LR Baggs Anthem issue

[Mr Blues]

First let me say . I am a big fan of LR Baggs. I have a Anthem installed on a few of my guitars. I have one installed on my Simon & Patrick Woodland Ceder top. That one sounds fantastic. Plenty of volume and punch.
I have recently got a Luther to install one on my Sigma DR 45. For some reason it sounds like there is less volume and not much bottom end. He did try and adjust the mic level but still the sound isn't quite my Simon and Patrick.
Could it be the way it was installed or a faulty preamp?

Or could it just be that the solid Cedar top helps bring out the volume and warmth or the build quality of the Simon & Patrick helps with the projection. The Sigma is solid Spruce top lamenate rosewood back and sides.
The S&P is Solid Cedar top wild cherry back and sides.
Should I try it in another guitar maybe.

Dave

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by Mr Blues

First let me say . I am a big fan of LR Baggs. I have a Anthem installed on a few of my guitars. I have one installed on my Simon & Patrick Woodland Ceder top. That one sounds fantastic. Plenty of volume and punch.
I have recently got a Luther to install one on my Sigma DR 45. For some reason it sounds like there is less volume and not much bottom end. He did try and adjust the mic level but still the sound isn't quite my Simon and Patrick.
Could it be the way it was installed or a faulty preamp?

Or could it just be that the solid Cedar top helps bring out the volume and warmth or the build quality of the Simon & Patrick helps with the projection. The Sigma is solid Spruce top lamenate rosewood back and sides.
The S&P is Solid Cedar top wild cherry back and sides.
Should I try it in another guitar maybe.

Dave

I feel as though the Anthem can bring out certain characteristics in acoustics that may not be the most pleasing when amplified. I too found my Anthem SL to lack bass. I had it installed in my Taylor which is a fairly bright guitar. I could never dial out the high end and the bottom end was really never there for me. I did wonder whether or not it was a bad install but it was done by a luthier in my area who does work for high profile artists so I doubt anything was off.

You could check that the tru-mic is firmly attached to the bridge plate and that the UST is seated properly. I would think though that if the UST wasn't seated properly, it would cause certain strings to sound weak, not the entire pickup signal.

[Christopher Cozad]

Dave, the Anthem is comprised of an Under Saddle Transducer (the Baggs "Element" pickup) and a near-field microphone (the predecessor of the "Lyric" pickup). The onboard preamp hands the responsibility for reproducing the low-end frequencies to the UST, while the mic handles the mids/trebles, adding "air". (And, I agree, it can sound really good when it is installed correctly)

While I would definitely inspect the installation of the pickup, the UST in particular, it may be prudent to first compare the two guitars, acoustically. In large part, a pickup is going to amplify what the guitar is already doing. If your Sigma has a weak low-end (I would be surprised), a pickup will reflect that and no amount of EQ tweaking will satisfactorily overcome it.

If, however, the Element under the saddle is not making perfect contact (highly likely), you could be losing string energy that would otherwise translate as "punch" if it were installed correctly.

EDIT: After posting, I see that Petty1818 has already suggested checking the install. I would reiterate that because the low frequencies are relegated to the UST in the Anthem, poor contact could produce the results Dave is experiencing ("not much bottom end").

[Al Acuff]

Call LR Baggs support. They'll take care of your problem. Great folks!

[Mr Blues]

Thanks guys. i think it may be the installation issue . As the Sigma sounds nice and deep acoustically.

[jseth]

If you have the "Full" Anthem version, do you have it adjusted correctly? I have the Anthem SL in both my 6 and 12 string "stage" guitars, and they are basically "set and forget"; the only adjustment is the balance between the Element and the True-Mic.

I know the bigger version Anthem has adjustments eight-ways-from-Sunday (!), and if not set to your liking, things could get ugly very quickly...

I'd talk to the guys in Tech at Baggs (they are terrific!) and make certain the install is correct and the unit is adjusted to your liking before taking it out of the Sigma.

[Mr Blues]

Thanks JSeth..Your right

[Mr Blues]

I phoned my guitar tech regarding him checking out my issue with the LR Baggs Anthem. He said he fixed it . I wasn't in the area so
I'll pick it up tomorrow.. He said the issue was the mic part of the anthem wasn't wasn't close enough to bridge saddle.
He said it's sounding a lot more balanced so I'm looking forward to checking it out tomorrow.

Dave

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by Mr Blues

I phoned my guitar tech regarding him checking out my issue with the LR Baggs Anthem. He said he fixed it . I wasn't in the area so
I'll pick it up tomorrow.. He said the issue was the mic part of the anthem wasn't wasn't close enough to bridge saddle.
He said it's sounding a lot more balanced so I'm looking forward to checking it out tomorrow.

Dave

Interesting. I had read and I am pretty sure it was from employees of Lr Baggs, that the tru-mic positioning is not really that crucial. Unless he installed it in a completely wrong spot, I can't see the tone being dramatically different with a minor movement. I hope it's great though, just seems odd.