In this case, it’s a noise-cancelling mic mounted inside on the guitar’s bridge plate close to the guitar’s top – the primary source of its tonal character.Īmericana songwriters Brian Fallon and Sturgill Simpson are two recent converts to the Anthem’s Tru-Mic charms with the Element piezo used here already highly rated too. It combines a piezo pickup with a mic to achieve more of a ‘true’ acoustic sound. The LR Baggs Anthem Tru-Mic acoustic guitar pickup is the best all-rounder. Best acoustic guitar pickups: Our top picks If you'd rather get to the products, keep scrolling. We've included some in-depth buying advice at the end of this guide, so if you'd like to read more about the best acoustic guitar pickups, click the link. We’ve saved you some time by sampling a range of models to suit every type of acoustic guitar player. Whether you prefer the mellow, midfocused tone of a magnetic soundhole pickup or the bright, full-range tone of an undersaddle piezo, there’s never been a more exciting time to be an acoustic-electric player, as a great range of options are available at all price points.Each type of pickup offers a different tone, so experiment to see which suits your style of playing best. High-end models tend to sound realistic, especially when coupled with good preamps and expanded upon in dual-systems that employ mics. Some of those early pickups sounded bad, but piezo pickup technology has grown by leaps and bounds, and these days even a relatively cheap undersaddle pickup can sound decent. Piezo technology wasn’t harnessed and applied to the acoustic guitar widely until the 1970s. Piezo pickups sound thin and tinny plugged into an electric-guitar rig because the amp isn’t designed to handle its full-frequency range. because of its full-frequency range and appropriate level. The transducer is most commonly a strip that’s placed under the saddle, which is ideal for capturing the sound of all the strings transmitting vibrations into the bridge, which is set in the soundboard, allowing a portion of those vibrations to transmit as well.įishman AG-Series passive undersaddle pickup (Image credit: Fishman)Īll that information shooting into the bridge location yields a bright, forthright tone with a fast, in-your-face attack known to acoustic guitarists as the infamous piezo “quack.” The sound is exaggerated when the player applies a significant attack, as the extra energy can overwhelm the pickup and result in audible signal compression.Ī preamped piezo signal sounds fine when plugged straight into a P.A. The output jack is generally housed in the strap endpin. It requires some form of preamp that, in the modern era, is usually onboard, features at least volume and tone controls, and is battery powered. The piezo electric pickup is ubiquitous on acoustic-electric guitars.
#Acoustic piezo pickup for electric guitar plus
Permanent installation is preferable for routine giggers, but that requires professional help and leaves you with a pickup blocking part of the soundhole, plus a heavier guitar. Temporary installation can be a clunky affair, and leaves a cable dangling from the soundhole. You put it in when you need it, and take it out when you don’t. Soundhole pickups are rarely pre-installed on a guitar. One of the primary benefits or drawbacks, depending on how you look at it, has to do with installation. Players who gig heavily like soundhole pickups because they’re practically bulletproof, and it’s a great idea to keep one in your gig bag. Others feel it lacks body and makes an acoustic sound like a cheap electric. Some players swear by the soundhole tone and appreciate how the attack starts softly and blossoms, almost like striking a match. They don’t capture soundboard vibrations, which are a huge factor in the hallmark of any acoustic instrument.
Magnetic soundhole pickups usually add a distinct color to the sound.
Baggs M1 Active soundhole pickup (Image credit: L.R.
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