Installing a pickup

Stacks · #1 06-12-2016, 11:28 AM

I've got a question. Are there any tutorials on how to add a pickup to an acoustic archtop? What would I need purchase and change to my archtop to install one?

Steve DeRosa · #2 06-12-2016, 02:09 PM

If you use one of these, very little:

https://shop.guildguitars.com/produc...-mount-pickup/
https://shop.guildguitars.com/produc...0-pickup-gold/

Screw the mounting rod to the bass side of the neck, cut a notch in the pickguard for the treble side of the pickup, drill a hole in the pickguard for your volume pot, solder up the pickup to a volume control and 1/4" jack and mount them beneath the pickguard, and you're good to go - if you're handy with a Dremel and a soldering iron about an hour's work, and you don't need to drill into the guitar's top...

Spook · #3 06-12-2016, 02:14 PM

Do you mean installing an acoustic pickup like a K&K or an electric pickup mounted to a pickguard?

Stacks · #4 06-12-2016, 02:36 PM

Guys, sorry I didn't mention but my guitar doesn't have a pickguard.

Here's an image of what my guitar looks like (not mine though)

I was thinking that the action is high enough that I wouldn't need to do any digging into the body of the guitar, and just screw on some dog ear p90's.

Would that work?

Spook · #5 06-12-2016, 04:19 PM

If you install anything into the wood you'll wreck the guitar.

Your options are a K&K Definity, a K&K Pure Bass (same as their K&K Pure Archtop they don't market any more), or installing a pickguard and choosing one of the many 'floater' style electric pickups available. There are also under saddle piezo choices but I'm not much of a piezo fan.

Let us know what kind of sound you would like to get and some of us can share our experiences.

Stacks · #6 06-12-2016, 05:47 PM

So theres no way I could attack these pickups in any way?:
http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Alni...ckup_c_84.html

I really enjoy the warm, soft, clean sound of those (and I guess all other) p90's.

Steve DeRosa · #7 06-12-2016, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacks

...I really enjoy the warm, soft, clean sound of those (and I guess all other) p90's.

Spook has it right - install a pickguard and one of the DeArmonds I recommended, and I guarantee it'll give you the "warm, soft, clean sound" associated with the first generation of electric jazz guitar...

MC5C · #8 06-17-2016, 06:12 PM

P90's are close to an inch thick and extend about a half inch below the level of the cover, so you would have to route out sizeable holes in the top of the guitar and probably cut through the braces, effectively ruining it as an archtop guitar. If thats what you want to do, it's your guitar so have at it. It's been done before. It's been done a lot by manufacturers who make electric archtops, Gretsch, Gibson, et al. Other options all sit over the top, either attached to the pick guard, which you don't have but could buy or make, or to the neck. If your goal is a mellow jazz guitar, they would do well. If you want a rock-a-billy twang-master, a-la Stray Cat's Brian Setzer, I'd get out the drill and a skil-saw. And don't forget the Bigsby vibrato bar!

Mandobart · #9 06-23-2016, 06:05 AM

I don't have an arch top guitar (yet). I have many archtop instruments - 4 fiddles, 2 mandolins, a 10 string mandola, 2 octave mandos, 2 mandocellos (one is an Eastman, based on one of their arch tops (AR405).

I've installed twin head piezos in all of these. A couple are K&K - the rest are all JJB. Granted it is not the same as a mag coil pu, but they are easy to install, inexpensive and don't alter the acoustic sound or cause any damage. Thru my Carvin AG300 all my piezo instruments sound pretty much like they do unplugged, just louder.

erniecaster · #10 06-25-2016, 06:41 AM

Hi!

I tried at least a dozen times to put a pickup into an archtop to receive the acoustic sound and it never worked the way I wanted it.

Putting on a magnetic pickup makes an electric guitar out of it, which was not, what I wanted.

K&K did not work (feedback), Fishman did not work (sounded like a banjo).

I gave it up.

cu

erniecaster

Steve DeRosa · #11 06-25-2016, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erniecaster

...I tried at least a dozen times to put a pickup into an archtop to receive the acoustic sound and it never worked the way I wanted it...Fishman did not work (sounded like a banjo)...

Had the same problem with a Barcus-Berry Outsider, decided to try it on my banjo instead by tacking it to the underside of the head beneath the bridge with double-sided foam tape; best banjo pickup I've ever used - sometimes what works for one thing doesn't work for another...

Mandobart · #12 06-25-2016, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erniecaster

Hi!

I tried at least a dozen times to put a pickup into an archtop to receive the acoustic sound and it never worked the way I wanted it.

Putting on a magnetic pickup makes an electric guitar out of it, which was not, what I wanted.

K&K did not work (feedback), Fishman did not work (sounded like a banjo).

I gave it up.

cu

erniecaster

A dozen times, with two examples given. I can drive any pickup/amp system to feedback. Adding piezo pickups to a soundboard turns it into a microphone. You have to balance stage volume, gain settings, EQ, speaker (main and monitor) placement and your own playing style/stage position to deal with it. I have added piezo pu's to multiple acoustic instruments and know how to make them work in a solo, duo or full band. In a full band with electric guitar, bass and drums it takes cooperation between everyone to make it work. I absolutely can get full acoustic sound from an arch top instrument using twin head soundboard pu's and an acoustic amp or preamp with a PA.

Was the Fishman an undersaddle pu? These have inherent problems leading to the banjo-y sound. UST's are under constant strain so they are biased toward saturation. This leads to distortion and "quack" which players spend a lot of money and effort to try to eliminate. Easier to not introduce it in the first place.

Digits_Only · #13 06-25-2016, 09:45 PM

If you want a jazzy humbucker sound, Kent Armstrong makes neck-mounted pickups that sound divine.

I have KAs on my Ribbecke archtops and I couldn't imagine a better jazz sound.

Spook · #14 06-26-2016, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erniecaster

Hi!

I tried at least a dozen times to put a pickup into an archtop to receive the acoustic sound and it never worked the way I wanted it.

Putting on a magnetic pickup makes an electric guitar out of it, which was not, what I wanted.

K&K did not work (feedback), Fishman did not work (sounded like a banjo).

I gave it up.

cu

erniecaster

What I finally arrived at was an oval hole archtop, .013 phosphor bronze strings, a Sunrise pickup (magnetic.. but the best I know of for an acoustic sound), and a Grace Design Felix preamp which makes the Sunrise sound noticeably better than either the DTAR Solstice or Sunrise SB1. It isn't perfect but I prefer it to the K&K or Definity in an archtop.

Spook · #15 06-26-2016, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digits_Only

If you want a jazzy humbucker sound, Kent Armstrong makes neck-mounted pickups that sound divine.

I have KAs on my Ribbecke archtops and I couldn't imagine a better jazz sound.

I'm a huge fan of KA pickups and have them on several guitars. Thing is I really like the adjustable pole piece models best. WD music has good sales from time to time.. http://www.wdmusic.com/kent_armstron..._hjgn12_b.html