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#16
07-10-2018, 10:18 AM
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After reading some reviews here, I recently got a Freestyle FS-1, which is an easily installed pickup that also works nicely wirelessly. I dont have alot of experience with most (I do have and like the AG-6 setup, but you have to deal with a cord hanging from your soundhole) but so far, well pleased with the FS-1 -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! 
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#18
07-10-2018, 09:05 PM
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and I found one on reverb for 200 shipped... 
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#19
07-11-2018, 12:14 AM
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeW6-Z08_v4 BluesKing777.
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#20
07-11-2018, 12:55 AM
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Magnetic Pickup Recommenations
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The sound you hear in that video is what you get when you turn the mic all the way up. Mostly mic with just a hint of magnetic pickup sound, mostly reenforcing the bass frequencies. This works well for recording but will give you pretty bad feedback if you are monitoring over a speaker at gigging volume. For recording I use the mic all the way up and it really does sound as good as that recording. Live, I find I can get about an eighth of a turn of the mic knob before feeding back is an issue. For low volume intimate gigs you can get a little more. This gives you more of a mag/mic sound which is still very good. One notable thing is that the S-Mic is far less sensitive to handling noise than other mag/mic pickups. When you adjust the mic volume or even touch the mic, you barely hear it. I really like that. It emphasizes “mic air” over body percussion sensitivity though you still get plenty of thump if you want it. The mic is omnidirectional. The mic on the Fishman Rare Earth blend is a cardioid. The omni sounds very natural but is probably more prone to feedback than a directional mic. The magnetic pickup has better string to string balance than other magnetic pickups that I’ve tried. I thought I would miss the adjustable pole pieces but the balance is perfect without them. When you plug in the pickup, the volume fades in after about a second. This really minimizes the pop you get when you plug most active electrified acoustics in and they instantly power on with a loud pop. The pickup works well with wireless transmitters that plug directly into the guitar. I would get noise with my other acoustic. The endpin jack that comes with it is very strap friendly. The cable isn’t much longer than you need so it doesn’t rattle around in the guitar. I’m not really a fan of the thumbwheel clamp design, but it does seem to hold securely.
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#21
07-11-2018, 04:31 AM
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#22
07-11-2018, 07:08 AM
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I use an M80 and have previously used an M1a. The M1a seems to have a higher resonant peak when compared to the M80 which can make things a bit honky in the high mids. I prefer the voicing of the M80.
I used to use the M80 in active mode but have now switched to passive mode which works well for me. If the OP is playing at open mics then the active mode would be a better choice as it's on board preamp circuitry makes it more plug and play. I have a Dimarzio Black Angel on the way so it will be interesting to see how that compares to my M80.
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#23
07-11-2018, 07:17 AM
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__________________
2017 Alvarez Yairi OY70CE - Sugaree c.1966 Regal Sovereign R235 Jumbo - Old Dollar 2009 Martin 000-15 - Brown Bella 1977 Gibson MK-35 - Apollo 2004 Fender American Stratocaster - The Blue Max 2017 Fender Custom American Telecaster - Brown Sugar Think Hippie Thoughts...
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#24
07-11-2018, 09:32 AM
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I own the AG6, Black Angel, M80, and M1 Passive. You can get good sound
from all of them. My personal ranking for sound is AG6 > BA > M80 > M1P. All can be used with an endpin harness OR a 1/8" mini-plug external cord. So, that makes them all non-invasive plug-in and unplug options For the OPs needs, The downside for the AG6 is the cumbersome clamping system..ymmv. I would rather deal with the screw-in systems of the others. The downside of the BA (and M1P) is that they are passive. Output is reasonably high on both, but you may want/need a preamp. Though the others imho sound better, the flexibility of the Active/Passive M80 make it a strong option. Michael Last edited by Kerbie; 07-12-2018 at 01:11 AM. Reason: Removed details
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#25
07-11-2018, 09:53 AM
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When I think of a Sunrise, I think of a pickup that is used in conjunction with a mic or a body sensor in a dual source system. The same thing with the Black Angel. What I like so much about mag/mic systems is that you get that dual source sound in a single unit. I really don’t want to have to deal with multiple outputs from the guitar and external mixers or blenders. I really don’t like the sound of a magnetic pickup by itself. Add a mic though and the sound becomes awesome!
I also like that several different types of systems use the same endpin jack and cable format. Going from an LR Baggs M1 or M80 to a Skysonic FS-1 or Schertler AG-6/S-Mic system is just a matter of swapping out the pickup and plugging into the existing cable. With the AG-6/S-Mic, I also like that I can plug it into pretty much anything and it will sound great. It sounds equally good through a directbox, a preamp, or plugged straight into a board. I do several gigs around town with house PA systems and I love being able to walk into these with just my guitar, my own mic, and an iPad for chord charts. I only set up my own PA if I absolutely have to.
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#26
07-11-2018, 12:42 PM
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** As far as the Duncan MagMic goes, it is a very nice option when blending the two sources, however, the mag alone in the Duncan sounds noticeably more magnetic to me then the M80, thus in high volume applications where the mic portion would induce feedback, your back to a more magnetic sound. For those who don't perform at high volumes and can use the mic blend more, it's a great choice. *** The RAB same thing, tho it's a bit warmer. However, in addition to that, the RE mag has a hot B and without adjustable poles, it can be an endless chore to tame. Quote:
** Please refer to my earlier post and take the steps I explained to get the optimal tone from the M80...you can get a good pleasing sound plug n play if you have a good acoustic amp that has a good eq, notch filter and/or anti-feedback control. However, you can get an optimal sound using an additional outboard eq such as the Baggs Align eq to surgically zap some of the M80's upper mids issues at around 1k. *** I don't recommend shoving the M80 to the farthest front/fingerboard of the soundhole. Doing so will lose 5th fret harmonics, cause low end woofiness, and a hollower tone; especially in a dread. After getting an acceptable amp eq, find the sweet spot by listening as you slide the M80 towards the bridge. On my D-18 it's just front of soundhole center. This calms the upper mids a bit, then from there you can fine tune it with your outboard eq. Moving the M80 closer to soundhole center also alleviates microphonic noises that can occur when the inside edge of the pickup is touching the edge of the soundboard. Placed at close to center, only the clamp ends are touching sound board...this also helps with resonant feedback. **** As you can tell I've spent a lot of time with mags and the M80 in particular can be really good if you take the time to set it up from all the parameters I've explained in my posts, but it can sound not so good if you don't. BK & Song I wish you the best with your new M80; keep us posted on your thoughts once you dial it in. eric
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 NOLE TUNES & Coastal Acoustic Music one love jam!  Martin D18 & 3 lil' birdz; Takamine KC70, P3NC x 2 
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#27
07-11-2018, 01:02 PM
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They are all good choices and good alternatives to the heavy Sunrise pickup, but IMHO, nothing beats the Sunrise (except Sunrise + mic maybe). The BA comes close though. I use my Sunrise most of the time straight into the amp/board. I also have a K&K in that guitar, 914, so I can combine them with the RedEye Twin preamp. Even just alone, without the SB1 preamp, the Sunrise sounds darn good.
I also like the M80 and although I have dual outputs and use the K&K in that guitar (814 cocobolo) more than the M80, I think the M80 is good for percussive playing and adding some air to your tone. The bottom line is that there is no distortion or quack. To me with fresh strings and just the eq on the amp, there may still be a hint of electric tone but my guitars sound like acoustics, not electrics when using either the Sunrise or M80. BTW, several years ago I returned an M1A to LRBaggs because of that ugly nasal honk inherent in the pickup. They advised me that their first designs were defective, resulting in that midrange increase or honk. Davidc
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#28
07-11-2018, 01:23 PM
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It’s so subjective. There is a guy around town (Gainesville) here who use M80 and swears by it. The interesting thing is that I love it when he uses it as well. It just sounds so natural with his fingers and his guitar.
I really didn’t like it nearly as much on my own guitar and playing. I much prefer the Schertler AG-6 and S-Mic to anything else I have tried, but I know enough not to say it is “better” than other options. I sure like it for my style of playing and music though. Last edited by Kerbie; 07-12-2018 at 01:13 AM. Reason: Removed details
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#29
07-11-2018, 02:05 PM
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I have a Mesa Rosette that may be able to tame errant freqs. I hope it works well in a Collings 0. Appreciate it!
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#30
07-11-2018, 05:02 PM
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For a single-source magnetic that will plug into almost any amplification, a Sunrise with buffer is hard to beat. Yes, it's heavy, but it sounds magnificent most of the time. I've used mine in OMs, dreads, 12-fret 00s, and size 0 parlor guitars, and it does the job.
With any magnetic, though, placement along the string length is key. On 12-fret instruments, sometimes I've mounted it 'backwards' (closer to the bridge) to avoid having the pickup sense the strings on the 1/4 string length node (equal to 5th fret harmonic), which seems to result in better tone. Also, as others have noted, adjustable pole pieces are necessary most of the time. On the Sunrise, the B string pole has to be sunk deep to reduce the dominance of that note, at least on some instruments.
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