing a George tune. Warms my heart. Thank you for your inspiration and for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us all for so long!
DAN!! You bloody, brilliant, bespectacled, bearded bugger!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
You guys really need to do this again. Brilliant.
Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Dan and Mick Here - The Here Brothers! ........So sorry, I am a 52 year old father of 4 this is best I can do! Please don't block me. Great show.
Dad jokes are the best jokes.
Could bill themselves as The Hear Brothers.
This just popped up in my feed. 5yrs on I still absolutely love this one. But it's bloody alarming it's been 5 years, could've sworn it was one or two.
Make an album please, pretty please. Mick's voice is great, and Dan's harmonies are a perfect match.
Just started an acoustic side project. This video is worth its weight in gold.
Cheers
Just some thoughts and ideas:
1. The AER sounds fantastic
2. That Acoustic Pedal Show on Tuesdays and the standard show on Fridays???
3. Since I don’t play for audiences bigger than family, I find using the electric guitar modulation pedals (mix knobs set to full effect)and amp fun for a low volume stereo effect. Wonder if that becomes exponentially more complicated with trying to run an acoustic amp in stereo? Considering phasing and such.
4. It would be cool to expand your budget conscious acoustic guitar idea to the most purchased models from Martin, Taylor, and ... maybe Yamaha or Epiphone.
Awesome guys I’m made up. Asked to do a church gig and with not a lot of experience I took along my Taylor 310 with a K&K and my Marshal acoustic amp which went to the PA system in the church and bingo quite a good sound for a novice performer so yes I’m with you all the way on acoustic amps!
Dan and Mick should make an acoustic cover album. I'd buy it.
What a great way to start a Monday morning! Here comes the sun! Thanks guys
YAAAAY! Paranoid Android!
I'll finish watching the show now.
I think we need more pedal show "shows" like this. And bravo on the acoustic boards. I love playing acoustic gigs. Especially since wrangling a full band is like herding cats on the best of days. Acoustic solo or duo gigs allow to be nimble, get the songs super tight, and have tons of fun. Well done lads. ;)
AWESOME episode guys. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I love electric guitar but must of my gigs tend to be on acoustic as you mentioned. Super informative as always :D
PD: clean sounds Pt. 2 PLEASE 🙄
In my personal opinion the BEST Box to make ANY PICKUP (from a shitty
Seymore Duncan or a vintage Lawrence stick in the hole) the BAGGS PARA Box makes ANY pickup sound like a diamond. I ran open mics for years, and it was my GO TO for ALL
guitars.
I use an my old Trace Acoustic amp 99% of the time for exactly the reasons Mick states.
My sound is available to the PA with no additional faff, plus I can monitor myself. Admittedly it doesn’t sound as good as that AER but it certainly beats any direct-to-PA sound Ive ever achieved. I’d say it sounds better than the Mesa though. If I can earn the thick end of £900 through gigs I may consider upgrading to an AER.
One of the best episodes the last few months
That fancy-pants cutaway Martin sounds delightful
The boys here show how to do two acoustics at the same time: one guy should always capo and play differently voiced chords--two dudes banging out open position cowboy chords all night is lazy and boring.
Just gonna point out you used the words "Two dudes, Banging, Open, Position, and Cowboy" all in the same sentence.
Cedar Bay
Wasn’t there a film about two cowboys banging?
Just saying not seen it myself......
Jamison Bebiak 😂
And all the sound techs said "Amen".
Capos are pretty boring too with that logic seeing as how you usually are playing cowboy cords using a capo
45:00 a bluegrass band opened for us on some dates on our last tour and played round a centrally positioned condenser mic. The bass was mic'd separately. It was awesome to see how they worked. The sound guys loved it 😁.
It’s an awe-inspiring thing when done. Better have a proper guitar if you want to do it though!
Fantastic vid!! I don't know if you answered this somewhere else but here goes a question: Will a good acoustic amp compensate for a cheap acoustic guitar??
Depends, if it’s a cheap guitar but you love playing it you might consider a pick up upgrade
Thanks guys. I can't tell you how much I needed this episode. Getting a good sound out of a good electric is so simple. But anytime to try to make an acoustic louder it sucks all the character out.
So, I've chewed up and spit out a plethora of acoustics and preamps. What I've learned. 1. Taylor ES system is not the greatest. Blind listen to just about any other pickup system and you will agree. 2. In just about any acoustic preamp and or pickup, the first thing to do is cut the mids down by at least 60%. 3. Micing an acoustic is always better than any pickup but not convenient in a gig environment. 4. Play before you buy. Dont take the reviews as gospel. Go to the store and tey it out! We gig professionally. My gear is as follows. Guitars - Martin GPCPA1 with fishman Aura. Martin D28 with K&K pure mini. Preamps- LR Baggs Venue DI. Fishman Aura Spectrum.
Pure mini is a great pickup
How brilliant is this best I have seen on TH-cam totally engrossed well done now for part two.
Really really REALLY nice job on the intro!
A very big thank you for taking on this topic, gents. As a songwriter, and a guy in a band, I love what acoustic can do for a song, even as a smaller part of a huge rock sound at times, but have always struggled with getting it to sound good enough to justify using it live over a clean electric. For big events I'll rent one with a much better pickup, but it's still not the same.
This, and the follow up episode, are such useful information. And this from a guy who plays electric 95% of the time, and has a board with 15+ pedals on it. I think many of us wanted to know more about this stuff WAY more than you thought we would.
If my acoustic could sound as good on stage as it did in the house, I'd consider myself more of an acoustic player.
That look Dan gives Mick during the opening jam...❤️❤️❤️
Daniel Etchells real bromance
YES!!! Bring on part 2!
"Whoops should have brought something cheap to test." If that isn't the That Pedal Show mantra by now I don't know what is! ;-)
Look forward to part 2 just based off that brief moment with the pedals, that sounded proper good & seemed like the best option for a small footprint type acoustic rig, guitar, pedal a couple cables...rig in a case.
Wow .... I just finished watching an interview with Paul McCartney and then tuned into this ... Well done guys!!
There's something spectacular about Dan playing an acoustic while wearing an all you need is fuzz t-shirt.
I use fuzz with acoustic all the time. But, then again... I'm an idiot. 😅🤣
The right sound hole pickup can work well for different applications. I’ve played in open tunings and DADGAD for years and hated my plugged in sound, then I learned that Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons) uses a sound hole pickup because it works and sounds better with those type of tunings compared to a piezo. I now use the same Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking sound hole pickups on all of my guitars that Mumford uses run into a Radial J48 DI and am very pleased with the sound.
Nice. Sounds pants past the sixth or seventh fret though right!? But as we all know, no acoustic guitarist should be up there anyway. Everyone’s a winner. Cheers!
That Pedal Show Have a quick listen to this sound - now I’m sure there’s loads of stuff happening at the desk, but played with finesse it doesn’t sound terrible up the neck. th-cam.com/video/3V-ZRNnlt4A/w-d-xo.html
I can always hear a bit of electric guitar. Which can be cool I guess! But you’re right about the touch and approach. Ultimately it’s about a setup that works for you and how you interact with it. There is no plugged in acoustic guitar that actually sounds much like an acoustic guitar so it evolves into its own thing and you bend it to work. I’ve kinda given up trying and now just run the K&K because it has the least physical impact on the guitar. AER does the rest. Cheers!
That Pedal Show Fair enough - like you said before, no acoustic guitar player has any business being that far up the neck anyway. There’s no money above the 12th fret!
Damn that space makes such a great studio! Awesome balancing and mixing as usual of course. Thanks for doing this show!
P.S. This is another "headphones needed" video. You'll not hear much difference on a phone or smallish computer speaker.
well this was a great surprise - can't tell you how much I enjoyed seeing you guys perform this!!
You should do a show on “mic simulation” pedals and preamps. I have been playing in a folk rock band for years and have been using the fishman Aura Spectrum DI and the mic blend on it has given me the best plugged in sound I’ve ever had, and has become quite a standard among professional players.
Seth Becker same here
You guys have beautiful voices. Can’t wait to hear the TPS band in action!
That was FANTASTIC. Who knew Mick had such a great singing voice? (Probably lots of people, but that was the first time I heard him singing the lead part.) Fine harmony by Daniel. Bravo!
He did a great Andertons video with Pete where he sang in a pub garden. Did Shake it Off iirc.
Thanks for pointing that out. For anyone else interested: th-cam.com/video/xwKwngg27HA/w-d-xo.html
I have a Epiphone with a ESonic preamp and a Shadow Nano Flex pickup. Absolutely loved it. But apparently the pick ups break very easily and they do not make them anymore. Mine just broke and I am having a very hard time finding something comparable. I record in my home studio with my kids next to me. I do not have the ability to record in a quiet place which is why this pick up was so great because it’s Piezo with a transducer combined. So I could jam away on my acoustic and never hear the children in the recording. Now that it’s broken my heart is broken and I cannot find something that gives me the ability to have both sounds intertwined without buying two separate systems. I don’t like the way Piezo sound on their own too harsh and brassy, but recording with my microphone or a system that has a microphone inside is not an option. Please tell me if there is something that exists for my situation? From what I can tell I’m going to have to buy a new piezo and a separate transducer to repair my guitars system. I have called a couple music stores and done a ton of research. I just want the German company to start making the nano flex again. It was the perfect blend and allowed me to record the way I want to with no limitations. Have you got any ideas at all if there is something out there for what I need? The K& K ultra pure mini has gotten really good reviews but I would need an under saddle Piezo also without breaking the bank. I am responsible for the care of my children 24/7 and having a babysitter is not an option on our budget and in the remote place where we live.
Boys, pack up the shed, take that act on the road!
Ahaha!!! Thanks Gavin. About 10 people usually come to my gigs. Mick here. 50,000 come every week on here. :0)
A big thanks for this! Working towards acoustic gigs in the near future. Have a good one!
Accoustics are great topic for you especially considering your insight. I am hoping for part on the "work needed to be done at mixing console". Can you see into that for a bit - eq, compression, etc.. What can a sound guy do to make accoustic sound nice (especially whet there are more of them). I would appreciate that because i am being on both sides of the PA.
Loved the start to the show. Ultimately, I play music to be in a band, and to play with my friends, and for others, and this came across more strongly in the first 10 mins of this show than in any other one. before
AER Compact 60. I have one of these brilliant tiny boxes. Dan's reaction to it was unexpected and delightful!
Don't let the size deceive you, they are serious kit. I mostly use it for home rehearsal using my modelling pedalboards (Headrush, Amplifire) and backing vocals (SM58 clone). It's a perfectly formed compact mono PA system.
Anyway, my next challenge is how to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic for a tiny part in one song, through a modelling pedalboard into a PA, and this has given me inspiration. Thanks guys!
Senses working overtime.... at 30:35! What a class! Thank Youuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, yes, yes! Great riff. C'mon Dan get your mate Dave Gregory on - please!
So good to hear you guys sing!
Wow you guys can sing. I mean, really really well. It'd be interesting if you can do vocal processor pedal in the show as well :).
This was one of my favorites. Can’t wait for part two.
Live singing on an acoustic is always a mystical experience. It transcends time and harkens back millennia to our analog beginnings.
Apparently not when I’m playing & singing it doesn’t ... so cruel ...
ive been playing the acoustic guitar live for 20 years. Through my journey i used a few different Preamps before (LR Baggs Para, AER, Firewood DI Japan) until i realised recently that I prefer just a normal DI Box (sometimes without DI) straight into the mixer. That way I rely more on my ears to bring out the most accurate, true-est sound of my acoustic guitar. I no longer wanna be spoilt by choices and options and i just wanted things simple.
Tech 21 has an acoustic d.i. that has been around for a long time. Check it out.
About 8 months ago I walked into the guitar center, plugged a new Guitar Center model d'Angelico acoustic guitar into a new Fender Twin. $400 and thousands of air miles later that guitar still sound wonderful!
I play in an acoustic two piece. I hated gigging until because our lovely sound we honed in our living rooms disappeared the second we plugged in. In the end we threw caution to the wind and just decided to one-mic the act (single condensor) and it's the best thing we've ever done. Not only does it sound lovely, you get to use mic technique; and because you're slightly quieter, the audience shuts up and engages with you. I know it's not possible for all setups but I will never go back to plugging in.
How about nylon string acoustics? Eg how to get Luka Blooms big reverb sound without sounding like you dropped your guitar down an abandoned mine...
Where are all the screaming teenage girls crashing the gates?
The building is too well soundproofed now, the girls can't find it!
They are on the roof. It’s not soundproof 😂
They are all here in the comment section mate!
Major rapeage
What a refreshing intro! Fantastic! More of that please! Random noodling is fine but tends to get stale after a while.
Please do more acoustic stuff. Please.
Right on time! I'm currently exploring more pedal options for my acoustic. Thank you, guys!
Acoustic in to a Roland Cube, job done! 😉
All I can say is FINALLY!!! 😍
I’m an acoustic performer only and I’ve spent 10 years forming my wet/dry/wet rig with my Blackwood Cole Clark that blends a piezo, condenser and transducer for the dry and a fishman black stack hunbucker soundhole pick up into my pedal board including stacked o/d and modulations into an ac30/Roland ac60 acoustic amp/68 reissue Princeton reverb. The devil is in the details for acoustic and I’m so happy you mentioned about the utilities making the difference.
Keep it up fellas I loved this episode!!! #LifeLongSubscriber 😍😍😍
Lovely intro performance! What's your stage name? D&M Live? Dan and the Micks? That Pedal Stompers?
The Schwangrila's
TPS Tangents! :)
That Pedal Band
The Pedallin' Pimps
YEAH BABY! ft. Notorious D & M
Lovely, I enjoyed that a lot. That cutaway Martin sounds awesome!
Really wanted you two to break into “Can’t Find My Way Home” at the end there...
yEs！！
This sums up so much of my experience playing live with an acoustic guitar and all the challenges that come along with it. The right gear would have helped me out back when I really was doing gigs on a frequent basis. Now it’s whenever I have time so I like watching these videos and simply enjoying shaping the sounds and if I get to share them one day then awesome; if not that’s ok too. Great Video guys!
Do you think you'd ever manage to get away with micing up an acoustic with condenser in your average pub gig? Or do you think it would just pick up way, way too much noise and feedback - I've never actually tried using a condenser in a live situation 'cos I've just assumed it would be a disaster.
I like that sound a lot, but the only example I remember is al di meola on stage, which probably means you have to be al di meola on stage
I've done it in coffee shops. You have to be very careful about mic placement in relation to the mains. It only worked when playing without stage monitors.
I’ve done it with an AT AE5400. It sounded great; however, it was a pain in the ass.
One more comment. As you guys pointed out in the latter half of the video - context is everything! I recently started playing at an open blues jam session with a house band. They love backing me up when I play acoustic fingerstyle blues. But in that context, I have to set my EQ brighter to cut through the band. I would never set my EQ that way if I was playing solo - too much treble and the bass is too low. But in the band setting it works. The audience can hear my guitar, including the attack of my percussive alternating bass, but I stay out of the way of the rhythm section frequency-wise.
Totally!