Acoustic Lap Steel/Slide Pickup?

Hey guys, I have a Yamaha FD01S I have setup for lap steel playing (raised, unraidused nut and saddle). I use a Sansamp Para Driver and a QSC K10 for amplifying my Taylor 214ce and it sounds great, but I want to get a good pickup system for the Yamaha so I can gig with it without resorting to using a mic. The guitar is already drilled for an endpin jack, too, so I have no fear of modifying it.

Here are my concerns:

1) An undersaddle piezo pickup is an effective and affordable option, given that I am running an external preamp, but will it sound too "scratchy" when used with a slide, or would using coated strings or ground-wound/flat-top strings resolve this? I was considering a Martin Thinline 332 if I go this route; something basic like that.

2) I also am looking at magnetic sound hole pickups. The L.R. Baggs M1A (the active model) seems like a nice option as it also has a second microphonic coil to pick up the top vibrations. My two concerns for the magnetic, though, are: A) Can I adjust the pickup high enough to compensate for the very raised action and B) will it "comb filter" out harmonics like a Strat neck pickup? (I use harmonics extensively all over the neck in my slide playing).

Thanks in advance!

I vote for a magnetic soundhole pickup. The better solution for playing slide. You pretty much nailed it with the piezos sounding pretty scratchy and tinny when playing slide.

Can't give you detailed opinion on the different pups, but i've heard good things about the L.R. Baggs soundhole pup.

I vote for a magnetic soundhole pickup. The better solution for playing slide. You pretty much nailed it with the piezos sounding pretty scratchy and tinny when playing slide.

Can't give you detailed opinion on the different pups, but i've heard good things about the L.R. Baggs soundhole pup.

Thanks, I figured that would be the case. While my Taylor definitely isn't set up for slide, I can tell an undersaddle may be be ideal when I experimented with playing slide on it plugged in. Of course the best option tonally is a mic and I have some good ones, but feedback and ease of setup are a concern. I just want to be able to plug it in like an electric and have it sound good (haha).

Seymour Duncan also has the Mag Mic which is a soundhole pickup with a built-in microphone with its own volume control. Perhaps for low volume/recording scenarios, this could be ideal. Anyone with experience using one?

I bought an L.R. Baggs M1 (passive) and will report my findings when it arrives.

Just got the M1 passive and tested it on a Taylor 214ce and Yamaha FD01S, the latter setup for lap steel playing, both with phosphor bronze strings (I plan on switching to nickel wound on the Yamaha, which will give more output).

Plugged into a Sansamp Para Driver and a QSC K10 powered speaker, it sounds really natural and well balanced on both guitars; it's basically like cranking up the guitars' respective natural tones. Slide playing with a steel or bottle neck sounds great on both, too. No under-saddle scratchiness and it doesn't comb filter out harmonics like I thought it would, either. The 5th fret harmonics still sound, just not quite as loudly (which is impressive since the pickup sits at the "24th fret" node). Its output is impressive for a passive pickup, too, and I can only imagine using nickel strings will give it even more (I will set up a Gibson J-45 with nickel wounds soon to test with this pickup). Playing up the neck on the Taylor yielded a more "electric" sound due to the strings getting pushed closer to the poles, but I personally think it just helps notes in that register pop out more (a good thing for lead work in my book). You do have to be careful not to hit the pickup, though, as it is microphonic and does make an audible "click" sound, but I usually root my hand towards the bridge so no worries here.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the M1's performance with both slide and fretted playing and intend to buy another soon so I can leave it permanently installed and properly adjusted for each guitar.