# Acoustic Guitar Pick-ups



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Thoughts and reviews of some of the major brands of acoustic pick-ups


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## House Guitars (Jan 4, 2010)

I'm a big fan of the K & K systems. I find I really prefer the sound of their bridge plate transducer systems (like the Pure Mini) over the under-saddle piezo that are used by many of the other manufacturers. I also like the wide variety of configurations that they offer (passive, pre-amp and dual or triple source). Their preamps are very nice as well. The Quantum Trinity System is one of my favourite models. 


Josh


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

I can't say that I've compared them, but my Gibson has a LR Baggs Element and it certainly works well enough for live use. Most of these systems don't sound realistic at all in my opinion.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Here is a great site to listen to various acoustic pickups:

Doug Young | Acoustic Guitarist | Pickup Tests


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

I have a bBand in my acoustic. Less quacky than most others.


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

For the first time in 40+ years of playing I put a pick-up in my guitar. I put in a K&K. It went into my Laskin. It was the first pick-up I've heard that can actually sound musical. And this, mind you, is from a guy who has spent thousands of hours behind a mixing console. I generally loathe the sound of pick-ups. 
K&K is not perfect. Only a high-end mic can achieve that, but it does not make my teeth hurt.


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## JCJ (Jan 3, 2008)

+1 to the K&K systems...


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I love my Baggs M1 passive through my Art Tube MP DI box. It sounds like an acoustic guitar and doesn't feed back even at high volumes on tiny stages. Like Josh, I also hate the sound of quacky undersaddle transducers.


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

I had a K&K installed a while back on my old acoustic and it's definitely the most natural sounding pickup for an underbridge type of setup. However, on my newer Taylor, I decided to go all out and get the LR Baggs Anthem system and all I can say is WOW. I am willing to bet that I'll be using that pickup in future acoustics.


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## Grenvilleter (Dec 22, 2007)

Schatten HFN SBT's for me ! Partly because their Canadian and mostly because they are world class gear.
Not as good as a microphone but so much better than any UST's I've tried. I'd say they are on par with the K&K system sound wise but with the added feature of being able to remove them and put into another guitar if required. Where the K&K excel is if, on some older Japanese guitars, the X bracing may be too narrow to properly fit the transducer directly under the saddle on the bridge plate.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I retrofitted a Fishman (under-saddle) into my old Tak years ago and my S&P came from the factory with B-band (under-saddle and soundboard transducer). No complaints about either - both sound great, though I had to replace the B-band under-saddle pickup prematurely. (It was an easy fix.)


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I like the LR Baggs in my Acousticaster running into my Tech 21 Paracoustic DI. I've played with other acoustics on stage that don't sound as nice as my "acoustic" does. I can dial in a nice rich, warm sound if I'm playing solo or in a small band, or a nice trebly, cutting tone if I just want to put some jangle in a rock band.

I'd like to try one of the K&Ks in my Guild, though


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## b-nads (Apr 9, 2010)

K&K Pure Western Mini.


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## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

have had some experience with the dean markley (SP?) ......tucks in and across the sound hole..........through a JC120 clean channel.........good enough for my jam space......


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

boomer said:


> +1 to the K&K systems...



Another vote for K&K.


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## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

*K&K for flat top acoustic*

Another vote for the K&K pure western mini. A very sweet sounding pickup installed in my S&P Folk Rosewood. 
Bought a second to put in my Seagull pro flame maple replacing a m1a.

Also purchased and installed the K&K Pure Resonator BB in my National. A total waste of time and money. Very harsh and brittle sounding. Very disappointing!! These guys have a great thing going with their pure mini....they should stay focused and avoid line expanding products that will tarnish their reputation.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

I have tried just about every pickup out there and have never been completely satisfied with any of them. The key to getting closer to Nirvana is using good quality preamps and processing.

My current (have been using the past 3 years) setup is a dual source system. I use the K&K Pure Western Mini under the bridge and a Fishman Rare Earth magnetic in the sound hole. They come out of the guitar on separate lines and are routed depending on the playing situation:

1) Quick and dirty scenario: K&K into a K&K PureXLR pre into mixer or stage amp
2) Quick and dirty scenario 2: As above with the mag into a SansAmp BassDI intomixer or stage amps
3) Not so quick and dirty: K&K into a Focusrite ISA One with the mag into a UA 610 Solo. Both pre channels have 31 band Rane EQs inserted. The preamps feed a stereo effects unit for reverb/delay/stereo spread to suit the occasion

Before I stupidly sold it, I used a Pendulum SPS-1 pre/eq unit. When the funds are available I will get another.


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## Guest (Apr 22, 2013)

pattste said:


> I can't say that I've compared them, but my Gibson has a LR Baggs Element and it certainly works well enough for live use. Most of these systems don't sound realistic at all in my opinion.


I have this and an outboard Shadow magnetic pickup I've used. They're both...okay. Good enough for live. I've heard nice things about K&K systems but zero experience with them. I like the low profile of the Element system: small battery holder, simple volume control hidden inside the sound hole, end pin jack -- super stealth.


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## OldGuitarPlayer (Feb 25, 2013)

I have currently been using a Fishman NeoD soundhole pickup with a Behringer ADI-21 acoustic pre-amp/DI unit. It's a cheap and easy solution for me however I am thinking of having a K & K pickup permanently installed since I have read and heard a lot of good reviews about them.


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