Do you recognize this pickup system? 74’ 000-28

[Norse]

Hello!
I was lucky and acquired this bomb of a 74' Martin 000-28 yesterday!
It has a pickup system I haven't seen before. The guy I got it from bought it used in 80' and the pickup system was already installed.
Any clues?

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[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Norse

Hello!
I was lucky and acquired this bomb of a 74' Martin 000-28 yesterday!
It has a pickup system I haven't seen before. The guy I got it from bought it used in 80' and the pickup system was already installed.
Any clues?

Hi Norse
Nope.

Does it work? How does it sound?

Looks like an under saddle piezo (in the saddle slot).

Certainly not vintage from the factory…which means you could leave it intact, remove it and plug the holes, or remove and replace it.

Not sure I've played any 40-some year old pickup systems worth keeping. The oldest pickup system I have in an existing guitar is 2005 - updated in 2007 with an internal mic and preamp added, which the internal preamp was replaced in 2010, and external preamps updated over the next decade. Newest modification was replacing the external preamps with a ToneDexter.

Just trying to help audiences experience the beauty of the natural sound of it.

[PineMarten]

Barcus Berry definitely had an undersaddle pickup where the wire exited in the centre (most modern USTs exit at one end), but I don't know if they offered a side mounted preamp like that.

[Nymuso]

Is that an I-beam? If I’m correct it was one of the first soundboard transducers I encountered.

[Norse]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Norse
Nope.

Does it work? How does it sound?

It does work and sounds remarkably good to be that old, but the piezo sound is not my thing. This guitar is probably not gonna see much live use with me. I’m first and foremost a drummer and studio owner so i am tempted to just throw it out of there. Maybe go the LR Baggs Anthem route later?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Norse

It does work and sounds remarkably good to be that old, but the piezo sound is not my thing. This guitar is probably not gonna see much live use with me. I’m first and foremost a drummer and studio owner so i am tempted to just throw it out of there. Maybe go the LR Baggs Anthem route later?

Hi Norse…
Sounds like you have it sorted.

I'm with you on not preferring under saddle piezo. They can be made livable for live work, but in all my years of playing (over 60 of them), I much prefer 'other' forms of pickups…or at least combining a second source to the under saddle.

How does the guitar sound in the room (or in the hands)?

[jseth]

I don't recall ever seeing a pickup like that, except possibly an Ovation... and I've been checking out various ways of amplifying an acoustic guitar since 1969, when I did my first gig using a couple Shure mics into a Shure Vocal master PA - which was entirely unacceptable and ineffective!

If you love the way the guitar sounds, I would not advise putting an Anthem into it; I found that even the smaller Anthem, the SL version, impacted both the tone and volume of my guitars - and not in a "good" way! There are many options available that won't affect the "acoustic" playing of the guitar. My favorite, currently, is the Dazzo soundboard transducer, but, again, there are a lot of options to consider. The guitar is already set up to accept a pickup, should you choose to have one installed.

Removing that pickup and preamp form the guitar will do nothing except improve the sound and certainly the weight!

I suspect that old OOO-28 sounds pretty darned good!

[Norse]

Thanks for your input guys!
Yes, the guitar sounds very nice! Compared to my 2018 000-28 it is actually a little louder, and more woody and mid forward sounding. It compliments the new one very well, and lands in the landscape with my 70’s D-18 as well.

It is going to need some work done so i have decided to have the pickup removed at the same time.
And also follow your advise and live with it a little before deciding if i install another pickup.
Another aspect i have discovered is that the guitar doesnt fit a 000c case because of the volume and tone controls are so tall!

[Bob Womack]

Ah, the things done to guitars in the nascent days of amplification.

Bob

[Norse]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Ah, the things done to guitars in the nascent days of amplification.

Bob

Yes, its a "look how they massacred my boy" kind of situation....

[Shaneh]

It seems similar to what George strait has in his guilds

[Norse]

Originally Posted by Shaneh

It seems similar to what George strait has in his guilds

Yes, that looks exactly the same!