Active vs. Passive

[tweed135]

What would be the advantage of an active LR Baggs M1 versus the passive M1?

[Strings4Him]

The passive does not necessarily require any alteration to your guitar.  I have used the passive with the cord simply hanging out the soundhole.  This would allow you to easily use it in other guitars.

Hope this helps.   

[RoundLakeDT]

The passive M1 has a fairly strong output, similar to an electric guitar pickup, so there's less advantage to the active version compared to other types of pickups.  (A passive undersaddle pickup definitely needs a short cable and good preamp outside the guitar)

However with the active M1 you can forget about gain issues, drive a fairly long cable without worrying about signal quality, and maybe get onboard volume/tone controls.  It's a more permanent install, though.

I saw Richard Gilewitz give a workshop recently (at Cathedral Music) where he put his passive M1 into one of the shop's guitars and A/B'd it against an Element in a similar guitar.  The M1 sounded really good, more 'guitar-like' than the Element (which surprised me), alhtough not quite as bright or 'snappy'. 

I wonder if you start with the passive M1 and if that doesn't work for you, whether Baggs would sell you the preamp jack to convert it into the active version... may be worth contacting them

Dave

[whiskeyjack]

The M1 Active has a volume control.  I don't see it on the passive M1.

[killerkelly]

I have a professionally installed M1 passive in my D-03R. It has plenty of gain and punch, and you never have to worry about changing batteries. I do wish it had an onboard volume control, but a simple pre-amp fixes that. Mine has a very mic like quality that I've never heard in a soundhole pickup before. I am very pleased with the M1 passive. I use it weekly to lead worship at church.

Killer