Pickups for acoustic?

thomasross20

In my little Larrivee book it recommends the LR Baggs pickup but I just checked and it costs a lot! Any recommendations? Has to be non-intrusive from a playing point of view (which I guess all try to be).

EDIT - I guess mic is best but not the most practical. 

Another thing! I have one pin for a strap but not a second (this is common, right?) - has anybody gotten a luthier to add another pin so a strap can be attached?

Thanks!

Evilmags

Easily done job. On a guitar that good I'd go for the LR Bags or similarly priced Fishman.

Bidley

I'd say it's definitely worth spending the money on a nice pickup if you're going to be gigging with it. As Evilmags says the Baggs or an equivalent Fishman should be fine, although I'm not up on the best models.

With the strap pin, I've gotten a tech to fit a strap button on the treble side of the 'heel' of the neck. This is gives a nice balance when you have it slung on. Like this;

http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee328/mudbean/Guitars/AW100CEnewneckbutton.jpg

thomasross20

Thanks, guys! 

I'd definitely get a tech to do the strap button....

Damn, I was hoping there would have been a cheaper recommendation but LR Baggs & Fishman does seem to pop up a lot..

ICBM

If you have a guitar as good as a Larriveé, don't put a cheap pickup in it.

Although, my preference is to put *only* a high-quality pickup in the guitar itself - a plain passive transducer with just an endpin jack, no on-board preamp of any kind - and use an external preamp, so you could do the job in two stages if you want to save money... pickup first, and use a cheap outboard preamp, and then upgrade the preamp later. Even a plain Fishman or LR Baggs transducer isn't that cheap, but there is a reason why most pros use them.

menamestom

The K&k pure mini gets good reviews, is totally passive and can work without a preamp( although an external preamp can make it even better). Also it doesn't affect the acoustic tone, some UST's can apparently.

BilliBob

Just had LR Baggs Anthem full monty installed on a cutomers guitar.  Sounds stunning, very feedback resistant and ability to blend undersaddle with Mic.  I am definitely going to have one.  They seem to be worth the extra ££.

thomasross20

Cheers, guys!!

p90fool

menamestom;351903" said:

The K&k pure mini gets good reviews, is totally passive and can work without a preamp( although an external preamp can make it even better). Also it doesn't affect the acoustic tone, some UST's can apparently.

So does the K&K Definity System. I paid 140 for one and it's vile, and totally unusable above whisper volume.

Stick with LR Baggs or Fishman.

ICBM

I'm also one who doesn't quite get the K&K hype. I've fitted quite a few of them in the past - they can sound good, but they're tricky to get located right on the inside of the guitar even with experience, and although they can sound more natural than a UST or a magnetic, they're very feedback-prone as p90fool said - only marginally better than an internal mic, which I also don't particularly like.

crunchman

I've got a K&K Pure mini that I'm very happy with.

erky32

I have a Larrivee L05 (I think) ...beautiful guitar, solid wood all round - great tone, fantastic neck (after a bit of tweeking!) 

I started with a LR Baggs M1. ....fantastic acoustic reproduction, but I didnt keep it, I was looking for more!

Having become an avid fan of John Butler Trio, I began experimenting with effects and drive .....the Baggs wouldnt cope with it - too feedback susceptible. So I tried a Seymour Duncan Woody Single Coil. ....very good acoustic , but still too lively for drive, next I tried a Woody Humbucker - ,,,good for drive, but it would only EQ with phosphor bronze strings, so I eventually ended up with a Woody XL which is a humbucker but with adjustable pole-pieces - highly recommended! .....it means it works perfectly as an acoustic pup, totally noiseless, but add a bit of crunch and it copes perfectly without feedback. Even change strings to Electric slinkys and  adjust the poles to balance and it still performs. I've settled with this pup using Ernie Ball Acoustic Hybrid strings and it sounds sweet, those strings have an unwound 3rd so nice bluesy bends are easy. To me that Woody XL is the most versatile ....but it depends how much versatility you need!

thomasross20

Bump as I need to get around to this. ICBM gave me good tips on another thread also, if only I can find it!!

robkay

Dtar Wavelength works the best in my Lakewood m32, the k.k. mini in there is placed in exactly the right places and sounds utter crud. I also use a Sunrise soundhole pickup and it makes decent sound in loud venues, i sometimes blend the sunrise and wavelength through a Raven Labs pmb1. Rob