# What pickup for my acoustic?



## ol' 58 (Jul 12, 2019)

Hello all. I am a new guitarist, and I play only for my own enjoyment. Although I have no present need to amplify my Simon & Patrick Songsmith 'dread, I kind of want to just for fun. I would be playing it through the VOX Mini 5 that I have. The myriad of choices leaves me asking for some direction. I am fairly adept at minor modifications and repairs of various mechanical objects , but I'm looking for something very easily installed, and of moderate cost, say $200 or less. If not easily installed, I'll take advice on who to see for installation in the London, Ontario area. Thanks in advance.


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

Hi.
$200 opens a lot of options, including a similar used guitar with all the electronics built in from the factory, if you are lucky enough to buy from someone selling out quickly.

Have you gone to a music store with your guitar and tried several of the ones that slip into the sound hole? That would be my first investigation. Costs nothing but transportation to and from the store, and your time. You will also be able to try it with several amps to get an idea if you will head down the road of eventually picking up an acoustic amp, which I highly recommend you investigate. Seriously try a dedicated amp. I waited 50 years before I bought one. In my situation, I could have really been enjoying having one. I really play acoustic much more with a proper amp. You just might be satisfied, or you will be better informed of what steps to take towards your goal.

Installing a piezoelectric, or the internal stick on microphones take some experience and may alter how your guitar feels, or plays, if you don’t get it right.

Also this idea can lead into a large rabbit hole of guitars if you are not easily satisfied.

Good luck


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

60 will get you a new Fishman


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

https://www.long-mcquade.com/?page=group&GroupedParentID=9680


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## ol' 58 (Jul 12, 2019)

Thanks for your replies guys. Thanks for taking the time to provide me with so much insight @Tone Chaser. I'm leaning toward the Fishman route, simply because I'm just farting around and maybe spending $200 on this project is excessive, and going the way the Fishman proponents suggest would be wiser. My only concern is that although the installation of one of these is really simple, would I have to loosen strings each time I inserted or removed it? I wouldn't want to play plugged in more than maybe half the time, and since the cord is wired in to the pickup, I would want to pop it in and out easily. Does anyone reading this have experience to share?


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I find that an F150 pickup goes well with my Martin guitars.

But to answer your question, I think a K&K would work well for what you describe. They are less than $200. Easy to install if you have minimum skills.

Search about them; they are well known.

I posted some info about how I install them so should come up on a search here.

If you decide to install that kind of a pick up and have questions feel free to ask.

Edit: K&K is pretty much permanent install so if you get a better guitar later you won’t be swappin out the K&K - Technically, they can be removed but they’re glued in so there’s a good chance of messing it up when you try to scrape the bastard out of there.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

You have to loosen the strings to install and remove. Keep in mind, the Fishman has a humbucker style pickup and a single coil pickup. both will sound different. 

the Fishman Neo D Humbucker is 89.99 from Solo Music in Canada and the single coil is only 49.99


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

My fave outa all my experiments. Guitar sounds and LOOKS very natural. Install and forget about it. No metal or plastic showing. No special amp for me, but I do have an expensive all-around preamp (for acoustic and electric instruments). Better than any soundhole I tried, but didn't try all of them of course. No "quack" like cheap piezo's.

https://www.long-mcquade.com/16207/Guitars/Parts/K---K--Sound/Pure-Mini-Pickup-For-Steel-String.htm


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I've had a Schatten HFN in my Martin 0015 and very happy with it. It's passive, as I hate putting batteries in guitars. They're based in Waterloo. I plug directly into a Fishman Loudbox Mini. I also have a volume control also from them so I can control the volume and not have to go to the amp.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I have the Shatten pre amp which works ok as a vol control but you have to clip it onto the strap which is a nuisance whereas I think the actual volume control box from them just plugs straight into your output jack and is easier to use.


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## ol' 58 (Jul 12, 2019)

Thanks everyone for your responses. You have given me much to chew on regarding which course to take, including perhaps just holding off and purchasing a guitar with factory electronics. I will let you know how this culminates. Thanks again for all the information and considerations.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Couple of extra comments: 

Full-range cabinets sound better than electric guitar cabinets.

Will factory built-in electronics affect re-sale when those plastic gizmos are out of style? Doesn't matter on a cheaper guitar, but...


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## ol' 58 (Jul 12, 2019)

Ok, I've been doing a some reading and thinking and I do believe the K&K Mini is the route I'm going to take. I think I'll order it from Cosmo via Amazon, that way I will be supporting a Canadian brick and mortar retailer while still getting free shipping to my door, at about thirty-five dollars less in total than driving over to my closest L&M and picking it up. I have been following the "Cosmo PSA" thread so I know I may not see the sucker until August, but that's ok. No rush. I will do the install myself. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks everyone for the help!


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

ol' 58 said:


> K&K Mini is the route I'm going to take


Good choice. I had a Taylor with that in it and it sounds more acoustically authentic than a piezo or pickup.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Half inch step drill works for the end hole and as you probable know put tape over the hole when you’re drilling so it don’t rip the edges. Have a look inside with an inspection mirror to see if there’s anything funny going on around the bridge plate like a brace that you have to work around to get the pickup pads seated properly. That’s about it, use a fresh set of gloves for each pad install and only do one at a time. Some people say to make a card board jig so you can do all three at once but that can go wrong in a big way.


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## ol' 58 (Jul 12, 2019)

Wardo said:


> Half inch step drill works for the end hole and as you probable know put tape over the hole when you’re drilling so it don’t rip the edges. Have a look inside with an inspection mirror to see if there’s anything funny going on around the bridge plate like a brace that you have to work around to get the pickup pads seated properly. That’s about it, use a fresh set of gloves for each pad install and only do one at a time. Some people say to make a card board jig so you can do all three at once but that can go wrong in a big way.


Right on. Thanks for the tips. I will let you know how I make out.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

One more thing; I found it helped to use tape as a visual reference for where the pads are going. The pad for the high E goes right under the string and the others go between the strings.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Wardo said:


> pickup pads


Mine were super glued in. Apparently for better contact.
However, if you go this route, you can't remove them without destroying them.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Yeah I glued all of mine in.

The tape I was referring to was the green painters tape on the bridge In that pic so that gives you a reference to where you’re putting the pad underneath.

The pads go between E and A, between D and G and the last one goes right under the high E.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

K&K is a good choice. Has a fairly natural sound. 
If you are playing through a guitar amp though, a magnetic soundhole pickup can be quite good and better for reduced feedback. I used a Sunrise pickup - kind of high end magnetic pickup- and played through my old Deluxe Reverb. Had a really cool sound but not exactly "natural". Was well suited to playing through electric guitar amps.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

ol' 58 said:


> Ok, I've been doing a some reading and thinking and I do believe the K&K Mini is the route I'm going to take. I think I'll order it from Cosmo via Amazon, that way I will be supporting a Canadian brick and mortar retailer while still getting free shipping to my door, at about thirty-five dollars less in total than driving over to my closest L&M and picking it up. I have been following the "Cosmo PSA" thread so I know I may not see the sucker until August, but that's ok. No rush. I will do the install myself. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks everyone for the help!


L & M ships to your door and won't jerk you around.


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## ol' 58 (Jul 12, 2019)

player99 said:


> L & M ships to your door and won't jerk you around.


Didn't know they ship. For free? If not, then the pickup would cost me $35.00 more plus shipping. I don't mind waiting.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

ol' 58 said:


> Didn't know they ship. For free? If not, then the pickup would cost me $35.00 more plus shipping. I don't mind waiting.


Not for free, but not too much. After reading the thread about Cosmo I would not trust them to hold my money for months and months while they lie about having shipped it over and over.


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## ol' 58 (Jul 12, 2019)

The K&K Pure Mini that I ordered from Cosmo via Amazon on June 4 had a delivery date of June 15 - June 29. It arrived today. Obviously no complaints here. 
Thanks again for all the info that helped me to decide which route to take, and for the installation tips as well. 
When I get around to installing it I will let you know how it went.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

ol' 58 said:


> the K&K Mini is the route I'm going to take.


Good choice. Used mine today. Impressed once again.


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## ol' 58 (Jul 12, 2019)

It's alive! I got around to installing the K&K Pure Mini today, heeding all the tips @Wardo provided. It could not have gone more smoothly, and it sounds great. Had some giggles playing with chorus and flanger for a few minutes. Thanks again for all your input everyone!


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Had one of those in a Taylor that I traded away.
By far better than an under saddle piezo, IMO.


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## alwaysflat (Feb 14, 2016)

Nice , enjoy. This came to me with a notched sound hole and holes where pots used to be. A broken neck block forced the owner to remove the hardware and move on. After restoration added a used tele neck pu which was a close match to the notch. Not necessarily a recommended approach, specially for a guitar you're invested in and want to preserve its original condition. I just did it to fill the old holes, kind of a salute to what this baby used to have.


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## BEACHBUM (Sep 21, 2010)

Rare Earth


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