You Can Now Install The Cole Clark Pickup in ANY Guitar

[AeroUSA]

I am covering this on my channel as I think it is big news. I am a fan of the PG3 system in the Cole Clark guitars (and a fan of the guitars as well) but they are now offering the system for sale on their website for ANY guitar with some modifications. It uses a regular under saddle pickup instead of the 'Palathetic' style undersaddle pickup and is $400 USD.

https://coleclark.myshopify.com/prod...40167796441151

The brand 'Baton Rouge Guitars' are now offering this system in two of their own guitars. I recently purchased one from Thomann to check out how the system works in a guitar other than a Cole Clark. So far the results are great and I will be making a full in-depth review of that guitar soon.

If you check out today's livestream you can hear the pickup played at the start of the video (direct sound only with reverb added) as well as some strumming later on:

[Methos1979]

This is HUGE news! Wow, the number of guitars I've let go over the years purely because the pickup systems they have (as well as those available for aftermarket purchase) have been 'meh' at best is a long list. When I think of guitars I've loved but let go because of this makes me wonder. I'll be watching this develop VERY closely and I already have a new candidate for a possible try! As always, Aaron is on the front line of all things new and cool!! Thanks, Aaron!!

[martingitdave]

Excellent. Nice to see good choices for gigging musicians. That’s a fair bit of kit to install, so it seems getting a new guitar with the system makes sense. Unless, perhaps, you have an existing guitar with a small barndoor access.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

Excellent. Nice to see good choices for gigging musicians. That’s a fair bit of kit to install, so it seems getting a new guitar with the system makes sense. Unless, perhaps, you have an existing guitar with a small barndoor access.

Good point. One good thing about the Cole Clark system (at least on the actual Cole Clark guitars) is that although it has a 'barn door' system, it's not actually a huge rectangular hole that needs to be cut out but rather instead three much smaller holes drilled out for the knobs and three slots for the sliders. That said, some will (correctly) argue that the slots could be more of a challenge to cut (you'd need a router) than just cutting a single large opening. It makes me wonder if the Cole Clark aftermarket pickup system comes with some sort of rigid router template to aid in cutting the holes and slots. I'm sure Aaron will address this at some point!

The other issue is the need to cut out the secondary opening on the bottom for the battery and jack enclosure. So, not only cutting a second hole but one pretty far from sound hole. And if (like me) you're considering installing a barn door system on something with an offset sound hole (like my new Emerald X7 guitar) then that might be a bridge too far. I can barely get my manly and freakishly large forearms (from a lifetime of playing competitive tennis!) into the Emeralds large offset soundhole far enough to grab the battery pack let alone all the way to the bottom! One of the reasons I'm considering the also excellent (but not quite as good as the CC) LR Baggs StagePro for the Emerald.

As Dave says above, it would be much better if Emerald would just offer either of these systems for sale in their guitars from the Factory! Let them do the heavy lifting!!

[Marshall]

I'm thoroughly amazed at a 7 hour gig !

[Petty1818]

I was excited until I saw the side mounted controls. That’s an automatic no for me. Also, not to be negative but it’s using a UST. A big part of that system is the palathetic pickup.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

I am covering this on my channel as I think it is big news. I am a fan of the PG3 system in the Cole Clark guitars (and a fan of the guitars as well) but they are now offering the system for sale on their website for ANY guitar with some modifications. It uses a regular under saddle pickup instead of the 'Palathetic' style undersaddle pickup and is $400 USD.

https://coleclark.myshopify.com/prod...40167796441151

The brand 'Baton Rouge Guitars' are now offering this system in two of their own guitars. I recently purchased one from Thomann to check out how the system works in a guitar other than a Cole Clark. So far the results are great and I will be making a full in-depth review of that guitar soon.

If you check out today's livestream you can hear the pickup played at the start of the video (direct sound only with reverb added) as well as some strumming later on:

Aaron, would the $600 price be Australian dollars or does that equal about $400 USD for the COLE CLARK COMPLETE PG3 PREAMP SYSTEM?

[JackB1]

I really can't see people cutting holes in their guitar to install a pickup system like this. They need to make a system that you can install yourself without the barn door controls. Between the cost of this system and then the cost of having a luthier install it for you, you would be way better off just buying a guitar with it already installed. Also, my worry about the Baton Rouge guitars is they are all very cheap, so it looks like this is just a cheap guitar with a very expensive pickup system. Sadly, I don't think this will really amount to much.

[Marshall]

Originally Posted by JackB1

I really can't see people cutting holes in their guitar to install a pickup system like this. They need to make a system that you can install yourself without the barn door controls. Between the cost of this system and then the cost of having a luthier install it for you, you would be way better off just buying a guitar with it already installed. Also, my worry about the Baton Rouge guitars is they are all very cheap, so it looks like this is just a cheap guitar with a very expensive pickup system. Sadly, I don't think this will really amount to much.

I disagree.

[Rudy4]

The entire installation process video, HERE.

[AeroUSA]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Aaron, would the $600 price be Australian dollars or does that equal about $400 USD for the COLE CLARK COMPLETE PG3 PREAMP SYSTEM?

That is $600 AUS which is around $400 USD.

[ssstewart]

glad that some are excited for it but I wont be putting it in any of my guitars. way to invasive and way to bulky/huge. most of mine have Baggs iBeam or anthems and one has infinity sys.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Marshall

I'm thoroughly amazed at a 7 hour gig !

Same here! Amazed (for Aaron) and at the same time horrified (at the thought of attempting something like that myself)!! The man is a MACHINE!

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

That is $600 AUS which is around $400 USD.

Thanks, Aaron.

[MaurysMusic]

Originally Posted by Petty1818

I was excited until I saw the side mounted controls. That’s an automatic no for me. Also, not to be negative but it’s using a UST. A big part of that system is the palathetic pickup.

I'm not familiar with the Cole Clark system but I've played a ton of Takamines. Yes, on paper, replacing a palathetic pickup with a garden variety UST is a noticeable downgrade.