pickup for 000-18. versatile
 

open to all opinions

ive became recently divorced. so im playing open mics using a friends guitar 3+ nights a week I bought a 000-18 and im looking for a versatile pickup great sound that has tone volume and a good low end. im doing originals in a more classic outlaw country style. Waylon/cash etc.

I got a heavy foot and can really drive the four through the floor and get people moving. ive been looking at the dimarzio angel system I know that magnetic. but active and passive. and somewhat based on the sunrise stuff. so I figure it can get percussive .i also love Michael hedges but that's not what im doing but I just know those style of pickups seem pretty percussive. and may work better with effects.

but im going from multiple soundsytems and rooms. and I don't want something to invasive on this nice guitar. and don't have a lot of time or control over the sound so want as much as I can. thanks to all

I’d say the angel system is pretty invasive. It’s an under saddle pickup along with the soundhole pickup. It would be a good, solid plug and play option though if your willing to have the UST installed.

I’ve got the Black Angel soundhole pickup and its great on its own but It’s passive (the Angel system is active) and benefits from an external preamp so not really a great plug and play option unless you have access to a preamp or active DI at these open mic nights?

A lot of people recommend K&K but if you are an aggressive player I wouldn’t, plus they also really need a preamp to get the potential out the pickup.

What about the m80 then its active passive i see

Yes I had an M80 - loved the sound and in active mode straight to a PA with no issues. My only issue was when I strummed really hard there was an audible click when I caught the pickup. This is purely down to my technique and not the pickups fault. I replaced the M80 with the black angel.

They are more responsive than other mag pickups and pick up the body of the guitar along with the strings. Pretty much like a duel source pickup.

I have used a Baggs M1 passive with a Martin 000 and I really like the results.
There is an an M1 active pickup with a volume control that might better suit your needs, but in my case I use an external pre-amp. What I really like is that I can adjust the pole pieces to get the sound I like, and I find that especially useful on a smaller body guitar like a 000, especially if you want to be able get some thump on the bass end.

I put a Fishman Ellipse under-saddle pickup in my 000-18 Martin about a year and a half ago now. This Fishman pickup comes with a simplified Aura Image system, you can easily download four different Mic Images of the instrument into the pickup and blend in the amount of Aura Image signal with the under-saddle pickup. The quality of the Fishman Mic Images are impeccable and when blended into the under-saddle pickups output allows for a very quick and easy dial-in for the guitar in any live situation I've encountered so far. It's not a sound hole pickup like all the above mentioned but it does bring the powerful Aura Imaging natural mic'd sound to the guitar when plugged in. Good Hunting.

i bought a black angel. not the whole system. it will be plug directly into mixers most times I will probably look at a good preamp eq pedal next