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What is a good sound hole pickup


mking

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I have a 1960 LG-2 and I want to amplify it but don't want to put a pickup in it, or do any drilling. So the alternative is a sound hole pickup. What do you all know about the sound hole pickups on the market, which do you think are best and which ones to stay away from. Thanks to everyone in advance.

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12 years ago I bought a Mimesis single coil sound hole pick up, designed and made by Mike Vanden of Scotland.

Since that time, Fishman have taken over manufacturing of this pick up and it is now known as the Rare earth.

There are are 4 versions of this ranging from $56 - 399. The $56 dollar version is what I have. An active single coil.

It works very well indeed. It has very little in no hum in most environments. I recommend it. There are are also passive versions too.

The hummbucker is $139. This is a lot more than the single coil. Try them both if you can, otherwise, you cant go wrong with the $ 56 single coil.

However, you may have professional need, therefore, go for the blender, pick-up + mic. Big $$.

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I have also had good luck with the Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker. It still sounds like a magnetic pickup, but I will take the slight magnetic sound over the quacky undersaddle pickup sound any day. The Rare Earth also works well with one of Fishman's Aura pedals.

I also reall like that Fishman that has the built in mic. It sounds the most "acoustic" to me.

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I am finding out though, you still have to drill the body for the jack and that's what I want to avoid, or am I reading wrong?

 

For ANY pickup, or system, you can just dangle the wire out of the sound hole and solder an "in-line" jack on the end.

 

For Price-to-performance ratio, the Duncan "Woody" works very well.

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I've had a hard time finding the right sound hole pickup... I've been using the Fishnan rate earth humbucking pickup for s little while. But the string balance has been frustrating me. ..

 

I prefer low to mid range to shine through but the fishnet has real snap on the B and E strings. . You can't adjust individual string balance. So youre stuck with it. Even after various mods I've attempted.

 

I just bought the baggs m1 active. So waiting for that to arrive. Hopefully it will sing....

 

Let us know what direction you go in

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kingme- You can drill the tail block and install the endpin jack, or you can leave the cord out of the sound hole. I know that the fishman is pre wired with a strap jack, as is the l.r. baggs m1. Some pick ups, such as the Sunrise, have to be ordered with the long wire if you plan on not installing the end pin jack.

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