Official Luthiers Forum!

Can anyone reccomend a good pickup for my current project. I don't want a soundhole pickup, as I want to keep it out of sight.
I want to go with an internal soundboard or bridge mounted pickup, I think. I will be using it on stage a lot so I was hoping to keep feedback to a minimum....man, i'm being picky...

Any suggestions? Thanks!

-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

Hi J

Have you looked at the B Band stuff, I love em.

I have some info on K and K on my site.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

I too use the B Band pickups and love them.
Mostly I install the UST with the A1 Active preamp...comes as a set
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

over the last 5 years I've done a tone of research on this topic. Lot's of trials too. I was looking for something that sounded just like my guitars only louder. I didn't want any "picked up" sound. If I wanted that I'd build electric guitars.
There are only two options in my opinion. K&K pure western and LR Baggs Ibeam. Both systems can be blended with transducer mics but I don't think that helps much. It does indeed give a bigger more full sound but it also changes it a bit.

Check out Pick-Up The World ... They get rave reviews on the RMMGA usenet group, and David Enke (owner, designer) posts there a lot (or at least used to, I haven't kept up lately). If you call, he's the guy you talk to, and he's very helpful and knowledgeable. He also sells to luthiers at wholesale prices, without having to furnish proof that you're a registered business... I made it very clear that I was a non-professional hobbyist luthier and he wanted to give me the wholesale price.

I haven't personally tried the guitar pickup, but the upright bass pickup I got is amazing.

(I have no personal or professional affiliation with PUTW)

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

[QUOTE=Pwoolson]
There are only two options in my opinion. K&K pure western and LR Baggs Ibeam. [/QUOTE]

Paul, which do you prefer and why or under what circumstances dictates your preference?

I got a K & K mini from Bruce and it's true what they say. Just have to be aware that they do pick up sound board noise like thumping the fleshy part of your hand on the bridge. (which CAN be advantageous, for my style, so I like it)

J,
I really like the K&K mini. Very natural sounding, easy to fit (and take out) and has a really strong signal without and need for battery in the guitar. Also very reasonable price, made by a small (but I suspect fast groeing) company and great service/advice from Dieter there should you need it.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

What Paul said. I have used the K&K Pure Western. They're so easy to
install and they work great. If you decide to try one, use it for awhile.
They usually don't need a pre-amp, but you can always add one later if
you think you need one. Our own Don Williams is an authorized dealer
and may want to jump in here with some more info. Their web site is
filled with good techy info too, if you need it.
Craig

I think our buddy Bruce D. is also an authorized K&K dealer.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

I've used the IBeam, element and IMix. Prefer the Imix as it gives a choice between the Ibeam and element but love them all. I've also tried Fishman but not been as happy. I'd love to hear a comparison between the LR BAggs and the B Band as B Band is much cheaper and I am thinking of trying them out.

I have used (and own) both the Ibeam and the K&K, including the pure western and the trinity. The pure is good, but with the trinity you get the mic and the mixing preamp - I find I like what that adds - the pure itself is a bit mid heavy, the pre evens it out, allows you to adjust bass mid and treb (on the mic as well) plus control the two levels. The I beam pales compared to this - I have played both for clients and no one has ever said the beam sounds better - it also has less feedback resistance than the K&K - plus the K&K will run passive if your battery dies, and the preamp being external allows for easier battery changes. Plus if you have multiple instruments, you an get the trinity internals separately, saving huge on continually buying the preamp. I am also a dealer up here in Canada. Recommended highly. I am about to try out the system with the undersaddle piezo plus the western transducers - again, comes to an outboard mixing pre, with three tone controls per channel.

I also just put a Dtar timberline 18v system into one of my guitars, althought the user prefers to drive it with a fishman piezo instead of the Dtar coax cable undersaddle. I thought it sounded better than the fishamn pre, but still has a bit of piezo quack. But its probably the best one I have heard yet.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

[QUOTE=Dave Rector] I think our buddy Bruce D. is also an authorized K&K dealer.[/QUOTE]

So am I and I believe a few other OLF'rs...sounds like... A PRICE WAR! .

I am sure any of the OLF, K & K dealers will offer our fellow OLF'rs a great price. I really like these pickups alot and that's why I became a Dealer. GHS also makes a mini mic that is suspended from the jack/tail block and has a snakelike/adjustable neck to get the mic exactly where you want it.Dave-SKG38791.4448148148

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Tony, I would bet that the D-Tar would sound better with less quack if the customer had stayed with the coax transducer that is supposed to be used with the D-tar. The quack comes from the Fishman. I use the same coax under-saddle element in the pickups that I build, and that kind of element has some characteristics that help get rid of quack, and make a more realistic sound. For one thing, it picks up sound from 360 degrees all around it, meaning that it senses a large portion of the whole top and not just the saddle above it. Highlander pickups also use it.

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

Well Mark, I wil soon find out - I am putting a full Dtar into one of mine in the next couple weeks, once its all rubbed out and such.

The player whose guitar the fishman/Dtar combo went into has tried the Dtar coax, and finds it very thumpy sounding for his style - he finds the fishman works better for him when he pounds on the bridge !!!

I will let you all know what I think once my next one is done.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Terry, I'm both a K&K dealer and a LR Baggs dealer. I've done that because there are people who simply HAVE to have the IBeam (advertising at its finest). I put one in a guitar of mine once and took it out pretty quickly to replace it with a K&K. They are both similar in function (pick up vibration rather than magnetic pull) but the IBeam is incased in plastic and sticks to the bridge plate with a thick piece of foam tape. Lots of places for it to lose quality.
Down below Tony? states that he likes the trinity better. I also like it better but I think the Pure is the best representation of my guitars. Trinity sounds more blended and fuller but not as much like my particular guitars (those terms don't really make sense but I can't think of any that do).

I've installed both the K&K and the D-Tar and the installation is less invasive for the K&K. It also sounds more natural than the D-Tar to me. Both had fewer feedback issues than other pickups I've heard.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Thanks for the great insight and great feedback. I will probably go with the Pure western and if I really need the mix, I'll add the mic and preamp later. Now I just need to figure out where to purchase. I really like the "no battery needed" aspect. One of my guitars needs the 9 volt and the other needs 2 watch batteries. Always a pain to show up at a gig with no battery backup.
Thanks again.
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

I know there are several dealers on the OLF. I'm a dealer, Bruce Dickey is a dealer, and I'm sure there are others but I can't think who right at the moment.
Drop Bruce a line, he's set up to sell them better than I am. I'm really just set up to use them in my own guitars.