Acoustic pickup

[robertm2000]

I have an acoustic guitar, an Alvarez-Yairi roundhole flattop - it plays like a dream since I straightened the neck and lowered the bridge a bit. Is there such a thing as a roundhole pickup that has a fairly electric sound? I don't want reproduction of an acoustic sound, but something similar to an archtop, through an amp of course.

[rpguitar]

LR Baggs M1A gets close. So do the old DeArmond soundhole pickups. You want something nice and ballsy from an impedance (ohms) perspective; that will tame the highs and bring out the magnetic energy present in the strings.

[cjm]

Originally Posted by rpguitar

LR Baggs M1A gets close. So do the old DeArmond soundhole pickups. You want something nice and ballsy from an impedance (ohms) perspective; that will tame the highs and bring out the magnetic energy present in the strings.

Yeah, in fact a few people used to complain that the DeArmond soundhole pickups didn't preserve the acoustic sound through an amp...I always thought the critics were missing the point of using a magnetic pickup.

These did a pretty good job of giving a clean electric guitar sound from a flat top acoustic and the mix of acoustic sound from the guitar and the amplified sound is often quite pleasing if you can avoid feedback issues.

[tejastani]

I have a cheap Artec on my Wechter Pathmaker which sounds P90ish and is fairly quiet for a single coil. It has adjustable pole pieces, too. I'm using d'addario light jazz round wound (.012 to ?) that are nickel wrapped. Bronze and mag pickups don't work for me.

[robertm2000]

Good information! A long time ago, someone used a Martin guitar I had and put a De Armond pickup on it. I'd forgotten that but the pickup did have a very full sound that would have worked really well for jazz. I'll look at ebay for one of those. Artec seems to make reasonably priced piezo or film type pickups (seems for awhile they made pickups for Guitar Fetish). Good point about the strings too. It should work out pretty well. Thanks!

[CAGED1702]

LR Baggs M1 Active - no need for external preamp..I love it..!

[morroben]

Another vote for the LR Baggs M1A