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  #1  
Old 06-25-2019, 07:54 PM
bdjansen bdjansen is offline
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Default Can you replace Fishman under saddle pickups with LR Baggs under saddle pickups...

...without further modification to the guitar?
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Old 06-26-2019, 12:04 AM
Nick84 Nick84 is offline
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You would need to adjust the saddle as the Baggs element will fill more of the saddle slot than the Fishman.

What Preamp have you got? If it’s the sonitone it will all swap out easily. If you have barn door Preamp you may struggle to not do further mods.

If your talking about just swapping the piezo out and leaving everything else I wouldn’t bother.
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Old 06-26-2019, 05:18 AM
jonfields45 jonfields45 is offline
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The drill hole for the wire is vertical for a Matrix and 45 degrees for a coax such as an Element (and presumably a Sonicore). Installing an Element into a vertically drilled hole risks shorting out the transducer. However, several people have reported on the AGF doing it over the years with no problems.
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Old 06-26-2019, 06:22 AM
Petty1818 Petty1818 is offline
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It's easy enough. Out of curiosity though, why switch from one UST to another? The Matrix and Element will sound very similar and if anything, the Matrix tends to impact the unplugged tone less than the Element IMO.
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Old 06-26-2019, 09:59 AM
bdjansen bdjansen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Petty1818 View Post
It's easy enough. Out of curiosity though, why switch from one UST to another? The Matrix and Element will sound very similar and if anything, the Matrix tends to impact the unplugged tone less than the Element IMO.
I was a local shop that had some new Eastman guitars in and I was playing a little 00 body that has a Fishman Sonitone pickup factory installed. I have an LR Baggs Anthem SL pickup sitting in a box at home and I was wondering if I would be able to swap those two pickups without further modification to the guitar.
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Old 06-26-2019, 10:08 AM
bdjansen bdjansen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonfields45 View Post
The drill hole for the wire is vertical for a Matrix and 45 degrees for a coax such as an Element (and presumably a Sonicore). Installing an Element into a vertically drilled hole risks shorting out the transducer. However, several people have reported on the AGF doing it over the years with no problems.
That’s what I was thinking about the most. I know the Matrix has that vertical drilled hole and the Element has the 45 degree one. I was assuming the Sonitone (the pickup on the guitar I was looking at) would be the same as the Matrix since they are both Fishman.
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Old 06-26-2019, 10:10 AM
bdjansen bdjansen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick84 View Post
You would need to adjust the saddle as the Baggs element will fill more of the saddle slot than the Fishman.

What Preamp have you got? If it’s the sonitone it will all swap out easily. If you have barn door Preamp you may struggle to not do further mods.

If your talking about just swapping the piezo out and leaving everything else I wouldn’t bother.
It would be a Fishman Sonitone being swapped out for an LR Baggs Anthem SL.
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Old 06-26-2019, 10:21 AM
bdjansen bdjansen is offline
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Reading the installation instructions for the Sonitone:

ftp://ftp.fishman.com/Installation%2...ce%20Guide.pdf

It has the pickup hole being drilled at 90 degrees.
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Old 06-26-2019, 01:28 PM
jonfields45 jonfields45 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bdjansen View Post
Reading the installation instructions for the Sonitone:

ftp://ftp.fishman.com/Installation%2...ce%20Guide.pdf

It has the pickup hole being drilled at 90 degrees.
My guess is the 45 degree hole for the Baggs Element is nice but not necessary. The larger pickup manufacturers compete on (1) ease of installation, (2) consistent results, and (3) lack of warranty claims. Since the Sonitone is also flattened traffic signal wire (the stuff they inlay into asphalt to detect the passage of vehicles) you would think they might want the same gentle treatment as Baggs' Element, except for item (1) in my list.

The one nice thing about the Sonitone is the coax is spliced onto regular wire which means the wire between the saddle and preamp is not microphonic and does not need special treatment. I find when installing a Baggs Element it is important to tie it down on the top near the saddle so that the entire flattened portion is well secured. And not letting the rest of the piezo coax flop around is also important.
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