Members Epiphone93 Posted July 28, 2015 Members Share Posted July 28, 2015 Hi. Newbie here so sorry if this is in the wrong place or whatever...I've bought myself an epiphone ej200 and i am wanting to amplify it. Now, would you recommend an LR BAGGS m1 passive with fishman presys blend 301? I've done loads of searching on Google about this and can't really find a straight answer so thought I'd ask here. I already have the fishman preamp in my other acoustic and I love it tbh. I also saw a video of some guy in youtube who had a preamp fitted as well as an LR BAGGS and he mentioned he'd wired it to his preamp to use the LR instead of piezo pup. Please share your thoughts and opinions on this as I'm really struggling to decide. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted July 28, 2015 Members Share Posted July 28, 2015 Welcome to HCAG and yes, this is a very good place to ask your question. Lots of folks here have experience with a lot of different pickups (and their pros and cons). I've installed a few in customer's guitars - most often the Fishman Matrix (UST) with their active electronics and the K&K Pure mini (sound board transducers, no electronics). I don't have any experience with the LR Baggs - sorry - but unless you really know what you are doing I would hesitate to mix pickups and electronics. I'm impressed with the K&K - it sounds far more natural than a UST, no quack, but does require an external preamp (usually not a problem). There are several models available - I usually use the basic one. If someone brings me a Martin I put a Fishman in it 'cause that's what they use, otherwise its the K&K. Installation is not trivial but also is not difficult - they provide a jig to help glue the three transducers to the bridge plate. I highly recommend the correct reamer for the end pin jack, altho they are expensive (you might find a repair tech like me who would ream the hole for you). I've seen butchered end pin holes from people just trying to drill them out - if you can get the reamer at least use a stepped "unibit". Others will chime in, just one opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted July 28, 2015 Members Share Posted July 28, 2015 First, welcome to the Forum. Second, yes, it can be done. My own Fishman preamp has an extra input specifically for a magnetic pickup. But, as Freeman noted, it's more than likely EQed for a Fishman pickup such as a Rare Earth. How different an M1 might be is debatable. I haven't used the K&K or the similar JJB Prestige 330 but a friend has an M1 Active in his Norman and I've never liked the sound of it. There's something "off" about the sound of the B string. I'd recommend that you go here and listen to a variety of acoustic pickups and decide what sounds best to you: http://www.dougyoungguitar.com/pickuptests/. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted July 28, 2015 Members Share Posted July 28, 2015 Wow, DE, that's a pretty cool link. I'll put it in my book marks somewhere so I might find it again sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted July 28, 2015 Members Share Posted July 28, 2015 My favorite acoustic amplification system involves soundboard transducers and some sort of preamp. I usually make custom ones using something like THIS: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acoustic-Guitar-Ukulele-Mandolin-Banjo-Pickup-Piezo-Transducer-DIY-High-Quality-/151429562777 Now if you want you can just run this to an endpin jack to a nice preamp like a Baggs Para DI....but I actually like THESE just as much installed on board as the Baggs. You have to cut into a guitar to install them but you get a nice digital tumer built in along with a great sounding preamp with EQ and your guitar also will work with a microphone cable. http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Band-EQ-Acoustic-Equalizer-Guitar-Preamp-Piezo-Pickup-Amplifier-LCD-Tuner-US-/331163795504 You might have to do a bit of splicing and soldering to make this system work but it sounds great and it's dirt cheap. I usually just toss the undersaddle piezo. Those sound crappy to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ski219 Posted July 28, 2015 Members Share Posted July 28, 2015 +1 on K&K. I opted to have my luthier install it as I read that the placement of the treble pickup needs to be very precise and I did not trust myself to get it right. Have had it for 6 years now and love the sound. It is in my Guild G37 dread. Going to put one in my 12 string soon as well. I have used it going straight into a mixer and it works fine, but I like to have a preamp where I am playing so I can make volume and tone adjustments easily. I use a small battery powered Fishman preamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thatsbunk Posted July 28, 2015 Members Share Posted July 28, 2015 My favorite acoustic amplification system involves soundboard transducers and some sort of preamp. I usually make custom ones using something like THIS: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acoustic-Guitar-Ukulele-Mandolin-Banjo-Pickup-Piezo-Transducer-DIY-High-Quality-/151429562777 interesting... On a typical acoustic guitar where do you mount these discs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted July 29, 2015 Members Share Posted July 29, 2015 Ironically, the music store that I do a little work for called today. One of their customers lost his house and all his possessions, including 8 guitars, in a recent wild fire. The insurance came thru and he decided to replace 8 guitars with the 3 he has always wanted. He had just bought a very nice D35 from the music store and wanted me to install a pickup in it. Guess what one he chose? Yup, K&K Pure Mini ps - this is a good reminder to write down the model and serial numbers of all of your guitars (and other valuables) and put them in a save place. Mine are on a thumb drive in my safety deposit box but it might be even better to host them in the Cloud. If the worst ever does happen it makes it a lot easier to file the claim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sdelsolray Posted July 29, 2015 Members Share Posted July 29, 2015 Hi. Newbie here so sorry if this is in the wrong place or whatever... I've bought myself an epiphone ej200 and i am wanting to amplify it. Now, would you recommend an LR BAGGS m1 passive with fishman presys blend 301? I've done loads of searching on Google about this and can't really find a straight answer so thought I'd ask here. I already have the fishman preamp in my other acoustic and I love it tbh. I also saw a video of some guy in youtube who had a preamp fitted as well as an LR BAGGS and he mentioned he'd wired it to his preamp to use the LR instead of piezo pup. Please share your thoughts and opinions on this as I'm really struggling to decide. Thanks. Much will depend on the style(s) of music you play, whether you strum of play fingerstyle, whether you play solo (no vocals), solo (with vocals), play in a duet, or a trio, or a full band. Also, the venues you play are a factor. The remainder of your signal chain should also be disclosed. If you provide aadditional information, you should get more meaningful responses. Otherwise, you're likely only going to get, "This is what I use and I like it.", or similar responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Epiphone93 Posted July 29, 2015 Author Members Share Posted July 29, 2015 Thanks for the replies folks. I play a bit of everything really, strumming finger style arpeggios etc. I do song a little but not a lot at the moment as I've only recently started to sing and play. Ill have a read up about the mentioned pickups. As said o have the presys blend 301 on my other acoustic and I do like it but I do like the sound of the m1. Has anybody got a baggs m80? I just don't know weather it would be worth cutting into the guitar to fit the preamp or just fit the soundhole pick up. Again thanks for all the replies and warm welcome :-) Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted July 29, 2015 Members Share Posted July 29, 2015 Personally, I wouldn't cut into the guitar but I know others would. It would be hard to get the preamp to lay flat on any part of your EJ200's curvy jumbo body. The M1 Active and M80 both have built-in preamps and volume controls. And Fishman (http://www.fishman.com/products/view/matrix-infinity-1), Baggs (http://www.acousticon.com/lr_baggs_pickups-new.htm) and Shadow (http://us.shadow-electronics.com/products/acoustic_guitar/micro-sonic_preamps/sh_m-sonic_a_nfx_vt) all make undersaddle pickups with volume/tone controls that mount in the soundhole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted July 29, 2015 Members Share Posted July 29, 2015 A second to what DE says - no way would I cut a barn door in any guitar that didn't come with it from the factory (and frankly, I doubt that I would buy one that did). Most of the after market active pups have little electronic packages that mount in the soundhole (sometimes they are a hassle because of braces). Sometimes the sticky back tape comes loose - I have had to use gel superglue to mount them. The 9 volt battery mounts in a bag with some double sticky tape too. Some pups like the K&K use off board preamps - that way the only thing you have modified on your guitar is reaming the end pin jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted July 29, 2015 Members Share Posted July 29, 2015 . . . Most of the after market active pups have little electronic packages that mount in the soundhole (sometimes they are a hassle because of braces). Sometimes the sticky back tape comes loose - I have had to use gel superglue to mount them. The 9 volt battery mounts in a bag with some double sticky tape too. . . . Actually, most of the ones I've seen use an endpin preamp but the downside is that there are usually no volume or tone controls. As I mentioned, an M1 Active will have a volume control built in and you can take it out to replace the battery. Very handy if you like the way it sounds. And fortunately, not all undersaddle pickups use those wretched little bags. I have a Fishman endpin preamp in my "good" guitar and it uses a little metal bracket that attaches to the heel block and holds the battery like a clamp. I used a cordless mini drill/screwdriver to attach mine. The little clips that stick to the inside of the guitar and are supposed to hold the wires in place did, however, come loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Epiphone93 Posted July 31, 2015 Author Members Share Posted July 31, 2015 Thanks again for the replies. I've lined up my fishman presys blend on the body of the guitar and found a "suitable" place where it would sit nicely but as you and other users have mentioned I don't really want to cut into the body as once it's there there is no going back... I think I'm going to go for the lr baggs m80 tbh as that has both active and passive and I would then only need to drill the hole for the end pin jack. Something else that keeps cropping up is those SD woodys, anybody have any experience with those? Thanks again.Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Epiphone93 Posted July 31, 2015 Author Members Share Posted July 31, 2015 Another thing as well is I'm not sure if I like the sound of the undersaddle pup, I keep blending between the 2 on the fishman presys I have and the undersaddle sounds a bit tinny if that makes sense. I've found a video ok youtube of a guy who has all the mentioned pups installed on one guitar for comparison so I'm going to have a careful listen and see what grabs my attention. Does anybody know what noel gallagher uses/used on his epiphine ej? That sounds lovely but have never seen a photo or video showing what pup he uses. I know (or think) he uses the m1a on his gibson j200 which also sounds nice (seen him live) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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