Inexpensive removable pickup for acoustic guitar

[Nizhny Tagil]

I need a non-destructive way to record my acoustic Squier Sa-105 directly into an instrument input, so I was looking for suggestions about an inexpensive but decent pickup.
By decent I mean being better than using acoustic simulators, but nothing more because I mostly record acoustic bits to fit crowded mixes.
I don't know where to start and googling didn't seem to help much, so I'd appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks!

 

[garww]

There used to be a steady supply of used Markley pick-ups on eBait

 

[mjbphotos]

The Markley woody style is the easy way to go: Dean Markley 3011 ProMag XM Single Coil Acoustic Sound Hole Pickup with End Plug | Sweetwater

 

[Nizhny Tagil]

I forgot to mention that I'm in Europe, and those Dean Markley pickups cost almost as much as the guitar over here.

 

[garww]

The Harley Benton is 26e at Thomann, but there should be plenty of used stuff on the different eBay

 

[miroslav]

I forgot to mention that I'm in Europe, and those Dean Markley pickups cost almost as much as the guitar over here.

Not sure where you are at...but try eBay...you can get a used Dean Markley ProMag for $30-$40.

 

[garww]

I don't think he even needs one that good, but thought there should be enough used ones around for a decent price. When I was shopping, I was only interested in what was in the $20+ range. There can be old Framus around, etc.. GFS has sound hole pickups, and as imports can probably be found branded cheaper ???

 

[Nizhny Tagil]

GFS has sound hole pickups, and as imports can probably be found branded cheaper ???

I found some made by Artec around that price.
I think Artec makes pickups for GFS and others, could that be an option?

 

[miroslav]

I have three...all purchased used on eBay for $20-$40.
I have two of the original, single coil types, and a ProMag Grand, which is a humbucker version.

The standard single coil ones get used the most...they have give a cleaner tone, but the humbucker one is good if you have an overly bright guitar.

 

[garww]

For filler "acoustic bits", you can spend money and get a better sound. But, for bits, I tend to think should just be tailored on the computer and the pickup probably doesn't matter too much.

Ya, I think I've read about Artec. On GFS, the cheaper PU was saying its bright sounding - if you just need that to pop in the mix here and there ?

Should you need fuller sounding bits (like a real acoustic part), then maybe extra cash would be well spent

 

[garww]

Hahah. I was hoping to find some old DeArmond - type and I had seen affordable ones before. It wasn't something I had to have for anything

 

[mjbphotos]

I forgot to mention that I'm in Europe, and those Dean Markley pickups cost almost as much as the guitar over here.

If your guitar costs around the same as this (37 Euros) it isn't going to improve a mix when you record the sound from it!
Dean Markley ProMag XM Pickup - Thomann UK

 

[Nizhny Tagil]

For filler "acoustic bits", you can spend money and get a better sound. But, for bits, I tend to think should just be tailored on the computer and the pickup probably doesn't matter too much.

Ya, I think I've read about Artec. On GFS, the cheaper PU was saying its bright sounding - if you just need that to pop in the mix here and there ?

Should you need fuller sounding bits (like a real acoustic part), then maybe extra cash would be well spent

I do small acoustic interludes here and there or layer some strummed or plucked chords over more crowded parts. I don't do anything centered around the acoustic guitar.
Basically I'm trying to achieve a more natural acoustic sound than I would by using impulse responses on an electric guitar DI.
If you say it's no use, than I'll just keep on doing what I do. I don't have a reference because I've never used a pickup for an acoustic.

 

[Nizhny Tagil]

If your guitar costs around the same as this (37 Euros) it isn't going to improve a mix when you record the sound from it!
Dean Markley ProMag XM Pickup - Thomann UK

No, it cost more than that! Actually, I didn't find those on eBay for that little. But if you consider shipping fees, it's still much for recording a guitar that cost less than 100 (and a player that's worth even less!).

 

[arcaxis]

Hahah. I was hoping to find some old DeArmond - type and I had seen affordable ones before. It wasn't something I had to have for anything

I had a DeArmond that I had bought in Germany back about 1970 that I had mounted in a Framus 12 string. Didn't cost a lot back then. Somewhere in its life the coil opened and it got put in a parts drawer for a while and subsequently got tossed when cleaning out old stuff. I still have the old Framus 12 string and put a Seymour Duncan Woody in it.
Pretty sure the DeArmond I had was this model... DeArmond 1200 Soundhole Pickup same as those | Reverb

 

[garww]

I do small acoustic interludes here and there or layer some strummed or plucked chords over more crowded parts. I don't do anything centered around the acoustic guitar.
Basically I'm trying to achieve a more natural acoustic sound than I would by using impulse responses on an electric guitar DI.
If you say it's no use, than I'll just keep on doing what I do. I don't have a reference because I've never used a pickup for an acoustic.

Those wouldn't be my fist choice for recording acoustic. When I moved to Arizona and need something to do while waiting for starvation and my disability to come through, I found a used Tascam recording kit on eBay for USD 50, or, so. - interface, mic and headphones. Not a great MIC, but I'll take that over a regular sound hole PU anyday

 

[Nizhny Tagil]

Those wouldn't be my fist choice for recording acoustic. When I moved to Arizona and need something to do while waiting for starvation and my disability to come through, I found a used Tascam recording kit on eBay for USD 50, or, so. - interface, mic and headphones. Not a great MIC, but I'll take that over a regular sound hole PU anyday

Actually, I do have a good dynamic mic, an AKG D310S. My problem is that I record in a less than ideal situation and I try to only use the mic when unavoidable (vocals).
I hope those hard times are behind you, anyway.

 

[garww]

"Pretty sure the DeArmond I had was this model"

Ya that's the standard one I was looking for - with the volume right there. I was looking for that sound, and beat up ones were fairly cheap. Honeyboy always seems to have it on his tour rig : )

Oh, my friend, Alan, was stationed over there back then and brought home a Frammusssus Electric. It was a wild one. When I'm checking for a sleeper deal on the old Kays, etc., I always search for Framus

 

[garww]

Actually, I do have a good dynamic mic, an AKG D310S. My problem is that I record in a less than ideal situation and I try to only use the mic when unavoidable (vocals).
I hope those hard times are behind you, anyway.

In that situation, I'd try to find a used Markley

 

[arcaxis]

Oh, my friend, Alan, was stationed over there back then and brought home a Frammusssus Electric. It was a wild one. When I'm checking for a sleeper deal on the old Kays, etc., I always search for Framus

Not a 'wild one'. Along with the 12 string I had picked up this one.