K&K Pure using Takemine Preamp

[La Faro]

I have a Takemine ABG with a Takemine under the saddle piezo with Preamp, eq and tuner built in. I'm not keen on the piezo sound, and I'm stuck with a big hole if I rip out the electronics (Maybe cver with sme pick guard plastic). I'm contemplating the K&K Pure. Some reviews of the K&K Pure Mini (for the guitar) say it really needs a PreAmp. The output jack has three small retaining screws. So if I can't use this n the K&K, I'd need to add a big washer to cover the three holes. So I'm considering.

1. Drilling a second hole and having two outs.
2. Disconnecting the Piezo, connecting a male jack to the INPUT of the existing Takemine preamp, EQ and Tuner. Connecting the K&K's output jack to the new male jack. Will this work? Is there and issue with connecting a Transducer pickup to a piezo electronics? Will it overload (I know it's weak, but the Piezo must be weaker surely if it comes with a preamp?).

 

[matthewbrown]

If the preamp/eq is a Fishman MKAB, you should be able to use the Pure. I didn't install mine, a tech did, but the preamp and controls worked fine with the Pure. He pulled the bridge pup entirely.

 

[La Faro]

Sorry, I saw you post about your pickup installations thread and few hours after I posted mine. I was watching it, then saw your input on mine. Work and killing my laptop got in the way of replying.

MIne has a Takemine pickup. It's kind of and integrated saddle, so the Piezo slots into it, so I would probably have to change the saddle too. It would need a shim if I did remove (especially as I'd need the flatted the bottom).........a picture paints a thousand words

So I'd just leave it in a tidy the wire away. This way it would be reversible and I could always add a second jack hole if I wanted both. I'm really not into the Piezo sound though.

Someone else posted back on another forum that Piezo need the impedance of the Pre amp, so the K&K Pure Transducer may not match. I'm not so clued up on that stuff, but as you are having success with yours, I think it's worth a shot. If it doesn't match up, I can reverse and just use the Piezo for the tuner and route the K&K to the Jack out hole (see if I can still use the other)

I recently bought this guitar which unusually comes with stock soundhole pickup, and I am loving it.

I have tapewounds on my ABG, so wondered about finding a pickup and rigging up a soundhole version. I think a dogear bass guitar pick up could install well, but I can't see those available, and I wondered about the Hofner Bass Pickups. BUt I think I should give the K&K a go especially as it doesn't damage the bass, and it can't be worse the piezo.

 

[matthewbrown]

I think the problem with a soundhole pickup is that soundholes on ABG's are in themselves problematic. They tend to lead to feedback, which is why mine is plugged with a soundhole cover made of malodorous black rubber.

I would suggest writing to K&K, providing them a link to the specs on the Takamine pre-amp, and asking them if the two are compatible.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

You’ve got the preamp already installed. If I’m understanding, the K&K will plug into the existing pre? Just plug ‘er in and see what happens. If you don’t like what you hear, you can look at replacing the preamp. Also, if you’re doing away with the piezo you should be able to solder to the existing jack so no need to change it if it’s working properly. You’ll just youre the hot and ground plugs instead of all three.

 

[La Faro]

Sorry for the late update. Thomann shipped the pickup 6 days after the order was placed (they did have Christmas in between), and it didn't get to my friend's mum's house unitil afetr m friend returned to Vietnam. My father came out last month, so bought it with him.

Made an adapter cable for the 1/4 jack to a 2.5mm micro jack. So I could connect the output direct into the onboard Pre Amp, then use the existing Preamp to output jack already installed.

First transducerwas a bit hairy, a spot of glue stuck the rubber backing of the transducer to the perspex jig. I thought the putty was stuck and ended up pulling the rubber of the back of the transducer. (Feck!), Plugged the bass in a tapped the bridge, the transducer was working, so I just glued its backing back on.

Attached the second transducer under the d and g string and used far less putty this time.

strung it up and plugged it in. Wow, such an improvement over the Piezo, which I really hated. The K&K actually sounds like my bass, lovely deep tone. Really happy.

Then I noticed the volume drops off on the G string after the twelfth fret. Removed the string stunk my hand inside and it seems that using the smaller putter may have caused the Transducer to slip a little. it's closer to the D string and less under the G. I'm leaving it as is for a bit, but I think I have to remove and reattach somehow.