So I need a pickup for my DH2. After much reading on this forum and elsewhere I was ready to have the K&K Pure Western Mini installed. Fortunately, my local wood and strings shop is a K&K dealer. When I got there and talked to the owner about the installation, he strongly recommended going with the McIntyre rather than the K&K. So I am turning the question over to you all, anyone compared these two pickups? Opinions?

Thanks all.

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...he strongly recommended going with the McIntyre rather than the K&K.

Just curious - did you ask him why?

He said that in his opinion the McIntyre had the most transparent and accurate sound transmission when used with higher end instruments.

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Originally posted by ngtomlinson:
He said that in his opinion the McIntyre had the most transparent and accurate sound transmission when used with higher end instruments.

With which signal chain? The pickup is but a small part of the eventual sound. Only high end guitars? What about "lesser" instruments? Sounds illogical to me. Take what your dealer said with a grain of salt, actually a pound of salt.

Or a salt mine. I've stopped looking for other pickups (until further designs come along and warrant revisiting the issue), and just put a K&K in my third Collings. Is the Feather not an under saddle pickup? The deal with every one of those is that you have to lift the saddle (duh) and there is no way to avoid some effect on action, and probably pure acoustic tone. And I grew tired of having to deal with the whole 9 volt strap on deal in the soundbox. The K&K is three tiny dots on the bottom of the bridge plate, and an end pin jack. That's it. The least invasive and truest sound I"ve heard, not counting condenser mics- and how many of them do you want to try playing through at club gigs?

Sonoman, I think the Mclintyre Feather is also a bridge plate pickup, not undersaddle.

I have heard good comments for both but I myself choose to install K&K mini on my OM2HAV. I always trust the wisdom of David, sonoman and many other guys in the Collings Forum.

From user's review, the K and K's signal will be stronger than the McInyre, that is, you might get away with a preamp.

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Only high end guitars? What about "lesser" instruments?

His entire statement regarding the McIntyre was that it has the uncanny ability to make a mediocre guitar sound horrible, and a high end guitar sound great.

As far as signal chain, I have a Para DI that I usually run through straight to PA if available, and I have been borrowing an SWR California Blonde II when necessary (although I am looking into an Ultrasound). Currently I have been using a Baggs M1 which I do not like much at all.

In comment to a later post, the McIntyre is indeed an bridge plate pickup not an under-saddle.

Thanks for the input so far, I am confident that I now have no idea what to do.

quote:

Originally posted by ngtomlinson:

quote:

Only high end guitars? What about "lesser" instruments?

His entire statement regarding the McIntyre was that it has the uncanny ability to make a mediocre guitar sound horrible, and a high end guitar sound great.

Yeah, salt mine.

Have you read the acoustic pickup reviews at Harmony Central?

Both K&K and McIntyre have fans, but the thing that sold me was the extremely low number of negative review about K&K.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dberch,

If you're looking to me for wisdom, you're in big trouble, son. But I can't find anything wrong with the K&K system, and I"ve been gigging with them for about two years now (previously played Highlander). Their prices have got to go up when they find out how much people like 'em. The one I had installed last week cost $115, labor extra. I do not do luthier work or even the most minor repairs; I change strings and play. A mechanic or craftsman I am not.

Okay, here's where I'm at. I put the question up to the group, and in all of the responses, the McIntyre never got much of a positive review, while the K&K was compared to the cat's pajamas, so I will deal with my luthier's reluctance to install the K&K and perhaps he will be pleasantly surprised with the sound. Who knows, maybe this will be the instance that converts him.

Thanks for the input.

Nathan

I think you'll be surprised with how much you like the K&K. Especially if you tried others in the past.

Some Luthiers are leary of the super glue thing. Just tell them to follow the directions. It specifically tells them to how to practice the motions until you're comfortable.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!
David