Best way to elictrify my G37?

[crank]

Right now I have one of those cheap Seymour Duncan sound hole pickups. I think it sounds pretty good. I'd like to get the best sound possible though, and I'd also like to do away with having a wire strung out of my sound hole. So I am interested in hearing what others have done and how satisfied you are with the results. I play in a classic rock cover band and an original band as well and I do sometimes use my Guid for gigging run either through my amp/rig or through the PA.

Thanks.

 

[Scratch]

Hi Crank and welcome to LTG. Highly recommend the K&K Pure Western Mini pickup. Highly thought of here on the forum... I've put K&Ks in a couple of Guilds and the results are better than any others I've tried... Good luck!

 

[plaidseason]

I'm a huge fan of the Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking pickup. It's an incredibly naturaly sound with a lot of might to boot.

-Chris

 

[crank]

Thanks guys. I will look into your suggestions.

 

[crank]

So it's been a while... I sent my wife a link to the K&K Pure Western Mini PU. for the Christmas wish list. I've been a good boy I swear it.

 

[walrus]

I just put a K and K pure western mini in my D-64 - excellent choice!

walrus

 

[Dr Izza Plumber]

2 LR Baggs active I-beams installed nearly 2 years ago, and may I add, trouble free with excellent sound.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

It'll largely depend on your loudest usage...contact SBTs (like the K&K or JJB) sound nice but feed-back at rock-band volumes (they basically turn your acoustic's top into an omni-direction mic, particularily when it comes to the bass drum and bass guitar amp), mags (like your Seymour Duncan) feedback the least, but some feel they add too much of an "electric guitar" quality to the signal, and USTs fall somewhere in the middle.

I use a combination of a UST and a SBT, which works pretty well through a Baggs Paracoustic DI into the PA, but I also maintain a reasonable onstage volume level (the key is working w/ a drummer who can comprehend dynamics...a very rare bird, unfortunately, these days! :wink: ). At most rock band's onstage volume level, this set-up probably would have problems, otoh.

 

[solenoid lopez]

Another vote for the K&K Sound Pure Western Mini. Not had any issues with feedback as mentioned by Terry and I play with a pretty loud band (well, loud for hillbilly music anyway, we're not exactly playing at stadium volumes!) I mainly go straight into a P.A via a DI box for gigs and for rehearsals I use a Marshall AS50R amp, which has a tidy notch filter if in the rare event any feedback does occur.

BTW Terry, I'm going to send you a PM about Big River harps, I need some advice mate.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Another vote for the K&K Sound Pure Western Mini. Not had any issues with feedback as mentioned by Terry and I play with a pretty loud band (well, loud for hillbilly music anyway, we're not exactly playing at stadium volumes!) I mainly go straight into a P.A via a DI box for gigs and for rehearsals I use a Marshall AS50R amp, which has a tidy notch filter if in the rare event any feedback does occur.

BTW Terry, I'm going to send you a PM about Big River harps, I need some advice mate.

Message answered...hope it helps! 8)

 

[micmac]

Hello crank !
I play and sing in a classic rock cover band too, and I'm happy with LR Baggs:
LR Baggs M1 active + LR Baggs Venue DI
To be more precise, my PU is the Takamine version of the M1 : absolutly same PU but the Taka has 2 advantages over the Baggs version :
- a switch to choose between active or passive that you're happy to have when the battery in over ;-)
- less $ ( actually in France, it's €50 less )

Not yet gig with my new LR Baggs Venue DI , but I'm sure it will rock !

Hope this help

 

[drive-south]

I'm probably in the minority, but I am not a fan of the K&K SBT pickups. I installed one in my Gibson Advance Jumbo and I hate it. After installing it and not being satisfied with the tone, I bought their XLR preamp. This didn't improve the tone, but it is louder now. Whoopeee!!

I greatly prefer the Fishman Matrix pickups. I have these installed in 4 Guild acoustics and 3 Gibsons. If you are playing in a classic rock band, you would be much better off with a UST (under saddle transducer) or a soundhole pickup than a SBT like the K&K as feedback will be uncontrollable.

With that said, I will be the first to admit that acoustic guitar pickups still have a long ways to go before they sound completely natural and work at high volume levels. Many people still prefer mics.

After investing several hundred dollars in pickups and installations, I have to say there is something simple and beautiful about using a soundhole pickup that is not permanently installed with an end pin jack. It's so easy to remove and you have your' guitar back with no modifications. THis is especially important with vintage guitars that need to stay original.

Sunrise, LR Baggs M1, and Fishman all make great soundhole pickups.

drive-south

 

[drive-south]

Besides the guitars with Fishman Matrix, and the Advanced Jumbo with the dreaded K&K, I also have a few guitars that have no built in pickups. I've decided not to install pickups in any more acoustics. I'm planning to buy a couple of good soundhole pickups and use them on the guitars that have no built-ins.

I recently bought a JF30-12 that will be the first candidate for a soundhole pickup, and I don't plan to install an end-pin jack either. I'll just pop the pickup in temporarily and remove it after the gig. I also plan to use a soundhole pickup with my Advance Jumbo so I can get some use out of it. Then there is the D30SB I bought a few years ago. I'd love to take it out on a gig so this one will be sporting a soundhole pickup as well.

One of the guys I play music with uses soundhole pickups in his Martin HD28 and 12-string. His aren't permanently installed either.

I'm leaning towards the Baggs M1 or M1A, or perhaps a Sunrise. The Sunrise is more expensive and harder to find so it will most likely be the Baggs M1.

drive-south

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Besides the guitars with Fishman Matrix, and the Advanced Jumbo with the dreaded K&K, I also have a few guitars that have no built in pickups. I've decided not to install pickups in any more acoustics. I'm planning to buy a couple of good soundhole pickups and use them on the guitars that have no built-ins.

I recently bought a JF30-12 that will be the first candidate for a soundhole pickup, and I don't plan to install an end-pin jack either. I'll just pop the pickup in temporarily and remove it after the gig. I also plan to use a soundhole pickup with my Advance Jumbo so I can get some use out of it. Then there is the D30SB I bought a few years ago. I'd love to take it out on a gig so this one will be sporting a soundhole pickup as well.

One of the guys I play music with uses soundhole pickups in his Martin HD28 and 12-string. His aren't permanently installed either.

I'm leaning towards the Baggs M1 or M1A, or perhaps a Sunrise. The Sunrise is more expensive and harder to find so it will most likely be the Baggs M1.

drive-south

If you decide to go w/ mags, you'll find that the unwound strings are louder than the wound ones, especially on 12-strings, unless you use DR "Zebras" or GHS "White Bronze", which were designed for use with mag-equipted acoustics. :idea:

 

[micmac]

If you decide to go w/ mags, you'll find that the unwound strings are louder than the wound ones, especially on 12-strings, unless you use DR "Zebras" or GHS "White Bronze", which were designed for use with mag-equipted acoustics

That's not my experience that unwound strings are louder with the Baggs M1 active.
Actually, I find my amplified tone near as string to string balanced than the acoustic tone.
That's said, you can adjust 6 screws just under the strings with the M1.
I guess these screws are not really "pole pieces " but can't say more since I never need to adjust them.
( I play regular D'addario EJ16 or John Pearse phosphor bronze )

 

[marcellis]

I own the K&K in my D60 and an LR Baggs in a Vietnamese hand-made I have.

Caveat: I don't think any acoustic guitar pick-up sounds accurate or very good.

Of the ones I own, I sort of prefer the sound of the Baggs. Although, I agree
with others that the K&K is more accurate.

But...there is $50 Di Marzio sound hole pick-up in my old D25 that sounds better for the money
than any pick-up I've tried.

 

[drive-south]

I'll probably get the pickups and try them. If I notice any problems with string balance, I can always restring them. Thanks for the ideas.

regards, Mark

 

[taabru45]

I've heard good things about the 'bottle cap' pickup..I guess it a contact mike that sticks on to the top with putty...supposed to have great sound, and thats all I really know about them...maybe around $50 bucks....Steffan

 

[marcellis]

A long time ago, it must have been 15 years, I tried the Dean Markley round, glue-on pick-up
on my D25. And I didn't like it at all. They might sound better these days though. I think I glued it
on the underside of the top. Don't remember for sure.

 

[taabru45]

I think this is the one I heard about...Steffan
http://www.theguitarfiles.com/product_id-1303.html
DeanMarkley makes one too.
http://www.theguitarfiles.com/product_id-491.html