Official Luthiers Forum!

My buddy wants to buy one of my builds but he wants a pickup in it. I know nothing about acoustic pickups besides some comments I've read here.

It seems that everyone hates, or tries to avoid under saddle which seems like a PITA. I hear good things about the K&K pickups?

What's your favorite(s)? My buddy does have a preamp so I think that makes things easier.

Thanks,
Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I like the K&K Mini. I use it in all my performing instruments and it works very well. It's 3 little piezo's that are superglued onto the bridgeplate. Supergluing them on gives a more natural tone than using putty. They are not expensive and made in USA. THey have many options for mics mic/pickup blends, DI boxes, and more. You can usually get better deals from the music stores they sell too. Try Blue Star Music.

http://kksound.com/index.php

There are several alternatives, but to some degree you have to balance feedback resistance to sonic quality. In a crowded, loud live sound situation, the latter may be less important. My current favourite, which sounds terrific, allows you to move around on stage, and can be used on a fairly loud setting, is the clip-on DPA system.

http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/Microphone-University/product-info/live-instrument-microphones.aspx

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I like the baggs element active system. It's non invasive to the instrument, sounds really good, and is relatively inexpensive. And they dont break too easily. It has everything I want, and nothing else....which is perfect for me.

Another K&K user here

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

+1 For K&K.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

It's not an easy question.

I think under the saddle piezo's are horrible. You may as well just use a junker guitar if that's the case in my not so humble opinion

But the K and K is not too bad and it's piezo but different, kind of like the Barcus Berry Hot Dots which were good if you found the right spot.

The best sounding ones to my ear are the sound hole pickups like the Sunrise, Baggs M-1 and Fishman Rare Earth.

Hey Kevin,

It all depends on the environment your friend intends to play while plugged in. If he is going to be playing in a loud band on stage with monitors sending sound back at them, then the K&K (or any 'under-soundboard' devices for that matter) will be prone to feedback. The under-saddle transducer (piezo) is going to be your best bet in that case. But otherwise (small gigs, or just by himself in his livingroom), then the K&K is awesome.

If you have to go with a piezo, you will want to watch for the material used as the UST. Some are soft and impair the sound of the unplugged guitar. I like the Fishman Matrix infinity. It's quite hard. But it does sound like a piezo...

Hope this helps!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

I've used the K&K for about 3 years on several different guitars.

I usually play in an orchestra and it can be real loud. I don't normally have to worry about the monitors since we use in-ear monitors unless standing up front. The stage is large and feedback doesn't seem to be much of a problem there. The sound guys can notch it out easily.

I also play in an acoustic group outdoors on small stages where the monitors are usually on a tripod stand up off the ground and have to be quite loud so we can hear them. In that case feedback can be a problem but once again the sound guys notch it out pretty well; a phase reversal switch on a preamp also helps but I do have to keep a hand on the strings when I'm not playing. If I always played in the outdoor venues then I might look at something else.

Either way I get lots of complements on the sound of the guitar through the sound system. It's not unusual for someone who plays to come up and ask how I get it to sound so natural. Lots of ways to skin the cat, I've even heard UST's sound good when they're hooked to a good processor - $$, and cheating, I know

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I have been convinced by Al Pettaway to give the mcintyre feather pickup a try. They sound very natural in all his guitar. As always though it depends on the situation you need to use the pickup in. Soundboard pickups are more feedback prone than under the saddle pickups.

BTW I have a K&K mini installed in a guitar. I have not been satisfied with how it sounds.

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EddieLee

I agree with the posters who have said that you need to know how the pickup will be used (environment) before you can make a recommendation.

I have been playing in a 6-piece 60s/70s rock band for the past 20+ years. Our onstage level is pretty loud. I have tried various pickups over the years - but for me - and for the sound I'm after - the LR Baggs LB6 pickup through the LR Baggs Acoustic Para DI has given me the best results. The pickup is actually the saddle on your guitar. It takes the place of your existing saddle. I don't use any on-board control - and just run from the output jack on the guitar into my Para DI preamp.

It is my understanding that James Taylor has used this pickup into a $2K preamp for many years. He may be using something else now... but for me, I'm happy.

I have also used the K&K PW Mini - and like the sound - but handling noise and feedback seems to be more evident with this setup.

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P A U L B U R N E R
Burner Guitars

For guitars, I like the K&K. For banjos, I like the Ford F-350.

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

I like K&K mini for a player who doesn't tap or thump the soundboard with his right hand.
I recently installed a Baggs "Anthem" system for a guy who has a percussive right hand. So far, I'm really impressed. I've heard this guitar at three different venues & it performed very well (IMO)
Here's a link to a you tube review done by Acoustic Guitar Magazine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNJwDq3OV6o

Thanks for all the replies so far - lots of good information to think about.



Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I use K&K in a loud band , and for light. I also use it through a line 6 pod. A very versatile unit. I avoid the UST . Condenser mics have also become better than even a few years ago. Find out what he plans on doing and go from there.
I have used the K&K mini with a fishman unit and used it to replace the under saddle pick up.
It worked very well

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I'm a huge fan of the DTAR Wavelength. For a piezo it's way warmer than most. Great headroom. Big output. Easy to install.

I've recently installed two of them, both with the "dual source" mic, and they sound even more natural. The mic has a high feedback threshold, plus you've got a dial at your fingertips to roll off the mic if it gets away on you. And even with the mic it's still super easy to install!!

I'm sold.

Phil

I use the Baggs LB-6 in most of my guitars. Very satisfied with the sound and very simple to take out the pick up and put a normal saddle back in.

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guitarsbygiltzow.com

K&K's are great, simple no-fuss pickups, but once I tried the McEntyre Feather, I was sold. Ridiculously easy to install -- just peel and stick, they sound at least as good as the K&K's, though to my ear they sound a little better and seem able to go louder before feedback kicks in. No preamp on either, so a good outboard preamp with notch filters is a must. That said, if you're willing to put up with a big heavy battery inside your guitar (good if you're into side mass loading), then there are a lot of good options. The D-tars are great, and I've always liked the sound of the Baggs I-Beam. I just decided a while back that I was over the whole battery-in-my-guitar thing. Actually, I have several fully functional pickups I've removed from guitars over the last couple of years that I'd part with for a fraction of retail. I've got a couple of different D-Tars, a nice B Band, and a couple of new-in-box Baggs IBeams. PM me if interested.

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com

I have been installing a variety of LR Baggs in my builds. Element active, iBeam and recently the StagePro Anthem. The Element is a piezo style pickup which works really well for finger picking but as with all piezos can suffer from the "quack" sound when strummed vigourously. The iBeam (under bridgeplate) is much warmer and handles finger picking and strumming well. The StagePro Anthem is a combination of 2 pickups. A piezo and an undersaddle microphone. This had been the best outcome so far but is also the priciest. The Element and iBeam are extremely simple to install but only have a simple volume control. The StagePro has the lot, bass and treble controls, built in tuner, notch control (to compensate for any live feedback issues) etc. But if you really want to lose some time check out http://www.dougyoungguitar.com/pickuptests/ for unbiased examples of just about every type of acoustic pickup.

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Martin Taylor
http://martintaylorguitars.com.au

I have always been happy with Baggs products. (and never happy with Fishman) The I-beam active is my go-to for people that don't really know what they want. And step up to a Duel-Source, Duet, I-mix if they want to splurge. (Haven't tried Anthem yet) Most usually play in bands. However, I haven't tried K&K or Feather yet, but plan to. Especially for solo players.

And, like everyone else says, it really depends on the player and the application.

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Pat

Has anyone tried the JJB pickups?

I like the Baggs LB6,
run through a Baggs DI box.
A dual source system does sound better though.
Not much IMO.
One of my weissies has an LB6, and an EMG soundhole pick-up,
which is my favorite set up for playing live.
The LB6 has a nice bottom end tone,
the EMG takes the "quack" away a bit,
and is less prone to feedback.
Both pups are relatively inexpensive,
especially the EMG,
because somebody gave it to me!

I like the LR Baggs Ibeam system.

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

Just installed the Baggs Lyric and am liking it so far.