Should I Put a Pickup in My Martin?

I put a Lr Baggs Anthem in mine. Great pickup system.

My old Martin is too boomy to mic in a lot of situations. The Anthem blends an undersaddle and microphone to give a believable sound. I can dial up the undersaddle to get more funky, or dial it back to get a more acoustic sound. Blending in the undersaddle really let's me bring out the highs and kids without the bass overpowering the setup.

 

Built-in pickups these days are pretty much invisible. Unless the guitar has historic significance, install away. You’re improving a tool you use regularly; nought wrong with that.

 

First thing we did when we got the MMV was put a Fishman pickup in it. (2009) You do have to drill out the strap pin at the back to install one for the cable out. Later on we bought a Martin Marquis that had a pickup in it. Oddly enough, the MMV sounded better with the pickup than the Marquis did. Why, I don't know. The Marquis is long gone, but the MMV is still here. There's a lot of talk about the different pickups available for acoustic guitars, but I wouldn't change the one we have because I myself think it's just fine the way it is. I play it through a Rolland AC-90, and can easily adjust the amp to where it sounds acceptable to most people in fact it usually garners compliments.

 

I have, and would again. You can get them without any controls if you don't want to see anything, but the K&K volume control is SO TINY.

 

I bought my pickups from JJB which consisted of three piezo pickups which were glued under the bridge and only have a tail pin that replaces the original strap button the bottom of the guitar.
http://jjb-electronics.com/prestige-330.html

Cost is great for this unit, I drilled my own hole for the larger strap button and glued the piezos in. I have had it almost a year now with no issues.

I paired it with a LR Baggs Para DI for a while at church borrowing that preamp from another guitarist. I happened to see a Behringer preamp on sale for $25 and bought it as a backup, it has become the main pedal as I could not really tell a difference between the LR and the Behringer in my ears through our PA system.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...V2iCtBh2jcwxGEAQYASABEgJ8MPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

I agree with the above. I put a K&K Mini in my Martin 0000-18 Sinker.
If you look on Martin’s Web Page they install factory either the Fishman or the LR Baggs your choice so it’s obvious they like those.

 

I inherited a K&K pure (passive) pickup when I bought my 000-18 and I'm super-pleased with it -- sounds good, no fuss, no battery, doesn't seem to affect the acoustic sound, etc. For the kind of small stages the acoustic band plays, it's perfect -- plug straight into the mixer and we're off to the races. I did get a Redeye preamp right before lockdown but haven't had a chance to experiment with it much. Will report if ever the gigs return.

 

Modification is minimal for systems like K&K, so not really a big deal.

But I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate every acoustic pickup I've ever heard. So I probably wouldn't install anything, unless I absolutely had to. Like maybe if there was a threat against my life or my family's if I didn't start going to open mics, or whatever. Yuck.

I'm more inclined to just get a guitar that came factory stock with a system, and keep my pickup free guitars for home and patio performance. All acoustic pickups sound like stinky butt to me. They are a necessary evil in some contexts. But not all. I would rather keep them off a nice guitar, so I don't have to desecrate it with the horrible reminder that they both exist and people use them. I can avoid open mics. Can't stand the sound of every singer songwriter and their geetar. I'll play at home the way nature intended, thank you very much.

 

If you only mic it sometimes, I vote no.

 

We're on a telecaster forum. Need I have to remind y'all why the solid body electric was invented?

 

For that guitar K&K Pure Mini. The only alteration would be the endpin. Highly recommended. The under the saddle might create an issue and no sound benefit.

 

I use a Baggs M1A soundhole pickup. It has a endpin jack assemble as well.

While this isn't quite as true an acoustic sound as some of the others, it doesn't feed back as easily and is well suited for playing in a loud band.

 

I feel the about the same about pickups on acoustic guitars as I do about alarms on cars.

My work here is done. Luv y'all.

 

I'll join the K&K chorus.

That's the only one that makes the guitar sound like itself, IMO.

The Baggs/Fishman, etc. type systems can be great too. And they give you extra options (volume/tone knobs, whatever). Except, they all make the guitar sound like the system, not itself.

If you want the guitar to sound closest to the way it sounds mic'd, I think the passive K&K is the best way to get there.

 

You have a Martin. You have a Telecaster. What more do you need except maybe a good Strat. I have a Simon and Patrick that I'd never install a pickup in. I accompany myself on vocals with one of my electrics. My acoustic is my front porch guitar. Your electric will sound softer and maybe more vocal friendly plugged into a PA. Or the electric tone may be great with your guitar amp. An equalizer can make an electric a lot more voice friendly. So can playing finger style. For vocal accompaniment, I like either my FCS '69 Strat or my Gretsch Anniversary through a BOSS EQ-200 into my Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 set to 5 watts. On the front porch with my S&P, I just hope the neighbors don't complain. When I think about putting a pickup into an acoustic, I think maybe put a sound hole mount pickup in the Ovation Balladeer I rarely play. And then reality strikes. I probably wouldn't play it any more often electrified. Anyway, that's my $0.02 USD. My opinion is probably worth half that but it's mine and no one can take it from me.

 

Ha! you are of course 100% right, they all suck, some less, some more. But if you want to be heard by an audience, you've got to do something -- either play into a mic (and most likely not be able to hear yourself without feedback) or something like this:



the DPA core with guitar clip. Very high-quality hypercardoid condenser, sounds amazing, costs like a car, requires phantom power. Or, of course, you compromise with some kind of a pickup.

 

I regret putting one under the saddle of my Gallagher.

First, I rarely use it. When I bought it, I thought adding a pickup would give me some versatility...but I never played in a situation were it was needed. Stick a mic in front of it and it sounds just fine.

Second, I was absolutely aghast when I discovered the "luthier" knocked a big chip out of the endblock when he redrilled for the endpin jack. OMG, the guy used a HSS twist drill and an old Sears hand drill to open up the hole. WTF? I thought he was competent...until then. To be truthful, he tried to talk me out of it...but didn't tell me that he didn't have the proper equipment to do the job. Even worse, had I known his problem I could have had the tool made...I worked in a machine-shop and we had a tool-grinder who would have done one for me, no charge.

 

I have the LR Baggs Anthem in my Gibson J-45 and the M80 active pu in my Seagull Maritime SWS Mini Jumbo.
I'm planning to install another strapjack plug in my Simon & Patrick Showcase dreadnought so that I can switch rhe M80 pickup to it if I so desire.

 

I had one installed on my long gone 000M: it was indeed invisible except for the jack socket and the annoying noise of the wire moving inside when shaking the guitar.
Truth is: I hated the sound of it, and always used a mic in front of the guitar.

If I ever put a pickup on a flattop again, I would go full way to this: