Why I love my Schertler AG-6

jkilgour2000 · #1 05-15-2018, 09:48 AM

I'm still in the honeymoon period with this sound hole pickup, but I gotta say, it's pretty close to the holy grail pickup I've been looking for.

I've been looking for a pickup that has the mag + mic for a while now, that I can stick on my Martin M36, without modifying anything. I have the Seymour Duncan Mag Mic, which is awesome, but it's tethered to the endpin jack, as well as a 9volt battery, which has to be mounted inside the guitar (it can be modified to have a on-board battery with simple soldering, but I'm not proficient in that)

What the Schertler AG-6 offers is this: an onboard battery (watch style battery), as well as 1/8" jack (kind of like the M80). That way, it really is something that I can drop in the sound hole, plug in, and play.

I'm loving the sound of this thing. Super quiet, transparent sound. And when you blend in the mic, it really does pick up the natural sound of the wood. And you don't need to blend in the mic a ton to get that sound. Also, the thing is really a work of art to look at. So far, so happy.

The only downsides:

It won't fit in my 0028. The sound hole is too small.

They're hard to find here in the United States. I had to order it from Germany. It was definitely worth the wait.

meb · #2 05-17-2018, 06:37 AM

I am looking hard at the AG6 and S-Mic-M also. I understand this is a
single coil pickup. With SC and a mic, I worry about feedback problems.
Are you having any problems getting high volumes without feedback?
with and without mic blend?

Thanks.

jkilgour2000 · #3 05-17-2018, 07:10 AM

There might be someone else that can answer this -- I don't play in a band, and I don't play in public. Just me and my Fishman Loudbox in the basement. That being said, the feedback is minimal -- but i keep the amp volume pretty low.

emmsone · #4 05-17-2018, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meb

I am looking hard at the AG6 and S-Mic-M also. I understand this is a
single coil pickup. With SC and a mic, I worry about feedback problems.
Are you having any problems getting high volumes without feedback?
with and without mic blend?

Thanks.

My bandmate has one in her guitar and its by far the best mag pickup i've ever come across even without the mic, and you only need a hint of mic to make it really sparkle.
The mic is quite sensitive so if you have the mic level up high feedback can occur, there is a mic level dial right there on the front of the pickup thats easily accessible though and you can drop the level down until feedback goes away or becomes controllable. And if you really are at high volumes, dial the mic out and the feedback is gone and the pickup is still more than decent

Woodstock School Of Music · #5 05-17-2018, 11:49 AM

I got mine a couple weeks ago and I love it. As far as feedback I'm able to dial in quite a bit of mic when I'm plugged into an amp in my rehearsal space. I haven't used it at a gig yet but I already know I'll be turning down the mic but If the gig was quieter and controlled I think you could get away with having the mic higher.

Here's a video I made in my studio of the AG-6 and S-MIC with the S-mic at 100%.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnLY1HTMvyc

meb · #6 05-25-2018, 04:57 AM

Hello DMan. I am curious....you have mic at 100% for demo; how much
did you turn up the volume wheel? I get a LOT of feedback with 100% mic.

I just got an AG-6 a couple of days ago. I am getting great sound with just
a little mic I will post my impressions when I get a little more time.

meb · #7 05-26-2018, 02:09 AM

I re-tried my AG-6 with 'all mic' a got it to work fine with no feedback. I have
no idea what I did differently.

The AG-6 is a wonderful sounding pickup to my ear. I have been using the Black Angel mainly and the M80 when I need the convenience of Active.
With just a little mic dialed in, I get a very clean, transparent sound with nice dynamics. I have a couple of gigs next week, I am anxious to see if I encounter any feedback issues. My tests have been using a Bose L1C, T1 and Baggs Venue.

My only quibble is that the clamping system sucks. It is hard to get it fitted
in stable. I always wonder if it will fall out. It is much easier to swap the Black Angel and Baggs to other guitars. Hopefully, I can get it more secure
when I change strings in a day or two.

AndyC · #8 05-26-2018, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meb

I re-tried my AG-6 with 'all mic' a got it to work fine with no feedback. I have
no idea what I did differently.

The AG-6 is a wonderful sounding pickup to my ear. I have been using the Black Angel mainly and the M80 when I need the convenience of Active.
With just a little mic dialed in, I get a very clean, transparent sound with nice dynamics. I have a couple of gigs next week, I am anxious to see if I encounter any feedback issues. My tests have been using a Bose L1C, T1 and Baggs Venue.

My only quibble is that the clamping system sucks. It is hard to get it fitted
in stable. I always wonder if it will fall out. It is much easier to swap the Black Angel and Baggs to other guitars. Hopefully, I can get it more secure
when I change strings in a day or two.

I have a DiMarzio Black Angel - do you think that the AG-6 with the Mic addition sounds better??

Woodstock School Of Music · #9 05-26-2018, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meb

Hello DMan. I am curious....you have mic at 100% for demo; how much
did you turn up the volume wheel? I get a LOT of feedback with 100% mic.

I just got an AG-6 a couple of days ago. I am getting great sound with just
a little mic I will post my impressions when I get a little more time.

meb

When I made that video it was for the sole purpose of hearing what the mic (turned up to 100%)sounds like plugged directly into a recording interface. I had headphones on and the speakers off so feedback wasn't an issue. The reason I did this is that listening to pickups directly through an interface exposes every detail good and bad about them but the AG-6 held it's own better than any pickup I've ever done this with. UTS pickups sound awful going direct in without an amp.

As far as using it with an amp I'm running around 60% of the mic depending on the volume of the room and location of the amp and getting a very natural sound.

meb · #10 05-26-2018, 06:58 AM

AndyC - I have been very pleased with the sound I get with the BA and Venue.
Unlike the M80 which sounds different to me, the BA and the AG-6 are very similar sonically. I think I am hearing a slightly cleaner sound with a tad more
dynamics. The mic makes it easier to dial in the top end 'air'.

I wouldn't say it runs circles around the BA, but I will say
that once I installed the AG-6, I do not feel the urge to keep doing A/B comparisons with the BA.
There is an 'evenness to the sound that is addictive. Who knows, maybe it is
is doing more than I objectively can describe.

It also sounds great without the Venue and being Active opens up the possibility of some 'skinnier' PA configs for tight spaces.

To sum up, the BA is very clean and transparent, and the AG6 even somewhat moreso. It is the kind of differences that we on this forum are looking for. ymmv.

We will see how it performs live.....that's the big question.

lkingston · #11 05-26-2018, 08:52 AM

The magnetic soundhole pickup plus mic is my favorite pickup format for fingerstyle acoustic guitar. I personally don’t think it sounds as authenticity acoustic as something of the other premium options (Anthem, piezo with an Auria or Tonedexter) but for some reason, I prefer the mag/mic sound in spite of that. It’s just a beautiful sound that brings out notes and jazz voicings like a jazz box, yet maintains just the right amount of the acoustic guitar sound. I like the sound enough to record with it even, which I would not do with an Anthem or body resonance pedal.

lkingston · #12 05-26-2018, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The dman

I got mine a couple weeks ago and I love it. As far as feedback I'm able to dial in quite a bit of mic when I'm plugged into an amp in my rehearsal space. I haven't used it at a gig yet but I already know I'll be turning down the mic but If the gig was quieter and controlled I think you could get away with having the mic higher.

Here's a video I made in my studio of the AG-6 and S-MIC with the S-mic at 100%.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnLY1HTMvyc

Wow, that does sound really great!

lkingston · #13 05-26-2018, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkilgour2000

What the Schertler AG-6 offers is this: an onboard battery (watch style battery), as well as 1/8" jack (kind of like the M80).

Do you know if the wiring is the same as for the M80 endpin jack? Since I already have the LR Baggs endpin assembly installed, would I be able to just drop in the pickup and plug in the existing 1/8” plug?

Edit: Judging by this picture I would say that it is:

AndyC · #14 05-27-2018, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lkingston

Do you know if the wiring is the same as for the M80 endpin jack? Since I already have the LR Baggs endpin assembly installed, would I be able to just drop in the pickup and plug in the existing 1/8” plug?

Edit: Judging by this picture I would say that it is:

It might not be quite as straightforward as you imagine - there is a switching component within the circuitry that activates the battery when the jack is inserted. I would advise you to check with Schertler support, who I have found to be very helpful and responsive.

https://www.schertler.com/en_IT/product-specialists

(Hint - I had been dealing with Drago Dujak...!)

meb · #15 05-27-2018, 04:40 AM

I have the M80 endpin jack in all my guitars. This is what I have used the
AG-6 with. It seems to work fine. I couldn't tell any difference when I
used the Schertler $20 External Stereo Jack. They both seem to be TRS Jacks. I have also wondered if there was any different impact on battery life.