Installing a pickup system

[SnowManSnow]

How difficult is it to install a system on a guitar with no strap buttons?

I'm a pretty handy fella and can follow directions.

The guitar in question is a Martin D15m

Or..... Should I not ever consider making holes in the instrument?

Thanks for any advise

Feel free to message me or reply here
Thanks
B snow


So long, and thanks for all the fish.

[Ned Milburn]

Easy to do. Easy to do well. But easy to screw up drilling the necessary holes, too, if one is not careful.

Each person has his/her own favorite tool to drill the end-pin hole to proper size. I have used reamers, spade bits (most people say DON'T USE SPADE BITS), and most recently and consistently a step drill bit. It takes only a minute to drill a clean and consistent bored hole with a step bit of the correct size.

If the pickup includes a UST (under the saddle transducer), you'll need to drill a hole in the saddle slot. Take care not to damage the sides of the saddle slot with this drilling operation. It is aesthetic, however, not functional so you needn't freak out if you make a bit of a boo-boo.

I usually use only one wire clip stuck to the side of the guitar just off the waist towards the lower bout just under the top lining. Some people put clips on the soundboard or soundboard braces, as well, but I have seen many guitars like this where the wires touch the soundboard and make a bothersome vibration noise. Extra length can be coiled into a service loop and hooked on the same clip.

Ask away with your questions. I'm sure others will chime in as well with some more useful advice with this operation.

[SnowManSnow]

Honestly the prospect of drilling a nice guitar is making me think twice about that particular guitar.... It it's the one I like most right now


So long, and thanks for all the fish.

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by SnowManSnow

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Forty two!! ;-)

[SnowManSnow]

Originally Posted by Ned Milburn

Forty two!! ;-)

Ah. Yes.


So long, and thanks for all the fish.

[Mtn Man]

I just installed an LR Baggs Lyric in my son's Bourgeois. I consider myself fairly handy but I was still nervous about it. You only get one shot at this sort of thing, and installing it myself voided the warranty so if I messed something up I'd be out $200.

I took my time and did a lot of internet research before I tackled it. Watched a bunch of Youtube videos, looked at a bunch of diagrams, etc. I spent whatever I needed to spend on the tools I needed (i.e. a 1/2" step drill bit, and one of those little extendable mirrors for looking inside). I probably spent close to $60 on tools and peripheral items but I considered it money well spent because the cost of messing this up was far greater.

I would definitely recommend using a step drill bit to drill out the hole for the jack. It left a very clean hole with no jagged edges or splinters, much cleaner than any drill bit. If you don't already have a hole drilled you should drill a pilot hole to make sure it's centered where it needs to go. Place some masking tape over the area before you drill to minimize splintering. Also, it matters where you put the jack. I've seen acoustic/electric guitars with the jack placed on the lower part of the bout, where you'd find the jack on a Les Paul for example. You can't do this on most acoustics because you'd basically be drilling into a thin piece of unreinforced side wood. You need to install it in the area of the endpin because that area will be reinforced, as you can see from this picture:



The other thing I'd recommend is to clean the surfaces where you have to stick stuff. The Lyric uses adhesive pads to hold things in place, and if the surface is dirty it won't stick properly. I was told to use naphtha to clean the surfaces, so that's what I used. I didn't have any problem with things sticking.

The last thing I'll warn you about is, if you have big popeye arms like me, you might have trouble getting your arm inside the guitar. I couldn't reach inside far enough to install the endpin jack because my forearm wouldn't fit inside the soundhole, so I had to enlist my wife's help for that part. I'm please to say we got it right on the first try.

The other thing I'm pleased about is that the Lyric worked great right out of the box. We tested it out at an open mic and it sounded just like a microphone. Better, in fact, than most mics that we've used. I don't think I'd use it to record but for live playing, wow!

[SnowManSnow]

Originally Posted by Mtn Man

I just installed an LR Baggs Lyric in my son's Bourgeois. I consider myself fairly handy but I was still nervous about it. You only get one shot at this sort of thing, and installing it myself voided the warranty so if I messed something up I'd be out $200.



I took my time and did a lot of internet research before I tackled it. Watched a bunch of Youtube videos, looked at a bunch of diagrams, etc. I spent whatever I needed to spend on the tools I needed (i.e. a 1/2" step drill bit, and one of those little extendable mirrors for looking inside). I probably spent close to $60 on tools and peripheral items but I considered it money well spent because the cost of messing this up was far greater.



I would definitely recommend using a step drill bit to drill out the hole for the jack. It left a very clean hole with no jagged edges or splinters, much cleaner than any drill bit. If you don't already have a hole drilled you should drill a pilot hole to make sure it's centered where it needs to go. Place some masking tape over the area before you drill to minimize splintering. Also, it matters where you put the jack. I've seen acoustic/electric guitars with the jack placed on the lower part of the bout, where you'd find the jack on a Les Paul for example. You can't do this on most acoustics because you'd basically be drilling into a thin piece of unreinforced side wood. You need to install it in the area of the endpin because that area will be reinforced, as you can see from this picture:







The other thing I'd recommend is to clean the surfaces where you have to stick stuff. The Lyric uses adhesive pads to hold things in place, and if the surface is dirty it won't stick properly. I was told to use naphtha to clean the surfaces, so that's what I used. I didn't have any problem with things sticking.



The last thing I'll warn you about is, if you have big popeye arms like me, you might have trouble getting your arm inside the guitar. I couldn't reach inside far enough to install the endpin jack because my forearm wouldn't fit inside the soundhole, so I had to enlist my wife's help for that part. I'm please to say we got it right on the first try.



The other thing I'm pleased about is that the Lyric worked great right out of the box. We tested it out at an open mic and it sounded just like a microphone. Better, in fact, than most mics that we've used. I don't think I'd use it to record but for live playing, wow!

Installing the end pin is an area of concern for me. I don't think there IS an end pin in this guitar. It's just a strait up acoustic :/ again I'm referring to a D15m Martin.


So long, and thanks for all the fish.