The Prismatone Is Back!

[Dub]

Here’s a link to the article in Premier Guitar. ==> www.premierguitar.com/news/prismatone-pickups-classic-model-pickups

Want to sound like Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, or Willie Nelson? Install one of these in your classical guitar.


Marshall, this is for you!

[Dub]

Don’t have a suitable classical? Try one of these. Probably similar to the Baldwin original.

[Marty]

I had a customer, more of a nut job PITA if you ask me, that was infatuated with Willie Nelson. I mean he dressed like him, red headband and Levi vest.

He bought a Baldwin guitar with the pickup and a Martin N-20. Had me remove the pickup from the Baldwin and install it on the Martin.

The problem with the Prismatone was it only really worked well in a Baldwin amp. Which is why Willie owned a bunch of them until somebody made a decent preamp for the Prismatone.

[Cosmic Wonder]

Gonna take more than a pickup to make me play like Jerry or Chet.

Mike

[John B]

The special Prismatone Classic model is designed for nylon string acoustic guitars and stays true to the original version with its unique piezo-electric alchemy

Well, as long as they've included the alchemy. I was worried they'd be using science or something.

Played by greats including Willie Nelson, Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell, Chet Atkins

All known (?!?) for their acoustic tone?

[goacoustic]

Feb 15, 2024 14:31:10 GMT -5 Dub said:

Here’s a link to the article in Premier Guitar. ==> www.premierguitar.com/news/prismatone-pickups-classic-model-pickups

Want to sound like Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, or Willie Nelson? Install one of these in your classical guitar.


Marshall, this is for you!

A guy named Sam Kennedy started making reproductions of the Prismatone a dozen to 15 years ago.  He asked me to listen to it and Although there are worse sounding designs it rally did not cover the bases I was looking for.  

The installation requires routing away the front of the bridge.  Its a very intrusive installation.  The pickup sits on 2 threaded inserts to adjust action height.  then there are lateral screws to adjust the skew of the saddle for intonation. 

It is a 60 year old design that was used for a specific model guitar.  for its time it offered a more acceptable sound.  But it is a summed signal going to the preamp. 

I doubt many would want to do the required alterations required to put one of these in their guitar.  

[Marty]

A guy named Sam Kennedy started making reproductions of the Prismatone a dozen to 15 years ago.  He asked me to listen to it and Although there are worse sounding designs it rally did not cover the bases I was looking for.  

The installation requires routing away the front of the bridge.  Its a very intrusive installation.  The pickup sits on 2 threaded inserts to adjust action height.  then there are lateral screws to adjust the skew of the saddle for intonation. 

It is a 60 year old design that was used for a specific model guitar.  for its time it offered a more acceptable sound.  But it is a summed signal going to the preamp. 

I doubt many would want to do the required alterations required to put one of these in their guitar.  

I flattened the whole saddle area with a router using the jig I normally use for routing a saddle slot. Locating the length adjustment holes through the tie block was not difficult but required a long aircraft bit. It all worked just fine, or as fine as that pickup was for the time. The Baldwin required a whole new bridge.

[Dub]

Feb 15, 2024 17:59:42 GMT -5 goacoustic said:

Feb 15, 2024 14:31:10 GMT -5 Dub said:

Here’s a link to the article in Premier Guitar. ==> www.premierguitar.com/news/prismatone-pickups-classic-model-pickups

Want to sound like Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, or Willie Nelson? Install one of these in your classical guitar.


Marshall, this is for you!

A guy named Sam Kennedy started making reproductions of the Prismatone a dozen to 15 years ago.  He asked me to listen to it and Although there are worse sounding designs it rally did not cover the bases I was looking for.  

The installation requires routing away the front of the bridge.  Its a very intrusive installation.  The pickup sits on 2 threaded inserts to adjust action height.  then there are lateral screws to adjust the skew of the saddle for intonation. 

It is a 60 year old design that was used for a specific model guitar.  for its time it offered a more acceptable sound.  But it is a summed signal going to the preamp. 

I doubt many would want to do the required alterations required to put one of these in their guitar.  

Thanks, Paul. Yeah, I get it. I really posted the article almost as a joke. We've talked about these on the SoundHole before. As you know, the Baldwin classical guitars these were installed in were not great guitars. That's why I posted links to cheap classical guitars, that's where they came from.

Reed liked the Baldwin for the Prismatone but, as I recall, he sawed out the treble upper bout so he could access the upper frets. Someone took pity on him and covered up the gaping hole later.

I remember when Sam Kennedy was making his reproductions but, as you say, that was years ago. This new version is going for over a thousand dollars. That price sounds like it's aimed at Nashville studio types who are trying to duplicate that sound. Either that or old rich guys who think they'll sound like Willie.

No classical guitarist would want one of these since they don't sound like what a classical performer would want.


I kind of put these in the same category as Grammer guitars, popular in Nashville a long time ago but not sought much since then.

[Village Idiot]

I read this whole post, including the link Dub provided, to confirm to myself that I have absolutely no idea about any kind of this stuff.

[John B]

Feb 15, 2024 18:30:05 GMT -5 Dub said:

I kind of put these in the same category as Grammer guitars, popular in Nashville a long time ago but not sought much since then.

Don't go putting down Grammer guitars! They are awesomely cool. They even have the skinny necks like you prefer.

[Dub]

Feb 15, 2024 19:43:05 GMT -5 John B said:

Feb 15, 2024 18:30:05 GMT -5 Dub said:

I kind of put these in the same category as Grammer guitars, popular in Nashville a long time ago but not sought much since then.

Don't go putting down Grammer guitars! They are awesomely cool. They even have the skinny necks like you prefer.

Yeah, I know. But they don't really sound good, do they?



I almost bought a Grammer one time, an original one not the Ampeg version. I was only interested in the neck but I thought they looked cool too, the original ones.

[Marshall]

Feb 15, 2024 14:31:10 GMT -5 Dub said:

Here’s a link to the article in Premier Guitar. ==> www.premierguitar.com/news/prismatone-pickups-classic-model-pickups

Marshall, this is for you!

Ha ha. Nah. I got my hands full already. Just got a 2nd GO AA in the mail today.

Played an open mic last night with my J50 and the GO AA. It sounded great naked into the EV 50 PA.

[Marty]

I have not contributed to the Go AA thread because I have not installed or even seen one. If I were still at the Podium you can be sure I would have gotten one or two in for an install. But without first hand experience I am without advise on the subject.

I've worked on several Baldwin's and Gibson's Bossa Nova model.

[drlj]

Feb 15, 2024 19:49:52 GMT -5 Dub said:

Feb 15, 2024 19:43:05 GMT -5 John B said:

Don't go putting down Grammer guitars! They are awesomely cool. They even have the skinny necks like you prefer.

Yeah, I know. But they don't really sound good, do they?



I almost bought a Grammer one time, an original one not the Ampeg version. I was only interested in the neck but I thought they looked cool too, the original ones.

I played a Grammer at Gruhn’s years ago. The only thing I liked was putting it back on the rack.

[Shannon]

That pickup is too doggone expensive to consider anyway.