LR Baggs M80 Active Sound Hole Pickup

BowynMadley

As a couple of you may know I've been looking for an acoustic pickup for sometime. After much deliberation and procrastination I decided that a sound hole would be the route I'd be going down. I looked at fishman, k&k, lr baggs and a few others. Again after more nail biting and head scratching I bought an M80.

The design is really compact and innovative. You have an active/passive switch which is discretely hidden underneath which allows you preserve battery power but have the same tone. Also a 4 band LED read out for remaining battery level which is really cool. Finally it has a volume wheel on the treble side of the pickup which is discrete but easily reached.

Fitting it was mostly a doddle. Apart from having to ream out the strap button hole (which I can tell you caused many poos to escape) it really was easy.

After fitting and restringing I plugged her into the clean channel of my dualist (fendery dumbly style) and was blown away. It's so natural sounding and responsive. The body response magnet really does it's job and makes percussive playing great. I can't wait to hear it through a decent PA or acoustic amp. Really couldn't recommend it enough.

Creed_Clicks

On this note, what are the main differences between active and passive sound hole pickups? Is it sonic?

I was looking at sound hole pickups as well, but more along the lines of something that could be used with a few guitars, so an easy on/off pickup, if it exists!

I have an LR Baggs DI box, and it's great!

BowynMadley

The difference in the m80 between passive and active in sound is marginal if only a more pronounced mid range in active mode. What you will get though is a much stronger signal in active. Allowing you to go straight into a desk or PA mixer. I'm really really happy with mine. It sounds really natural and organic if that makes sense. If you have a DI box though it's pointless going for active I'd say. Save yourself some money and buy a passive system. As for using the same pickup for different guitars that'll be tricky as I doubt you'll get the pickup in and out with taking the strings off. I know the m80 was designed to be a permanent but non invasive system. Hope this helps.
Bo

Creed_Clicks

Ah I see. I nearly always use a DI box with acoustic instruments, but have always used guitars with built in pickups.

The reason I ask about sound hole pickups is that I have an old bog standard Crafter that must be 20+ years old lying around.

Rubbish built in pickup, but it sounds really nice unplugged, and has a decent balanced sound as you go up the neck.

Something temporary would be good to pop into it.

On the other hand I have a Martin DC 15E with a Fishman Prefix Pro, if I didn't have it, I wouldn't miss it. It's a good workhorse, but I might be moving in a month or so, and might try and sell this.

The plan then would be to get a semi decent acoustic, and perhaps fit a soundhole pickup to it then down the line.

I have found that some of the Tanglewood guitars feel and sound great. Even one of these would do. Pop in a soundhole pickup and voila!

BowynMadley

Understandable. Funny you should actually as the guitar my m80 is in is a tanglewood tw1000. It's ten years old and bless her she takes a hammering. She's well looked after but heavily played. It's all solid woods and sounds beautiful. Honestlyhaven't found a guitar that does what it can do, hence putting a decent pickup in it.

Creed_Clicks

Well that's it isn't it haha. For every old sock, there's an old shoe, or whatever way the expression goes!