LR Baggs Element-Based-Only Systems--Good & Bad News

[SpruceTop]

The Good News: If played very lightly, I find the Element-based pickup/preamp systems can sound okay.

The Bad News: Once I get a bit aggressive with a flatpick, I hear clackinness (I wouldn't even call it "quack") and muddiness in the amplified tone.

Now for specific guitar-related thoughts:

My Emerald X20 Carbon Guitar came with the Element VTC System. The good news is the Element VTC System can be completely removed from the guitar with the endpin ready for the jack of another system, whatever it may be.

My RainSong BI-DR1000N2 Black Ice Dreadnought came equipped with the LR Baggs Stage Pro Element System which has a barndoor preamp. After just looking in the guitar a few minutes ago I noticed the Element UST plugs into the barndoor preamp via a miniature Tip-Sleeve plug. I'm now assuming that just about any high-impedance pickup with the same-sized plug could be plugged into and work with the Stage Pro Element Preamp. This means I no longer have to suffer from the amplified tone of Element UST should I decide to experiment with other pickups!

[AeroUSA]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

The Good News: If played very lightly, I find the Element-based pickup/preamp systems can sound okay.

The Bad News: Once I get a bit aggressive with a flatpick, I hear clackinness (I wouldn't even call it "quack") and muddiness in the amplified tone.

Now for specific guitar-related thoughts:

My Emerald X20 Carbon Guitar came with the Element VTC System. The good news is the Element VTC System can be completely removed from the guitar with the endpin ready for the jack of another system, whatever it may be.

My RainSong BI-DR1000N2 Black Ice Dreadnought came equipped with the LR Baggs Stage Pro Element System which has a barndoor preamp. After just looking in the guitar a few minutes ago I noticed the Element UST plugs into the barndoor preamp via a miniature Tip-Sleeve plug. I'm now assuming that just about any high-impedance pickup with the same-sized plug could be plugged into and work with the Stage Pro Element Preamp. This means I no longer have to suffer from the amplified tone of Element UST should I decide to experiment with other pickups!

I am converting my Rainsong StagePro Element into a StagePro Anthem right now.

[Rudy4]

I had two guitars that I tried Elements in. I pulled both of them out as they were a bit "quacky", but more importantly just didn't sound good.

I used both of the Elements when I made a pair of semi-acoustic electric bass guitars and they worked well for that purpose.

[GELewis]

I installed a Baggs Anthem SL in my X20. I played around blending the microphone with the under saddle pickup, found the best sound to be about 2/3 microphone, 1/3 under saddle. I've only played though a Fishman Loudbox Artist thus far, but I'm very pleased with the resulting sound and haven't experienced any quackiness. The only negative is that I have to be extra careful handling the guitar when it's plugged in, as any bump against the body of the guitar is easily picked up by the microphone and amplified by the system.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

My RainSong BI-DR1000N2 Black Ice Dreadnought came equipped with the LR Baggs Stage Pro Element System which has a barndoor preamp. After just looking in the guitar a few minutes ago I noticed the Element UST plugs into the barndoor preamp via a miniature Tip-Sleeve plug. I'm now assuming that just about any high-impedance pickup with the same-sized plug soldered to its leadwires could be plugged into and work with the Stage Pro Element Preamp. This means I no longer have to suffer from the amplified tone of the Element UST should I decide to experiment with other pickups!

Do any other players share my thoughts?

No thoughts but as a Black Ice owner with the Element StagePro, I'm interested to hear what you end up trying to do! I bought mine primarily for acoustic-only play and I've only plugged it in once for a short while. But I always wondered what some sort of SBT pickup system would be like with a barn door preamp. Keep us posted.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

I am converting my Rainsong StagePro Element into a StagePro Anthem right now.

Aaron, I take it the Anthem barndoor preamp is likely a direct fit for the barndoor hole that the Stage Pro Element preamp now occupies, correct?

[Cuki79]

Elmerald X20 you said?



Those carbon guitar are good candidate for SBTs right since they don't have bracings and bridge plates?

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Cuki79

Elmerald X20 you said?



Those carbon guitar are good candidate for SBTs right since they don't have bracings and bridge plates?

Yes, indeed Cuki, it could be a good candidate for any SBT as long as the bridgeplate area is smooth enough for the base(es) of an SBT to sit flat on the carbon-fiber weave and adhere well to it. I haven't checked inside to see how smooth my bridgeplate is. For factory installations, Emerald prepares the area by smoothing on a layer of epoxy over the carbon-fiber weave when installing a K&K system or when a customer asks them to prepare the bridgeplate for a customer's at-home installation.

When Emerald decided to go with the LR Baggs Element-based systems several years ago I urged them to go with the Fishman Matrix-based systems as I hear them as sounding better than Baggs's Element-based systems. Obviously, they didn't listen to me.Emerald guitars can be ordered without any electronics but often they usually have some guitars in stock ready for sale that already have a system in them. Otherwise, it can be a several-month wait to get an Emerald made-to-order.

RainSong is a company that has fluctuated back-and-forth between Fishman Matrix-based systems and LR Baggs Element-based systems. I've owned several guitars featuring these systems and have always favored the tone of the Fishman Matrix-based systems.

[GELewis]

This is a photo of the Anthem's SL microphone attached to the bridgeplate of my X20. Clearly enough room for a SBT.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by GELewis

This is a photo of the Anthem's SL microphone attached to the bridgeplate of my X20. Clearly enough room for a SBT.

Thanks, For This! Perhaps an LR Baggs Anthem SL is in my Emerald X20's future ...

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

I am converting my Rainsong StagePro Element into a StagePro Anthem right now.

Yes, I see after visiting the LR Baggs website that the Stage Pro Anthem preamp is the same size (Size: 3.5” x 2.8” x 2.2”) as the Stage Pro Element preamp so a direct swap-out of these barndoor preamps in a RainSong is easy.

[JackB1]

I find a big difference in tone from a regular Element pickup (with the 1 volume dial) as compared to the Element VTC ( with the volume and tone dials). Not sure why, but that extra tone dial makes a big difference IMO.

[zeeway]

I pulled out the Element from my X20 two years ago, lightly sanded the soundboard and installed an HFN Schatten (passive)…big improvement