[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

The Baggs Ribbon Transducer System (the RT for short) is an excellent pickup, but it's probably close to twenty years old now and as such has largely been superseded by the Baggs Element, which is a much more recent design. But if the Ribbon is what you have, it'll sound fine. I've got Ribbons in two of my guitars, and have used them for years.
...Typically I try to have a stage instrument mic as well as the pickup, but the pickup alone works fine, too.

Hi guys…
I prefer the Baggs LB-6 Saddle to the ribbon in their Dual Source, and indeed played an LB-6 with mic for 7 years with the Baggs Dual Source in my Olson Dreadnaught...it was a great sounding pickup rig. Were I to install one today, I’d contact Bob Colosi-click and order one he has topped with bone as opposed to Micarta. I’d also have them mount the humongous electronic board on an end block rather than to the back of the guitar.

This is the rig that Phil Keaggy has used for about 10 years now (LB-6 plus mic), only he has the side mounted Baggs Duet version. James Olson has been using the LB-6 as his stock pickup for about 20 years now. Last I knew it is still the pickup that James Taylor has as his bridge pickup too...he now uses an Aura as his preamp.

I have two friends with the Baggs Dual source with a ribbon who thought my Baggs Dual Source sounded so great they ordered them and had them installed - but against my advice bought the ribbon because they believed the guy at the music store.

Neither has been happy since with the ribbon - it is thinner and kind of anemic compared to the Baggs LB-6 (which is a brass blank with 6 piezo elements embedded in it).

One changed his to an LB-6 and he's finally happy with the sound...the other guy is still tweaking and running a 1/3 octave EQ plus Compressor convinced he can tweak & shape it to the sound he wants...which is a warmer/fatter sound.

About 6 years back my dual source was aging out so I had a K&K dual source installed into one guitar to compare it to the Baggs. I immediately changed all of my guitars to the K&K. It is at least as good sounding (if not better) and only weighs a couple ounces - - - compared to 6 ounces of 'stuff' we removed from each guitar with the dual source rigs.

I prefer external blenders to a humongous board and battery assembly of the dual source mounted to the back of my guitars. Externals are quicker to adjust, better electronics and batteries can be changed without pulling the strings. External preamps tend to have more headroom before distortion as well...at least the ones I use have more headroom.

Hope this adds to the discussion...