MiSi Pickup

Started by PortHueneme, October 29, 2009, 04:51:38 PM

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I know many of you are always looking for a pickup for and acoustic guitar that works. I just got a new ukulele with a MiSi installed. It is an under the saddle piezo.
Usually a ukulele sounds like crap when plugged in, but this thing really sounds good. It is an active pickup with a rechargeble capacitor, no battery or holes other than the end pin. I  imagine a guitar would sound great through it as well. I plugged straight to the PA, adjusted the highs down a bit and the lows up just a bit and it sounded like it was coming through a mic. Here's the link to the Mi-Si folks (BTW I have no association with them).

http://www.mi-si.com/
SD-60 SBT
O-50 TSB
OM-03 Koa
D-09 12 string
Gibson-J50
Gibson Blues King
A gaggle of ukes

Quote from: PortHueneme on October 29, 2009, 04:51:38 PM
I know many of you are always looking for a pickup for and acoustic guitar that works. I just got a new ukulele with a MiSi installed. It is an under the saddle piezo.
Usually a ukulele sounds like crap when plugged in, but this thing really sounds good. It is an active pickup with a rechargeble capacitor, no battery or holes other than the end pin. I  imagine a guitar would sound great through it as well. I plugged straight to the PA, adjusted the highs down a bit and the lows up just a bit and it sounded like it was coming through a mic. Here's the link to the Mi-Si folks (BTW I have no association with them).

http://www.mi-si.com/

I have a ukulele (Kala Cedar/Koa) that came with the MiSi preamp (and a Baggs Element under saddle pickup). I have to say that while the MiSi is a very clever bit of engineering, I don't like under saddle pickups at all on ukuleles. My Kala had HUGE string to string balance issues (which is inexcusable on a new uke since that balance issue is caused by either saddle slot or the saddle being not completely flat.) plus the overall tone didn't sound like a ukulele, it just sounds like a bad high strung guitar. I pulled the pickup and the MiSi out of my Kala and replaced with a K&K Big Shot (sound board transducer) and it is much more natural. All my ukuleles have sound board transducers in them now (either K&K's or McIntyre Feathers).

Jimmy
The kids:
Eastman Pagelli PG2 archtop
Kremona Fandango FG630CW
Landau Parlor
Pono 0000-30SP
Ramsay Classical
Neil Gardiner Parlor
Neil Gardiner Concert
Gretsch 6120-1959TV
Darren Hippner Flamenco

and the ukes:
Kanilea K3 Koa Super Concert
Kanilea K1 Tenor Custom (Claro Walnut)
Kanilea K1 Tenor Custom (Koa)
Mainland Tenor
Willie W

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