Pick ups in Acoustics

[seeaxe]

I have a mate who wants me to build him an acoustic with a pick up in it. I know nothing much about them so while I can google them my understadning of them is limited, so I would value the opinion of this forum

What's the collective opinion on
a) top of the line - best kind and make of pick up there is
b) middle of the road good value for money but better than average
c) cheap and cheerful

Cheers

Richard

[kiwigeo]

Don't muck around go for a K an K. Ive just started fitting them in my steel strings and the next classical will have one.

Bob uses them so they must be good.

Cheers Martin

[needsmorecowbel]

I heard Fishman are "good"

[jeffhigh]

I'm with Martin and like the K&k's
You can use them passive just run to an endpin jack, but I have installed them in a few guitars with existing fishman onboard preamps and that works great too.
They are certainly not expensive
Talking Bout K&k pure western mini
Great natural sound

[needsmorecowbel]

Ah sorry it was fishman for the preamps...duhh

[Puff]

Fishman do pickups and preamps.

[needsmorecowbel]

yep

[Bob Connor]

The Fishman soundhole pickups are good too. I've been putting the single pole ones in my Weissenborns.
With the dollar being strong they are costing about $95.

K & K if you want nice acoustic sound at low SPL's.

[woodrat]

I've fitted several K&K's and everyone's been happy with them...a great product. I have also fitted the L R Baggs I Beam and it has been well received by the owners of the guitars too.

[vandenboom]

How constrained is your budget? The K&K pickup and external preamp (pure mini) cost me about $270 all up. Very happy with it but you can do it cheaper if you have to. Artec pickup and endpin is about $50, then choose your external preamp. I have put Artecs in quite a few dreads and I think they are pretty good for the price.
Frank

[Kim]

Another vote for K&K pure and western...great bang for buck.

Cheers

Kim

[ozwood]

I'll Third a Vote for K&K's nice natural sound , non destructive install, a winner in my book.

Paul.

[ozziebluesman]

I have the K&k pure western mini in several of my own guitars. The pickup captures and produces a very natural acoustic sound. Highly rated by me!

Cheers

Alan

[Nick]

Yet another vote for K&K's Richard, I've fitted them in all of my Selmer Mac's & give a true representation of acoustic sound (No quack, to use the term commonly used for piezo's). After my last builds where the customer also specified he wanted it amplifier-able I would also put a recommendation in for LR Baggs Stagepro system which has an instrument mounted pre amp ( got mine from http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/lr-elem ... gepro.html who seemed to be the best priced at that time) & a UST, this had great sound reproduction & a good balance. Only thing I didn't like was the volume slider on the pre amp, it was a bit small & 'low profile' & on a darkish stage I imagine tweaking the volume could be a bit tricky without careful observation. Fishman's have always struck me as being a little 'Sterile' but that could just be my hearing?

[Dominic]

I've used the Dtar pickup by Rick Turner on 2 guitars for a mate who plays and sings at small venues and he loves them. They don't sound quacky either. It is the model with the internal pre-amp and with battery access through the end plug. Don't know the model name and can't remember how much we paid but its a nice little unit.
Cheers
Dom

[matthew]

You guys all talking about the same model pickup? Or just the brand?

K&K make a whole BUNCH of pickups for different applications.

Are you talking under-saddle? internal piezo heads? "twin spot"? bridge pickups?

[kiwigeo]

You guys all talking about the same model pickup? Or just the brand?

K&K make a whole BUNCH of pickups for different applications.

Are you talking under-saddle? internal piezo heads? "twin spot"? bridge pickups?

K and K western minis are what I use.....pads mounted under the bridge plate.

[seeaxe]

This is what is great about this forum - everyone chips in. Thanks to everyone who responded,

And the winner is........K&K western minis! More votes than Julia Gillard! I hope K and K are watching, if so they should send you all free pickups!!


Cheers m'dears!!

Richard

[Kim]

You guys all talking about the same model pickup? Or just the brand?

K&K make a whole BUNCH of pickups for different applications.

Are you talking under-saddle? internal piezo heads? "twin spot"? bridge pickups?

Matthew,

Most everyone would be referring to the K&K Pure and Western 'Mini'. The configuration is 3 x 'passive' piezo heads fitted inside the guitar to the bridge plate, in line with the saddle, between the bridge pins.

Cheers

Kim

[John Maddison]

Can anyone recommended which of this lot of K&K pickups (note free postage) might suit a ukulele, or would the Pure Western Mini do the job?

[Bob Connor]

John

I'd probably look at the Mandolin Twin Internal for a Uke.

Regards

[John Maddison]

Ta Bob for the tip.

Is that figure of AUD$129 with free P&H a fair price? ... or are there other suppliers in Oz offering better deals (I got to that eBay SonicWave link above via Google) that ppl may know of?

[seeaxe]

Yet another vote for K&K's Richard, I've fitted them in all of my Selmer Mac's & give a true representation of acoustic sound (No quack, to use the term commonly used for piezo's). After my last builds where the customer also specified he wanted it amplifier-able I would also put a recommendation in for LR Baggs Stagepro system which has an instrument mounted pre amp ( got mine from http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/lr-elem ... gepro.html who seemed to be the best priced at that time) & a UST, this had great sound reproduction & a good balance. Only thing I didn't like was the volume slider on the pre amp, it was a bit small & 'low profile' & on a darkish stage I imagine tweaking the volume could be a bit tricky without careful observation. Fishman's have always struck me as being a little 'Sterile' but that could just be my hearing?

Thanks Nick - can you tell me where you got your K and Ks from? NZ or offshore?

Cheers

[Nick]

Thanks Nick - can you tell me where you got your K and Ks from? NZ or offshore?

Cheers

I get mine direct from the manufacturer Richard, I don't think there is an agent in NZ but if there was I'm only guessing but would say it would still be cheaper direct.
Whoops,:oops: just did a dealer search on their site & it's kicked back quite a number of New Zealand outlets although they're all in the North Island
http://www.kksound.com/cgi-bin/csvsearc ... ew+Zealand Take your pick Richard.

[seeaxe]

Thanks Nick