uncle fester Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 Hi Folks, I'm trying to decide between the Baggs M1A and Sunrise pickups. As I understand it, the Baggs M1A is stand alone, I can plug right into the PA, but the Sunrise should go through a Preamp (with hi props to the Sunrise preamp) for best results. Can people confirm if I've got this right? Thank you for any input. Rgds- billroy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 I've got the Baggs in my J45 and I just plug directly into my Roland Street Cube Ex or Yamaha StagePas 300. Don't need the preamp. Plenty of sound and I have no feedback problems, etc. I've heard for years that the Sunrise pickups are really nice, but I've never owned one. I think you do need the preamp for one, but don't take my word for it......Don't know if one is necessarily better than the other. For me, the simpler the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 Baggs M1A is about a third of the Sunrise cost, so I would start with that. (Make sure it is the A! For preamp). You don’t have to cement it in the guitar, chuck it in the soundhole and dangle the lead for a while to see if you like the sound. If not, sell it. Like it? Install the endpin. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted November 30, 2018 Author Share Posted November 30, 2018 Thanks for the input folks, appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 What pick up is in your guitar ? I’ve the m1a attached to my j45. It’s grand. As grand as any of them are. If I was given a guitar with nothing and had to fit soemthing it would be a K&K They’re all pretty much of a muchness pickups ya know There is no holy grail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted November 30, 2018 Author Share Posted November 30, 2018 What pick up is in your guitar ? I’ve the m1a attached to my j45. It’s grand. As grand as any of them are. If I was given a guitar with nothing and had to fit soemthing it would be a K&K They’re all pretty much of a muchness pickups ya know There is no holy grail I currently have a Dean Markley (sub $50 pickup). I usually play through my Bose S1, and works fine as is when I can take the time to dial it in myself (adjust bass / treble...) but doing an open mic, it seemed I could use a pre-amp for some fine tuning between guitar / vocals etc.... I was all over the top about the K&K for awhile (especially due to ability to pair it with a ToneDexter), but what concerns me is it requires a preamp, and potential for feedback. I know Sal uses a feedback buster, but geeze I'm vain and don't like the look. What I was liking about the Baggs and Sunrise was ability to swap between guitars (dangling the chord out the front). BBG - Do you use a pre-amp with your K&K and is feedback ever an issue? Rgds - billroy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 How’d you end up with a $50 pickup in a j45 ? Anyway. Yeah the m1a and the like have the plus point of easy swaps between guitars The k&k I had was the pure mini ultra which had a pickup as part of it I know some say it’s not necessary but for the sake of a few extra £’s I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it Was in a Martin HD35 and feedback was never an issue Well no more than feedback ever is an issue ... But like I said , the difference is negligible ... And I don’t want anyone thinking that I don’t care what the guitar sounds like , I do and it has to be decent , but when all is said and done it’s still gonna sound like a guitar plugged in . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted November 30, 2018 Author Share Posted November 30, 2018 How’d you end up with a $50 pickup in a j45 ? Fair point, the pickup was an after thought after I had committed to playing and just wanted to get something while I took the time to figure out what I want. I have to give the Dean Markley pickup props though, sounds good through the Bose (but requires dialing) and probably should just get a pre amp and try it out like that, but I had dropped the pickup on the top of my guitar and it put a good ding in the top, and now the pickup and I aren't really speaking. Thinking this story through, I think the K&K is the safest way to go... thanks BBG - I owe you a beverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 Cheers You owe me nothing though The $50 pickup though was more a thought of ‘they Usually come with a baggs under saddle pickup’ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 I had dropped the pickup on the top of my guitar and it put a good ding in the top, and now the pickup and I aren't really speaking. say..... didn't you name that one after me??? (I was the sod who suggested the pickup! LOL!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted November 30, 2018 Author Share Posted November 30, 2018 say..... didn't you name that one after me??? (I was the sod who suggested the pickup! LOL!) Lol, yep, it's Ray's Divot, it's pretty famous in my local music circles. Whenever I play out and the lights first dim, it's inevitable you'll hear someone say in a hushed voice 'hey, there's Ray's divot'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 The M1A is very good, but the Sunrise is the best in the business when it comes to soundhole pups. I've owned a lot of different pickups over the years and the Sunrise is probably my favourite of the lot. Unfortunately they're quite a bit more cashish than the M1A. Mine was a very kind gift from a fellow forumer, and got me hooked...I now need to save up for another to put in my '41 Reissue SJ100! To be frank, the M1A will please you no end if you can't run to the cost of the Sunrise. It's a great, well designed and pleasantly responsive pickup which is beloved of David Gilmour, so can't be wrong! I personally love the Sunrise and can't imagine a better mag pickup, but it's all down to personal taste. The difficulty with the Sunrise is finding one to try before you buy, they're not exactly stacked on the shelves of every guitar store, so auditioning is tricky. I'd wager that nobody would be disappointed if hunting for a mag pickup though, especially if you plump for the Sunrise buffer box to go with it. I use mine with a Boss AD10 which is excellent, but the proprietary buffer box is fantastic too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 First in the Universe is the Maton pickup system, by a long, long, way.....only in a Maton guitar or heavily customised one... Cargill said he would build me a road warrior, put a Maton pickup system in, and a neck like my Waterloo...... For guitars that I don’t want to alter at all, next in line is the Sunrise pickup with the Sunrise preamp buffer box. Does not sound one bit like an acoustic but it is a fantastic sound in its own right. Dangle the lead out the front, gaffa tape it under the guitar to the endpin area to help not treading on it. Next in line for guitars I don’t want to alter is my Baggs M1A, Baggs M80 and my Schertler Mag with Mic. All these have preamps built in, so in theory all is needed is a guitar lead plugged to a PA mixer. But, I find if I plug through a few gadgets like my Fishman EQ that I get more ‘control’ and nicer EQ. I have the K&K in 3 different guitars, mainly to experiment with my Tonedexter. I don’t like it without the TD straight to an amp...at all. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibby46 Posted December 1, 2018 Share Posted December 1, 2018 For a soundhole consider the Di Marzio Black angle. I have used the Sunrise for years and have K&K's in my 46 J-45, D-18GE, HD-35 and CEO-7 and wanted something for my 65 J-50 and have to say the black angle is amazing with the K&K's (has a phase switch) and as a solo. It requires adjustment in the poles which is easy to do. With the Fishman Aura Di solo its mind blowing how good it is. Better than my K&K with the twin red eye. Just a thought. I wish the black angle had a volume adjustment. Pole adjustment is a must to get the best sound. Less metallic sounding than my Sunrise and warmer at 1/2 the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted December 1, 2018 Share Posted December 1, 2018 I still hold firm that I like my Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker Soundhole pickup. It’s magnetic, no preamp is needed, and it delivers a good sound. I keep the cord dangling out of the soundhole as I switch it between my different guitars, depending on which I am playing. It’s got a volume adjustment built into it. One can hear it on the guitar I am playing in the Beatle Jazz Medley I posted here within the past two weeks. With all the talk of K & Ks and Baggs pickups, I figured I’d mention my preferred acoustic pickup to add it to the mix. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 Bringing the thread back...I was playing my Waterloo X braced at home last night using the Baggs M1A....... While the Waterloo has the K&K pickup installed, using the M1A with my Fishman Pro EQ with the 'golden mag pickup' setting (never to be moved and soon to be glued), I was getting a really nice sound. The pickup is fine without the EQ box, but has a few bits sticking out too far that the EQ removes nicely. But if I was going to an open mic, I would just put the M1A in and go with it! Pic explanation - left fader removes some bass, next 2 faders are sweepable mids with some higher mids cut, next fader is treble with some cut and the last is a 'brilliance' fader (around the glassy end of the treble that I cut a bit. The other knob is a 'smooth' - compressor - helps stop sliky notes.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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