Zippydog Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I'm thinking about installing a pickup system to my straight acoustic DR500. The L.R. Baggs seems to get good reviews and I like the idea of hiding it under the saddle. Now for my question. I absolutely love the sound of my guitar as it stands. Will adding this pickup under the saddle change the sound of my guitar? I need to know what to expect before I go through the process. Your experience with this and your thoughts are much appreciated. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwalker201 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I just installed a lr baggs lyric in my Martin and it sounds fantastic. Some folks don't want anything installed under the saddle but personally I think you have to have bionic hearing to hear any difference of an under the saddle pu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger11 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 The only issue is that you may need to shave a bit from the bridge to keep the action the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPS1976 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 The only issue is that you may need to shave a bit from the bridge to keep the action the same. *shave a bit from the saddle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger11 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Oops yes sorry of course I meant the saddle thanks for the correction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger11 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Oops yes sorry of course I meant the saddle thanks for the correction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippydog Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 Oops yes sorry of course I meant the saddle thanks for the correction! Doesn't it go under the bridge plate inside the guitar? Or does this go under the bone saddle? If the latter how does it fit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodger11 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 If it's a piezo it usually goes under the saddle. You usually need to drill a small hole then feed it through to lie flat under the saddle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 I just installed a lr baggs lyric in my Martin and it sounds fantastic. Some folks don't want anything installed under the saddle but personally I think you have to have bionic hearing to hear any difference of an under the saddle pu. Man, I don't get that. It must go inside the soundbox under the bridge, right? It almost looks big enough to be a soundhole pickup. Undersaddle pickups typically fit a standard bridge slot width of 2.3mm. (3/32") and only have about 1.8mm thickness. But it's a little mic, which is going to reproduce your sound well, and Baggs has apparently figured some way to minimize feedback. I'm sure that's a cool system, which it should be for 200 bucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 You didn't mention what kind of Baggs you want to install, but I'm assuming from the discussion that you're talking about an under-saddle piezo pickup. Make sure you have it professionally installed. If done properly, it won't affect the unplugged sound. If you're getting a passive system, you'll need some sort of external preamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromnabulax Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 I just installed a lr baggs lyric in my Martin and it sounds fantastic. Some folks don't want anything installed under the saddle but personally I think you have to have bionic hearing to hear any difference of an under the saddle pu. For me, I don't mind the sound of a decent piezo at all, thing is I have three rules when it comes to my Martins. #1: No drilling #2: No drilling And most importantly is rule #3: No drilling Then you have to ream the lower bout to accommodate the strap jack, and I am not happy at that prospect either. I like the Baggs M80 a lot, and use it on my Gibson SJ200. The problem there is that they weigh so much that I dread clamping them down on my soundhole, and unless you install the strap jack you have to unplug the mini jack from the pick up after each use to avoid draining the battery, and its jack is underneath the pick up. My compromises are the Epi DR500mce and Ej200ce which have very nice sounding and mixable Nanoflax systems. I also got a good deal on a Martin GCPA4 which sounds really good for a mid price Martin. I'm thinking of the GCPA1 though to get away from the Richlite fingerboard, but I expect at its price I would be wary of taking it out for gigging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel-odious Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 I'm thinking about installing a pickup system to my straight acoustic DR500. The L.R. Baggs seems to get good reviews and I like the idea of hiding it under the saddle. Now for my question. I absolutely love the sound of my guitar as it stands. Will adding this pickup under the saddle change the sound of my guitar? I need to know what to expect before I go through the process. Your experience with this and your thoughts are much appreciated. Thanks I like the piezo type that go under the bridge plate, such as the K&K Pure Western Mini. I have one in my Blueridge, and it sounds very natural. They are also insanely easy to install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I also got a good deal on a Martin GCPA4 which sounds really good for a mid price Martin. I'm thinking of the GCPA1 though to get away from the Richlite fingerboard, but I expect at its price I would be wary of taking it out for gigging. I got one of those - well, it's GPCPA4 - grand performance cutaway performing artist. Very refined tone, nice electronics. I like the richlite fingerboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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