Anyone put a pickup in an OM-18A?

[jafranks]

So I bit the bullet after much thought and had an LR Baggs lyric installed in my OM-18A. Don't shoot me! I'll never sell (God-willing) and I really wanted to be able to use my favorite guitar all the time (plugged and unplugged). I tried a Baggs soundhole pickup which worked fine but was... aesthetically not elegant.

So I had a Martin authorized tech install the Lyric. Problem is he is 3 hours away from me. Immediately I was disappointed in the feedback and adjusting the "presence control" has helped only a little. Whenever I turn the volume up to what I would call "performance volume" (on the soundhole control or the amp/PA system), there is a high-pitched feedback that won't go away until I turn the volume back down. It occurs whether I'm using my Tonebone DI or not, and I've tried multiple amps and PA systems. I've asked on the Baggs forum and apparently moving the microphone position is not the answer.

Question: has anyone had similar problems with the Lyric system? I wonder if perhaps the OM-18A is just too resonant for an internal mic? FWIW, I had originally wanted an anthem system, but my luthier told me it wouldn't work well due to the "through-bridge" saddle construction on this guitar model. I'll probably end up taking the guitar back to him, but hoped I might fix the problem without having to make that drive again.

Any thoughts/advice from more experienced gigging musicians would be much appreciated!

[llew]

I have a K&K Mini in mine and love it. Just my 2 cents?

[Methos1979]

I recently bought a guitar that already had a Lyric in it. Although I'm a K&K guy I was looking forward to checking out the Lyric as I'd never had one in a guitar. I was awful. I mean, REALLY awful. I could not get a decent tone out of that thing to save my life. I finally changed the strings and yanked it out and put in an M80 until I could get a K&K installed. I now have the K&K in it and I'm back to being very happy.

[noledog]

+1 on Metho's method The OM18A is one of my fav guitars ever, but I'm a working musician and can't afford one, but I have a steller D-18 and prefer the M80's tone, looks, features and high resistance to feedback; plus I need onboard volume control because I move around a lot on stage. The M80 keeps the guitar more organic so to speak in that it has nothing "attached" to bridgeplate or saddle and goes in and out easily...BUT since you are not feelin' the looks of a mag, then the K&K would be my next choice being least invasive with no additional battery hardware etc. The Lyric would never work for me K&K sounds like a good choice and sounds very natural too over most including the M80 even tho I still prefer it.

Best wishes and you have an awesome guitar!

eric

[lt20dbl]

I've got a McIntyre in mine that I took out of my old Collings DS2H and replaced with a K&K. The older Mcintyre which was designed to sit on the bass side of the bridgeplate, made the Collings dread too bassy. It sounds great in the OM-18 A. I have K&Ks in all of my other guitars that have pickups. I wouldn't hesitate to use a K&K in the OM but the Mcintyre sounds just as good and is easier to remove.

[llew]

The McIntyre Feather (GF-30) is also a good option. I have it in several of my guitars and it works well.

[BluesKing777]

I have the OM18A with NO pickup, and a few, ok, quite a few guitars with pickups... I am interested in this post as I get such a fabulous sound from the OM that other pickups I have or had, well, I just don’t think they will do the guitar justice, if you know what I mean. But I understand if it is your sole guitar and it needs to earn your money back!

I do like internal mics of recent times, and the best is one of my a guitars with dual source with mic..but a barn door preamp, obviously never going on the OM!

I also have a Fishman Rare Earth Blend (with mic) that I install temporarily, but I have got the little mic boom caught on braces and done a few scratches here and there in handling. So that is also not going near the OM!

It is probably easier to buy the OM28e with Aura or the 000-18e like Eric...

In my internet reading, I saw K&K have the Trinity with the bridge pickup thing plus mic. Has anyone used this?

BluesKing777.

[ManyMartinMan]

First, I would put this in the acoustic amplification section for the best attention to it. Next, you haven't described your set up. Are you in a small room? How are you and your equipment arranged? Did you adjust your gain properly prior to dialing up your volume? .... Too many possible causes for feedback that are not necessarily the pickup’s fault.

[Wade Hampton]

jafranks, I've tried using internal microphones many times over the decades that I've been playing music for money. I keep hearing how much they've "improved," and eventually my resistance evaporates and I get whatever internal microphone is most fashionable at the moment.

Then, without fail, within two or three weeks I end up having my guitar repairman yank it out, for the simple reason that - in my experience, anyway - internal microphones cause far more problems than they're worth. Screaming feedback is just the most obvious one.

This has been with ALL brands of internal microphones that I've tried. They all seem to cause problems that someone trying to run the sound from the stage has trouble dealing with. Perhaps they work better if you have a sound guy sitting out in the house tweaking the sound, but I've had nothing but horrible luck with them myself.

So I'm not going to try to talk you into keeping an internal microphone in your guitar. If I had that instrument, the mic in it would already be gone....

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[lt20dbl]

[QUOTE=llew;5605033]The McIntyre Feather (GF-30) is also a good option. I have it in several on my guitars and it works well.[/QUOTE Thanks, that's good to know!

[DenverSteve]

I don't use Lyric's any more because of their inherent sound qualities. I know this because I do have one. However, if you plug it into a mixer or pre-amp with EQ, then plug into a PA or powered speakers, you can get a great sound. It probably won't sound great (ever) plugged directly into an amp.

Added: You can order a D-Tar Wave-Length from MF for $111 and you would likely enjoy it a lot more. Many other pickup systems as well sound much better to me than the Lyric.

[drive-south]

I plan to install a pickup in my OM28 soon. No question it will be a K&K. I will run it through my Baggs Para DI preamp. I've got K&K in my Gibson AJ and it works great. I usually have an SM57 on a mic stand out front to reinforce the pickup. I also need the mic for my National which has no pickup.

[jafranks]

Thanks so much, guys, for all the replies. I knew I could get some help here!

ManyMartinMan--sorry for not being specific enough. I have tried it out in my small (18x20) guitar room at home with both a Blues Jr and Line 6 amps. Various gain adjustments make no difference. Also in our "jam room", which is a 80x20 "barn" with a stage and PA system with stage monitors. Dialing back the stage monitors does help some. I'd be glad to move this to the Acoustic Amplification board, but I'm not sure how to do this.

Wade and Others--it sounds like I made a mistake with the Lyric (that was my suspicion) and will get a K&K installed.

I'm thinking the K&K Pure Mini would be the best option. (Thanks llew). However, does this idea of a "through saddle bridge" that my luthier spoke of make any difference in that regard?

Thanks again for all the help!

[drive-south]

K&K is a soundboard transducer which connects to the bridge plate. The saddle will not affect the installation of a K&K at all.