Grateful Dead Music Forum

Has anyone changed the bridge pick up in an Accoustic Electric before? Is it difficult? Should I take it into the local repair shop to do?

The problem i'm having is that the B string does produce any sound when plugged in. The only sound I get from that string is what is resonating inside.

this is my guitar

http://www.takamine.com/?fa=detail&mid=183&sid=524

BucketO,
It's probably not the pickup.
Here is the gospel on this issue (see the "Theory" and "Getting Started" sections).
The "Before" picture, is probably what is going on with your B string.

From the Been there, Done that, Dept...
TIP: Experiment using a new saddle, then you can always go back to the old saddle at any time.
Saddle pieces are cheap.

http://littlebrother.nlpd.com/Clay-UST/index.htm

~pb

Thanks Pete... I'm going to try this today.

Nothing to add....

I LOVE the "Field engineering" DIY stuff.....

Good find Pete.... and from a steel player no doubt... I guess a busted Clock can be right twice a day.....

PEACE,
Phil

I had this issue with a Guild D-25 acoustic using a Martin thin-line pickup, but in my case it was the 5th string.
I made a shim from a piece of a toothpick (this was like 1982). It fixed the issue well enough, but the guitar ended up hitting the deck during a set break, and broke the headstock right off (I had left it face down on a padded barstool, so it was basically my fault).
I'm told by a luthier friend that the clay method is the way to go for the DIY fix nowadays.
~pb

Could be the pickup, the saddle, or the angle of the string coming up over the saddle.Some pickups are just poor quality and not very well balanced, thats why I will only install fishman matrix and lr baggs, never had a problem in about the 70 or so I've installed.Next make sure the saddle is perfectly flat on the bottom edge, especially if you shaved, filed or sanded it down at all, also check the saddle slot for foreign bodies or an unlevel bottom.last make sure there is a good string angle going up to the saddle if its too shallow of an angle it will put less pressure on the saddle resulting in a dead or flat string.These are the 3 obvious places to start. hope this helps

dpmphoto wrote:Could be the pickup, the saddle, or the angle of the string coming up over the saddle.Some pickups are just poor quality and not very well balanced, thats why I will only install fishman matrix and lr baggs, never had a problem in about the 70 or so I've installed.Next make sure the saddle is perfectly flat on the bottom edge, especially if you shaved, filed or sanded it down at all, also check the saddle slot for foreign bodies or an unlevel bottom.last make sure there is a good string angle going up to the saddle if its too shallow of an angle it will put less pressure on the saddle resulting in a dead or flat string.These are the 3 obvious places to start. hope this helps

i tried the fixe today, well, the clay part was a bit messy.

my pick up has a copper box and a plastic piece with 6 rectangle pieces that lies under the thin copper pick up. i cleaned all the areas and guess what, the B string works but now the high E or 1st string doesn't. i did not shim the pick ups just cleaned it and put new strings on.
WHAT GIVES!!