Pickup advice for varied situations

[Jim_Cross]

I'm trying to decide which pickup to have fitted in my Atkin OM-18, and just can't decide despite listening to more sound clips than I care to admit!
The band I play in gigs mostly as a 3 piece acoustic (2 guitars, Cajon, 3 vocals) but may play as a full band with bass and drums for some gigs. The gigs are also quite varied in terms of soundcheck (sometimes just a line check), PA equipment and sound tech ability, so feedback can be a concern.

Given the potential lack of soundcheck I've pretty much ruled out dual source systems as I won't always have tweaking time.
So I've narrowed it down to:

- Matrix Infinity - like the sound clips, concerned that I can't fit a feedback buster in desperate times due to the sound hole controls

- K&K pure mini - again, like the sound clips, concerned about feedback

- Black angel/Rare Earth/M80 - easiest to experiment with without affecting the guitar. I tend not to like the sound clips as much, but it sounds like most clips don't include the full signal chain including EQ. Does anyone have any good clips of EQ'd mag pickups?

Any thoughts on these options, or others (I've already ruled out the Anthem as I don't want to attach something that big to the soundboard, and again no feedback buster option, Amulet as I'm in the UK so hard to get hold of and have fitted correctly, and Highlander as the slot routing is too invasive for me)

[slooky]

http://www.jjb-electronics.com/prestige-330.html

[guitaniac]

If you're going to go with a soundboard pickup, please consider James May's Ultra Tonic pickup. Its similar to the K&K Pure Mini in sound, but without the feedback-prone tubbiness which occurs when the amplification level is high and the guitar top is reacting strongly to speaker sound.

[varmonter]

The m80 is a good choice and will probably
sound good in any situation with minimal
tweak time. I prefer to run mine passive.
I might also suggest the sunrise mag pup
as well. sounds pretty good plugged into anything.
I think magnetic soundhole pups work better at louder volumes..
I like the kk but find it takes a lot of tweaking to get it right.
But when you do it sounds pretty good.
i stay away from complicated setups. If you consider the ultraTonic
make sure you read up on it as the initial
setup is quite involved and it requires buying equipment
you will only use once. I dislike anything that
requires a 9 v battery block inside the quitar.
they come loose and can bust braces.

[M Hayden]

Another vote for the Sunrise. They work in almost any situation. They’re not the most acoustic pickup but they will sound consistently good, limit feedback, and work with just about any amp or DI. Combine it with the SB-1 Sunrise Buffer preamp and it’s quite good.

I’ve plugged Sunrises directly into boards or Fender tube amps with no pre or DI and gotten reasonable results.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by M Hayden

Another vote for the Sunrise. They work in almost any situation. They’re not the most acoustic pickup but they will sound consistently good, limit feedback, and work with just about any amp or DI. Combine it with the SB-1 Sunrise Buffer preamp and it’s quite good.

I’ve plugged Sunrises directly into boards or Fender tube amps with no pre or DI and gotten reasonable results.

Yeah.. i find this pickup to be the most consistantly
decent sounding no matter what i plug it into..
Like you said it's not the most acoustic sounding pup.
and if you are a percussive player this does not pickup
body hits. But it always sounds decent.

[noledog]

* Another vote for the M80 and I use some body percussive stuff for my reggae style. I also happen to think it's a nice looking mag with its ivory and brown colours.

** Here's one of my live clips, best with headphones to hear the nuances, harmonics and musicality of this pickup. Plug n play straight into Loudbox:



*** Here's a more straightforward clip single note runs and strumming on my D18 straight into Loudbox as well; same venue, different day:

[varmonter]

the m80 has the ability to pick up body resonance
so if you tap/hit/thump your guitar the m80
will pick it up. the sunrise not so much.
The kk will also pick this up .. sometimes to a fault..

[Jim_Cross]

Thanks guys. The Ultra Tonic looks like a very interesting option, especially in combination with the ToneDexter, and I have a very good guitar tech so installation complexity isn't too much of a concern

[Mbroady]

i am a K&K fan so that gets my vote

They offer an addition of both a UST as well as the internal mic. Most might think this is over kill but If you want a gig dedicated set up K&K offers a system that has all three sources. I had this set up in a blueridge BR183 (gig dedicated guitar). It was the most versitly set up I ever heard. For solo gigs I would use the mini and mic. For band gigs i would usr the UST and mini. you could blend all three as needed. it Does require an on board pre and battery.
http://kksound.com/products/powermixtrinity.php

Not Sure I would put it in valuble guitar but it was perfect in the Blueridge

[Wistah]

I use Baggs M1A in all my gigging guitars. Feedback is rarely / never a problem, and I can get away with it in all kinds of situations. In your shoes, I'd lean towards the M80.