Best pickup system when using guitar for percussion

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Probably didn't word the title very well but bear with me...
I play solo acoustic gigs with a Faith Saturn electro and its stock shadow preamp/piezo system. With a looper, I like to add a basic back beat - usually flat palm tapping over the bridge for a kick sound and hitting muted strings for a snare. I've tried hitting different areas of the top and sides but it never produces enough volume. 
I see the Pure Mini gets mentioned a lot on here and was wondering if this would work better. Also, do you need to run the PM into a preamp pedal to get the best out of it?
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Comments

  • BidleyBidley Frets: 2912
    The Pure Mini is pretty good for percussive playing (not that I'm any good at it). To be honest it's just a great pickup in general.

    You can get away with not running the Mini into a preamp, it's got a lot of oomph on it's own. I find it sounds great into one though. I used to use it into a Radial PZ-PRE, now using it into a Helix.
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  • I was trying to work out what KT Tunstall uses having watched her recent rig rundown. As far as I can work it out it’s the LR Baggs VTC. 


    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • TrudeTrude Frets: 914
    This might help...

    In this video for the middle of the three tunes I'm thumping on a Pure Mini equipped guitar for a pseudo bohdrun type sound.  You can hear it from 1.50 onwards, but from 2.20 onwards I bring in the bass drum too.



    Also in this second vid I'm doing a thwacky thing on the side with my wedding ring, to blend with the bass drum / tambourine that I'm playing with my feet.  It starts at about 1.20:



    We play both of these fairly regularly and I find I get great results with the K&K.  In both these examples I'm also plugged into a Boss OC3 octave pedal to add a bass octave below the open D string.  Not sure how much difference that makes to the percussion sound, but my feet are otherwise occupied so I have to leave it on for the duration once we get started!


    Some of the gear, some idea

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  • Thanks for the info and lovely playing @Trude.
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  • TrudeTrude Frets: 914
    No worries sir, and thanks!
    Some of the gear, some idea

    Trading feedback here
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  • SnagsSnags Frets: 5326
    Get one of the Mike Dawes Kuntz guitars with mics all over the show :)
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  • RockerRocker Frets: 4942
    I really enjoyed your playing my friend, the blend of instruments really adds to the feel of the music. 
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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