blindboygrunt Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 After the nice man drilled a hole big enough for me I put the new baggs m1a pickup in the Martin this morning Had a panic attack when I got no sound. Took strings all back off and swapped battery. Nothing .. Wait a second , try a different guitar lead ... TA DA ! Idiot. Always start with the most obvious. But anyway. , it’s up and running and I have to say I’m mighty impressed and happy Sounds sweet Anyone wondering about one of these pickups , well , I’d highly recommend one Nicer than my matrix infinity that was in my last Martin. Just as nice as the K&k that was in the one before that but now of course I can take it back out easy peasy should I sell or want to take the j45 out ! All I need is a gig now 🙄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted January 14, 2018 Share Posted January 14, 2018 I hate when I do stuff like that. Congrats on the job well done ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Can you give us a sample with the M1a mate ? Im really curious as i remember trying two M1A's a few years back and utterly hating the tone. Found it quite unatural and kinda phasey, but it seems many like it, would love to take a listen how it sounds with your fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Good job then BBG! It begs the question why guitar makers make such a small hole in this day and age, doesn’t it? Lowden pre-drill all their guitars for a pickup, as well as standard issue of a Lowden named Hiscox Case and Elixir PBs with all their guitars - convenient.... I could put this to the test by buying a Baggs M1, except the guitar fund is bust after Xmas. I could also slot one in my Cargill - I was getting an Anthem but the bracing was in the way of the controls so it got the drill but no pickup! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Will try and do a video or recording or something later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Good job then BBG! It begs the question why guitar makers make such a small hole in this day and age, doesn’t it? Lowden pre-drill all their guitars for a pickup, as well as standard issue of a Lowden named Hiscox Case and Elixir PBs with all their guitars - convenient.... I could put this to the test by buying a Baggs M1, except the guitar fund is bust after Xmas. I could also slot one in my Cargill - I was getting an Anthem but the bracing was in the way of the controls so it got the drill but no pickup! BluesKing777. My partner at the time got his mcilroy kitted our with an anthem , I put a K&k in mine at the same time and the K&k was much nicer I thought. And I’m not bigging myself up with that statement.. the anthem was a good pickup no doubt but more expensive and more intrusive But the m1a holds its own with either , and you can take it in and out easy Plus , a 2032 battery gives 1000 hours of plugged in time . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 There is a used McIlroy A15c for sale near me...first time I have seen one here, Lucky I have no money! I think. I have been putting my various Fishman mags/ blend in the soundholes for a few years now, with the lead dangling out the front....good and bad in that. I think the screws are going to have stripped threads before the battery wears out on the Rare EB. I love the mic in it with a small touch of the mag, but I also use Humidipaks so with the mag, can’t use that as proscribed and I chuck all the packs in the headstock area.....for a couple of days only in this extreme and changeable weather we have had. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Do yourself a favour and go and look at the mcilroy You don’t have to buy it but there’s an opportunity to go and play something rare out there Which model is it for sale ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Good job bbg! I happen to like the M1A. It leans a little towards electric sounding(it's a humbucker after all) but mine is never a problem. Feedback is never an issue, easy in easy out, battery forever (as long as you unplug when not in use), and once you get it dialed in it sounds pretty decent. I went back and forth with padding under the ears in the soundhole and preferred it to bare wood. It sounded a little woodier to me. Good luck with it and congrats on the Martin. I like the way Martin does rosewood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickthemiller Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Well it may seem obvious to you bbg but I'm sure I'd have had the whole electrics out, bought a new battery, dismantled the amp before I'd thought the lead was the culprit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Nice! I didn’t like the early M1A units but I’ve tried a few on different guitars I’ve auditioned or borrowed and really like them. They don’t suit the percussive side of my playing but have a really sweet tone for any standard style of playing. Lovely bottom end and surprisingly sweet treble for a mag, definitely one of the best mags out there, only the Vanden Mimesis trumps it for me. The M80 is nice but a bit too body sensitive for me, the body sensitive end of the Baggs mags is perfect in the M1A but the high pass filter on the M80 makes it a bit clicky for my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Well ok Quick video done There’s a wall on the left of the screen .... I went out there and closed the door as best I could with the lead in the way . So you’re hearing as much of the amp as possible Might need to adjust the poles on the pickup to tweak it more better .... But I like the fact that it picks up string noise and body noise https://youtu.be/G9DNSuNrkvE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Sounds great! ... for a Martin. :) I also really like the Baggs M1a (and non-a). I've installed other pickups in guitars, including a K&K. But, no matter how good, a piezo is still a piezo. Magnetic pickups may not sound exactly like a mic-ed acoustic guitar, but they do sound good to my ears, and better than any piezo. In addition, I gig with some relatively rare vintage guitars, and really like the ability not to modify the guitar (and simply let the cord dangle out of the soundhole). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 Sounds great! ... for a Martin. :) I also really like the Baggs M1a (and non-a). I've installed other pickups in guitars, including a K&K. But, no matter how good, a piezo is still a piezo. Magnetic pickups may not sound exactly like a mic-ed acoustic guitar, but they do sound good to my ears, and better than any piezo. In addition, I gig with some relatively rare vintage guitars, and really like the ability not to modify the guitar (and simply let the cord dangle out of the soundhole). Well , exactly Not as good as the K&k but the pros outweigh the cons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Well ok Quick video done There’s a wall on the left of the screen .... I went out there and closed the door as best I could with the lead in the way . So you’re hearing as much of the amp as possible Might need to adjust the poles on the pickup to tweak it more better .... But I like the fact that it picks up string noise and body noise https://youtu.be/G9DNSuNrkvE Thanks mate, appreciate you making the effort. If im honest, yeah, just not my cup of tea. Reminds me of my old M1a. I dunno, just hear this phasey tone that doesnt sound to my ears particular natural. However you seem to like it so thats all that really matters, doesnt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Thanks mate, appreciate you making the effort. If im honest, yeah, just not my cup of tea. Reminds me of my old M1a. I dunno, just hear this phasey tone that doesnt sound to my ears particular natural. However you seem to like it so thats all that really matters, doesnt it. What sounds like a phasey tone is an EQ spike around 900hz that these pickups exhibit, which can sound a little honky in isolation but helps them to cut through a mix in a band situation. I don’t mind it at all, but when I’ve done live sound for artists using the M1/M1A (I’m not a soundman, but have depped a few gigs on sound and blagged it!) I’ve notched out that particular frequency with a parametric for solo performances and dropped it back in for full band, which works well to my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 15, 2018 Author Share Posted January 15, 2018 What sounds like a phasey tone is an EQ spike around 900hz that these pickups exhibit, which can sound a little honky in isolation but helps them to cut through a mix in a band situation. I don’t mind it at all, but when I’ve done live sound for artists using the M1/M1A (I’m not a soundman, but have depped a few gigs on sound and blagged it!) I’ve notched out that particular frequency with a parametric for solo performances and dropped it back in for full band, which works well to my ears. I hear what EA hears. But every pickup I’ve heard has a shortfall This one isn’t perfect but I’ve given up on seeking perfection What’s your advice jinder ? I’m thinking a little turn of the high E pole ?? Any help from anytime is appreciated P.s. I don’t know what ‘phasey’ Means Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 Well , exactly Not as good as the K&k but the pros outweigh the cons Better than a K&K, imho. Here's the Baggs in my shipped June 23, 1943 Banner LG-1, at a gig at Liverpool's Club Zanzibar on a packed Saturday night (my kids almost thought I was cool that night): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqkoZLfoB_A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted January 15, 2018 Share Posted January 15, 2018 I hear what EA hears. But every pickup I’ve heard has a shortfall This one isn’t perfect but I’ve given up on seeking perfection What’s your advice jinder ? I’m thinking a little turn of the high E pole ?? Any help from anytime is appreciated P.s. I don’t know what ‘phasey’ Means The “phasey” tone that EA describes is a psychoacoustic perception of the frequency peak just as upper mid blends into treble...it’s a frequency which is often prominent in a dual source pickup system with phase matching issues which cause the combined sound sources sound “thin”...generally that frequency area isn’t affected by phasing, so is the most audible and prominent in a system with phase issues. The 900hz-ish frequency in the M1A comes from the body sensitive wings of the pickup that clamp to the body-you’ll hear it when plugged in if you tap the pickup wings with the tip of a pick. if you raise the polepieces, more of the midrange tone of the magnetic pickup will come through and the body resonance peak will be less prominent. In my experience (I used a Takamine Tri-Ax, a rebadged black M1A, for several years), it’s a balancing act with each guitar to hit the sweet spot with polepiece height just right, but when you do, they’re a remarkable sounding unit. Even just bunging them in out of the box they sound great, a really good pickup. I used to run mine through a Boss PQ4 parametric EQ which was perfect for fine tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 That is one of the beauties of a Maton acoustic electro - the pickup system AP5-Pro, has sweepable mid controls. (Plus master volume, piezo volume, mic volume, bass, treble). Soundhole plug it, and run it all flat to the boards as recommended by Tommy E, whose input to Maton over the years would be invaluable! Listen to his (latest) live sound - same pickup system direct to PA and his amp! It is the first stand-alone pickup system I have owned where I thought: ‘This is it!’ And every gig in this country has somebody plucking a Maton, usually a electro dread, let me say! Or a Cole Clark with a 3 way pickup, which unfortunately come with Tusq saddle and nut or one might have lived here! But the Maton is so EASY - plug it in and a neandethal like the dude over my back fence can have a great, great sound. And it uses 2 AA batteries in the preamp that I have changed once because I got bored waiting for the ones that came with the guitar to go flat. Only trouble with my equally toothsome sounding Aura Martin is the battery use...9v every few hours...plus it has all the controls but most are in a digital menu that I can’t read without finding my reading glasses... Too late for BBG this time around, while I understand why you bought it - ease of use and confusion of the products available, sorry but it doesn’t sound much different than a soundhole mag I had 20 years ago. I CAN see why people use them but....... I did look up Maton dealers for you in Ireland and you have a little drive to err.....Wexford, or buy cold from Thomann but...like US guitars, they are twice the price as here! Ha Ha Ha - we win here for once! And....I played the whole range of Matons in the 00 size (the 808 models) about 2 weeks before Christmas - 7 or 8 guitars...and they are all sold now! And I have tried and researched all kinds of pickups over the years, so I am not a newbie crying new love. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 So not only did I buy the wrong pickup but even the wrong guitar ? Sheez , I really was confused wasn’t I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Jt , nice playing ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 So not only did I buy the wrong pickup but even the wrong guitar ? Sheez , I really was confused wasn’t I Well, you can lead a horse to water and it may pee in it, is that the saying? You’re happy with it, guitar AND pickup, that’s all folks etc. But you did say you had ‘given up on perfect’ in regards to live sound, so it means you made the ‘live guitar compromise’ on a guitar you just bought. You are not alone. We think we want this guitar and then we also want to do this....computer says No! That’s what I am on about. Why don’t all the guitars sound like acoustics when played live? Why do they tell us and sell us ones that don’t? Someone is...fibbing! Do I want a guitar for just at home? Do I want a guitar for just gigging? Do I want a guitar for just plugging in for fun? Why don’t they all do all of that? So you bought a guitar and then decided to get a soundhole pickup. I have done that many times and decided to get a stage and amp and mixer ready guitar (Maton), so I can plug in to my gadgets easily. I wonder if sticking the iPhone on the pickguard would work as a pickup until SOMEBODY INVENTS what we want? Enjoy the Martin, BBG, just stirring the pot. It sounded good on Since I’ve Been ..../Old Man.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Well ok Quick video done There’s a wall on the left of the screen .... I went out there and closed the door as best I could with the lead in the way . So you’re hearing as much of the amp as possible Might need to adjust the poles on the pickup to tweak it more better .... But I like the fact that it picks up string noise and body noise https://youtu.be/G9DNSuNrkvE I think it sounds quite good and works really well with your fingerpicking style. Makes it be your own sound! That’s what it’s all about in my book! Much good pickin’ n’ grinnin’ with your guitar and new pickup! QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 Cheers. I know BK Stirring the pot is a good thing I’m not delighted but I’ve never heard a pickup that’s delightful ... apart from some of your examples from your sound laboratory. I’m still hoping for more layman’s terms in ‘trying to get the best’ out of the pickup ... I’m no cyborg so I’ve no idea what a 900hz peak would sound like. Not being rude jinder old bean. I appreciate your input a lot on the forum 👍 But I’m just a bloke with a guitar , trying to learn all the time but a lot is over my head ! I wasn’t lost in any way searching or buying this pickup Have had fishman matrix infinity , K&k , factory fitted gibson , takamine whatever that was They’re all ‘pickups’ K&k to me was the ‘smoothest’ but it still sounded like a pickup This time I decided I’d try a soundhole. M1a is widely regarded as in the top 5 if not too 3 pickups available . I’ve still got the little acoustic play thingy so I’ll run it through that and see if there’s a change ... It’s all good 🕺🏼 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.