Lightweight magnetic pickup?

[thefsb]

I have a Fishman Rare Earth Mic Blend and think it sounds great. But it is heavy (which changes the tone of the top) and is not designed for permanent installation.

I'm considering getting a flat top and back acoustic guitar with a properly installed lightweight mag. Or maybe there's a guitar on the market that meets my specs.

What should I consider?

[Rick Jones]

Originally Posted by thefsb

I have a Fishman Rare Earth Mic Blend and think it sounds great. But it is heavy (which changes the tone of the top) and is not designed for permanent installation.

I'm considering getting a flat top and back acoustic guitar with a properly installed lightweight mag. Or maybe there's a guitar on the market that meets my specs.

What should I consider?

I haven't tried one myself, but I hear great things about the Mojotone soundhole pickup.

Misi's MagPi (I have a couple of them) are extremely light and small, but IMO they aren't enough to use as solo source. I dislike the mic part of the newer MagPi Air, and the older straight-magnetic MagPi lacks sparkle and sounds a bit electric used alone. Very robust fundamental sound though, so great for use alongside an SBT or internal mic.

[jricc]

Originally Posted by Snorse

I haven't tried one myself, but I hear great things about the Mojotone soundhole pickup.

Misi's MagPi (I have a couple of them) are extremely light and small, but IMO they aren't enough to use as solo source. I dislike the mic part of the newer MagPi Air, and the older straight-magnetic MagPi lacks sparkle and sounds a bit electric used alone. Very robust fundamental sound though, so great for use alongside an SBT or internal mic.

Agree with Rick about the Misi, not that good alone.
The Mojotone is a very nice sounding and lightweight pickup.

Also look at the K&K soundhole pickup https://www.kksound.com/double-helix

I tried them both and they are light and sound good.
Hope this helps.

[thefsb]

Thanks. That K&K looks beefy like the Fishman I have. I wonder if it is much lighter.

It seems pickup makers only specify the weight when they want to brag about it being low.

[RogerPease]

I would question the assumption that the weight of the sound hole pickup is important.
The Sunrise pickup is usually touted here as the best sounding mag pickup,
but it is reportedly large and heavy.

Disclaimer: I have no relevant experience, just an interested bystander.
I would hate for you to base a purchase decision on something that seems doesn’t matter much.

Cheers, _Roger

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by RogerPease

I would question the assumption that the weight of the sound hole pickup is important.
The Sunrise pickup is usually touted here as the best sounding mag pickup,
but it is reportedly large and heavy.

Disclaimer: I have no relevant experience, just an interested bystander.
I would hate for you to base a purchase decision on something that seems doesn’t matter much.

Cheers, _Roger

The Sunrise pickup was designed before they had access to neodymium magnets. A neodymium magnet has roughly the strength of a ceramic magnet weighing 10-11 times as much.

[j38guitar]

Interesting, I added an LR baggs on my Eastman OM and Martin D35. I can't notice a change of sound.

[sdelsolray]

The K&K Double Helix is rather light compared to most other mag pickups. More importantly, it is a rather nice pickup.

[lowrider]

The Mojotone weighs less than 1.6 oz. I’ve it in my Martin J-17 for about 3 months and it’s a fantastic pickup and if anything it just mellowed my acoustic tone a tiny bit.

I highly recommend it.

[Rick Jones]

Originally Posted by RogerPease

I would question the assumption that the weight of the sound hole pickup is important.
The Sunrise pickup is usually touted here as the best sounding mag pickup,
but it is reportedly large and heavy.

Disclaimer: I have no relevant experience, just an interested bystander.
I would hate for you to base a purchase decision on something that seems doesn’t matter much.

Cheers, _Roger

Sunrise is what I call a 'Dilemma pickup'. There's really no alternative to it, it's beautiful sounding in it's own way, even though it's not an acoustic sound. It's crystal clear, fat and solid.

The concern comes from what it does to your guitar sound when it's not plugged-in, because it's heavy and large it both dampens the resonance of the top and blocks a fair amount of the sound hole.

So the dilemma is do you want your guitar to sound better live or at home?

I have found it affects Lowden and Avalon guitars much less than others, I think because they have reinforced sound hole and a double thickness top at under where the pickup clamps in.

To the OP, a friend of mine has a Kreevo (?) thinline pickup meant for archtop guitars, that attaches with putty, on his David Churchill flattop guitar and it sounds very,very good. It weighs next to nothing and it's housed in rosewood.

[douglasfan1]

Originally Posted by Snorse

Sunrise is what I call a 'Dilemma pickup'. There's really no alternative to it, it's beautiful sounding in it's own way, even though it's not an acoustic sound. It's crystal clear, fat and solid.

The concern comes from what it does to your guitar sound when it's not plugged-in, because it's heavy and large it both dampens the resonance of the top and blocks a fair amount of the sound hole.

So the dilemma is do you want your guitar to sound better live or at home?

I have found it affects Lowden and Avalon guitars much less than others, I think because they have reinforced sound hole and a double thickness top at under where the pickup clamps in.

To the OP, a friend of mine has a Kreevo (?) thinline pickup meant for archtop guitars, that attaches with putty, on his David Churchill flattop guitar and it sounds very,very good. It weighs next to nothing and it's housed in rosewood.

I cannot agree that the above point more. If that's the sound you long for, get a Sunrise pickup.
Regarding the weight, you may try Schertler magnetico ag6, I think that's the lightest magnetic pickup for acoustic guitar.

[SalFromChatham]

I thing Baggs makes great soundhole pickups: M1 Passive, M1 Active, and M80.

Even with the endpin jack installed, you can just put the pickup in when you need it, and leave it out when you don’t. The M1 passive works well with so many external preamps too.

[thefsb]

Originally Posted by Snorse

The concern comes from what it does to your guitar sound when it's not plugged-in, because it's heavy and large it both dampens the resonance of the top and blocks a fair amount of the sound hole.

If the pickup is not defective and properly attached then it should not add much damping. But it does add mass which reduces the frequency of the monopole mode of the top (among other effects). A bit like using brass bridge pins. It might improve the sound of some guitars. Tap test your guitar before and after to hear the difference.

But less mass, less effect.

[Rick Jones]

Originally Posted by thefsb

If the pickup is not defective and properly attached then it should not add much damping. But it does add mass which reduces the frequency of the monopole mode of the top (among other effects). A bit like using brass bridge pins. It might improve the sound of some guitars. Tap test your guitar before and after to hear the difference.

But less mass, less effect.

Oh that's interesting, thank you. How would a defective pickup alter the sound of an unplugged guitar? I've never come across that before. I know Sunrise 'wing' attachments are prone to breaking (in fact they're my only real bugbear with Sunrise) and you can buy aftermarket aluminium versions. If they break though, you tend to end up with that big pickup playing tag with the braces inside your guitar. Not cool!

[penrithrdstudio]

I use a Shadow SH141 single coil mag which is pretty lightweight and probably sounds on a par with the standard Rare Earth models. Shadow also makes the NanoMAG which is a mini humbucker that sits at the end of your fingerboard. They do it with a number of different preamps, including a dual system with the NanoMAG and an undersaddle pickup.