Pickup problem in my Martin X1-DE

[Ralph124C41]

I bought this a couple of years ago from Musician's Friend as a Stupid Deal of the Day and got a stupidly low price so I'm happy about that. And it has played well acoustically. It comes with a pickup which I tested to make sure it worked and I played it I think once at a local open mic and it seemed fine.

Today I was testing out that Behringer AD21 I got from Sweetwater on one of my modeling amps as I don't own an acoustic amp. First I used my Esteban American Legacy and the pickup worked fine and the AD21 worked too. Then I tried my Martin ... and all I got was a full sound on the low E string and then the volume was reduced about 50 percent on the A string and then even lower on the other strings so that the high B and E strings were virtually the same volume as with the pickup off.

I tried the Martin with the Behringer off. I tried it on another modeling amp. I tried it on an older non-modeling amp. The same result.

The guitar has been kept in its case since the open mic. Actually I don't remember testing it before the open mic but I just gave it to whomever was running the p.a. system and he said it was OK.

Any idea what has happened? I'm stumped because as I said the low E string sounded fine and full but the other strings just were at minimal volume. I can take it to my luthier buddy but I don't know if he is comfortable repairing something like this although he does install some basic pickups.

Any ideas what has happened? I bought the guitar to be played unplugged but as i said I'm starting to go to open mics and the only acoustic electric I have is the American Legacy. I do have a passive soundhole pickup on a third guitar but there are no controls on it and it produces little volume so I don't know if it would be suitable for the small p.a. at the open mic. I did try it with the Behringer unit with the drive all the way up and it was OK, though.

[YamahaGuy]

With some acoustic-electric undersaddle pickups, the placement of the pickup element becomes disturbed when re--stringing -- especially if the saddle comes out. I bet that's what happened. Sadly, it's trial and error. Loosen the strings. Capo them at say fret 9 or 10 to keep them on the guitar. Remove the bridge pins and saddle. Inspect the pickup element. If it's the Fishman Sonitone, it looks like a copper braided wire. Try to put it in a place that looks like it belongs there. It is likely misaligned with the saddle and/or the hole it enters the bridge trough through. Make sure it lays flat. Make sure your saddle is going the right way too (compensated part on the B string). Reinstall the saddle, pins, tune up and try it. If it solves the problem, great! If not, try again.

I had one the treble side was too long and I had to trim it off.

Not difficult to fix but can be time consuming. That's why on guitars with under saddle pickups some people don't change all six strings at once.

Worst case scenario, the bottom side of the saddle needs to be shaped to better match the contour of the pickup and the bridge. I worked on a Rainsong once that was a nightmare. The bottom of the saddle looked like brass knuckles when I finally got it evenly balanced across the strings.

Good luck.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

With some acoustic-electric undersaddle pickups, the placement of the pickup element becomes disturbed when re--stringing -- especially if the saddle comes out. I bet that's what happened. Sadly, it's trial and error. Loosen the strings. Capo them at say fret 9 or 10 to keep them on the guitar. Remove the bridge pins and saddle. Inspect the pickup element. If it's the string type metal wire, try to put it in a place that looks like it belongs there. Make sure it lays flat. Reinstall the saddle, pins, tune up and try it. If it solves the problem, great! If not, try again.

I had one the treble side was too long and I had to trim it off.

Not difficult to fix but can be time consuming. That's why on guitars with under saddle pickups some people don't change all six strings at once.

Good luck.

thanks. I know the saddle had not been touched. I don't think the pins have been changed either. I don't remember how I changed the strings or it may have been done by my luthier buddy but I doubt it.

I will just have my friend take a look at it. I've also want him to cut me a new nut with spacing for a 1 11/16-inch guitar. I know. I know. But I had him do that for me with one of my other guitars and I was pleased with the result although since the neck dimensions are not changed it is sort of a compromise but I'm very O.C.D. and I just really can't get used to the 1 3/4-inch nut width or I've convinced myself that I can't get used to ... either way I rarely play the Martin at all.

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

thanks. I know the saddle had not been touched. I don't think the pins have been changed either. I don't remember how I changed the strings or it may have been done by my luthier buddy but I doubt it.

I will just have my friend take a look at it. I've also want him to cut me a new nut with spacing for a 1 11/16-inch guitar. I know. I know. But I had him do that for me with one of my other guitars and I was pleased with the result although since the neck dimensions are not changed it is sort of a compromise but I'm very O.C.D. and I just really can't get used to the 1 3/4-inch nut width or I've convinced myself that I can't get used to ... either way I rarely play the Martin at all.

If/when the strings were changed, especially if all six were done at once, the saddle can and will fall out easily, allowing the misalignment. I'd give the 1 3/4" nut some time to grow on you. It's nice if you ever play a B7 chord.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

If/when the strings were changed, especially if all six were done at once, the saddle can and will fall out easily, allowing the misalignment. I'd give the 1 3/4" nut some time to grow on you. It's nice if you ever play a B7 chord.

The saddle has never fallen out or moved. In fact the action remains higher than I'd like but there seems to be a lot of "spare" saddle showing so I will probably ask my friend to shave it down a little ... or a lot. I like very low action.

As for the 1 3/4" nut, as I said I have had the X1-DE about two years so I think that has been ample time for me to get used to it ... and I haven't. And I had another guitar about two years before then with the same nut width and that one I eventually traded for a guitar with a slimmer nut width. So that makes at least four years of trying to get used to a guitar with the 1 3/4-inch nut.

I just had my Guild D-55 for about 20 years and I just got so used to the narrower nut width I guess.

[jonfields45]

Potentially the saddle is binding in the bridge slot and the pressure on the transducer is not uniform. I would take off the strings and see if you can easily remove the saddle. If not, pull it out with pliers and thin it with sanding paper until it can be inserted with little force.

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

Potentially the saddle is binding in the bridge slot and the pressure on the transducer is not uniform. I would take off the strings and see if you can easily remove the saddle. If not, pull it out with pliers and thin it with sanding paper until it can be inserted with little force.

I took your advice. I loosed the string and pushed down on the high E section and there was an audible "pop" (really) and the saddle fell back into the groove. I tuned to standard and now I can hear my abysmal playing again fully amplified.

So thanks, folks. I don't know how this happened but I know what to do if it happens again.