orjazz Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 I have a 60's era Gibson C-1 Classical guitar that I am considering installing a pickup in. Don't know if this is good idea or not. I really like the guitar as is, but it just needs something. Maybe electrifying it would be what it needs. Is this an ethical thing to do? Or is that a consideration. It's not an extremely valuable guitar. I would think it would devalue it somewhat, but I don't really care as long as it produces the outcome I am looking for. Would this be something a reasonably handy person could do themselves, or would a guitar tech. be required? If I could do it myself, what pickup/brand would be suggested? Thank you all in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Definitely not going to hurt its value. I’d say go for it but do your homework for a pickup that will get the sound you’re looking for out of a nylon guitar. I had a couple of them but wound up getting a Taylor nylon string guitar with a built in pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 Here’s a link to a guitar pickup that I used on one of my classical guitars. It’s really more of a microphone. No changes to the guitar are necessary. It comes with a small magnet what you put inside the guitar with a sticky substance and then you put the pickup over the magnet on the top of the guitar. Then you affix the cord to the guitar’s strap so gravity doesn’t cause it to fall off. If you don’t have a strap, I guess it could wrap around or with a clip (not supplied) somehow be attached to your belt Finding the sweet spot for the pickup on the guitar’s top usually below and in front of the sound hole or below and behind the soundhole on the guitar’s top. Or behind the bridge on the top. You may have to try a few places. You want to make sure it won’t get knocked off bu your picking hand of course. I bought a few of the magnets with the sticky stuff and also move the pickup to a uke. it sounds pretty good on a nylon string instrument, enabling it to be through an amp. Here’s the link. https://www.clingon.co/clingon-pickup QM aka”Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orjazz Posted January 11, 2023 Author Share Posted January 11, 2023 Thank you both for your replies. I haven't checked out the link, but I will. Going to be awhile but I'll post how things turned out. I thought maybe I would get a reply saying never do such a thing! I'm glad I asked the question. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 You’re welcome. Here’s some more classical guitar pickups to research from the internet. https://www.bestreviews.guide/classical-guitar-pickups QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 (edited) Andres Segovia didn’t need a pickup. So - No. But it’s your guitar, so do what you must. Edited January 11, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 1 hour ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Andres Segovia didn’t need a pickup. So - No. But it’s your guitar, so do what you must. Ah, but Willie Nelson put a pickup on his nylon string Martin and that worked out pretty good for him. Touché, yes? (Couldn’t resist.) QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 Chet Atkins, Gypsy Kings, Charo ... all 'electrifying'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBSinTo Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 As a DIY project, I can tell you from personal experience that the most difficult part is installing the female jack in the bottom of the lower bout. A friend and I put a pickup in my Washburn parlour guitar, and we needed his pre-teen daughter to put her arm inside the sound hole to secure the threaded ring nut as neither of us had small enough hands and arms to do it. We also had to customized the pick-up attachment as it was too large to fit the sound hole, and in the end, modified it so it was easily removable as necessary. Sounds ok, but not great. But that will to a great extent depend on the quality of the pick-up, and mine was quite inexpensive. RBSinTo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 or jazz - I hate it when people do this - don't answer your question and suggest a completely different 'solution'. BUT ... research a bit the cost of doing this, considering if you can do it yourself or will need to pay a tech .... and then look at Used Classical Guitars on line to see if you can find a decent, inexpensive one that has the amp and electronics that were installed at the factory. I had a really nice Cordoba GK that came that way. Relatively inexpensive. You'd be getting another guitar, not just a pickup ! https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Cordoba/C5CE-Classical-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar.gc $280 While a pickup - without installation labor will cost approximately $100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, fortyearspickn said: or jazz - I hate it when people do this - don't answer your question and suggest a completely different 'solution'. Yet in your first post in this thread you didn’t answer his question and just named Chet, Charo, and the Gipsy Kings. Kind of the same nothing . . . Eh? And it’s spelled with an “i” not a “y”. Well it usually is with a “y”, but not the way the musical group spelled it. Remember I just learned how to use Google. Edited January 11, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orjazz Posted January 11, 2023 Author Share Posted January 11, 2023 Thank you all for your thoughts and comments. I thought of Willie's Martin when first considering this. If Willie did it must be okay. I love the sound of his guitar. Earl Klugh comes to mind as well. Thanks again for your comments. All good food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 11, 2023 Share Posted January 11, 2023 20 minutes ago, orjazz said: Thank you all for your thoughts and comments. I thought of Willie's Martin when first considering this. If Willie did it must be okay. I love the sound of his guitar. Earl Klugh comes to mind as well. Thanks again for your comments. All good food for thought. Man I haven’t hear that guys name in ages. Back In Central Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 19 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Yet in your first post in this thread you didn’t answer his question and just named Chet, Charo, and the Gipsy Kings. Kind of the same nothing . . . Eh? And it’s spelled with an “i” not a “y”. Well it usually is with a “y”, but not the way the musical group spelled it. Remember I just learned how to use Google. Yep, of simply " -1 SP" as my 5th grade teacher use to deal with my spelling errors. Probably in this case "-2 Proper Name" As far as the rest - Since you noted Segovia didn't need a pickup for his classical guitar, (and QM pointed out that Willie did) - I thought I'd add a few others you might not have heard of and could look up on Google while checking my spelling. Bet you were surprised to learn Charo studied under your Segovia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 (edited) 16 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said: Yep, of simply " -1 SP" as my 5th grade teacher use to deal with my spelling errors. Probably in this case "-2 Proper Name" As far as the rest - Since you noted Segovia didn't need a pickup for his classical guitar, (and QM pointed out that Willie did) - I thought I'd add a few others you might not have heard of and could look up on Google while checking my spelling. Bet you were surprised to learn Charo studied under your Segovia. I'm an awful speller too. I have no Masters Degree, just a Lib Arts BS weenie. I just remembered that the Gipsy Kings didn't use a Y in their spelling, and I did not need to look it up. Man there is a big huge world out there now that I found out about Googling stuff. I can view cat pictures, and racist post and all sorts of political garbage people spew. And if you click on the right sites you can see women's boobies. I might have spelled boobies wrong. Help me out people. I did not know I owned Andres Segovia? Your, the way you used it implies ownership. Like the statement - "I came home from work and your dog pooped on the floor". Man that guy was good with the Etudes and Sonatas. Edited January 12, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 On 1/10/2023 at 8:40 PM, Sgt. Pepper said: Andres Segovia didn’t need a pickup. So - No. But it’s your guitar, so do what you must. He was dead before acoustic guitar pickups were even a thought. and he would have hated them anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 2 minutes ago, kidblast said: He was dead before acoustic guitar pickups were even a thought. and he would have hated them anyway. Acoustic guitar pickups were not around in '87? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 38 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Acoustic guitar pickups were not around in '87? is there nothing you won't try to argue about? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 (edited) 5 minutes ago, kidblast said: is there nothing you won't try to argue about? How is asking a question arguing? I though he died in the early 60's, but no it was 87. I googled it. Its this new thing I just learned about. Man cat pix are so cute. Edited January 12, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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