Re: Why Vortex flopped...?

[JOHNPOLLOCK@delphi.com]

Dave Stagner wrote, regarding use of the Vortex with acoustic guitar:

>I do miss wrapping clouds of ambience around sustaining notes, though.
>Maybe I'll figure out some way to get good distortion again...

My very first exploration of the Vortex was with an acoustic, equipped
with both piezo and magnetic pickups.  I ran the piezo into the Vortex,
and the magnetic into a distortion stompbox; outputs to a mixer.  It
was glorious!

I use stainless steel strings on everything, including acoustic guitar;
they last much longer, are much better balanced through a magnetic
pickup than bronze, and are much brighter than regular nickel electric
guitar strings.  They definitely sound different than bronze; only you
can decide whether the difference is acceptable to you.

For heavy distortion, I suggest the worst soundhole pickup you can find--
something that's all midrange honk (like most electric guitar humbuckers
sound to me!)  My original Lawrence FT-145s are too good; for my next
round of acoustic experiments, I'll use a really crappy George L's with
no highs at all, and fairly high output.  It gave me wonderful distortion
last time I tried it, before I had the Vortex.

John                              Email:  johnpollock@delphi.com
Troubador Tech on the Web--http://people.delphi.com/johnpollock/