Quote:
Originally Posted by lowrider
I tried to find this online but I found very few answers.
Does a soundhole pickup affect acoustic sound?
If so, in what way and how much?
Thanks
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This is the kind of thing that you'll hear if you want to hear it, you won't hear it if you don't. A small soundhole pickup, close to the edge of the soundhole, will have minimal impact on the acoustic tone of the instrument. The smallest I know of is the Shadow NanoMag, an active system which mounts to the end of the fingerboard so it has about as much effect on the acoustics as a fretboard extension. The smallest that actually claps to the soundhole is the Lace California.
Large and heavy pickups, like the Gretsch Deltoluxe or Sunrise S1, almost act as another brace on the soundboard. The effect is a slightly stiffer top with a smaller effective soundhole, which changes the projection and resonant frequency of the guitar. My loudest guitar is my Epiphone Texan, without the Fishman soundhole pickup is is only a couple of decibels louder, indistinguishable to the casual listener. My Faith with its small Lace Sensor pickup has no measurable difference in volume. My Vintage, with its large Gretsch pickup, has a perceptible drop in volume, but it's set up with high action and thick strings so I wouldn't describe it as quiet.