UltraPure Classic
UltraPure Guitar Systems feature high-gain-before-feedback with a much warmer, more "microphone like" tone than ordinary under saddle transducers. The UltraPure is comprised of a Pure System plus the UltraPure Preamp with soundhole access. Installation requires no destructive alteration to your instrument. The preamp is mounted inside at the edge of the soundhole, using a super-strong neodymium magnet, giving you convenient access to the volume slider. This versatile unit offers precise EQ as well--if you want to adjust bass, mid, treble, gain just pull the unit out a bit and tune the trimpots with a screw driver.
The UltraPure Classic is an active system for classic guitar, with four pickup heads, preamp with soundhole access, endpin jack, magnetic preamp, and battery mount.
Our goal was to build an acoustic guitar transducer system that does not sound as "harsh" and percussive as the common state-of-the-art saddle transducers do. We were looking for a warmer, more "microphone like" tone with the ability to achieve the high-gain-before-feedback characteristics of saddle pickups. After thorough testing we concluded that surface transducers positioned directly underneath the bridge inside the guitar body represent the ideal solution by yielding an excellent response from the guitar top, while minimizing feedback problems.
Advantages of the UltraPure System: The special Pure surface transducers transmit a significant portion of the soundboard because they are not as close to the strings as an under-saddle pickup. Each of the 3 or 4 transducers is designed to pick up a specific string pair, but also "listens" to the adjacent area around the bridge. The Pure pickups are not under pressure and therefore do NOT sound percussive or harsh. The Pure System reproduces all strings nicely balanced, a known problem with under-saddle pickups. The Pure System sounds great just in passive mode! Unlike under-saddle pickups which passively sound thin and trebled-only, the passive PURE system puts out a nicely balanced, warm, full range signal.
How safe is the UltraPure System with feedback? Due to the Pure System's location on the bridge plate under the bridge, feedback resistance is comparable to under-saddle transducers. Technically, a pickup installed in or on the bridge is a lot less likely to feedback than one which is attached to the open sound board. The 1/8" thin sound board can act like a diaphragm and vibrate along with loud sound-signals from speaker cabinets. This is the kind of feedback you experience on an acoustic guitar. The thicker bridge area is a lot harder to be set into vibration from an outside source simply because of its mass. In our tests with both, steel string and classic guitars equipped with an under-saddle pickup plus the Pure System, we were able to achieve about the same gain-before-feedback with both systems.
Disadvantages of Under-Saddle Pickups:
- Hard, percussive tone, because it is under high pressure.
- Picks up mostly strings and hardly any sound from the soundboard.
- Chance of unbalanced individual string-loudness can result in work-intensive balancing procedure.
- Needs special preamp to compensate for the hard sound.
All K&K guitar pickups are now available with the "Vintage Jack." Fits any starndard 1/4 inch endpin hole, no drilling required. The Vintage Jack will add $80 (not discountable) to the pickup price. Please CALL to special-order a Vintage Jack pickup system.
Read what our satisfied customers have to say about this product.
Pure Classic Manual (54 KB)
UltraPure Upgrade Manual (58 KB)