OM-03R: Can you help me with Pickup for my guitar?

[hajohehe]

I am trying to buy a pickup for my system. I own OM-03R, which I love. I use for worship most of the time. I strum more than fingerstyle. My budge is under $250, but I would like to go lowest possible with good value pickup. I am not even sure I should get passive one or not. I was thinking of iMIX or k&k western pure mini, but however I have no clue. Please help me make good purchase. I never had pickup before. Thank you. 

[cominghome419]

KK mini is outstanding.  I use mine in full band and solo worship settings all the time.  One of the most natural sounding pickups Ive heard, and pretty inexpensive.  Installation is pretty simple also.  And I think you can get the new KK preamp too within your budget.  Great pickup.

[maxferry]

Welcome aboard! This was the same thing that brought me here...doing research on a pickup for my L03. I had all but settled on the B-Band AST, but heard so many great things from the people here about the K&K Sound "Pure Western pickups that I checked a bit further into them and liked what I read...virtually unanimous praise.

I installed a set of Pure Western Minis into the L03...these things sound wonderful! Very natural, woody, lots of gain even before using a preamp, even though they're passive (I also like not using an on board battery). The installation is not too difficult for a home user, and the system is very simple; I'm able to plug it straight into a mixer and get enough gain from the mixer's mic preamp. Sounds better than the $400 Fishman Prefix blender system on my other axe.

http://www.kksound.com/purewestern.html

[t2cycling]

My Om-03R is scheduled for the K&K mini installation next week.  I have researched (procrastinated) for weeks and I am certain this is the way to go for me.  I considered the Baggs M-1 and others as well.  I was leaning towards the K&K and when my local acoustic expert said he recommends them over all others that clinched it for me.

[canoe65]

I also play my Larrivée L-03 in a church choir and they have been pushing me for more volume.  So I did some research and I just bought a L.R. Baggs M1 Passive soundhole pickup for $145.00 CDN on e-Bay.

You can easily install it either through the strapjack or have the cable run out through the soundhole.  For my money this is THE best 'passive' soundhole pickup on the market today.

If you want an 'active' model go for the more expensive L.R.Baggs M1 Active soundhole pickup that runs on a small watch-type battery and has a built in volume control, but you have to install it through the guitar's strapjack hole.   

[tuffythepug]

I have had the L.R. Baggs M-1 passive pickup on my OM-03R for about a month now.  I run it thru a Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. and into a variety of amps.  It sounds very good thru a couple of Fender Tube amps as well as thru a Crate Power Block.  Some people aren't fond of this type of pickup but I like the way it picks up string vibration as well as soudboard vibrations from separate coils.  It's a heavy little rascal though.  The difference in weight with this pickup installed is very noticeable.  Still I'd recommend it.  It seems to work very well with the OM-03R which is what Hajohehe is looking for.