HELP! Mandolin Pickups - FRETS.NET2024-03-28T13:59:02Zhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topics/help-mandolin-pickups?commentId=2177249%3AComment%3A83785&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI agree on the Fishman--by ha…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-30:2177249:Comment:837852012-01-30T15:59:10.708ZLARRY KLOSEhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/LARRYKLOSE
<p>I agree on the Fishman--by having to replace the saddle, you're stuck with inferior material and it won't sound as good unplugged as a good Loar repro, like a Cumberland Acoustic. And it has that unmistakable piezo quack.</p>
<p>I have to disagree about under the top pickups, at least with reference to the K&K. It sounds nearly as good as with a mic, doesn't feed back appreciably (I've used it with condenser mic and SM-57/58 setups) and doesn't change the unplugged sound. No hollow…</p>
<p>I agree on the Fishman--by having to replace the saddle, you're stuck with inferior material and it won't sound as good unplugged as a good Loar repro, like a Cumberland Acoustic. And it has that unmistakable piezo quack.</p>
<p>I have to disagree about under the top pickups, at least with reference to the K&K. It sounds nearly as good as with a mic, doesn't feed back appreciably (I've used it with condenser mic and SM-57/58 setups) and doesn't change the unplugged sound. No hollow sound, either. I play Bluegrass and the K&K sounds just fine for that. It has enough output that I can go directly to the board without a DI if need be and the EQ on the board is adequate to get a good sound.</p>
<p>I had a Baggs radius and it was very shrill and created a lot of feedback. Maybe that was because I put it on a bandolim, which is brighter than a carved top mando, but I took it off and sold it after a few tries because it had too many problems and didn't sound anywhere near natural, even through a Baggs Para acoustic DI.</p>
<p>.</p> I meant model in preamp provi…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-29:2177249:Comment:835002012-01-29T19:12:00.620ZJerry Ryanhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/JerryRyan
<p>I meant model in preamp provides the sound you want</p>
<p>I meant model in preamp provides the sound you want</p> I have installed the LR Baggs…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-28:2177249:Comment:834362012-01-28T03:05:38.359ZJerry Ryanhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/JerryRyan
<p>I have installed the <span class="brand">LR Baggs</span> Radius Transducer Pickup. It works great, does need a preamp, but with a modeling pickup you can get exactly the Bluegrass sound you want without altering the mandolin in any way.</p>
<p>I have installed the <span class="brand">LR Baggs</span> Radius Transducer Pickup. It works great, does need a preamp, but with a modeling pickup you can get exactly the Bluegrass sound you want without altering the mandolin in any way.</p> My issue with K and K is serv…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-28:2177249:Comment:832582012-01-28T00:10:45.352ZJohnhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/John631
<p>My issue with K and K is servicing them. If they are installed the recommended way, they can't be removed with out damaging them and leaving pieces of glue and brass and ceramic stuck to the bridge plate. This makes it difficult to replace them. I have had 4 come in to my shop in recent years with one side not working. They sound pretty good but I'm not a fan.</p>
<p>While Ron Ellison may not know mandolin bridges. He has a good knowledge on how piezo pickups work and has provided us with…</p>
<p>My issue with K and K is servicing them. If they are installed the recommended way, they can't be removed with out damaging them and leaving pieces of glue and brass and ceramic stuck to the bridge plate. This makes it difficult to replace them. I have had 4 come in to my shop in recent years with one side not working. They sound pretty good but I'm not a fan.</p>
<p>While Ron Ellison may not know mandolin bridges. He has a good knowledge on how piezo pickups work and has provided us with a close approximation of how K&K pickups are manufactured. </p> Good non-piezzo contact micro…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-27:2177249:Comment:831452012-01-27T08:21:39.255ZPierre-Antoine Roironhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/PierreAntoineRoiron
<p>Good non-piezzo contact microphone can be found in Schertler's catalog. Very good products. I advice these on instruments played in a quite quiet configuration (acoustical music mostly).</p>
<p>Good non-piezzo contact microphone can be found in Schertler's catalog. Very good products. I advice these on instruments played in a quite quiet configuration (acoustical music mostly).</p> Best - condensor mic + in ear…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-26:2177249:Comment:834222012-01-26T14:51:17.898ZHugh Hansenhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/HughHansen
<p>Best - condensor mic + in ear monitors, or a combo of stereo split mic and pickup such as used by Sam Bush (though this gets complicated)</p>
<p>Acceptable - AKG C411 (some adaptation required), LR Baggs Radius, Schertler, or K&K mounted on the OUTSIDE of instrument along with a good preamp and feedback eliminator</p>
<p>Not Acceptable - everything else including the fishman (which makes your mandolin sound worse unplugged as well) and anything that mounts on the inside of the…</p>
<p>Best - condensor mic + in ear monitors, or a combo of stereo split mic and pickup such as used by Sam Bush (though this gets complicated)</p>
<p>Acceptable - AKG C411 (some adaptation required), LR Baggs Radius, Schertler, or K&K mounted on the OUTSIDE of instrument along with a good preamp and feedback eliminator</p>
<p>Not Acceptable - everything else including the fishman (which makes your mandolin sound worse unplugged as well) and anything that mounts on the inside of the instrument, unless you like a weak, hollow sounding feedback fest</p>
<p>Best compromise for price, hassle free operation, ease of installation - Baggs Radius, on the outside right behind the bridge and a little to the treble side, and don't skimp on a preamp and feedback eliminator or it will all be for not.</p>
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<p></p> If it is of interest to…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-25:2177249:Comment:832222012-01-25T18:57:58.509ZBilly Etheridgehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/WilliamREtheridge
<p> If it is of interest to those who left me answers here, I just received an email from Sound To Earth, the makers of Weber mandolins on their preference of pickups. They suggested the K & K internal twins. Thanks again for your help...</p>
<p> If it is of interest to those who left me answers here, I just received an email from Sound To Earth, the makers of Weber mandolins on their preference of pickups. They suggested the K & K internal twins. Thanks again for your help...</p> Hi Robert, and thank you for…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-22:2177249:Comment:829472012-01-22T14:36:45.424ZBilly Etheridgehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/WilliamREtheridge
<p>Hi Robert, and thank you for your input. As you can see from the posts (and why I like opinion here), most excellent information and a consensus is beginning to take shape. Now that I am able to narrow a selection by folks with experience in this area, I have cut through the sea of choices. I am awaiting an email from Webber to get an opinion and I have a feeling it will reside in one or two of the suggestions on this post. Thanks again Robert for your help...</p>
<p>Hi Robert, and thank you for your input. As you can see from the posts (and why I like opinion here), most excellent information and a consensus is beginning to take shape. Now that I am able to narrow a selection by folks with experience in this area, I have cut through the sea of choices. I am awaiting an email from Webber to get an opinion and I have a feeling it will reside in one or two of the suggestions on this post. Thanks again Robert for your help...</p> Hi Billy,
I've installed hund…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-22:2177249:Comment:829452012-01-22T14:17:42.078ZRobert "Yukon" Stubblebinehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/RobertYukonStubblebine
<p>Hi Billy,</p>
<p>I've installed hundreds of pickups and combinations of pickups in all manner of mandolin family instruments. The K&K mandolin twins are excellent for warm accurate seeming representation of the unplugged sound most suitable for fingerstyle and old time, etc. If you want to cut through the Bluegrass mayhem most will prefer one of the Fishman M-series bridge pickups. Kent Armstrong makes an awfully nice humbucker that used to be available for the Phoenix Jazz model…</p>
<p>Hi Billy,</p>
<p>I've installed hundreds of pickups and combinations of pickups in all manner of mandolin family instruments. The K&K mandolin twins are excellent for warm accurate seeming representation of the unplugged sound most suitable for fingerstyle and old time, etc. If you want to cut through the Bluegrass mayhem most will prefer one of the Fishman M-series bridge pickups. Kent Armstrong makes an awfully nice humbucker that used to be available for the Phoenix Jazz model instruments. I put an Armstrong on a Collings MT wired in stereo with a K&K and it resulted in a terrific variety of useable tones. Short story, smart money says the Fishman bridge pickup is the no-brainer go to for Bluegrass. My opinions only of course.</p> Thanks Larry, seems K &…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-01-21:2177249:Comment:829372012-01-21T21:54:12.388ZBilly Etheridgehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/WilliamREtheridge
<p> Thanks Larry, seems K & K pickups are popular here, I'll give this a serious investigation. I have an email out to Webber and am waiting on a reply, but I do not expect hearing anything until at least Monday. I've been installing L R Baggs dual source systems in guitars primarily because they greatly reduce the "bark/quack' that full range UST's give up so easily. Thanks again Larry...</p>
<p> Thanks Larry, seems K & K pickups are popular here, I'll give this a serious investigation. I have an email out to Webber and am waiting on a reply, but I do not expect hearing anything until at least Monday. I've been installing L R Baggs dual source systems in guitars primarily because they greatly reduce the "bark/quack' that full range UST's give up so easily. Thanks again Larry...</p>