Chinese Knockoff Fishmans Any Good?

[Wellington]

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/DIY-Fishman-Acoustic-guitar-Pickup-System-Fishman-VT1-Tail-Nail-Pickup-EQ/111903664595?hash=item1a0dfa69d3:g~IAAOSwHk9bdSa b

They cost peanuts, many sold, the reviews aren’t very detailed, has anyone bought one of these before, and if so how did it sound? I assume these are knockoffs, are they comparable to the real sonitone?

[Dr O’Fluf]

Probably as you’d expect a $13 pickup to sound . Not tried one but my experience is that in life you get what you pay for.

If you’re happy to throw away the money do it as an experiment but don’t expect great results

[Wellington]

Originally Posted by Dr O’Fluf

Probably as you’d expect a $13 pickup to sound . Not tried one but my experience is that in life you get what you pay for.

If you’re happy to throw away the money do it as an experiment but don’t expect great results

Fair, I should know better by now, having mostly only worked in the trades (electrical, carpentry and now plumbing) I learned it doesn’t pay to cheap out on tools you depend on and make you’re living with. That said, I thought just maybe it was a close knockoff to a sonitone which I don’t mind. The guitar I’m looking at with the pickup option uses a lower end pickup but it’s the big ol preamp in the guitar which I don’t like, but buying pickups after market aren’t cheap

[jonfields45]

If the photos are what you receive, it looks like gray market not a counterfeit.

However it is still a Sonotone and they don't sound that good regardless.

[89bruin]

Why support a seller that is likely violating trademark & intellectual property laws?

[Wellington]

Originally Posted by 89bruin

Why support a seller that is likely violating trademark & intellectual property laws?

Cause I’m poor haha

[jonfields45]

I've installed a few JJB Prestige-220's in guitars for cost sensitive friends. It sounds great, but is much more expensive than the OP's original inquiry.

http://jjb-electronics.com/prestige-220.html

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by d.loseth

Cause I’m poor haha

Install a JJB 330 and get a Behringer ADI21 and a couple of cables. Buy a guitar without a pickup and install. It will sound far, far better than a UST with barndoor electronics.

Even if you buy a guitar loaded with a UST pickup, the Behringer preamp will greatly enhance the tone.

[guitaniac]

Originally Posted by d.loseth

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/DIY-Fishman-Acoustic-guitar-Pickup-System-Fishman-VT1-Tail-Nail-Pickup-EQ/111903664595?hash=item1a0dfa69d3:g~IAAOSwHk9bdSa b

They cost peanuts, many sold, the reviews aren’t very detailed, has anyone bought one of these before, and if so how did it sound? I assume these are knockoffs, are they comparable to the real sonitone?

Here's an interesting thread from a few weeks ago where the guy replaced a Sonicore transducer with a different inexpensive undersaddle pickup. It appears to be the "old fashioned" design with six individual ceramic piezo crystals.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=568071


I'm personally going to try replacing the Sonicore pickup in a Fishman "Classic Four" system with an inexpensive UST which is claimed to be a Matrix UST (according to the seller who is US based). If that doesn't work too well, I just might try one of these GFS pickups. Fortunately for me, my ToneDexter processor can salvage many sub-par pickups. I also suspect that Zoom A1 Four modeling might work better with a drier undersaddle pickup which doesn't deliver much of the guitar's own personality.

[mitcher16]

Originally Posted by roylor4

Install a JJB 330 and get a Behringer ADI21 and a couple of cables. Buy a guitar without a pickup and install. It will sound far, far better than a UST with barndoor electronics.

I have a JJB 330 in my Eastman E20D that I use to gig with and a used LR Baggs Session DI into my Bose L1 and it sounds stellar. I am sure the Behringer is much the same. Cheers.

[Wellington]

Originally Posted by roylor4

Install a JJB 330 and get a Behringer ADI21 and a couple of cables. Buy a guitar without a pickup and install. It will sound far, far better than a UST with barndoor electronics.

Even if you buy a guitar loaded with a UST pickup, the Behringer preamp will greatly enhance the tone.

My experience with the adi 21 is underwhelming, bought one for the church, works good as a di but as far as the functions on it I wasn’t impressed, maybe it’s our PA system.
But I do have a BBE Acoustimax, which is great. I’m interested in these jjb’s, haven’t heard of them till now.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by d.loseth

My experience with the adi 21 is underwhelming, bought one for the church, works good as a di but as far as the functions on it I wasn’t impressed, maybe it’s our PA system.
But I do have a BBE Acoustimax, which is great. I’m interested in these jjb’s, haven’t heard of them till now.

They are direct copies of K&K pickups. I gig regularly with them. You may want to consider a Seymour Duncan Woody XL. Pops into the soundhole in seconds. Sounds pretty good too

[Marshall]

You can buy a Fishman sonitone US for $17.

[Marshall]

Plus, I doubt the Fishman US is made in the US. Hardly anything is. The cheapo Chinese one is no different than the US one. Except it has metric threads on the endpin instead of English threads. I've ordered and installed them both. I prefer the English thread, becasue my old Acoustic Strap Secure fits on them. They make a Secrue that's metric too. But it didn't have the same thread as the Chinese Sonicore. So I paid $4 more an ordered a US Sonicore.

It's not the greatest pickup in the world, by far. But the ToneDexter handles it like a champ.

[Gauvin99]

They’re awesome, same as USA made, Don’t feel bad about it, Fishman doesn’t feel bad about charging you $200 for them