Anyone have experiance installing an internal pickup on a vintage Gibson A-style (oval hole) mandolin?

[Ryan Matzen]

Howdy,

I've been thinking about adding a pickup to my 1912 Gibson A-style oval hole. I was looking for something that I could use at local blues jams, but would still sound very natural when playing plugged in with a string band.

I've kind of narrowed it down to two different pickups, a K&K Sound Mandolin Twin or a Schertler internally installed Resocoil.

I've have experience with K&K pickups, but mostly in guitars.  I didn't think that they were all that great as I wasn't super happy about the sound and I had issues with feedback on stage.  So I am leaning more towards the 3 times more expensive Schertler.

Has anyone installed an internal pickup on an A-style oval hole?  If so, how did you go about doing this? The jack is not a big deal, but placing the pickup inside seems like it would be quite the challenge!

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Ryan

[Roger Schnieders]

I can't help you with this but you might find some info at "the mandolin cafe". Good luck,Roger

[Ryan Matzen]

Thanks for the tip!

[Ron Frazier]

have you thought of a bridge pickup?

Ron

[Ryan Matzen]

Yes. I don't care for them. There was one on the mandolin when I purchased it and I removed it.