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Which Pickup is Right for Me?
Every week we have several customers come through our door asking which pickup they should install in their guitar. Unfortunately, the answer is never easy and always requires gathering more information from the customer first. There are pros and cons to each pickup type and ultimately the player needs to decide which one is right for him or her.
The following is a list of the most common pickup types that are used today. In each category, we have generalized the pros and cons of each pickup type to help you make an informed decision about which pickup you would like to put in your guitar.
Before you get started, understanding a little bit about piezoelectricity may help. Most pickups used in acoustic guitars today use piezoelectricity. Piezoelectricity is the ability of crystals and certain ceramic materials (mainly Quartz and Rochelle Salt) to generate a voltage in response to applied mechanical stress. Basically, as pressure is applied to the crystal element inside the pickup from the string or soundboard vibrations the crystals produce an electrical response that can be turned into a signal that can be amplified.
4 Pickup Types
Piezo-based Under-saddle Transducers
o Pro: Least prone to feedback, versatile for various volumes, stages and gigs.
o Con: When played with a strong attack, the pickup can produce a “quacking” sound
Examples:
· Fishman Acoustic Matrix
· Highlander IP-1 and IP-2
· L.R. Baggs Element
Piezo-based Soundboard Contact Transducers
o Pro: Very natural sound, versatile for various stages and gigs.
o Con: Prone to feedback and string noise
Examples:
· Schatten HFN Artist and Dualie
· K&K Pure Western
· K&K Trinity (combo Pure Western with Soundhole Mic)
· K&K Twin Spot
· L.R. Baggs I-Beam
Electromagnetic Soundhole Transducers
o Pro: Easy to install and uninstall
o Con: It is an electric guitar pickup with a similar sound (more compressed). Needs nickel wound string since bronze in non-ferrous and does not react with pickup magnets
Examples:
· Sunrise S-2 Pickup
· L.R. Baggs M-1 (passive) and M-1A (active)
· Fishman Neo-D (passive) Rare Earth (active)
Microphones
o Pro: Most natural sound
o Con: Very prone to feedback. Low signal output.
Examples
· Dynamic
Coil wire attached to diaphragm moves when sound hits it causing the coil to move over a magnet producing an electrical signal.
· Condenser
Consists of two plates that are separated forming a capacitor or “condenser”. When a voltage is given to the condenser, any change in distance caused by sound waves produces a varying current.
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