LR Baggs HiFi Pickup System

[jricc]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

A good tech can swap that out and wire to the battery box. They might even be able to make an adaptor to save the HiFi from having the wiring cut. Pedal boards include 9v battery adaptors. You could sacrafice one of those.

I do have a good tech. The 9v adapter sounds like a good idea. Do you mean those adapters that have a pedal plug on one side and a 9v connector on the other side? Thanks Dave.

[AeroUSA]

Originally Posted by jricc

Thank you both for your help. I've been on the fence about the HiFi for my new Martin SC10e sapele. I've got a couple things to do, take out the Sonitone pickup, preamp, tuner before i can install anything. Then I have to figure out what to do with the battery bag, can't put it on the neck block. Ideally i'd like to wire that to the Fishman battery box, but I can't do wiring stuff, so I have to take it to a tech and lastly, will the Baggs output jack (metric) fit in the Fishman (not metric) output jack hole. Anyway, thanks for your help.

You can reuse the battery box just fine. It picks up body sound but only if you drum on it. I found I needed a notch filter with me. Something like a good mixer or a Baggs Venue pedal.

[Jdogblues]

Tried to put one in my Waterloo bridge plate was too small.

[FingahPickah]

All good points, comments and questions. True no one pickup is perfect for all situations.

Five of my eight acoustics have pickups. I gig regularly, most often in loud environments. Four UST (2 Fishman, 2 LR Baggs) and one K & K.

While I like the natural sound of the K & K, it's installed in a custom, locally built SS Dread w/ a 5" body depth. Feedback is often an issue, especially in a loud environment. I use a Feedback Buster plug regularly. That and more attention to EQ works.

[SpruceTop]

IMHO, given its amplified tone and cost, the LR Baggs HiFi is the new "It" pickup/preamp system if you don't mind a battery in your guitar. If you're thinking of installing a Trance Amulet Dual Mono M-VT battery-powered system for $319 USD, consider the LR Baggs HiFi at $199 USD. At present, the only way I can recommend buying the Trance system is if you install it with *Henkel Loctite 6-Minute Epoxy that generates superior amplified tone versus the Trance-supplied/recommended permanent adhesive strips. As an experiment, I'm considering installing my recently received Trance Amulet M-VT Plus (battery-powered) in my Huss & Dalton TD-R using the 3M VHB adhesive strips that come with the LR Baggs HiFi (if the strip covers the Amulet's mounting surface). I want to hear if the 3M VHB adhesive is a viable and superior tonal mounting medium compared to the Trance permanent adhesive strips.

*The only reason I installed my two Trance Amulet M-VT Dual Mono Phantom System using Henkel Loctite 6-Minute Epoxy is I felt the Trance Amulet systems had more to offer in superior tone compared to installing the systems with the Trance supplied/recommended permanent adhesive strips. I have no regrets using the Henkel Loctite 6-Minute Epoxy for my Trance installations in my 2020 Martin HD-28 Reimagined Sunburst and my 2020 Larrivee C-03 TE Tommy Emmanuel as their amplified tone is superior to any permanent tape-mounted Trance systems ever I've done.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

IMHO, given its amplified tone and cost, the LR Baggs HiFi is the new "It" pickup/preamp system if you don't mind a battery in your guitar. If you're thinking of installing a Trance Amulet M-VT battery-powered system for $379 USD, consider the LR Baggs HiFi at $199 USD. At present, the only way I can recommend buying the Trance system is if you install it with *Henkel Loctite 6-Minute Epoxy that generates superior amplified tone versus the Trance-supplied/recommended permanent adhesive strips. As an experiment, I'm considering installing my recently received Trance Amulet M-VT Plus (battery-powered) in my Huss & Dalton TD-R using the 3M VHB adhesive strips that come with the LR Baggs HiFi (if the strip covers the Amulet's mounting surface). I want to hear if the 3M VHB adhesive is a viable and superior tonal mounting medium compared to the Trance permanent adhesive strips.

*The only reason I installed my two Trance Amulet M-VT Phantom System using Henkel Loctite 6-Minute Epoxy is I felt the Trance Amulet systems had more to offer in superior tone compared to installing the systems with the Trance supplied/recommended permanent adhesive strips. I have no regrets using the Henkel Loctite 6-Minute Epoxy for my Trance installations in my 2020 Martin HD-28 Reimagined Sunburst and my Larrivee C-03 TE Tommy Emmanuel as their amplified tone is superior to any permanent tape-mounted Trance systems ever I've done.

I agree with Ken on this. HiFi covers a lot of bases for general acoustic pickup users. So if you start with HiFi as the new "baseline" you can consider "Dave's approved" off the shelf alternatives for your situation:

1. Super loud environments (with drums) - Under saddle piezo or magnetic. I like the Fishman products. LR Baggs is good too.
2. Want more "air" for your style of playing - LR Baggs Anthem or another multisource with mic.
3. Don't want junk in your guitar and/or plug in less frequently - K&K and an external preamp.
4. More realistic sound and you don't mind a pedal - K&K with ToneDexter or LR Baggs VPDI.
5. Same as 4 but on a tighter budget - JBB pickup and DIY IR pedal and preset from Cuki or Jon.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

I agree with Ken on this. HiFi covers a lot of bases for general acoustic pickup users. So if you start with HiFi as the new "baseline" you can consider "Dave's approved" off the shelf alternatives for your situation:

1. Super loud environments (with drums) - Under saddle piezo or magnetic. I like the Fishman products. LR Baggs is good too.
2. Want more "air" for your style of playing - LR Baggs Anthem or another multisource with mic.
3. Don't want junk in your guitar and/or plug in less frequently - K&K and an external preamp.
4. More realistic sound and you don't mind a pedal - K&K with ToneDexter or LR Baggs VPDI.
5. Same as 4 but on a tighter budget - JBB pickup and DIY IR pedal and preset from Cuki or Jon.

Dave, let me add that if players don't want any junk like a battery or volume/tone controls in their guitars, they really should consider a Dazzo SBT system. It's passive and sounds great without any or very little EQing. Consider a size Dazzo #70, which I've installed in two Larrivee dreadnoughts with sonorous results. Players should contact Teddy Randazzo for his recommendations on what "# size" Dazzo to use in a particular body-style guitar.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Dave, let me add that if players don't want any junk like a battery or volume/tone controls in their guitars, they really should consider a Dazzo SBT system. It's passive and sounds great without any or very little EQing. Consider a size Dazzo #70, which I've installed in two Larrivee dreadnoughts with sonorous results. Players should contact Teddy Randazzo for his recommendations on what "# size" Dazzo to use in a particular body-style guitar.

Yes for sure. I didn’t have as much luck with the installation as others. But this was before the 6 min epoxy recommendation. Finding that sweet spot was elusive for me.

[Br1ck]

Those wanting a better K&K should also check out Dazzos, and if you just have to have a battery in your guitar, get a SunnAudio onboard pre.

[dilver]

K&K gets a lot of love on this forum, but I’ve always found them to sound muffled and lack high end. Even the new K&K HiFi sounds muffled in the YouTube demos. I went with a Schatten HFN Active with a vol and tone control and it’s perfect for my J-45. It’s bright. But with rolling off the volume a bit tames the highs and you can dial it in with the tone control.

[Marshall]

Everybody wants to talk about everything but the subject at hand.

Well I decided I was going to sell a guitar (fickle me). So, I took out the Mag/SBT/Mic pickup that was in it. And I re-installed a HiFi I have in my drawer. And I'll be dammed if the thing doesn't sound VERY good through my amp. Now I've got a dilemma. I might even keep the guitar.

I'll try playing the thing out somewhere through a PA and see how it does live.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Marshall

Everybody wants to talk about everything but the subject at hand.

With pickups, it's always a compared-to-what. Far more people have a "what" than a HiFi.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Marshall

Everybody wants to talk about everything but the subject at hand.

Well I decided I was going to sell a guitar (fickle me). So, I took out the Mag/SBT/Mic pickup that was in it. And I re-installed a HiFi I have in my drawer. And I'll be dammed if the thing doesn't sound VERY good through my amp. Now I've got a dilemma. I might even keep the guitar.

I'll try playing the thing out somewhere through a PA and see how it does live.

Marshall, I'm sure All AGFers are awaiting your HiFi PA review. For an active system, IMHO, the LR Baggs HiFi is the single-source, reasonably-priced system to get and install in an acoustic guitar.

[Marshall]

If one has truly compared different pickups together then a comment has more value than, "I use something else and I like it so you should too."

( just kidding you.)

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Marshall, I'm sure All AGFers are awaiting your HiFi PA review. For an active system, IMHO, the LR Baggs HiFi is the single-source, reasonably-priced system to get and install in an acoustic guitar.

That's a burden Ill have to bear.

I will try to do a WAV or two that you can listen to. Everyone sees (hears !) things differently.