Need help/insight for acoustic/electric pickup.

token · 04-01-2006, 07:04 PM

today, i bought a taylor 110 and though i really wanted an acoustic electric, the one i have now has some really nice tone =D (so i've been told). I want to sometime soon install a pickup and i started to look at some fishman pickups and whatnot, but i realize, i don't know a thing about acoustic pickups.

so basically if you could suggest a good method (mic, preamp+mic, etc.) to amplify my guitar without really sacrificing my tone (i'm supposing that drilling a hole in my guitar might compromise SOME tone), that'd be great.

oh yeah, my budget is, under $120-ish US, but i'm willing to pay a lot more. that price doesn't include labour btw.

thanks

seventoglory · 04-01-2006, 08:52 PM

Well if your just set on a fishman and want something to hold you over basically. I know Dean and Markley make one that sets in the soundhole of yourguitar. There are of course several min mic types you could buy. Shadow makes one just a little above your price range thats very nice. It has a Mic and Piezo and you could just hang the output out of your sound hole. Though if you heard this one you might change your mind about the fishman. http://www.musicyo.com/product_specs.asp?pf_id=285

**Rainer.** · 04-01-2006, 09:10 PM

http://www.christianguitar.org/forum...d.php?t=123270
http://www.shorelinemusic.com/

gg7 · 04-01-2006, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainer.

http://www.christianguitar.org/forum...d.php?t=123270
http://www.shorelinemusic.com/

ditto.
be sure to read the faq's at shoreline. it's a great place to start looking at what you want.

omensixaxe · 04-01-2006, 10:26 PM

K&K. Mini Western. Should be around $140 if my memory serves..

gg7 · 04-02-2006, 06:38 PM

^ you can get it for more like $100 (usa dollars) at a good price. like at shoreline for instance. with free shipping. installation is another matter.

nate95366 · 04-03-2006, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by token

oh yeah, my budget is, under $120-ish US, but i'm willing to pay a lot more. that price doesn't include labour btw.

If you're willing to pay a lot more, and not including labor, then you should probably get the Fishman or LR Baggs system you want, and get it installed by a professional. That shouldn't be any more than about $250, depending on whose labor charges you're incurring. When you're looking at systems, you may want to ask:

1) Do I want a square hole drilled in the side of my guitar (for a preamp control unit), or would I rather have an outboard (separate from the guitar) preamp control, such as a SansAmp Acoustic DI or LR Baggs Para-Acoustic DI?

2) Do I want piezoelectric (like undersaddle and body-mounted) elements AND microphones, or one without the other OR magnetic systems (like Taylor's Expression System)?

3) Does the store/dealer have any comparable guitars set up with different systems so that I can play the guitars and hear more the difference in the nuance of the pickups than the difference in the guitars?

And then go out looking.

If you've got the money, don't waste extra money on a "hold-you-over-until" approach. If you do that, you may get married and have kids and then "hold-you-over-until..." becomes rather permanent, because there is no extra money

Nate

gg7 · 04-03-2006, 09:47 PM

good point nate.

even if "until" does actually come, it's costing you more money in the long run (the hold you over system + the cost of what you really wanted later) than if you just got what you wanted to begin with.