Absolute 'best' acoustic pickup

[teleboli]

Hi all. I just acquired a Martin CEO7 and am completely thrilled with it. I need to amplify it but don't want to take away/lose ANY of its beauty in translation.

Let's assume money is no object. Which pickup would you recommend? Going through a Fishman Soloamp. Thanks in advance

[llew]

I have a CEO-7 that has an LR Baggs Lyric bridge plate mic. It works great. $199 at Strings and Beyond and they kick you a 3 pack of D'Addario EJ-16's to boot!

[Teleman52]

K&k pure mini


Under saddle pickups are terrible IMO. I would never put one in a guitar

[Bowie]

I'd specify what qualities you're looking for because the "best" it's simply a matter of opinion. The lyric mentioned above is quite good. I disagree with the idea that an under saddle is terrible. No pickups are great realy and if you want no loss in quality, that's not going to happen with a pickup.

[teleboli]

Absolutely. I should have said 'absolute best possible'. As mentioned I have heard good things about the K and K pure mini. Of course, that's why I'm asking.

[tysam]

They're both right....you can couple the K&K with the Lyric and you get a fantastic system. Since the K&K is a passive system you can attach it straight to the lyric end jack.The Lyric isn't an UST, mounts just behind your bridge plate and the K&K makes up for the lack of bottom end the lyric is sometimes thought to have.

[Judson]

Another vote of the LR Baggs Lyric ...

[Phelonious Ponk]

A large diaphragm condenser mic, unless,you need high gain before feedback.

P

[wood&wire]

Originally Posted by tysam

They're both right....you can couple the K&K with the Lyric and you get a fantastic system. Since the K&K is a passive system you can attach it straight to the lyric end jack.The Lyric isn't an UST, mounts just behind your bridge plate and the K&K makes up for the lack of bottom end the lyric is sometimes thought to have.

Meh, I'd rather get an undersaddle pup like the LR Baggs Element because it is way less invasive than what you just mentioned. I had one installed on my Martin DXM several years ago and I have no complaints.

[Kip Carter]

My goto from here out on my better guitars will be LR Baggs Lyric. I do like the idea of coupling that with a K&K Mini though that has a lot of potential as well. Without testing it I would say my picking order might be from best to the least might be:

1. Lyric/K&K Mini combo
2. Lyric
3. K&K Mini

All of this is speculation based on hearing these with the exception of the Lyric/Mini combo which I've never heard but I can kinda put the two devices together in my mind and it makes sense.

I don't own any of these at this point so it is my audio experience listening to others, not my personal experience.

[fitness1]

Closest I've ever come to thinking I didn't need to mic my guitar was with a Pure Mini into the XLR Pure preamp.

Put an AKG C451B with it and it sounded pretty darn good!

[Yamaha Man]

I have the Lyric coupled with the Venue preamp in my D-35......works great for me.

The Venue has a nice EQ section that will allow you to tune your pickup to your amp and ears, you can shape your sound any way you want.......I think it's a must have with any pickup. I have a Martin Gold Line Plus in my Taylor and a M1A pickup in my D-18....both sound great with the Venue preamp.

[akafloyd]

Assuming money is no object? K&K paired with a DPA internal mic, Pendulum SPS-1 with pickup/mic module, QSC K10 or other high end speaker system of choice.

[scottishrogue]

This is a "no brainer"... Fishman electronic pickups offered in a number of different styles are the best you can get. That's why Martin has continued to use them on their guitars. Plugged into my Marshall MG100DFX, they give me everything I want...and MORE!!!

Glen

[syrynx]

Originally Posted by teleboli

Hi all. I just acquired a Martin CEO7 and am completely thrilled with it. I need to amplify it but don't want to take away/lose ANY of its beauty in translation.

Ain't gonna happen. Because of the way human ears work, even a nonexistent perfect system will alter the way your guitar sounds to you.

Originally Posted by teleboli

I should have said 'absolute best possible'.

Well, since you insist...

- A FRAP on the bridge plate.

- A DeArmond 1100 Rhythm Chief attached to the end of the fingerboard (stock mounting rod will work for the bass string side, but you'll need a custom made adapter for the pickguard side).

- Any of the many good USTs.

- Separate wireless transmitters for each of these sources.

- George Massenburg's microphone closet. Also, George Massenburg his ownself to select the microphones and mix and EQ all of the sources.

Good luck with that.

Really, the only person who can give you a meaningful answer is the owner of your ears, who could make a really good start with Doug Young's pickup tests.