What pickups have you folks been installing?

[rockstar_not]

My son recently bought a used Taylor DN3 a couple of weeks ago.  Would like a pickup installed.  I haven't been tuned into what folks have been using for probably 10+ years.  I put a K+K Mini Pure Western into my L-03 after the Fishman UST system from the factory failed.  Back then the Baggs ibeam was a popular stick-on option, and then I think the Anthem came out around then also.  He wants me to do the install.  Budget is under $200.

[teh]

There are a lot of members on this Forum who can give you a better answer than me, but here's my limited experience and knowledge with pickups. This is probably more information than you want or need.

In February 2006, my dealer installed a Baggs I-beam pickup in my Larrivee LV-03MT 12 string and it has worked well for the past 20 years. In February 2022 on the recommendation of John Larrivee, Jr., I added a factory installed Anthem Dual Source pickup to my LSV-03 (Forum VI). When I custom ordered a mahogany topped 00-24 in May 2024, Junior told me he could install an Anthem SL pickup at the factory, so they did. The SL was required because of the body size. Both guitars sound great amplified or without amplification. Since none of my three Martins (D-35, OM-35 and 000 12 fret) have a pickup, I have a Fishman Humbucker soundhole pickup that can be inserted and switched easily. My son has a Taylor 214 that sounds good through the soundhole pickup too. The only drawback to the Anthem pickups is the fact that changing the 9v battery can be a little clunky but the pluses far outweigh that concern.

When I bought the Forum VI, I picked up a 60w, Fishman Loudbox Mini acoustic amp at a local music store during a Labor Day weekend sale. Last Fall, I added a used 50w Boss Katana Gen 3 amp. My son has the 100w model. I paid a little over $400 for these two used amps.

Good luck with your decision.

[615.Bill]

I had an LR Baggs LYRIC installed in my 000-40. Four stars

[Queequeg]

I used to install K&K Pure Minis (often referred to as the K&K Western Mini) in a few guitars, but over time I have become dissatisfied with the product, primarily due to its "passive" nature and generally requires an exterior preamp.
More recently (2 years ago now) I bought an OMV-40 with a factory-installed Anthem (no-cut).
And (just as teh wrote last week) I'm primarily playing through a 60w Fishman Loudbox Mini acoustic amp, also purchased at a local music store, same as teh.
And while I'm not unhappy with the Fishman, and like it for what it is and offers, as a SS amp, each time I power it up I'm acutely aware that it doesn't have the warmth of my tube amp, which of course I knew I was sacrificing when I purchased it. But everything is a trade-off and/or compromise.

But I'm quite pleased with the Anthem with "true mic".
From the Larrivee P/U page:
"The Anthem has all of the essential tools in one complete system. The feather-weight preamp and controls include volume, mix, phase, and a battery check. The mix control blends from the augmented TRU•MIC position to Element pickup only.

*This pickup system utilizes finger wheel controls and does not have side mount slider controls."

[unclrob]

I've been playing with the baggs active I beam for years now and have installed all types over the years,the Ibeam does the job for me as I do prefer the ease of use due to having to play load which is all most pu's are good for.I prefer a mic,I have dropped the use of a pre amp and just go direct.If I have to use an amp my mid 70's Princton reverb does the best job.

[StringPicker6]

Last year I bought and installed an LR Baggs HiFi for $199.  In my humble opinion, it's a nice upgrade from the K&K pure mini because it uses adhesive tape vs. crazy glue to install and therefore easier to remove, if desired. It also has a 9V battery preamp and tone and volume sound hole controls.  Very discrete and I was able to install it myself.  For the price, I think it's great.  For $449, LR Baggs has the HiFi duet, which adds on a microphone to the Hifi. 

[Koamon]

Some prefer K&K pickups, I prefer LR Baggs pickups. I originally started out with a passive Fishman Thinline UST in the 80's. Not liking the quacky piezo sound, I bought the Fishman Blender dual outboard preamp and added a Crown GLM 200 mini mic to the ring side of a stereo endpin jack. The guitar was connected to a TRS stereo cable into the Blender. Although a better overall sound, the quack was still there. In came the Baggs Ibeam. I was going to go passive until Caleb at Baggs Support informed me that the preamp in the endpin jack of the active Ibeam is stereo capable and another source can be wired on to the dedicated ring connections in the preamp. I rewired the Crown  mic to the ring side of the Ibeam and now run the signal to my old Blender for a mixed signal with better control than the Baggs Anthem SL that I have wired in another guitar. When I acquired a 000-40MT it had an active Ibeam, so instead of a condenser mic, I wired a passive LR Baggs M1 soundhole p/u to the ring side. (You can't wire an active. M1 to it a as it would never turn off) Both setups work great in my old Fishman Blender. Being inexpensive used I later acquired a used Fishman Pocket Blender for under $100. They are built like tanks, can run off a wall wart, be daisy chained from a powered pedalboard or 9v battery and can serve the purpose of a DI as you can both 1/4 TS and XLR out simultaneously to different sources. K&K dual sources a mic to ring side with their Trinity preamp system, but you can use a Blender as well. Other  dual source preamps include the Pendulum Audio, Rane AP 13, DTAR, Red Dot, Grace, etc. Altough they can be sonically better, for me, it's a diminishing return against the cost differential of having audiophile quality with more bells and whistles. ( if you want the most natural sound, mic your guitar) For those still reading this and prefer Baggs pickups, a dual source wiring option is also available with the Baggs Element but not the Anthem or Lyric. ( I wired a condenser mini mic to a factory installed Element guitar with excellent results)
Whatever you choose, think out a plan, start simple and add on as you go...it's not the destination, it's the journey.

[eded]

K&K...  I wouldn't replace a working pickup, but I won't install anything but K&K.

Ed

[jasonchamb]

So, as an experiment last year, I picked up a couple of cheap Artec SHP5 pickup/preamp systems. I replaced the cheap endpin jack with a $5 one that was better. Then I replaced the undersaddle piezo with the 3 soundboard transducers from a JJB system. I put the whole thing in my L-03, and it turned into a pretty nice system. Condenser mic + transducers = poor man's Hifi Duet. ~$85 vs $449.

[StringPicker6]

Very cool! I'm too electronically challenged to figure out something like that. Sometimes home made stuff is better than the fancy gear in stores.