Grateful Dead Music Forum

I'm looking for advice on getting a pickup for my acoustic.

Specifically, I want something I can just slide in and out of the sound hole that won't damage the guitar. I'd also like to have some sort of volume control, one that is not on the pickup itself (I've tried this kind and when I strum I keep hitting the volume control).

Of course I also want it to sound natural - my acoustic should still sound like an acoustic, not like an electric and I don't have an unlimited budget

Thanks for your recommendations.

Peace

Mickey

I have this pickup which I love and would say meets all of your criteria except that that volume control is on it.



http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/acousti ... tural-plus

How good do you want it to sound? Sound hole pick-ups may not get you as close as you want to be. I've spent alot of my time gigging doing solo acoustic sets. 75% or more of my tunes being instrumentals. So I am extremely anal about my sound and I've tried just about every acoustic pick-up there is at one time or another. That being said, the K&K pure western mini is as good as it gets in my opinion. It's passive so you may want to use a preamp but it's not always necessary. They are pretty easy to install as well. Just my .02

I use the L.R. Baggs M1 active pickup. It is removable and has a volume control. I really like how it sounds. it is desgined so you can install the 1/4" jack into your guitar, and move the pickup part in and out if you want. You don't have to do a permanent install with the cable though. There is a short wire with this 1/4" feamle jack on it that connects into the pickup. I just run this out of the soundhole and then use a standard guitar cord to plug it in. No modifications to the guitar at all this way and it's easy to install and take out without removing the strings. Just 2 tightener screws. I use the same pickup for both my 6 and 12 string. It really sounds great in my Guild 6 string. You may be able to find some sound samples on youtube.

I will reiterate what Poor Peter said. The K&K is hard to beat and is unbelievable affordable.

I tried a Seymour Duncan Woody pickup at GC.

Looking at their website, I see they make the Woody in three configurations - single coil, humbucker and stacked.

Can someone please explain the differences in sound I'd get from the three different types?

Thanks.

I use a K&K with my band. It runs fx nicely.