Some Experiences With the L.R. Baggs Lyric

[Big-Al]

Thought I’d share my experience installing the Baggs Lyric microphone/pickup on three different guitars . . . .

First of all, I figured out a way to get the adhesive-mounted components to adhere better. Sanding and wiping the areas helps a little, but it can still leave a residue. Right before I mounted the microphone, battery bag, and volume control I first applied and removed masking tape over the targeted areas. I did it a couple of times. It picked up a surprising amount of loose dust and stray wood fibers. The pressure sensitive adhesive material stuck much better after that.

Now for the guitars:

Larrivee L-03: I tried the Lyric microphone in three different spots on the rather large bridge plate. Mounted on the bridge plate directly under the saddle, it sounded way too bright. Placement on the opposite side of the bridge pins sounded better, but it still sounded somewhat hollow and boxy. Putting the microphone next to the treble side X-brace sounded pretty good, but it still wasn’t perfect. Some notes had weird overtones I couldn’t dial out. I removed it and decided to try it in another guitar. (Many thanks to the nice people at Baggs for sending me extra adhesive strips.)

Hohner G-09: This is an inexpensive 1970s MIJ all-lam dreadnought. Under the bridge, it sounded too bright. Next to the X-brace it sounded hollow and boxy. I got the best sound with the microphone on the bridge plate placed furthest away from the sound hole. When played through my Loudbox Mini it still sounded bright, but with some significant EQ (treble at 9:00 and bass at 3:00) and with the Lyric's presence control near minimum it sounded really good . . . but not “just like the guitar but louder.” I got a really bold, gutsy and rich tone through the amp, more like, “sort of like the guitar, but on steroids.” It was fun to play, almost like driving a muscle car. I played it at church and got very positive feedback on the tone.

Guild GAD-50: This is a rosewood dreadnought. Given the success on the Hohner, I bought another Lyric for this one. Again, placement under the saddle sounded way too crispy. There wasn’t enough room on the bridge plate to put it on the opposite side of the bridge pins, so I tried it directly on the top just behind the bridge plate. It sounded hollow and boxy. Finally, I tried it on the bridge plate next to the bass-side X-brace. (There wasn’t enough room on the treble side.) With some treble rolled off, it sounded very transparent through my Loudbox Mini, very much like the guitar itself. I plan to play this one the next time I play out.

Conclusions:

1) The placement of the microphone has a HUGE impact on the overall sound of the Lyric, much more than the installation instructions might lead one to believe.

2) Different guitars need different microphone placements and what sounds great on one can sound just awful on another.

3) Some guitars work better than others with the Lyric, just like they do with different external microphones.

4) The Lyric doesn’t come with enough adhesive strips to allow for a lot of experimentation with microphone placement. I believe that they should ship with a few more sets.

[Hotspur]

What else have you used in that Larrivee?

I'm hoping to get an L-03R later in the year, and was leaning towards a Lyric for it, but haven't heard a lot of comments from people who've used that combination.

[Big-Al]

There is one repair guy over at the Larrivee forum who also did some posting about his problems with the Lyric in the Larrivee L. I think he wound up preferring the Baggs Anthem. I had a Baggs Ibeam in an L-03 for a while too. It was pretty good, but not totally natural sounding.

My best result was using the K&K Meridian external microphone on my L-03, but it has the many of the same limitations as most microphones, particularly when it comes to feedback.