Gear

Sometimes I get questions about gear. I am friendly with a few music companies, but they aren’t paying me to endorse any of this stuff. I’m just sharing my opinions here in case it helps you hone in on the tools that can make your gigs easier. Please remember that KNOWING HOW YOUR GEAR WORKS is essential. You can’t get a good DI tone if you don’t understand EQ. That’s just one example. Your ears have to be sharp, and you must know how to translate what your hearing into the turn of a knob, the repositioning of a mic, or whatever the fix may be. There’s a saying: “Beware the man with only one sword– he probably knows how to use it.” That’s what I’m talking about. Without further ado, my unfiltered opinions:

Acoustic Guitars

1st place: Collings Guitars

Sure, these guitars are expensive- but they are RELIABLE, DURABLE, and PLAYABLE. Collings has been making great stuff for a long time. At this point, they make guitars with several different voices. That means if you want a warm and woofy, old school sounding guitar, they make one. If you want a punchy, clear, loud-as-hell guitar, they make one. They are the top choice of many-a touring musician for a reason: Consistency. They get great sound night after night, and they are so sturdy that they don’t need setups as often as other instruments… especially if you also take good care of them. They look great, sound great, and play great. Not cheap. I play a 2017 OM1.

Runner ups: Martin Guitar, Santa Cruz Guitar Co.

Martin is a household name in the acoustic guitar world. They make something excellent at every price point. While their manufacturing is far more consistent than it used to be, you’ll still have to dig a little to find a great one. But when you do, wow, there’s nothing like a top-shelf Martin- the tone is unmatched. I play a 2005 D-18 Golden Era.

Santa Cruz guitars are all great, which is part of the premium you’re paying for. They’re a favorite in studios around the world because they all sound GLORIOUS in their own way. If it was good enough for Tony Rice, it’s probably good enough for you ; )

For absolute beginner acoustic guitars, Eastman, Yamaha, and Alvarez all make super stuff.

Acoustic Pickups

1st place: K&K Pure Mini

Most touring bluegrass/americana musicians I know are using this pickup in their acoustic guitars. Why? It’s reliable and sounds pretty great. Not as flashy, sparkly, or microphonic as some other pickup options- it is sometimes prone to feedback (if you play bar gigs with a band, it might feedback without a soundhole plug) but I’ve played hundreds of gigs with this pickup and it’s always been SUPER. No battery. Never dies. SOLID!

Runner up: Fishman Rare Earth Blend

More “natural” tone than the K&K, but it uses a battery (which can die on a gig), and blends a magnetic picku with a mic (which is more prone to feedback, although it can be turned off and hasn’t been an issue for me). A great option, if you don’t mind batteries.

DI Box / Preamp / Tuner

1st place: Grace Designs BiX

I never knew I could feel this way about a DI… it truly sounds fantastic, just like a louder version of my instrument. The tone is “pristine,” “transparent,” and “musical.” Thus far, any pickup or instrument I plug into it, the DI just makes it sound louder and better… pretty amazing piece of gear. I’m only 10 gigs in with it, but blown away.

Runner up: LR Baggs Venue DI

I used this DI for ten years on hundreds or maybe a thousand gigs- it was great. Very functional and durable. I love it, and still keep it around as backup for my Grace BiX. It’s tone is slightly less “natural” or “transparent” sounding than the Grace.

TUNER PEDAL: TC Electronic PolyTune 3 - it’s great.

Microphones

1st place: Sennheiser e935

This mic sounds better than a ‘58 at a gig 95% of the time. If you play with a full band and loud monitors, the e945 model has a tighter pickup pattern and you might prefer that one (less feedback)… Both sound great with most male and female voices, and it makes your voice really “pop” through in a mix. They’re highly durable too, with hotter output than an SM58… but they can sound “essy” in some venues and are more prone to feedback than the ‘58.

Runner up: Shure SM58

The SM58 is pretty great. Every sound tech you’re gonna come across has been practicing and tinkering on an SM58 for YEARS, which is what I call the “home field advantage.” A little bit of a hot take here: Most sound engineers are not really listening. They aren’t paying attention. They are just kind of doing sound by rote, which means if you throw up your Sennheiser vocal mic, they might not be able to get a good sound out of it (because they aren’t really listening or problem solving). But if you throw an SM58 up on stage, they will almost ALWAYS know how to make you sound pretty good to GREAT.

Want more tips, info, or lessons? Join my Patreon.