Martin

[ashulman]

I've got a Martin D-28 that I want to stick a pickup on. I believe Martin makes a pickup which has a cord plug through the strap holder. Anybody have experience with these pickups?

 

[scottboyher]

I have a Martin as well and I put the tone-hole pickup in mine. It is a very muddy low-end kind of sound. I don't like it at all and would probably stay away from them. I tried everything in the book to try to make it sound good and it was a waste.

If you are recording use a mic and if it is for live sound I would take another direction. This is just my opinion though.

 

[ashulman]

I don't use it live but I thought that it would be handy in case I ever did an open mike thing or something like that. Wow, I didn't expect that kind of response. I'm glad I posted. The Martin low end is one of the things I love about it, and to lose that would suck.

 

[scottboyher]

Well, let me back step a bit. If you are going to use it for an open mic type thing it may work.

Here was my setup..

Pickup:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...8218057448/g=home/search/detail/base_id/35787

And I ran it through:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...8218057448/g=home/search/detail/base_id/35801


This gave me a lot more control over the tone.. Again, it may work for your application but you must try it out first.

 

[bdbdbuck]

Ashulman,
If you'll look in that second link that Scott posted, over on the right hand side there's an under saddle pickup. If you plan to do something like that, under saddle is an "invisible" installation that will give you a little brighter sound. I would run it through some sort of pre-amp / EQ device like the one shown.


bd

 

[ashulman]

I've got a Behringer Ultra Gain Pro pre amp that does allow some frequency control but not much. My main focus is on recording. I must have missed the tone-hole comment. My experience with those has been terrible. However I have heard decent things about the 'invisible' solution that Martin offers which I think may be listed in that link. I'm troubled because the one I saw was for $119 and though I could get that price lowered, the one on the link was $59. There was no picture so I'm not sure if its the same.

 

[philboyd studge]

For now, I'd go with a Fishman or L.R. Baggs saddle pickup with an on board pre built into the jack. Have it professionally installed.

 

[scottboyher]

My main focus is on recording.

Then get a good condenser mic and mic it.

 

[PFDarkside]

For now, I'd go with a Fishman or L.R. Baggs saddle pickup with an on board pre built into the jack. Have it professionally installed.

I agree for a live setting, as well as adding "acoustic" sound to rock tracks.

Originally posted by scottboyher
Then get a good condenser mic and mic it.

I agree for intimate live performances and recordings focusing on the acoustic.

 

[scottboyher]

The Fishmans and BBs are crap. And so are the pres they sell for them. they don't sound ANYTHING like a steel-string acoustic guitar.

I found this out all to late..

 

[ashulman]

c7sus,
Could you post the name of the pickup you are talking about? I'm at work and blocked from that website.

c7sus is the chord in Hey Jude when Paul sings "take a sad song"- great chord.