Photo from Christmas at the Dillard House

[smokymtguitar09]

Last Thursday evening I played for a Rotary Club Christmas Dinner at the Dillard House, in Georgia. I played my Buscarino Grand Cabaret classical-jazz guitar that was recently updated with a new Barbera acoustic pickup. The pickup doesn't require a preamp and has a very nice tone and balance. John Buscarino filled and rerouted the saddle slot so the PU would snugly fit in the bridge. I kept John's implant pickup wired to a stereo endpin jack so I can use it for a slightly different percussive sound as it picks up the vibrations of the entire top of the guitar. The two pickups cannot be used together because every other one of the six Barbera pickups are wired out-of-phase to better cut down on adjacent string interaction. There is very little string noise with the Barbera pickup.

[BillB]

Rich Barbera finished a pickup for my Takamine classical last week. It should be here any day now. I'm sure looking forward to hearing how it sounds.

Bill B.

[smokymtguitar09]

Bill,
Please give us a report when you get it installed and playing.

[Greg Butler]

The week before Thanksgiving I took a group of senior adults from our church to the Dillard House for lunch. Wish you had been there pickin' on that day! It would have made the trip even better.

[BillB]

I installed the Barbera transducer in my Takamine over the weekend, and it really sounds nice. It's much better balanced across the strings and sounds much more natural.

Bill B.

[harryh]

I installed the Barbera transducer in my Takamine over the weekend, and it really sounds nice. It's much better balanced across the strings and sounds much more natural.

Bill B.

Bill, I'm looking for a replacement pickup for an '82 Gibson Chet CEC (prior owner took original pickup apart).
Does this pickup have a preamp with it?
Does Barbera have more than one pickup available for guitars now?
I'd love to see a picture of the pickup, by the way!

Thanks, Harry

[BillB]

Harry,
Rich Barbera does have a little preamp that he sells whenever someone needs one. In most cases, I think it fits inside the soundhole. As far as the Gibson CE/CEC, the saddle pickup that they come with is much wider than my saddle pickup, but Rich may have one that works. It seems like someone told me that he's made them to fit the Gibsons. You'd have to ask him about that. His phone number is 718-816-3025, and his email is polytonez@gmail.com. I've talked to him several times on the phone, and he generally answers during NY working hours. If you email, you might not hear back for a couple of days. I think he stays pretty busy, especially since he makes pickups for violins, cellos, upright bass, etc., as well as guitars. So, you may have to give him some time and maybe send a reminder if you decide to have him make one for you. But talk to him for sure, and he may be able to set you up with something. Also, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Kirk Sand has made something that adapts the Barbera to the old CE/CEC type bridge.

Bill B.

[smokymtguitar09]

I think Rich Barbera only makes a standard thickness pickup. Bill is correct that Kirk Sand makes his own adapters for certain pickups. For my LR Baggs pickups he made a mahogany insert that fits the bridge slot. The insert then was slotted to fit the individual Baggs pickup elements with the treble pickups on an angle for best intonation. You could contact Kirk about that and probably arrange to have him install the Barbera PU. His installation price is more than resonable. John Buscarino also is a dealer for the Barbera pickup and most likely will install it regardless of the brand of guitar. John re-routes the saddle slot paying particular attention to the action height you desire. John and Kirk are friends and have comparable installation fees for these pickups.

[smokymtguitar09]

John Buscarino's web site with contatct information
http://www.buscarino.com/

[smokymtguitar09]

Harry,
There is a a photo of the Barbera pickup on Buscarino's website installed in his new 'Concerto' classical guitar. Also notice the strings are fastened through double-string holes then looped in place behind the bridge rather than on top. John says it makes for a more secure string attachement and I suppose more consistent string angle across the saddle.
http://www.buscarino.com/pics/concertopickup_1.jpg