Passive pickup for 1940 Martin 0-15

Nanosecond · #1 07-10-2020, 10:47 AM

I like the K&K Mini, but have been advised the small bridge plate on this guitar won’t work. A soundhole pickup would work, but I’m not crazy about it being there when not amplified. So I could forego the sound jack, but that would mean a cable draped out of the soundhole. I'm not completely opposed to this if I can find a tidy way to manage the cable and keep it out of the way.
The Lace California appears to come with a good solution: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Lace/Ca...fornia&index=2
Likewise the K&K Double Helix: https://www.kksound.com/products/dou...ix.php#simple6

Any suggestions?

Brent Hahn · #2 07-10-2020, 10:59 AM

I don't have a pickup suggestion, but as for the cable you can get an strap button with a built-in mini jack. You'd need a mini-to-1/4" adapter, but it neatens up the presentation and you don't have to drill out your guitar.

Nick84 · #3 07-10-2020, 11:51 AM

I’d go with a Rare Earth as they are probably the least inconspicuous of soundhole pickups.

They come with a long cable and an endpin Jack. Easy enough to shorten the cable and re-solder then fit with the endpin.

guitarman68 · #4 07-10-2020, 03:31 PM

I had a K&K in my 1937 Martin 017 and never liked it there, although I had great experience in other guitars: Too much low mid honk in that guitar. No problems with a small bridge plate, by the way. Installed a Schatten HFN, which sounds great. Here is a vid showcasing the sound of both pickups in that guitar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdB7NzNo0F4

Methos1979 · #5 07-13-2020, 10:51 AM

I hear you on the dangling outside cable. Not a fan. I ended up biting the bullet and drilling the endpin. I've come to enjoy the look of the K&K Double Helix Solo soundhole pickup and the guitar looks funny when it's not there. But then again my guitar is a brand new, huge, 12-fret dread and not an 80-year-old delicate single-0!

As we've discussed on another thread, the K&K DHS continues to impress me greatly. At least as far as being a magnetic soundhole pup. For me it was by far better than anything else I tried in that category which included the Baggs M80, the Schertler AG6 with S-MIC plus and the Dimarzio Black Angel which were all decent sounding soundhole pups but nearly as good (to me) as the DHS.

Nanosecond · #6 07-13-2020, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

I hear you on the dangling outside cable. Not a fan. I ended up biting the bullet and drilling the endpin. I've come to enjoy the look of the K&K Double Helix Solo soundhole pickup and the guitar looks funny when it's not there. But then again my guitar is a brand new, huge, 12-fret dread and not an 80-year-old delicate single-0!

As we've discussed on another thread, the K&K DHS continues to impress me greatly. At least as far as being a magnetic soundhole pup. For me it was by far better than anything else I tried in that category which included the Baggs M80, the Schertler AG6 with S-MIC plus and the Dimarzio Black Angel which were all decent sounding soundhole pups but nearly as good (to me) as the DHS.

Have you ever had a chance to compare the Double Helix against any of the Fishman Rare Earth models?