| In 1997 fingerstyle great Doyle Dykes approached us with his dream of creating a pickup that would capture the way he played. As a solo acoustic guitarist his special needs in a pickup included great tone, natural dynamics, presence, precise articulation and perfect string balance. Lack in any area would have a negative affect on his ability to convey his music. With two years of R&D, much encouragement and persistence from Doyle and some great input from Earl Klugh we have created the ultimate, no-compromise pickup for acoustic performers.
To achieve adequate articulation and dynamics we chose to use an individual pickup per string. To achieve perfect balance we created a tripod upon which the string is balanced and supported equally between two raised points at the ends of the bottom of the pickup. This method of support created immunity from variations of the saddle slot that normally affect balance. The use of set screws for these points allow for easy, user-adjustable action changes. We enhanced the flexibility of the sensor element so it would not compress the instrument's dynamic range like typical transducers. We placed the sensing element extremely close to the string for immediacy without harshness and to minimize feedback. The sensor was also specially designed to balance warmth from the body with direct string input. When we were happy with the performance, we created precision molds to insure consistently perfect pickups. The body of the transducer is gold-plated to resist corrosion and the crown is hard-chrome-plated for long life.
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Doyle Dykes |
"The Hex Acoustic Pickup brings much more to the guitar than mere amplification. It creates the very personality of my guitar's voice. Besides it's inexplicable tonal excellence and balance, the playability is greatly enhanced because of the separation between strings. It's the best thing that's happened to the guitar in years…"
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Earl Klugh
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"The Hex Pickups give me the separation, warmth and dynamics that I need, but without the usual piezo harshness…It's a great pickup." |
Environment and Playing Style:
The Hex pickups were designed specifically for high-energy steel and nylon string soloists and fingerstylists. They are very stable for use at high SPLs where articulation is demanded, or when the strings are hammered. The sound is dynamic with presence and punch -- therefore the Hex pickups will also work well in high-volume electric or acoustic bands.
Use:
The Hex pickups will sound best when used with a high-quality, high-impedance (greater than 2 megohm) preamp/buffer with EQ (onboard or outboard) into a full-range PA. The Hex pickup output is so hot that attenuation prior to the preamp rather than gain is usually required. The Hex pickups will not sound best “flat,” so some knowledge of how to use an EQ is essential.
The kit includes a Summing Board that allows all of the six individual pickups to be added together into one signal and capacitors to match the output of the Hex pickups to most preamps.
Though the Hex Pickups can be used passively, they will sound best when used with a high-quality, high-impedance (greater than 2 meg ohm) preamp/buffer with EQ (onboard or outboard) into a full-range PA. See "Recommended Use" for details.
Onboard Preamps:
The Hex Pickups can be set to work with any of our preamp systems. They work best with the following systems:
Microdrive II - This plugs into any line input, amp or effect
Dual Source System - This plugs into any line input, amp or effect, can be blended with a mic using a stereo y-cable
Deluxe Acoustic Preamp - This plugs into any line input, amp or effect
Micro EQ - This plugs into any line input, amp or effect
Duet II LB6 - This plugs into any line input, amp or effect, and can be blended with a mic using a stereo y-cable
Outboard Preamps:
The Hex Pickups can be used with any of our outboard preamps, including the Para D.I., Feedback Master, Mixpro or Gigpro.
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