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You don’t say why you want a pickup, so it’s hard to make a good suggestion. If you’re going to have your tech do the installation, then another good starting place is to ask them what they like, are comfortable installing, and maybe even have a guitar with one installed so you can give it a listen. That’s the best I can suggest –
Thanksgiving is officially over – we’re out of pumpkin pie, and the turkey carcass is in the pot boiled down to make soup –
But it was all good – glad to sit down with some of my family, and have a really good meal that many contributed to – I can only hope all pf you had a similarly good time –
Anyone asking about strings for a Santa Cruz guitar, the first thing you HAVE to suggest is a set of SC strings – don’t ask about anything else ‘til you’ve tried them. No whining about price, or whatever, until you’ve bought your first set, put them on, and played them for a week or so. They take a bit of time to “break in”, but they stay there for a very, very long time. I’m quite happy with them on a number of guitars – BUT . . . .
On some guitars, they don’t have enough sparkle, or enough boom – so you should try some 80/20s, or maybe just basic EJ16s – they can sound really good, but I’ve not found them to last the way SC strings do – but it can be worth the changing of strings to get that extra little zing on some guitars –
But personally, I hate changing strings, and the SC sound very good, feel very good, and last a ridiculously long time before I realize they probably should be changed – worth every penny in my mind –
I’d second looking into the UltraTonic – it’s a really great pickup – still my first choice for a new pickup –
BUT – what really matters, is how you intend to use the guitar – are you plugging in just to annoy your spouse or room-mate in the other room? Are you wanting to plug in just to record? Do you play every week at your local bar or church soloing, or are you part of a larger band? Do you need to play at substantial volume in large halls or arenas? And, what are you sending your signal through and to?
Santa Cruz offers a pickup “factory-installed” that is very, very good. But – I’ve had issues with feedback, so, it’s not my “ideal” choice – it does sound really good though. The Barbera Soloist is really good too – but trickier for a self-install. K&K is cheap and lots of people know how to install and use it. There are some really nice internal mics – if you can go that route.
Congrats on the FS! Really wonderful guitar that you just can’t find as easily as you should –
Couldn’t get your link to work – maybe this?
https://www.homespun.com/shop/product/learn-to-play-blues-with-a-flatpick-three-video-set/
looks like a great set – and we know Adam knows his stuff!
i’m kinda unclear – are you thinking “sinker redwood”? Or “bridge redwood”? Or just “old growth I shoulda bought ‘cause it was so nice and cheap but now its not available anymore redwood”?
Thats pretty – but thats the post cease-and-desist design – this is what Gibsons lawyers were getting uppity about –
The idea is still just an emaciated waif, wandering thru the cobwebbed passages in the back of my brain – when fully fleshed and ready for prime-time, details will follow!
But . . . If you already have your seasonal decorations up, you might as well start working on your video. Even if we end up only using the audio, your family & friends will appreciate watching your video, wherever they are at Xmas!
Well – we put the video shorts together and presented it to Richard and crew – I think he was very touched, and I thank everyone who took a few minutes to contribute –
We’re hoping that they will release it, and make it available, but thats entirely the shops call.
It has got me thinking about another project – anyone wanna contribute a Xmas song? Think about it – we’ll see if its maybe something we can organize – 😉
Thats a very interesting connection! As I’ve talked to so many people who were involved in all this in the 60s and into the 70s, which is when (IMHO) the acoustic guitar industry was at its lowest point, so many of these builders / shops / suppliers got their start, and the connections and personal / business relationships formed, the musicians who supported or influenced them – it’s a unique situation, with the combination of talents and skills, training and access to materials – all while the music being made was changing in so many interesting ways as well –
I can’t say we’ll ever come to any conclusions, but I hope we get to keep talking to more of those people, and hear more of these stories – I find it all extremely interesting –
Not a problem! Doesn’t have to be i-anything, if you can do a whole lotta sketches to make a flip book, we can give you a phone call and record it, and then tie it all together! And we don’t necessarily need a great recording – maybe a friend can catch you on their video doorbell, and send us the file – 😉 ?
Hope you get your DAW together – may wanna look at this new Mac mini with their M1 processor – pretty impressive and inexpensive little machine! Getting a lot of good reviews for both audio and video work!
I’ve never asked about those specifics, but from the people I’ve talked to and what I’ve noticed in the shop, there is a constant training program going on, and jobs get rotated to keep people from getting too burnt out in any one position. They hire luthiers who have gone through luthiery school primarily, but not exclusively. Richard, and the more senior luthiers, work with the newer people to make sure they understand the “Santa Cruz” way, and the internal procedures since they work on so many customs. Now, most of this was gathered and my interpretation was determined based on their pre-Covid operations, and I do know that their general operations and working conditions have changed considerably since then, but I don’t have any specifics on what those changes are. I do know they have modified their air handling systems to increase air changes, and installed more barriers to keep work areas more isolated, but how it affects their on-going training and shop safety sessions – no idea –
Richard is amazingly generous and happy to share his knowledge, so perhaps we can add those questions to a podcast in the future –
