Best Acoustic Pickup

[peterbright]

I have a Custom Shop Martin 000-18 GE that I would like to add a pickup to...any suggestions?

[Billgelder]

I have Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend in my Martin and I am very happy with the sound. You do not have to make a hole in your guitar.

 

http://www.fishman.com/product/ellipse-matrix-blend-1

 

 

 

[peterbright]

Do you have an approximate cost for installation?

[Billgelder]

It is not that hard you might be able to do it yourself.

http://www.fishman.com/files/eclipse_matrix_blend_installation_guide.pdf

 

[peterbright]

I tripped over my two left feet reading the instructions.

[Billgelder]

Call your local guitar guy and get a estimate, it can't be that much.

[Beagle216]

I have the L.R Baggs Lyric. I installed it myself, and it was very simple. Just make sure you have a mirror to see what you are doing and that's it. No holes anywhere. Technically not a pickup but the thing sounds just like your guitar's natural tone. That can also be good or bad depending on what you have Combined with the SA220 it's my favorite acoustic tone I have ever had. You can still use pedals as well.

[tulk1]

Can't say this one is the best ever, but I installed a K&K Pure Mini w/Volume control in my 30th Anni Taylor. Easy enough to not drill on the Taylor, as mine came with the end pin hole pre-sized for an output jack. I'd offer that was fairly forward thinking on their part.

[Singerman]

I put a JJB 330 in a J35 Gibson acoustic and I'm very happy with the tone. The pickup is very similar to a K&K but at about 1/3 the price. Its made in the USA and the customer service was great.

 

http://jjb-electronics.com/prestige-330.html

[H]

Can't say this one is the best ever, but I installed a K&K Pure Mini w/Volume control in my 30th Anni Taylor. Easy enough to not drill on the Taylor, as mine came with the end pin hole pre-sized for an output jack. I'd offer that was fairly forward thinking on their part.

I installed the same pickup in my Hummingbird but had to drill the hole for the jack. Not a difficult job and the pickup is more than good enough for what I need.

[smurph1]

I used an EMG magnetic soundhole pickup in my Epiphone.. You can get them in either single coil or humbucker version.. I used the humbucker because the wiring in my church goes back to the 1920s.. It sounds great!!

[kidsmoke]

I have Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend in my Martin and I am very happy with the sound. You do not have to make a hole in your guitar.

 

http://www.fishman.com/product/ellipse-matrix-blend-1

 

 

 

 

 

+1

 

I've used the same set up in my Larrivee L-03 for 6 years now. LOVE it and it's very versatile with live set-ups and open mics where you don't know what you're gonna find. The onboard pre-amp is a life saver.

 

Easy access

 

 

But still barely noticeable from a typical vantage point

 

[peterbright]

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

[peterbright]

Well I didn't order the "best" one but one highly reccomended by one of the largest Martin dealers in the country who also is quite the picker. Got a K & K Pure Mini. Only $91 with free shipping. Now where is my reamer?

[kidsmoke]

I believe you'll need a pre amp to run that through a PA. Nearly all reports I've heard on that are that it's a killer pickup. Congrats

[peterbright]

Although passive, it works without a preamp...but I have multiple preamps that I can use if necessary.

[rockabilly69]

Although passive, it works without a preamp...but I have multiple preamps that I can use if necessary.

 

I have two guitars with K&Ks in them and IMNSHO they suck without a pre, and yes, they are both installed correctly!

With a pre though, I like them. My favorite pre that I've used with them is my Dtar Solstice which blends the K&K

pickup with a Dimarzio Angel soundhole pickup. I actually bought the K&K XLR pre, but it's cheaply made, and

frankly doesn't sound that good! K&Ks have input impedeance issues with a lod of preamps. but I recently heard,

through the grapevine, about a pre that is supposed kick ass with the K&K! I'm having a custom made one that can

be powered by my pedal board, and will feature post EQ 1/4" outputs. It's called the Archangel X7...

 

http://www.archangelelectronics.com/x7.html

[peterbright]

Looks interesting. Give us a report when you receive it.

[tulk1]

I put a JJB 330 in a J35 Gibson acoustic and I'm very happy with the tone. The pickup is very similar to a K&K but at about 1/3 the price. Its made in the USA and the customer service was great. http://jjb-electronics.com/prestige-330.html

I helped develop the Marcato Violin series. That's my old fiddle you see in the pics. http://jjb-electronics.com/The_Marcato.html I need to do him a sound clip sometime. But I just suck at doing those.

[kidsmoke]

Although passive, it works without a preamp...but I have multiple preamps that I can use if necessary.

 

For sure, it works. In the open mic I host and run sound for, I get a wide range of challenges each event. For sound hole and kk, I just can't get a " projectionable" sound through the rig without a pre. Plenty of sound with, however, so you're good to go.

 

Recording an acoustic and projecting one in a a noisy bar live are two very different situations, and I simply don't need the fine sound crafting capabilities many guys are concerned with when talking amplified acoustics. It's crappy, or not. Beyond that I can add a kiss of 'verb, some low or high end, and we're good. 3 songs later, I'm tweaking for the next performer. In that context, with a pre, the kk always does fine.

[peterbright]

Which pre do you prefer?

[yavuz]

I have a LR Baggs Lyric in my vintage Lowden Acoustic and I absolutely love it...