What is a good acoustic guitar pickup?

dogwhisperer

Hi there,
I've been playing acoustic guitar for a couple of years (metal string...Ibanez & Gibson) and I've just started playing in a church band, however my guitars don't have pickups in them and I'm looking for a good pickup at a reasonable price (the clip in the sound hole type)...it doesn't need to be the best quality and I think my price range would be around / under the $AU 60 mark. Really appreciate your help!
Melissa Smile

ACfixer · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 7:54 am Post subject:

Melissa, keep checking back. My acoustic guitar has a built in pickup and I really know nothing about soundhole pups but I'll bet some of the other guys here do. Also, go try Herb and the boys at www.gibsontalk.com and I'll bet they know. Tell them Lance sent you Wink

God bless!

shardy53 · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 11:10 am Post subject:

I think that before I used a soundhole pickup I would just buy a good microphone (Shure btea 57A) and mic the guitar into the PA or amp. I also use a Baggs paracoustic DI preamp to EQ it and get rid of feedback.

Steve

PunkStar · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 3:03 pm Post subject:

Good to see another person who uses Aussie dollars on the forum. Greetings my Aussie sister and happy Australia Day (For those who don't know, it's Australia day when I posted this. It's just a day we have in Australia where we celebrate our country and what it means to us).

I'm not sure you'll find much for around $60. I'll the stuff I've seen has been a bit more expensive. I'd go check out www.ebay.com.au and see if someone is selling one secondhand (and hope they don't rip you off). I haven't seen anything new in the price bracket you are after. Sorry.

dogwhisperer · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 4:01 pm Post subject: Thanks & G'day Puppy

G'day punkstar! Nice to see another aussie round here Smile

Thanks everyone for your help, and i'll check out those sites etc. I am fairly new to all the 'talk' of guitar , however hanging around all you I am sure I'll end up being an expert Laughing

I'm still even learning the whole forum workings Smile

Brian · Pit Bull Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 373

Welcome to the board Melissa!!! Exclamation

The advantages of soundhole pickups are they are pretty easy to install/remove, low feedback, and some models include a built-in volume control. Disadvantages are they have to extend higher than the guitar's top and can get in the way of your picking. Also (and this is very subjective) I believe they all rely exclusively on the strings vibrating through the pickup's magnetic fields to produce a signal rather than direct vibration of the strings such as an undersaddle pickup or vibrations from the top like a soundboard transducer, so they don't sound like an acoustic guitar to me, but the sound is usually full.

I don't know what the AU availability is but the Barcus Berry Insider is an inexpensive soundboard transducer that has a gives a nice woody tone from the vibrations of your guitar's top from underneath. You can get a good idea how it will sound by just pressing the pickup onto the top of the guitar (and get a good idea for the best underside position before permanent mounting). You can run a cable out of the soundhole but it's best to invest a few extra $$ and use a strap jack, and then there's a fee for installation.

There are other brands such as McIntyre, Schertler (DYN-G) and Shadow that affix the pickup to the outside of the top or bridge with a tacky putty and the cable can run straight to your amp. You can (re)position the pickup at any location you want to get the best sound from your guitar, and use them on more than 1 guitar. The German-made low impedance (with xlr connector, no need for direct box to go into PA) Schertler sounds GREAT. It does not use Piezo crystal elements that are known for their distinct "quack" and brittle timbre, especially in an undersaddle application but may cost more than $60 AU. While I think McIntyre's a brother and is known for making an excellent product, if you can afford it the Schertler would be an ideal external pickup for you.

PunkStar · Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 8:41 pm Post subject: No worries, not so newbie

dogwhisperer · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 1:58 am Post subject: Thanks Brian

Thanks Brian...you certainly know your stuff!! I think I'll be going down the music store shortly...really good one down the road, they should be able to give me a few more ideas and sell me something Wink

Can you get a pickup installed into a guitar (like the ones you just plug into...kinda cut into the wood?)
If so, is there much of a chance of it messing up...I've got a REALLY nice Ibanez acoustic that was made around the 70's mark (whew, it's older than me!!) and It sounds just like soooo good...wouldn't want to mess it up!
Thanks

PunkStar · Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2004 3:03 pm Post subject:

If you buy a pick-up from the store. I'd ask if they can install it or ask if they know anyone capable of doing it. I don't know if it's possible to install a pick-up like that. But I think a complicated job like that would be better left to the professionals. They've learned how to do this kind of work without breaking the guitar. But the people at the store should be able to help you find some way to amplify your guitar.

Brian · Pit Bull Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 373