Good Acoustic Soundhole Pickup For Strumming?

[bluestrat78]

Hey everybody,
I've read a lot of posts on soundhole pickups. And most of the video clips I see on youtube are great. The only issue I have is that most of my acoustic style involves strumming chords (open tunings and standard) Does anyone have any suggestions for a soundhole pickup that will sound the MOST natural WHEN STRUMMED and plugged straight into a PA? I've heard about the Baggs I beam and m1. Does anyone know of any others or have any audio clips that they would like to put up? (where they are strumming) (lol) Thanks!

[chezdeluxe]

baggs m1a sounds great and plugs staight into pa no preamp required

[imwjl]

I'm no expert but my OM-28 came with a Seymour Duncan model and the combo of pole pieces and mic can make it sound quite natural compared to a lot of acoustic guitars with pickups but it is also particularly nice sounding guitar without amplification so I don't know if that skews things. It can also be mounted on a temporary basis.

[TNO]

The Baggs M1 would be my choice. Combined with a Pure Western Mini for an easy dual-source setup. http://www.box.net/shared/cpe7qarr2v

[bluestrat78]

Hey TNO awesome clip, do you happen to have a clip of just the K&K mini and just the m1 by itself?

[chezdeluxe]

If you go the Baggs route make sure you get the M1A not the M1

[bluestrat78]

For the M1a or any soundhole pickup for that matter, is a preamp necessary? Does it affect the overall sound THAT much or is it just mainly used to tweak the tone to your likings? I would be playing open mic nights where you plug straight into a DI box which goes to the sound guy's mixing board.

[Martin R]

We hosted an open mic for about two years. The Baggs pickup is really good, but even the $60 Seymour Duncan will work, (heard plenty of them).

You'll probably be fine with whatever you show up with. If the one you're going to is like most open mics, the sound guy has probably dealt with it all.

[Tarnisher]

I just got the Takamine Tri-Ax, which is the same product as the M1-A, with the following differences:

-you can switch between active and passive modes if you want to use a different pre-amp
-it's black instead of white
-it says Takamine on it, instead of L.R.Baggs

It was a birthday gift, so I don't have the seller's site on hand, but they included 3 free cables.

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to hook it up and try it out. Oh, and don't believe them when they say it will fit a 3.5" soundhole. That's true if you can grow the tree around the pickup, but otherwise you need more wiggle room. :(

[Jethro]

I have a Taylor GS with the expression system and Taylor Big Baby that I threw an M1A into and the M1A wins hands down for authenticity and quick PA setups.

[Tarnisher]

Just installed the Takamine Tri-Ax in my larger guitar. I only played it softly through a small tube amp, but it sounds great. VERY sensitive- you could hear my shirt brush the side of the guitar.

I can't wait to try it through my PA, and on the other end of the spectrum, my 5E3 with fuzz!

[Tarnisher]

Okay, this thread may be dead, but....

The Takamine Tri-Ax did a great job at my solo acoustic gig last night. It's remarkable how much it reproduces the actual sound of the guitar, and how natural the sound is.

I had lusted after a Sunrise, but the cost is high enough by itself, and on top of that it requires a separate preamp. The Tri-Ax (or M1A) is much cheaper and simpler, with the preamp already built in. I'm pretty impressed.

[sonicland]

Originally Posted by bluestrat78

For the M1a or any soundhole pickup for that matter, is a preamp necessary? Does it affect the overall sound THAT much or is it just mainly used to tweak the tone to your likings? I would be playing open mic nights where you plug straight into a DI box which goes to the sound guy's mixing board.

The difference between the M1 and the M1A is that the M1A has a preamp built in, the M1 doesn't. I got an M1 when the factory installed Fishman Prefix went bad in my Rainsong. The M1 didn't sound that great plugged directly into my PA but came to life when I got the Baggs ParaCoustic DI. IMHO, this combo is a big improvement over the UST and Prefix Plus that came with the guitar. Like many others, I'm not a fan of UST systems.

To answer the 2nd part of your question, a preamp and DI are two different pieces of gear. A preamp is designed to boost the low level put out by a pickup, a DI is used to change the impedence. Many guitar boxes like the ParaCoustic DI, SansAmp, Radial PreZ, combine the two. If you plug your guitar pickup into a DI and go straight to the PA console, you're relying on the console preamp to bring your signal up to the proper level and the console eq to handle tone shaping. That may sound fine, it may not, depends on the console and the person running it. Many of the guitar boxes I mention above are designed specifically for acoustic guitar and use much higher quality components so in most cases they have a definite advantage over going directly to a DI then on to the console.

[aunchaki]

Originally Posted by sonicland

The M1 didn't sound that great plugged directly into my PA but came to life when I got the Baggs ParaCoustic DI.

This is my main acoustic setup: M1passive and Para Acoustic DI. I've always been happy with the combo.

I have a Fishman Neo-D single-coil in my other acoustic. It also sounds good through the Para Acoustic, but one day I hope to replace it with another M1. I often play in spaces with lots of interference, and the humbucking M1 gets it done.

[tombm3]

Originally Posted by aunchaki

This is my main acoustic setup: M1passive and Para Acoustic DI. I've always been happy with the combo.

This has been my set-up in my Larrivee L-05MT for the past 10-11 months for praise band. I also added a Schatten Black Box to add a convenient at hand volume control.

With this set-up, I'm playing the acoustic much more often and hence, the sound is really opening up.

I first got the M1A but decided that it would be a pain to have to swap out the battery and it would be destined to go at a bad time. Therefore I choose to get the Para Acoustic DI and a straight M1. It provides me with a way to get the sound into the board without close micing and I don't have to worry about somebody bumping the mic into the grill cloth. Also the DI provides a way to tone shape my sound that using the M1A by itself wouldn't be able to provide.

[HOBBSTER01]

M1 hands down.

[chezdeluxe]

I own and use an M1,an M1A and a Baggs Para DI.

The easiest and least expensive option with great natural tone bar none is the M1A.

You can plug it straight into any PA anywhere anytime.

The battery thing is a non issue.Just don't leave a lead plugged in and it will last more open mic nights than you will remember.

[Tarnisher]

Originally Posted by tombm3

I first got the M1A but decided that it would be a pain to have to swap out the battery and it would be destined to go at a bad time.... Also the DI provides a way to tone shape my sound that using the M1A by itself wouldn't be able to provide.

That's why I got the Takamine Tri-Ax- it's the same thing as the M1A, but it has a switch that turns off the preamp. The best of both worlds!

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Shadow Electronics, makes a dual-pick-up Soud Hole unit (the SH Doubleplay) that has a bridge and neck pick-up and then you can "blend" the two to your heart's delight. (via a slider)

http://www.shadow-electronics.com/vi...ang_id=&id=231


From 100% bridge to 100% neck tones and everything inbetween.
Never tried it, but i think i would like a 40% bridge/60% neck ratio . . . just my thoughts.

I know Lakewood guitars make the exact same type of sound hole units, also w a "blend" slider.
But i do not know if they sell them seperately, like the Shadow units.
Would love to have an acoustic with this mixing option of neck and bridge.

Hope this helps.