Gear
Instruments
K&K Pure Mini w/Volume
K&K recently jumped on the soundhole-volume-wheel bandwagon, and it's a welcome upgrade for those who want some volume control onstage. This model comes all pre-wired, so no soldering necessary. The package includes the Pure Mini pickup, jack, and volume control. Also, because this is a passive system, it does not include a preamp. So we recommend this only if you have an existing external preamp.
It is perhaps most important to note that the volume wheel in this system is an attenuator, which means it can only turn you down, not up.
I really like the K&K pickups. Good output, and no need to mess with internal batteries. Volume control works as expected. Sounds good and natural.
When it comes to acoustic amplification the Pure Mini is an industry standard of sorts, featuring straightforward installation and operation. The passive volume control is a welcome addition. It's certainly possible to travel down the rabbit hole of finding the most accurate reproduction of your guitar's true tone, but for the rest of us who want something that works reliably and sounds better than "pretty good", the Pure Mini is it! Some sort of outboard preamp with EQ and DI definitely adds to its capabilities, but in a pinch you can plug straight in. In addition, buying from Shoreline is always simple and hassle-free. I've been a customer since the early aughts and have never experienced a single problem with them. Truly a great business that sells nice stuff!
After years of using the factor ES from Taylor, I decided it was time to change to something that was a little more natural sounding and didn't require any extra holes being drilled into my guitars. I actually ordered two of these, a 6 string version for my Taylor 814 Brazilian and a 12 string version for my Taylor 562. Both sound absolutely fantastic with my Red-Eye preamp. I opted for the volume knob option because I knew I would not have any access to the mixing board or preamp and needed to be able to cut the volume after a song. I had it installed on my 814 before the guitar even shipped to me. When I received it, I couldn't even tell it was installed! Both of my guitars sound great plugged in and it didn't require any extra holes.