What pickup is everyone using on a vintage instrument?

[gibsonchiq]

Hi there, I recently bought a 1942 Banner lg-2 custom shop Gibson. It does not come with a pickup. And I am curious what everyone is doing in regards to a pickup.

 

I saw that the fishman Rare Earth blend has a mic included, including a blend function. However, you have to enlarge the strap buttonhole. I believe.

I want something that ideally doesn't affect the natural tone of the guitar much. But also has a good sound when plugged in.

It looks like the m80 and the fishman Rare Earth are the top contenders. Is there anything else I should take into consideration? Saw something about a k&k but don't know too much about it

 

Does enlarging the strap button affect the tone?

 

[dhanners623]

Enlarging the end pin hole to install a jack doesn’t impact the tone. You’re just reaming out a hole in a big block of wood. (And it is a job best left to a professional. There’s a particular reamer for Baggs endpin jacks.)

The M80 is a very good pickup. I have one. I also have a couple of M1s, one of which I use in a J-35. They do a real nice job of capturing the guitar’s sound, and you avoid that piezo “quack.”

Edited September 15, 2023 by dhanners623

[Larsongs]

Is it an actual 1942 Guitar or a reissue of the 1942? If it’s a real 1942 I’d Mic it..  I would not put a Pickup in it.
 

If it’s a reissue the L.R. Baggs Pickups are what Gibson, Martin & Guild are putting in most of their Guitars these days.. They are excellent..

Keep in mind if you add a Pickup the Amp you use will affect the tone more than anything.. 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Larsongs

[QuestionMark]

I use a Rare Earth Humbucker soundhole pickup with the cord hanging out from the soundhole.  Fully removeable and usable between guitars, no changes to the guitar needed.  
 

Just is my preference.

 

QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

[Dave F]

I would not add a pickup to this guitar. It should have the aged top and have a great tone. Mic it.

[gibsonchiq]

1 hour ago, Larsongs said:

Is it an actual 1942 Guitar or a reissue of the 1942? If it’s a real 1942 I’d Mic it.. I would not put abPickup in it. If it’s a reissue the L.R. Baggs are what Gibson, Martin & Guild are putting in most of their Guitars these days..

Keep in mind if you add a Pickup the Amp you use will affect the tone more than anything.. 

It is a Reissue. This particular guitar sounds really good so I just want to keep the vibe going.

 

At the store there was also a 1942 Banner reissue j45. And this lg-2 sounded better than that one.

[Larsongs]

3 hours ago, gibsonchiq said:

It is a Reissue. This particular guitar sounds really good so I just want to keep the vibe going.

 

At the store there was also a 1942 Banner reissue j45. And this lg-2 sounded better than that one.

Gibson uses L.R. Baggs Anthem Series Electronics/Pickups on most of their higher end Acoustic Guitars… They sound excellent.. Definitely nothing wrong with a Mic either.. Or both… 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Larsongs

[gibsonchiq]

2 hours ago, Larsongs said:

Gibson uses L.R. Baggs Anthem Series Electronics/Pickups on most of their higher end Acoustic Guitars… They sound excellent.. Definitely nothing wrong with a Mic either.. Or both… 

I heard the anthem really changes the tone of the guitar though.

 

Can anyone verify or discredit?

Edited September 16, 2023 by gibsonchiq

[Larsongs]

32 minutes ago, gibsonchiq said:

I heard the anthem really changes the tone of the guitar though.

 

Can anyone verify or discredit?

Depends what it’s plugged in to & how it’s dialed in.. But, that goes with any Pickup..

I had a Martin HD-28E & a Guild USA D-40E.. Both had L.R. Baggs Anthem & they both sounded really great.. 

[gibsonchiq]

12 minutes ago, Larsongs said:

Depends what it’s plugged in to & how it’s dialed in.. But, that goes with any Pickup..

I had a Martin HD-28E & a Guild USA D-40E.. Both had L.R. Baggs Anthem & they both sounded really great.. 

I actually meant the sound of the guitar played naturally without being plugged into an amp (once a pickup is installed)

[Larsongs]

9 minutes ago, gibsonchiq said:

I actually meant the sound of the guitar played naturally without being plugged into an amp (once a pickup is installed)

I couldn’t tell any difference with the Martin.. But, scientifically, there is a difference of mass inside the Guitar with & without any kind of Electronics. As far as actual sound difference IMO it’s literally unnoticeable… On either Guitar.. I’ve played many Martins with & without  various Electronics.

I’ve only played 1 Guild D-40E.. 

 

[Murph]

15 hours ago, Dave F said:

I would not add a pickup to this guitar. It should have the aged top and have a great tone. Mic it.

I'm going to (obviously) agree.

Both my 2003 J-45 and my J-15 have pickups, but they're rarely used. I prefer the old school SM57 on the guitar and an SM58 for vocals. And I have and often do gig in many live situations. Me and Dave Rawlings do it all the time. I would use an ETL if Owen and I didn't get so loud and crazy.

The true tone of an acoustic guitar is beyond compare, I surely wouldn't ADD a pickup to a Gibson that didn't have one.

[zombywoof]

Back in the days before the "used" guitars I played magically transformed into "vintage" instruments, I went with a Dearmond soundhole pickup and wrapped the cable through the end of strap to keep it out of the way.  Probably would not be a modern player's definition of "good tone" though. 

But if I needed to plug in, I would not hesitate to install a jack in the end pin hole.  Granted, while I never did it with my Banner J50 or early-1930s LG1 my 1946 LG2 sported one.  You want to revert back just go with a No Jack.  And  I have never heard any noticeable difference in sound when played sans pickup between the original end pin, the jack or the No Jack. 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by zombywoof

[Dave F]

14 minutes ago, zombywoof said:

Back in the days before the "used" guitars I played magically transformed into "vintage" instruments, I went with a Dearmond soundhole pickup and wrapped the cable through the end of strap to keep it out of the way.  Probably would not be a modern player's definition of "good tone" though. 

But if I needed to plug in, I would not hesitate to install a jack in the end pin hole.  Granted, while I never did it with my Banner J50 or early-1930s LG1 my 1946 LG2 sported one.  You want to revert back just go with a No Jack.  And  I have never heard any noticeable difference in sound when played sans pickup between the original end pin, the jack or the No Jack. 

 

Not to get off track (we don't do that do we?), when I wanted to amplify this old archtop, I found an old Dearmond that cosmetically was nice but wasn't functional for a good price. I then sent it to Tom Brantley to get it rewound and a new volume pot. He does very good work at a reasonable price.  It sounds great. No modifications to the guitar plus I can move it to the acoustic L5 and Super 400.

 

[Boyd]

I also have a DeArmond pickup for my 1965 J-50 (shown in my avatar) although I rarely use it. I drilled my own hole for the jack - carefully! If you aren't experienced in woodworking, then it's best to have a pro do it however. Funny, if you look at old pictures of Lightnin' Hopkin's J-50 with DeArmond pickup, it appears that he just let the cable hang out the soundhole. You can see this in the film "The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins". But the DeArmond is clearly not the solution you're looking for. It blocks the soundhole, it's big and heavy and you can hear various rattling sounds when it's not plugged in. 😁 Mine has been sitting in a box for the past couple years (which reminds me, it's time to play around with it again!)

Your thread title is a little confusing, because you don't actually have a vintage guitar.

Edited September 16, 2023 by Boyd

[gibsonchiq]

1 hour ago, Boyd said:

I also have a DeArmond pickup for my 1965 J-50 (shown in my avatar) although I rarely use it. I drilled my own hole for the jack - carefully! If you aren't experienced in woodworking, then it's best to have a pro do it however. Funny, if you look at old pictures of Lightnin' Hopkin's J-50 with DeArmond pickup, it appears that he just let the cable hang out the soundhole. You can see this in the film "The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins". But the DeArmond is clearly not the solution you're looking for. It blocks the soundhole, it's big and heavy and you can hear various rattling sounds when it's not plugged in. 😁 Mine has been sitting in a box for the past couple years (which reminds me, it's time to play around with it again!)

Your thread title is a little confusing, because you don't actually have a vintage guitar.

Yeah that's true, I don't. I wish I could edit the post title

Does that mean it makes less of a difference whether I put a pick up in it or not? Less delicate perhaps?

Edited September 16, 2023 by gibsonchiq

[dhanners623]

40 minutes ago, gibsonchiq said:

Yeah that's true, I don't.

Does that mean it makes less of a difference whether I put a pick up in it or not? Less delicate perhaps?

I think the issue with whether it is a real vintage (i.e., old) guitar has more to do with a reluctance to alter it in any substantial way, namely adding an endpin jack and/or affixing volume/tone controls, a battery, etc., to the inside of the guitar. The wise course is if it’s old, don’t drill a hole in it.

In a perfect world, the absolute best way to amplify a good acoustic guitar is to mic it. If you start with a great guitar and a quality microphone (and a sound person who knows what he or she is doing) then you’ll get a sound that’s hard to beat. Given my choice, that’s what I’d do.

It’s not a perfect world, though. Some sound people have no idea how to mic and EQ an acoustic guitar. Also, some players like the freedom of moving around when they play, and that requires plugging in.

Another consideration to keep in mind is that unless your audience is made up of gearheads, they don’t care if you’re playing a pricey Gibson or a cheap Chibson. Their two main criteria are 1) can we hear the guitar? and 2) can we hear the guitar? That’s it. We obsess over the intricacies of the guitar and sound, but they don’t.

[gibsonchiq]

6 minutes ago, dhanners623 said:

I think the issue with whether it is a real vintage (i.e., old) guitar has more to do with a reluctance to alter it in any substantial way, namely adding an endpin jack and/or affixing volume/tone controls, a battery, etc., to the inside of the guitar. The wise course is if it’s old, don’t drill a hole in it.

In a perfect world, the absolute best way to amplify a good acoustic guitar is to mic it. If you start with a great guitar and a quality microphone (and a sound person who knows what he or she is doing) then you’ll get a sound that’s hard to beat. Given my choice, that’s what I’d do.

It’s not a perfect world, though. Some sound people have no idea how to mic and EQ an acoustic guitar. Also, some players like the freedom of moving around when they play, and that requires plugging in.

Another consideration to keep in mind is that unless your audience is made up of gearheads, they don’t care if you’re playing a pricey Gibson or a cheap Chibson. Their two main criteria are 1) can we hear the guitar? and 2) can we hear the guitar? That’s it. We obsess over the intricacies of the guitar and sound, but they don’t.

I'm leaning towards just doing a fishman Rare Earth blend. That way it's not modded. It does sound exceptional unplugged and it would be a shame to risk losing that to get a plugged in sound especially since I have other guitars for live and also I can still do it plugged with the fishman

[dhanners623]

43 minutes ago, gibsonchiq said:

I'm leaning towards just doing a fishman Rare Earth blend. That way it's not modded. It does sound exceptional unplugged and it would be a shame to risk losing that to get a plugged in sound especially since I have other guitars for live and also I can still do it plugged with the fishman

Does the Fishman Rare Earth Blend have a cord that comes out through the soundhole? When I do a quick look online, they all seem to have endpin jacks.

I’m hip to the desire to get a great sound, but don’t overthink stuff….

[gibsonchiq]

30 minutes ago, dhanners623 said:

Does the Fishman Rare Earth Blend have a cord that comes out through the soundhole? When I do a quick look online, they all seem to have endpin jacks.

I’m hip to the desire to get a great sound, but don’t overthink stuff….

Yeah it does. It can do both

[Larsongs]

14 hours ago, gibsonchiq said:

I actually meant the sound of the guitar played naturally without being plugged into an amp (once a pickup is installed)

I couldn’t tell any difference with the Martin.. But, scientifically, there is a difference of mass inside the Guitar with & without any kind of Electronics. As far as actual sound difference IMO it’s literally unnoticeable… On either Guitar.. I’ve played many Martins with & without  various Electronics.

I’ve only played 1 Guild D-40E.. 

I used a De Armond Sound hole Pickup for years because that’s all there was.. Hated it!  Clumsy, inconvenient & lousy sound.

I was glad when Fishman came along.. And L.R. Baggs.. I use them both.. I love the P90 in my Gibson J-160E too..

[egoidealmusic]

I've become a big fan of the Dimarzio Black Angel soundhole pickup.  Wanted the Sunrise, but just couldn't justify that cost, but the Black Angel is pretty damn good (same baisc idea).  I also like that it has a phase shifter so if you ever want to blend you can avoid lots of problems.  Can be permanantly installed or like others have suggested just having the cord hang outside of the guitar.

[BluesKing777]

On 9/16/2023 at 12:59 AM, gibsonchiq said:

Hi there, I recently bought a 1942 Banner lg-2 custom shop Gibson. It does not come with a pickup. And I am curious what everyone is doing in regards to a pickup.

 

I saw that the fishman Rare Earth blend has a mic included, including a blend function. However, you have to enlarge the strap buttonhole. I believe.

I want something that ideally doesn't affect the natural tone of the guitar much. But also has a good sound when plugged in.

It looks like the m80 and the fishman Rare Earth are the top contenders. Is there anything else I should take into consideration? Saw something about a k&k but don't know too much about it

 

Does enlarging the strap button affect the tone?

 

 

There are quite a few brands of pickups that slot into the soundhole - you can have one fully installed with the plug in the endpin area, or you can dangle  the lead out the front, perhaps to wrap behind  your strap at the endpin area.......take the pickup out when not being used - great for valuable vintage acoustics that you don’t want to alter in any way.

Staying with soundhole pickups, some have no battery (passive)  while others have all kinds of arrangements for having a mini electronic preamp on the pickup.

Passive ones with no battery to change are pretty carefree, but may need another blackbox for controls/eq in between what you are plugging to...amp, PA mixer.....

A lot of people have been raving  about the Mojotone passive. They also make one with an internal mic and preamp, not passive!

And on the list will go..........

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

[gibsonchiq]

22 minutes ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

There are quite a few brands of pickups that slot into the soundhole - you can have one fully installed with the plug in the endpin area, or you can dangle  the lead out the front, perhaps to wrap behind  your strap at the endpin area.......take the pickup out when not being used - great for valuable vintage acoustics that you don’t want to alter in any way.

Staying with soundhole pickups, some have no battery (passive)  while others have all kinds of arrangements for having a mini electronic preamp on the pickup.

Passive ones with no battery to change are pretty carefree, but may need another blackbox for controls/eq in between what you are plugging to...amp, PA mixer.....

A lot of people have been raving  about the Mojotone passive. They also make one with an internal mic and preamp, not passive!

And on the list will go..........

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

I miss typed the title. It's not actually a vintage guitar. It's a 2 year old reissue. 

Since it is a Reissue, installing a pickup won't affect it's value right?

[Dave F]

17 minutes ago, gibsonchiq said:

I miss typed the title. It's not actually a vintage guitar. It's a 2 year old reissue. 

Since it is a Reissue, installing a pickup won't affect it's value right?

Depends on the buyer.