Tell me about the Mojotone nc-1

lowrider · #1 09-25-2021, 11:26 AM

I’m just about to order one for my J-17. I have to hold off because we are leaving for the other house but don’t know how long we will stay. In the meantime I’d like to see what you all think of it. It appears to have just what I want and need in a new pickup. And the latest tech.

https://www.mojotone.com/Quiet-Coil-...undhole-Pickup

What do you think?

lowrider · #2 09-26-2021, 05:36 AM

With my checking around yesterday, I saw that the Mojotone is Made in USA. I'm not saying that that should be important to you but it's important to me. And I realize that the components probably do come from overseas.

Except for one poster who didn't like the sound he heard online, not live, everything I saw was positive. This is looking like my next PU purchase as soon as I can figure out when I'll be back at this address

waterlooz · #3 09-29-2021, 09:07 AM

I tried a mojo tone NC-1 last spring. I ended up returning it because the tone was fine but I did not find the sound to be leaps and bounds better than my fisherman rare earth pu.

Then, I got close to ordering a MJS Acoustic Soundhole pickup but in the end went K&K. Check out the MJS stuff. It has a different shape than a traditional sound hole pup. I spoke to a guy named Smitty out there and he was super helpful.

Marshall · #4 09-29-2021, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowrider

I’m just about to order one for my J-17. I have to hold off because we are leaving for the other house but don’t know how long we will stay. In the meantime I’d like to see what you all think of it. It appears to have just what I want and need in a new pickup. And the latest tech.

https://www.mojotone.com/Quiet-Coil-...undhole-Pickup

What do you think?

I will say that sounds pretty good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yI_4PtDzIY

Marshall · #5 09-29-2021, 09:39 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHJBHZ2UxrM

Dam, that sounds great. I might have to try one.

Ten · #6 09-29-2021, 09:49 AM

I just put one of these in last night, replacing a Black Angel. Less maggy for sure. Somewhat like going from a humbucker to single coil electric. Sounds more acoustic. Being active vs. passive, I had to spend time rearranging settings in various whiz bang boxes and didn’t spend a ton of time just playing. It’s staying in for now.

I have a K&K in that same guitar but it doesn’t work for my style (heavy handed/heavy pick/dread). I’m less concerned with pure acoustic tone and more concerned with how my sound fits with loud electric players. That being said, initial preference is for the tone on the mojo due to the more acoustic properties it has vs. the Black Angel.

lowrider · #7 09-29-2021, 02:00 PM

And of course, the next question; does it affect unplugged tone?

Ten · #8 09-29-2021, 07:37 PM

Not that I can tell. Much less robust than the Black Angel.

sdelsolray · #9 09-29-2021, 08:00 PM

It doesn't seem to have adjustable pole pieces. That's a large strike against it, IMO. Their webpage claims are hyperbolic (e.g., no electric sound, no noise preamp). Strike two.

lowrider · #10 09-30-2021, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

Their webpage claims are hyperbolic (e.g., no electric sound, no noise preamp).

I don't understand what you mean by that. Can you explain?

shufflebeat · #11 09-30-2021, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

It doesn't seem to have adjustable pole pieces. That's a large strike against it, IMO.

Use steel (nickel) strings - no issue. If string balance is your thing (it is mine) you'll end up there eventually anyway.

Ten · #12 09-30-2021, 05:10 AM

I actually liked the idea of the pickup being balanced without me having to adjust the pieces. I didn’t notice a hot B like I battle with pole piece mags. My thought is if you as a manufacturer can get it balanced in an R&D lab, it’s gonna turn out more accurate than I’d do by ear. I do use Nickel Bronze strings for string to string balance already just like shufflebeat mentioned.

sdelsolray · #13 09-30-2021, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowrider

I don't understand what you mean by that. Can you explain?

Please read their marketing speak on their webpage. That is the sole source of my opinion. They claim the pickup does not sound "electric". Of course it does, at least to my ears, although perhaps a bit less than some other magnetic pickups. They claim their system preamp has no noise. Every preamp ever made has noise, it's just a matter of how much.

#14 10-01-2021, 08:35 AM

I had a much worse experience with the pickup than other users. I found that the preamp had a constant background hiss, much more present than any other pickup I’ve used. Also when played with any volume I had a lot of strange distortion almost like there was a doubling effect and the doubled signal was quieter but also very distorted. I called and set up an exchange, received a new pickup and plugged it in, same constant hiss, same weird distortion and this one seemed to have string balance problems as well.

Mojo tone was great and I got a refund…I wish I would have been as impressed as so many others but it was definitely not the pickup for me.

lowrider · #15 10-01-2021, 11:58 AM

Well, I've given up. My J-17 is a very unique guitar. It's the only one ever made so I don't want to permanently glue a pickup into it, and I don't want to put something in it that will affect acoustic tone, so I thought a soundhole PU would be the answer. I've read about the problems people have had with the Mojotone, but I thought that could have been just the early ones. So I was still willing to try one.

But yesterday I stopped at GC and tried two guitars with soundhole pickups and it was not good. That's not the sound I want. Better ones probably sound better but I don't think I'll be going there. I'll continue to play this one and my J-40 into a microphone when I want to use the amp, until I find something else that looks interesting.

Thanks for all your replies. I think I'll plug in the mic and play some more later!