Your choice of acoustic pickup

mojorison_75

I saw this post in the porch and realized it was something I had been wanting to ask but had forgotten.

I'm looking into ways to mike my main acoustic. It's a rather valuable hand built instrument and I don't want to do any major alteration to it. What pickups are you using or recommend? I've done some research, but there are so many options and so many opinions I'm having trouble narrowing my decision.

I'd like to hear from real players who are using or have heard these products. Do they do a good job at being "acoustic"? Pros and cons of the one you use/heard? Would I be better off using a mic or is a pickup the way to go?

exhausted

if playing live, really the only feasible option is putting an internal pickup in. there are a lot of options but i really like the LR baggs active i-beam.

the only modification required is a hole at the butt of the guitar for the endpin jack. the pickup itself and the battery clip are just stuck inside the guitar.

if it's mic'ing only for recording purposes, mccreayisgod and paco i bet will have good suggestions for microphones to use.

Pacomc79

I second the LR Baggs I beam for live if you aren't going to be sitting down.

MIG is the engineer, I'll let him tell you mic models but a good condenser mic (or two for stereo) is preferred. I think directional mics are better for that kind of thing, (Super-cardioid would be the pattern I'd prefer if you can get it, definately shock mounted)

mojorison_75

Lets take the scenario of my playing live, sitting down, with other guitars and possibly drums.

Of the research I've done LR Baggs does seem to have it's stuff together, but like I said acoustic amplifcation is not my strong point right now. Any other pickups you would recommend? Would the Ibeam still be your suggestion?

Pacomc79

Fishman Rare Earths are by far my favorites. However I'm unsure if they have a pop in version available. Most require modification. They get expensive as well.

MissYouAllDay

I can only speak from experience here. I have a built in fishman and it sounds great.

There always whoring out Dave mathews Band too and that guy plays non stop live acoustic.

So yah for me fishman soudns great and never had a problem.

mccreadyisgod

It's hard to go wrong with either Fishman or LR Baggs. There are more expensive boutique systems that sound better, but you'd be looking at $1000+ for the system. My buddy just put an LR Baggs Double-Barrel (pickup and internal mic system) in his Martin 000-1R, and it's been great. Most of the time, he just uses the pickup, a ribbon system similar to a piezo that sits under the bridge. If, however, he ever plays a bigger gig, he can use a "Y" cable to two different DI's and use both the pickup and the internal mic. Fishman Rare Earth systems are great, too, just a little more expensive. Both Fishman and LR Baggs have systems that don't involve cutting holes in the guitar. For instance, the Double-barrel system required setting the pickup under the bridge, and then attaching the mic using a mild adhesive to the body cavity. The battery sits in a little bag in the cavity, and the preamp is part of the end-pin unit. The jack just comes out of the end-pin socket, which may require widening the hole a tiny bit, but it's still better than a seperate jack hole and a big plastic preamp in the side of the body. So, the jack and strap-button are combined into one unit at the tail-end of the guitar. It's non-invasive, does not affect the quality of your guitar, and if it's installed correctly, it can provide excellent acoustic tone without ruining a fine acoustic instrument. My only recommendation is to find someone who really knows their stuff to install it. They aren't hard to install, but it's better to get it done right.

As far as using a microphone, you would probably get better acoustic tone using a good small-diaphram condenser mic, but it presents one big problem: Feedback. Especially in monitors, but a lot of times in the house speakers as well. The other major problem is that you can't move around and play, you have to stay in one spot relative to the mic. Some artists combine a pickup system and a microphone to provide the best of both worlds, but those are headlining acts who have the ability to buy and use both systems. If you want recommendations, I'd go with either a Shure SM81 or a Neumann KSM 184:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040420172929150131181057533169/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/270171/

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040420172929150131181057533169/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/271401/

Or an econo selection:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040420172929150131181057533169/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/270289/

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040420172929150131181057533169/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/270435/

In the end, I'd recommend getting a good non-invasive pickup system from either Fishman or LR Baggs. It's practical, a good value, and can increase the value of your guitar (installed correctly). Go to:

http://www.fishman.com/
http://www.lrbaggs.com/

Good luck!

mojorison_75

Cool, thanks alot.