Excellent choice for larger gigs, recording, or getting the best sound possible out of your passive pickups
"I use the K&K Pure Mini pickup in my rare, vintage 1988 Martin HD-28PSE and that pickup sounds amazing even without a pre-amp like this, however, for doing larger gigs where I need to run a long cable to the mixer, I really felt I needed this pre-amp and after purchasing it, I am glad I did.
The price tag on this pre-amp is a little on the higher side for what it does, and for its construction. It literally feels like a cheap metal box with some basic electronics in it but boy does it perform well! Once you get it dialed in, you can get pretty much the EXACT acoustic sound your guitar is normally putting out (assuming you have this pre-amp attached to a quality amp, and then DI'd out to the mixer.
Control knobs felt a little inconsistent with some being harder to turn than others. The knob on the front for controlling gain is very small and fidgety and can be difficult to see what level it's set at.
What I did to get my sound set up properly was to have a friend sit at the amp and this XLR pre-amp while I sat on the other side of the room with the guitar. I would hear the sound coming from my guitar as well as the sound coming from the amp and would have him make small incremental changes to the output controls until I could hear the cleanest, most accurate sound. Once I had it dialed in, I wrote down the setting in case they got bumped around, and was ready to go!
Overall, I would strongly recommend this if you'll be playing larger gigs and/or want to keep static-noise levels down by being able to keep the gain low on the amp.
If you found this review helpful, please let me know [...]. I do my best to get you the most accurate information I can about the products I use and love to hear your feedback. I only review products that I have personally purchased and use on a regular basis."
Good with a professional sound system
"As good as the others I own by other famous makers. I think that every serious player has at least three or four fancy and simple pre-amps to boost and shape their basic pick-ups. I have used this small and powerful pre- amp on several guitar and bass pezio, magnetic, and combination pick up systems. It has allowed me to do quick adjustments to "house" systems without hassling the sound people or the board operator for the group. No complications with the unit and only the basics but the output is true, not distorted, and the range cuts and boosts are pretty good. I would say that the price and performance are a good buy. If you want more or actually need more then a more expensive unit is for you. I work mostly in studio or with performers who have good sound people. They ask little of me and this pre amp does what I need and they ask for. However, when doing solo or support for one performer or a group with no sound board I do prefer the fancier Baggs or Fishman units."
