Need a pickup recommendation...

[Rpt50]

My son has a looper pedal that he always playing with for his electric, and it looks like a lot of fun. I want to get one for myself. I have a tele and a couple of decent electric amps, but it seems like I only play acoustic guitars these days. Can someone recommend a pickup for acoustic guitars that will work with a loop pedal? Ideally, it should:
1. be a set it and forget it kind of thing. I hate messing with electronics.
2. work with the electric guitars amps I already have (Vox, Fender)

Thanks!

[Ed-in-Ohio]

I'd recommend a sound hole pickup. You'll have the flexibility of temporary vs. permanent installation, and decent/good/great pickups are available in a wide range of prices ($50 to $300).

[Methos1979]

The soundhole pickup recommendation is good if you don't want to drill out the bottom of your guitar and you don't mind a cord hanging out of your soundhole.

The ultimate in install and forget pickups would be the K&K Pure Mini or other similar SBT pickup systems. No batteries, no dials, just plug and play, literally!

[Hotspur]

Originally Posted by Rpt50

My son has a looper pedal that he always playing with for his electric, and it looks like a lot of fun. I want to get one for myself. I have a tele and a couple of decent electric amps, but it seems like I only play acoustic guitars these days. Can someone recommend a pickup for acoustic guitars that will work with a loop pedal? Ideally, it should:
1. be a set it and forget it kind of thing. I hate messing with electronics.
2. work with the electric guitars amps I already have (Vox, Fender)

Thanks!

I suspect a magnetic pickup will work the best through an electric guitar amp.

The Sunrise is probably the best soundhole mag, but it's very expensive (and also works best with the proprietary preamp, so I'm told). The Baggs M1 and M80 are much more plug-and-play, widely available, and not too expensive.

I disagree with the SBT suggestion. While those are the most invisible, I feel like they require a lot more careful dialing-in of the sound to avoid feedback, and are less likely to play well with an electric amp.

[varmonter]

Yea the sbt pups require a lot of fiddling to
Sound decent. Seperate pre and eq is generally a
must to get a decent sound/tone.
Magnetics seem more plug and play.

[noledog]

I agree with others that recommend a soundhole/mag. Mine stays in 100% of time since I gig full-time, however, it's easily removable and I don't have to slack or remove strings.
Our AGF sponser Jerry Netkin at Pacific Guitar Sales has them at good price, he's wonderful to work with. Here's my D18 equipped with a Baggs M80 at gig last night...they do require tweaking in placement and pole adjustment:

[Ed-in-Ohio]

Originally Posted by noledog

...snip...Here's my D18 equipped with a Baggs M80 at gig last night...they do require tweaking in placement and pole adjustment.

...snipped noledog's video posted directly above...

Very nice! Sounds wonderful. Excellent work. Also, I would say that the positioning of your strumming hand (close to the neck join) really accentuates the best characteristics of the M80. Not only is all this subjective, it is dependent on an almost infinite number of variables.

[noledog]

Originally Posted by Ed-in-Ohio

Very nice! Sounds wonderful. Excellent work. Also, I would say that the positioning of your strumming hand (close to the neck join) really accentuates the best characteristics of the M80. Not only is all this subjective, it is dependent on an almost infinite number of variables.

Thank you Ed and excellent points on mag position, especially on the M80. I flat pick and finger pick behind the mag and strum in front of at neck joint for your stated reasons as well as to avoid striking the pickup which results in a clicking sound.
But I've always played like this because I like the tone regardless of mag although I was using mags back in late 70's/80's so I never had to adjust my technique when I installed the M80, but some folks may have too.

[Tony Done]

I would go with some kind of soundhole pickup. I use a Baggs M1 active and home-made ones, but anything with adjustable pole pieces would be worth a look.