Please Recommend Some Inexpensive Pickups!!

mrkpower · #1 01-08-2013, 08:31 PM

Hello everyone, I need to install an pick-up for my acoustic dreadnought. My budget is about $150 installed. I know the meaning of "I get what I pay for". It's the first time I need an pickup for my guitar, so that's why I intend not to spend much money on it.

Could you recommend some pickups that fit my budget?

Thanks in advance!!

MaurysMusic · #2 01-08-2013, 08:56 PM

K&K pure mini all the way. Here's a sample:
http://youtu.be/guSnlCaEkzo

rb1591 · #3 01-08-2013, 09:00 PM

Of course it all depends on your playing environment, your taste and whether you can do the install yourself, but my top choice would be the D'tar Wavelength – street price is a little over $110, but not counting install.

Comes with excellent endpin preamp that can accommodate a second source like a sound board transducer or small condenser mic in the future.

Guitar + cable + amp/PA. Doesn't get any more simple ... and it sounds excellent.

RB

ljguitar · #4 01-08-2013, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrkpower

Hello everyone, I need to install an pick-up for my acoustic dreadnought. My budget is about $150 installed. I know the meaning of "I get what I pay for". It's the first time I need an pickup for my guitar, so that's why I intend not to spend much money on it.

Could you recommend some pickups that fit my budget?

Thanks in advance!!

Hi mark...

Around here $130 lands one a K&K Pure Western Mini pickup, installed.

And it's not a cheap pickup.

joeguam · #5 01-09-2013, 03:12 AM

I'm with Larry on this one, $150 is not "cheap", you can get good quality pickups for this amount.

You have to decide on what you like best for your style of play, an undersaddle transducer (UST), a soundboard transducer (SBT) or a soundhole pick up. If you don't know, you should go into a guitar shop and try to play the same exact song which best represents your playing style (eg. flat picking, hard strumming, finger picking, etc.) on different guitars into the same amp and see what you prefer. Remember to play up and down the fretboard as well as strike the strings forward to back of the soundhole (huge difference with UST's) and hear the differences.

For me, I don't like soundhole pickups at all. But, here are my choices for the other two:

UST: Fishman Matrix Infinity
SBT: K&K Pure Mini

If you go the K&K route, also look into www.jjbelectronics.com because they are a very legit and balanced replica of the pure mini piezos just much cheaper in cost. You might have to be a little bit handy with soldering and installs because they pretty much only provide the piezos and the endpin jack to drive the price so low.

Hope this helps!

...
Joe

kcnbys · #6 01-09-2013, 08:22 AM

JJB Electronics Prestige 330. It is very similar to the K&K pure mini, but less expensive! A fantastic pickup with awesome customer service. This pickup would likely get you within your financial goal installed.
http://jjb-electronics.com/

ljguitar · #7 01-09-2013, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeguam

...If you go the K&K route, also look into www.jjbelectronics.com because they are a very legit and balanced replica of the pure mini piezos just much cheaper in cost. You might have to be a little bit handy with soldering and installs because they pretty much only provide the piezos and the endpin jack to drive the price so low.

Hi Joe...

I don't see the JBB pickups as 'much cheaper'. Around here, I can buy K&K Pure Western Mini from three sources for $80. The JBB is $30 cheaper. Around here we pay $50 to install a pickup no matter what it is.

The K&K is already wired (no soldering skills needed) and pre-wired for future addition of a second source, and it has the backing of a company with a great reputation for it's quality which has been making and installing these pickups/mics and producing a line of preamps for about 20 years.

As someone who plays about 100 gigs a year, I'm not trying to save $30 when it comes to making my multi-thousand guitar sound it's best every time I play through a PA or amp.

kcnbys · #8 01-09-2013, 08:37 AM

$30 is $30 when you are looking for something "inexpensive".

Smurf · #9 01-09-2013, 08:46 AM

And the JJB PU work fine & sounds great. I have had 2 sets for a few months in my Seagull and Dean EAB and just love them.

$50 for BOTH, installed myself in a couple hours, and fantastic service! I like the K&K's, they are GREAT PU, but the JJB's hold there own.

These & a Maverick Soundhole PU and I am set for anything. The Maverick is only $30, and is removable, so I use it for both the 4 & 6 strings with no problem.

pieterh · #10 01-09-2013, 09:12 AM

Another vote for the K&K Pure Mini. I've installed three in the last few months, two of them on our guitars and one for a friend. Excellent sound, one of the most natural sounding systems around. Passive too so you don't need a battery, and if you later on want to beef it up even more you can buy a decent external preamp (either K&K's own or whatever does what you need).

jbryant · #11 01-09-2013, 03:27 PM

K&K absolutely the best pickup you can buy for that kind of money but it does need to be installed. Another option if you don't have the time for installation is the Fishman Rare Earth single coil at about $110 and you can use it without permanent installation. I'm using one on my guitar and love it!

JLS · #12 01-09-2013, 05:28 PM

Sorry, this is not true.

JJB 330 is either a 20mm or 15mm transducer, potted with a black electrical-grade hotmelt. K&K Pure Minis are 12mm transducers potted in epoxy, which is then ground down to reduce the dampening effect.

JJBs are an excellent product, but they are not, "exactly the same", as K&K.

kcnbys · #13 01-09-2013, 06:11 PM

I stand corrected on a technicality. I will restate it: the K&K and JJB are very similar to the point where the JJB is a comparable but less expensive alternative to the K&K. Sheesh.

JLS · #14 01-10-2013, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcnbys

I stand corrected on a technicality. I will restate it: the K&K and JJB are very similar to the point where the JJB is a comparable but less expensive alternative to the K&K. Sheesh.

Different sized transducers, and methods of potting them, aren't, "technicalities".

I'm just tired of seeing, "They're the same thing, for half the money!". They're not.

joeguam · #15 01-10-2013, 02:05 AM

Larry, I definitely was assuming it was going to be installed on his own, especially because I said "he had to have some handy skills", haha!

Yeah, agree everyone, the K&K pure minis are really good products, I have 2 of them! The JJB's are just a cheaper and decent alternative. they're balanced and have a nice natural, hot output.

Good luck!