Suggestions for installing acoustic guitar pickups and preamp

Ethan_D_Smith · #1 04-23-2016, 05:20 PM

Hi everyone. Im new here. I hope i posted in the right spot. I got a new guitar 2 or 3 weeks ago and i love it but im also a little disappointed in my choice. I wish i had gotten a guitar witha tuner and preamp built in so my question is should i try installing a preamp myself by cutting a hole in the guitar,should i pay a luthier to do it,or should i just buy a new guitar? The new guitar i got is a blueridge br43. I know they have a version witha preamp but it wasnt in the store and they never mentioned it. Im also a little hesitant spending a lot of money. I got my guitar for $430 (cant remember tax) but its on musiciansfriend for 400 and on others for less so i feel a little cheated as well.

ahorsewithnonam · #2 04-23-2016, 07:10 PM

Do you play amplified a lot ? If so just get a preamp pedal. If not just get a snark tuner.

Mandobart · #3 04-23-2016, 07:24 PM

You don't need to start cutting holes. Most of my instruments are fiddles and mandolins and don't have deep enough sides to house a preamp.

First you need pickups. There are lots of options. I have had success with JJB PPS-200 twin head piezo pickups. I've also used K&K with good results. JJB are just as good in every way, just way less expensive. Many people prefer mics over piezos and I'm sure they'll weigh in. If you use piezo pickups you will need a preamp or DI unless you will always plug in to a high impedance input (standard on most acoustic amps and many PA's/mixers).

For preamps, I've have good results with an ART tube, Behringer ADI21
K&K Pure and my current favorite the RedEye.

You could make your new guitar a capable acoustic electric with any of these.

Ethan_D_Smith · #4 04-24-2016, 12:34 AM

I like to use a chorus pedal with my acoustic guitar when im at home but when im at school or a friends i dont want the mess of having a pedal. It takes up space in my guitar case and it isnt as convenient as being on the side of the guitar for me to see. I have had an acoustic with peizo pickups but never one with a mic. I really would like to try one witha mic if it fits with a solution to my problem. Thank you both for the repkies btw. K&k looks a little complicated.... I guess thats what i get for not getting a guitar with what i want though huh. if working on the guitars doesnt involve much work or cutting i can probably do it myself. The last two years i took machine shop at school so i feel like simple wood working would be easy-ish. Thank you again for the replies. Good suggestions. ☺

Ethan_D_Smith · #5 04-24-2016, 12:40 AM

Mom keeps telling me to keep the one i have and get another. Back story is i have a cheap esteban acoustic witha preamp to plug in and i have pedals for my fender squier affinity strat (thats where my amazing mxr analog chorus comes from to use with my acoustic). I dont want to use my old crappy acoustic to plug in and play because i like my brand new acoustic but when getting it i didnt even realise what i had done until the 3 day return linit was over because the shop was closed on weekends.

Marty C · #6 04-24-2016, 03:50 AM

Hi Ethan,
Welcome to the forum. Lots of good advice here.

Some easy and simple things that don't require cutting a hole in your guitar are sound hole pickups. LR Baggs makes a good one - M1. I did as you and purchase an Epiphone that had a great sound and then had this installed. Works very well. You could also try a Woody from Seymore Duncan. Fishman has a good one as well.

janmulder · #7 04-24-2016, 05:29 AM

Hi Ethan ... welcome to the forum

Well, looking at the things you have mentioned ... it's a tough one but not impossible

You bought the guitar for around 400 so lets assume you want a proportionally priced solution ... possibly something less than the guitar and not a $800+ solution? I only mention this because it is easy to get carried away.

You find the K&K solution a bit complex ... I can assume the gluing part is what worries you. Mind you, unless you have experience, I'd have to advise you bring it to a luthier anyway if you want to put any pickup in that requires an endpin jack ... drilling the hole for the jack, although not difficult, can be easy to screw up if you are not very careful and use the wrong tools.

On that note, if you are at a luthier anyway, then gluing the K&K in for you will add peanuts to his price. Same goes for drilling a little hole for an under saddle pickup. Your cheapest outlays will be either K&K system or something like the LR Baggs Element, or Fishman Matrix.

The internally simplest system is by far the K&K, however, you will probably want to use some sort of external preamp with it ... making it just as complex in total as the other two mentioned ... only diffence being where the preamp is ... inside or outside the guitar.

You mentioned liking the idea of a mic ... but most mic solutions out there like the Lyric, Anthem, Trinity are going to be more expensive ... I don't know the prices there in the US but here they cost about $400.

Possibly the Miniflex mics may be something to look at. quite a simple system based on an internal mic. Only an endpin hole is needed ... but they have models that don't even require that.

All in all, if you find the K&K too complex and you are interested in a mic then Marty's idea sounds like the ticket. A soundhole mag is super simple and there are a few with a mic like the Seymour Duncan Magmic or Fishman Models. They also don't sound too bad at all.

Anyway, that's a few more suggestions. Hope you find what you want.

I wouldn't feel bad about the purchase ... often the pre-installed systems aren't that great and many prefer to buy guitars without so that they can install the system they like.

fazool · #8 04-24-2016, 05:33 AM

3-day limit only counts business days.

Br1ck · #9 04-24-2016, 10:05 AM

At that price level, any guitar with onboard electronics is going to be barely OK, with a harsh sounding under saddle pickup and cheap pre amp.

So, another vote for a K&K plus outboard pedal, or a magnetic sound hole pickup.

Ethan_D_Smith · #10 04-24-2016, 10:29 PM

Thank you all for the suggestions. So in your opnion whuch system sounds best with a mic or a mic and pickup blend for 200 or under? I dont mind buy off of ebay if its new. Prices are usually cheaper anyhow. On a side note, do they have systems like the k&k that have the controls on the guitar? Maybe like the face of the guitar? So if some people do get guitars without pickups and preamps and install their own solutions then is it generally pretty common for an acoustic elsctric to not have the control panel on it? Can you still install a control panel on the side for simplicity when you use it? What would you do in my situation? By control panel i mean like the preamp controls and stuff like bass mid treble and stuff. Id really prefer a preamp in the top side like some do come from the factory but i also understand that i dont want to pay more than what i spent on the guitar for it either. Thank you all for the help.

caissiel · #11 04-24-2016, 11:01 PM

I would buy a $200 used Takamine EF or G model guitar and enjoy. I did and never looked back. Much better then any above recommendations. And still have a nice new guitar unplugged.

janmulder · #12 04-24-2016, 11:03 PM

The Seymour Duncan magmic. Possibly the the Fishman Earthblend if purchased on Ebay.

A bit more expensive: The LR Baggs Lyric gets sold off sometimes ... maybe watch here on the classifieds... although, this could be a more difficult pickup to get a good sound with.

I think the K&K system is also available with internal preamp.

janmulder · #13 04-25-2016, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caissiel

I would buy a $200 used Takamine EF or G model guitar and enjoy. I did and never looked back. Much better then any above recommendations. And still have a nice new guitar unplugged.

That's a fine sweeping statement you make there!

You could help him by suggesting specifically which model would sell for $200? These are not the prices I see.

caissiel · #14 04-25-2016, 07:54 AM

Boight one pro model last year for $200 and it's better then most OM plugged in. The $300 model has better plugged in sound thea a Taylor with any of the above pickups. They both came with the best cases and in new condition.
I see used EG models for $200 on EBAY all the time.
A good one is EG230 or 240.
The GD30E is among the best I heard.
I could go on for lots.

kaos · #15 04-25-2016, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ethan_D_Smith

Thank you all for the suggestions. So in your opnion whuch system sounds best with a mic or a mic and pickup blend for 200 or under? I dont mind buy off of ebay if its new. Prices are usually cheaper anyhow. On a side note, do they have systems like the k&k that have the controls on the guitar? Maybe like the face of the guitar? So if some people do get guitars without pickups and preamps and install their own solutions then is it generally pretty common for an acoustic elsctric to not have the control panel on it? Can you still install a control panel on the side for simplicity when you use it? What would you do in my situation? By control panel i mean like the preamp controls and stuff like bass mid treble and stuff. Id really prefer a preamp in the top side like some do come from the factory but i also understand that i dont want to pay more than what i spent on the guitar for it either. Thank you all for the help.

For under $200 .. I would get JJB Prestige 330 (15mm), and a K&K Pure Preamp. The JJB is $50, and the K&K Pure is around $100 for a total of $150. If you can go up to $250 ... consider the Redeye instead of the K&K Pure.