LR Baggs Anthem vs. Anthem SL?

jwhelan56 · #1 10-31-2016, 12:41 PM

What are the main differences between these two? Any pros/cons and experiences for either that you want to tell me about?

Thanks in advance,

Jim

jseth · #2 10-31-2016, 02:53 PM

Jim;

Although it may be a good source for "personal" experiences to ask that question here, I would strongly urge you to do what I did...

I CALLED LR BAGGS and spoke to Brian in the Tech department... told him what I wanted, what I needed, and he proceeded to steer me to the Anthem SL.

Bottom line is that the "full" Anthem has a lot of different adjustments to allow you to dial in the sound, BUT those same adjustments can screw you up if you don't need them or fully understand exactly "What?" all those adjustments do....

For me, the choice was the Anthem SL, and I have been happy with them for over 5 years now, in both my 6 and 12 string Mark Angus acoustics... they aren't perfect, by any means, but they sound good and they are fairly simple to dial-in a good tone.

Naturally, someone is going to chime in and say all sorts of contrary things about either or both systems, so again, I would strongly recommend that you call Baggs and talk to their techs about it.

DrJamie · #3 10-31-2016, 06:16 PM

I have the SL in a small body Gibson. The full Anthem would not fit. I would like to be able to make adjustments to the mic/UST mix. That is preset in the SL. I have a Fishman Ellipse Blend in my D-18. I always adjust the mic/UST blend, as the mic adds an airy acoustic sound, but can feedback too. The UST adds punch, and is more feedback resistant. I would consider the ability to mix the mic, and UST to be very useful, in the Anthem.

jwhelan56 · #4 11-06-2016, 10:00 AM

I just purchased an Emerald X20 and had them swap out the standard Element for the full on Anthem. Hoping I made a good choice.....the guitar will be here in about a week from the factory in Ireland.

Petty1818 · #5 11-06-2016, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwhelan56

I just purchased an Emerald X20 and had them swap out the standard Element for the full on Anthem. Hoping I made a good choice.....the guitar will be here in about a week from the factory in Ireland.

I wouldn't worry, the difference between the two systems really just comes down to how many controls you want. I have the SL but sometimes wish I could blend in a little less of the mic. I think the SL has just taken off because it's a much more simple set up, the controls are smaller and most musicians probably mix more mic in anyway so it's taking out the guess work.

fuman · #6 11-08-2016, 10:07 AM

I have the SL. You CAN adjust the mix with a hex wrench, but when I had it installed -- by a tech who is a local pro player -- he suggested that if you dial the mic up too far you get too much what he called "sizzle." And if you dial it back too far, you lose the benefit of having the mic. He told me the sweet spot is about 70% mic and set it there and I was very happy with the sound.

rokdog49 · #7 11-09-2016, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuman

I have the SL. You CAN adjust the mix with a hex wrench, but when I had it installed -- by a tech who is a local pro player -- he suggested that if you dial the mic up too far you get too much what he called "sizzle." And if you dial it back too far, you lose the benefit of having the mic. He told me the sweet spot is about 70% mic and set it there and I was very happy with the sound.

That's about where I have mine set and it works pretty well.
The full Anthem has more adjustments regarding EQ, but I also was advised by Brian at L.R.Baggs that most of their folks like the simplicity of the Anthem SL and so do I. Additionally, I use a Fishman Platinum Pro D.I./EQ which is great for tweaking to get a more natural sound and it can be used with any pick up system. I highly recommend it.

Petty1818 · #8 11-09-2016, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuman

I have the SL. You CAN adjust the mix with a hex wrench, but when I had it installed -- by a tech who is a local pro player -- he suggested that if you dial the mic up too far you get too much what he called "sizzle." And if you dial it back too far, you lose the benefit of having the mic. He told me the sweet spot is about 70% mic and set it there and I was very happy with the sound.

I think it's all dependent on the guitar. When I first had mine installed (SL), the mic was carrying too much of the high end. There was sizzle but it was bright and thin sounding. There's really no way to gauge where the screw is at but I would say I am right in the middle. I actually dialled in a darker tone than I generally would because on stage, I always find that my guitar is brighter than at home.

By the way, I am pretty sure it's not a "mix" control. The screw is more of a frequency control. The mix is pre-set and you cannot change that.

fenderball · #9 11-09-2016, 05:55 PM

I have the SL in a Martin 000-18...like it alot...

i also have a Taylor (2001) 314ce....The SL sounds much better than the stock Taylor electronics IMHO

doublescale1 · #10 11-09-2016, 09:13 PM

I have a "full" Anthem in my Martin D15M and its a great sounding pickup in that guitar. I do like being able to dial in the amount of mic verses USP, depending on the room I'm playing in. I find the Anthem and the Martin Aura system to be the two most organic sounding systems out there now. YMMV.

TellyJelly74 · #11 04-17-2021, 12:50 PM

I am considering buying a Martin HD-28 (Reimagined). I tried out a D-18 E 2020 with the full LR Baggs Anthem, too. The system sounds pretty natural. The guy in the shop adviced me to chose the simple SL system because of the lighter weight of the SL. He said other customers complained that they lost overtones. Any comments on this? Has anyone had an issue regarding overtones with the full Anthem system?

Petty1818 · #12 04-17-2021, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TellyJelly74

I am considering buying a Martin HD-28 (Reimagined). I tried out a D-18 E 2020 with the full LR Baggs Anthem, too. The system sounds pretty natural. The guy in the shop adviced me to chose the simple SL system because of the lighter weight of the SL. He said other customers complained that they lost overtones. Any comments on this? Has anyone had an issue regarding overtones with the full Anthem system?

It’s been reported here by some that the Anthem had a negative impact on the unplugged, acoustic tone. However, it has more to do with the Element UST than it does the full vs sl version. I am sure the full version with the larger control module can make a difference as well, but it’s the UST that’s causing the issue.

ZebraKing · #13 04-18-2021, 07:08 AM

On my Anthem I end up dialing in mostly the mic for strumming and mostly UST for fingerpicking, so nice to have that control. Also like the battery meter.