Question about soundhole pickups

[DarkHorseJ27]

What about a magnetic soundhole pickup makes it sound more acoustic than an electric guitar magnetic pickup? How are they different?

[daklander]

I'm certainly not a expert by any means but here's what I think.

Because there are usually differences in the make up of the acoustic strings versus the electric strings I would think there are going to be difference in the pole pieces, windings and the housings.

[OldGuitarPlayer]

Like daklander I am no expert but the general consensus around here seems to be that soundhole pickups are the least acoustic sounding of any kind of acoustic pickup. I use a Fishman passive single coil soundhole pickup myself and for live gigs it does what I need. I think soundhole pickups basically pickup the magnetic vibration from the strings (like a solidbody electric) and not from the vibration of the guitar's top.

[DarkHorseJ27]

Let me rephrase my question. How do they make the soundhole pickups sound more acoustic than typical electric guitar pickups?

 

If you stick a soundhole pickup under some acoustic strings and some electric strings (making adjustments with pole pieces of course), it will sound acoustic, at least for a soundhole pickup.

 

If you still an electric pickup under both types of strings, it will sound electric (besides being kind of crappy on the wound bronze strings).

 

What I what to know is what in the inner working of these pickups account for that difference.

[daklander]

Differences, as I mentioned, in the pole pieces, windings and housings, being different, will create different signals, thus different tones.

 

If you want particulars I would suggest hitting Google and Ask.com pretty hard for information about pickup theory, science and design. You may be able to find a good WIKI, or go to Seymour Duncan and other builder's sites and see if there is any technical information there.

[EvilTwin]

Well, just compare the tone of archtops (which originally were mongrels with floating pickups that sounded VERY electric) to modern flat tops with soundhole pickups. Heck, soundhole pickups have changed in housing (some now housed in wood, which has to have an effect on tone) and construction (the type of magnets and coils used).

 

Then there's the L.R. Baggs M-1.

 

http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/pickups_m1-active.shtml

Triaxial Dynamic Technology Explained

In the M1, the hum-canceling coil is suspended under the main coil by a tuned support that allows it to move in three dimensions. The primary coil moves with the guitar top and creates a body signal in the suspended secondary coil. This brings the M1 to life, with string and body sound all in one. It's like having a dual pickup system in your soundhole. And it's all passive!

 

We've carefully tuned the support to control motion in all three dimensions. This allows us to selectively add the presence and realism from the body signal while suppressing runaway feedback.

[BigBrowns]

I have been using the above on my Guild Jumbo for two months now, and it is the closest I have been able to get to Taylor's ES sound without buying a Taylor. The pickup has two poles, and has a mechanism that responds to the vibration of the sound board, blending the two for a very nice acoustic tone through an amp or a PA. I compared it side by side with a 314-ce. The guys in the guitar store were pretty impressed.

 

Not cheap, by any means. I paid $170, but great sound.