What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

[Gitfidl]

I have a Yamaha FG700S and I want to put a pick up on it. I have two acoustics with Fishman pickups which I hate! I have a Gibson J100 and a Tacoma DM10 .. not cheap guitars but the Fishman pick up is maddening urghhh!

The Fishman Pickups havwe to get a 9 volt batter (square) you can ghet them for 99 cents at the store BUT it costs $25 to put one in. (you have to have a special gadget that only the lutheir store has). They battery runs down fast .. after about $75 worth of battery changes youjust do not care to se the stinking Fishman pickup any more.

So the Yamaha rep said you can get an acoustic pickup from Duncan that does not need a battery, goes in the acoustic hole, can be routed through the end of the guitar and plugged into an amp like any electric AND he told me it actually sounds 1000% better than the under-bridge stuff I have in the Gibson & Tacoma (just let them there and put a Duncan in and go around them). (I gather that the Fishman are such junk that nobody would want them if you went to the effort of removing them).

I cannot describe how much I do not like them. Suffice to say I would never have anything with that name on it again. so.... what do you know about a Seymour Duncan acoustic pickup (include experiences) that are EZ to intsall, need no battery and sound GOOD (for a change). ????

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

Not many acoustic players here that I know of, other than SlyFox and Surgeon. I know Surgeon has gigged with Duncan acoustic pickups for years. You might want to PM him.

 

[jeremy]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

the woody series of sound hole pups are a good value, sound nice and dont require a battery.

the fishman undersaddle pups are usually not that bad. a 99 cent battery is probably not an alkaline 9v and there is no reason that you should have to pay some one to change your battery. what specific model guitars do you have?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

First off, 99 Cent Store batteries are false economy IME. They last no time at all when compared to a fresh, brand-name battery. Secondly, how about rechargeables? Thirdly, it should not cost $25 or require a special tool to change a battery. If those are your main gripes about the Fishman, I'd just stick with it. Start using better batteries and changing them yourself. Also, one thing you do with active electronics is to unplug the cable from the guitar when you aren't using it. Not sure if that needs to be done with your Fishman pickup, but it is worth looking in to.

As for SD pickups, I'd go for whichever one is the closest clone of a Sunrise, and I'd also combine it with a secondary, mic-based pickup system. But it looks like the Mag Mic does both of these things at once.

Also, have you read this page? http://www.seymourduncan.com/acoustic/how-to-choose-an-acoustic-pickup.php

 

[Scott Olson]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

The Mag Mic is a beautiful sounding pickup, it uses both a magnetic pickup and an omni-condenser microphone to capture the instrument so you get a whole lot of clarity as well as the warmth. Great for really capturing the wood, harmonics, etc. You can hear it in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Owr_rHFoo8

If you have little money to spare, I'm a big fan of the Woody HC. I've got one at home in my Fender Dreadnaught and it sounds great. Warm and I don't really have feedback problems with it.

 

[jeremy]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

i love my magmic but it uses a battery which the user states they dont want

 

[Scott Olson]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

That's understandable, well changing out the Mag Mic battery is pretty easy and they get up and above 400 hours of use per 9V. So it shouldn't drain as much as you experienced before unless you leave your guitar plugged in all the time.

Another option is the Acoustic Tube, which Marceau plays here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRFhFruZAYs

 

[Gitfidl]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

Oh wow. These are all good replies (I will need to read them and check out the recommendations. Yes the 99 cent store batteries are probably not premium batteries (but they have worked well in the Seymour Duncan "fat switch" .. that's what I always called it. Guitars ... well acoustically I have a Martin D42 (but would not put a pickup in that). I have a Gibson J100 Extra which came with a Fishman .. and that is the guitar that just uses them up like popcorn. I don't want to dig around in a Gibson with a needle nose (i don't want it chewed up like that). I have a Tacoma DM10 that has a Fishman pickup too. Any more I do not play it enough so the battery just wears out in it (every time I try to play it.. the battery is dead. (so I am not going to take that guitar down for a battery change too .. so I hate those battery Fishman .. and I wish I'd never heard of them .. change-change-change. ..) I have a Wasburn D10 that is in a Gig bag and goes where no man has gone before. I got it used and it plays well and I take it in the car. Then I have a Hamer Newport Custom Pro with Seth Lovers in it and then had some "magic" done at Top Gear (and he does magic)... and it is like silk. I have a Wasburn J6 jazz guitar and I put Seth Lovers in it and it also plays very nicely. So the you probably wonder WHY did I buy a Yamaha FG700S? (I don't actually know why; it kind of grabbed me and I could not let go). Well that is the one I'd put a sound hole pickup into .. I have recently bought a Yamaha THR10 (and it is very nice .. very nice). I have a 212R amp, a Fender 85 red knob amp, a Behringer large amp (actually a keyboard amp that works well with a mike for vocals) and a Custom amp that travels well. I do not need that many amps or that many guitars. [I'll admit it -- it is a sickness -- a twisted mind .. an unsound person like a dog with too many fire hydrants] I have Band in a Box and the THR10 came with Cubase but I do not know how to use it. I threw our Finale Print Music because the company support does not know how to install it on a Dell. I just upgraded BIAB to 2013 (I am making some Real Books for our band .. EZ to do with BIAB). I also have Robert Conti Assembly Line and Formula courses (and that keeps me busy .. maybe even obsessed .. I play mostly in retirement homes, nursing homes, hospice and Alzheimer homes. Ronald McDonald House too. Schools, hospitals, Starbucks .. where ever I don't get kicked out of .. So now I will look at what you told me here and see what I can make of it. (Golly .. I better not win the lottery .. can you imagine how many guitars I'd have then? )

 

[Aceman]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

I use a woody in my Yamaha 12. I like it a lot. And I have a piezo/internal mic setup in a classical to compare it to...

It's solid. Not amazing, but pretty good for what it is/price/performance. I'd say try it.

 

[Gitfidl]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

I read the advice and looked at a number of ads.. and even at user reviews. So now I am pretty much of the opinion that an acoustic guitar is not a good place to put an electronic pick up. And so that resolves a big question. It is not a case of finding a better solution but of avoiding that way of using an acoustic guitar. I will not remove the Fishman pickups from the Gibson or the Tacoma but I will just forget they are in there (out of sight = out of mind kind of thing). The Gibson (jumbo) has a nice deep mellow tone just the way it was made The Martin has a special sound without assistance. The new Yamaha sound brighter than the Washburn D10. Someday I will give that to my grandson or grand daughter. I have got to stop acquiring guitars now .. I really do.

 

[constant mesh]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

Piezos give you the "terrace band" sound. So if you play in shopping malls, hotel lobbies, weddings etc., then these are okay.
Dedicated acoustic pickups are more suitable for environments where people actually care about the music being played.

Not all piezos are bad, but it's a very simple design and all in all piezo sound is easily recognizable. I know 'gentlemen' who say this is the true acoustic sound, not with a pickup. Well to my ears, none of them are, the only acoustic sound can be (re)produced acoustically. To me pickups are best, they have a certain bite and clarity. Piezos tend to honk and thump if you play too aggressively and EQ-ing a piezo largely depends on your PA or amp.

 

[Aceman]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

Great point: Why are we amping this thing? And are we processing it?

My Ovation sounds killer through six pedals with a Piezo.

 

[Gitfidl]

Re: What is a GOOD Seymopur Duncan Acoustic Pickup (there are so many of them)

Well .. I guess this about as much as there is to say. Thanks to everyone for contributing (I am much more aware now).