When you think of guitar sound, tone then the first thing that comes to your mind is a guitar pickup. Your mind will likely jumps to the many types of electric guitar pickups that created some of your favorite music genre such as classic rock, country, jazz and metal tones. There are many articles available on the internet but there is not much knowledge available on the acoustic pickups. There is still plenty to know about acoustic guitar pickups as well.
Acoustic guitar pickups share a common lineage with electric guitar pickups. In case of electric guitar, the pickup essentially traces its origins to the need to amplify an acoustic guitar so it could stand out and compete with the drums, horns and woodwinds of big bands.
In this article we will discuss about different types of acoustic guitar pickups and then we will see the list of top acoustic guitar pickup
So Let’s start
Piezo Acoustic Guitar Pickups
This is the most common type of acoustic pickup. These pickups are made up of a line of six different piezoelectric crystals that sit under the bridge of the guitar. These pickups are also known as under saddle pickups. These have been successfully implemented on electric guitars as well to create built-in electric-acoustic options for players that require both electric and acoustic tones out of one guitar. These are not very costly but have low output that can be problematic for those requiring loud and punchy acoustic tones.
Piezo acoustic guitar pickups are quite reliable and very easy to install. However, they are noted for having a very bright, thin sound.
ADVANTAGES
- Bright and percussive tone.
- Less prone to feedback.
- Already included on many acoustic guitars.
DISADVANTAGES
- Tone can be nasally for some
- Different sound than a mic’d acoustic.
Contact or Vibrational Acoustic Guitar Pickups
Contact or vibrational acoustic guitar pickups are either mounted on the top of the guitar or under the bridge. They have a noticeably different appearance from a typical guitar pickup.These contact picks the vibration of both the strings and guitar body that results in a much fuller sound than piezo pickups.
The big thing is that they may require a bit of EQ to fit into a mix, and are fairly prone to feedback as they will pick up all of the excess resonance and vibration from the guitar body.
Modern day pickups attempt to address drawbacks that are built by an EQ control system into the pickup that can be mounted to the guitar. Still, players these days are generally favor other pickups or pickup systems, rather than using contact pickups on their own.
ADVANTAGES
- Full-bodied
- Bass-heavy tone.
DISADVANTAGES
- Very prone to feedback.
- Difficult to fit into a mix.
Microphone-Paired Acoustic Guitar Pickups
Many efficient acoustic guitar pickup designs sport a magnetic, undersaddle, or contact pickup paired with a microphone that allows for more diverse sound capture. The concept here is that by adding some of the normal, amplified sound of the natural guitar, you will be able to counteract some of the brightness of a piezo pickup or some of the bass-heavy tone of a contact pickup. Generally, this is done by putting a microphone near the sound hole of the acoustic guitar with the other, paired pickup either attached to the bridge or internal body.
Well these are one of the best acoustic pickup options available in the market but on the same hand, they are also usually the most expensive as it essentially is two pickup systems in one.
ADVANTAGES
- Very flexible.
- Diverse range of tones available to the player, depending on the application.
- Microphone can be turned down if feedback is an issue.
DISADVANTAGES
- Fairly expensive.
Magnetic Acoustic Guitar Pickups
Magnetic acoustic guitar pickups project a magnetic field out around the strings. After that, they convert the disruption into an electric signal. You can see these types of pickups mounted directly under the strings in the sound hole of the acoustic guitar.
These pickups were first used and amplified guitars back in the big band era of the early 20th century. Tone of this pickup has a bit of the sparkle and warmth of a single coil electric guitar pickup.
These pickups are the most common types of acoustic guitar pickups that you will see. The reason being is that they can be easily added to any acoustic guitar, even if it did not begin its life as an acoustic-electric model.
ADVANTAGES
- Inexpensive
- Typically easy to install without modifying the guitar.
DISADVANTAGES
- Prone to feedback.
Now after going through the brief description of different type of acoustic guitar pickups, we will now checkout the list of top acoustic guitar pickups along with their features, technical specifications and price comparison.
So let’s move ahead
- DiMarzio Virtual Acoustic DP138
It is a modification free pickup that uses two foam inserts to mount the pickup inside of sound hole of your guitar. It comes with a 10 foot cable and a compensated volume control that minimizes tone loss when lowering your volume.
It also features 12 Adjustable pole pieces that helps you in tuning your sound. This offers you a lot of flexibility as you can dial in the sound of the pickup based on the genre you play.
Let’s checkout its features and technical specifications
Features
- Natural-sounding & magnetic acoustic pickup
- Noiseless design that eliminates 60-cycle hum
- Mounts easily in your guitar’s sound hole
- Wiring: 1 Conductor
- Magnet: Ceramic
- DC Resistance: 6.02 K ohm
Technical specifications
- Instrument: Acoustic Guitar
- Type: Dual-coil Pickup
- Position: Soundhole
- Active/Passive: Passive
Pros
- Clear and smooth
- Requires no modification
- Runs very quietly
- Vintage instruments can also enjoy amplification without damaging or altering the wood
Cons
- Unusual position of volume slider
The DP138 is a good choice for people who do not want to modify their instruments.
Price – INR 7,179
Buy – https://amzn.to/36d5EVu
- DiMarzio Super Natural Plus DP136
The DiMarzio DP136 Super Natural Plus pickup has many similarities as that of DP138. It also includes mounting and 10 foot cable. On the same hand, this pickup is more focused with high-mid and treble presence with a tighter bass.
Let’s have look on its features
Features
- Acoustic pickup that captures your sound and suppresses feedback
- Wiring: 1 Conductor
- Magnet: Ceramic
- DC Resistance: 8.05 Kohm
Technical specifications
- Instrument: Acoustic Guitar
- Type: Magnetic
- Position: Soundhole
- Active/Passive: Passive
Pros
- Convenient
- Excellent sound quality
Cons
- Volume slider is easy it is to hit with hard strumming
It has hassle-free installation; vintage instruments won’t need any modifications. DP136 is a good choice for those who want to brighten up a dark sounding acoustic.
Price – INR 6,412
Buy – https://amzn.to/2TJOlJd
- K&K Pure Mini
This acoustic pickup is basically a transducer. That means, it picks up the vibrations of the body of your guitar rather than its string. Consequently, the tone is more natural and open. It is a nice choice if you prefer a genuine acoustic tone, rather than more processed sound of a piezo pickup.
Let’s checkout its features and technical specifications
Features
- Type: Transducer/Contact
- Modifications: Endpin, Gluing the Contacts to the Soundboard
- Installation Difficulty: Moderate
- Controls: None
Technical specifications
- Item weight – 3.2 ounces
- Dimensions – 1 x 1 x 1 inches
- Type – Passive
- Shipping weight – 3.2 ounces
Pros
- Mellow and natural sounding tone
- Great for beginners
- Full bodied sound
- Muted pick attack
Cons
- Lacks in upper frequency sparkle
- Bloated mid-range frequencies
Overall, K&K mini is a good choice for those guitars that have too much of an edge when strummed.
Price – INR 7,049
Buy – https://amzn.to/3aseaU9
Also Read:- Types of guitar pickup – All you need to know
- LR Baggs M1
LR Baggs is one of the most prominent manufacturers of pickups for acoustic instruments. In fact, LR bags pickups are the stock option on many prominent guitar brands. These pickups are used in various genres with many notable endorses such as Ricky Skaggs, cage the elephant, Sierra Hull, Brad Paisley and many more.
Let’s checkout its features and technical specifications
Features
- Type: Soundhole
- Required Modifications: None
- Installation Difficulty: Low
- Controls: None
Technical specifications
- Type – passive
- Item weight – 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions – 6 x 4 x 3
- Shipping weight – 12.8 ounces
Pros
- Natural tone
- Attenuating feedback
- Pickups up vibration from the body
Cons
- Sometimes the gain is out of control of most musicians
This pickups is can make your guitar sound a way better. Kindly note, the better the guitar, and the better this pickup will perform
Price – INR 11,321
Buy – https://amzn.to/30NClI3
So, these were the best passive acoustic pickups of all. Now, let’s have a look on the best active acoustic pickups
- LR Baggs iBeam
This pickup is also a transducer pickup that is placed to the bridge of the plate of your guitar. You will have to place it directly in front of the ball end of the strings.
Let’s have a look on its features and technical specifications
Features
- Quick and easy installation
- Discrete Class A FET-based preamp
- Naturally warm, analog sound
- Includes ibeam placement jig and peel-and-stick mounting adhesive
- String-to-string balance and dynamics
- Fits most x-braced guitars
- Up to 1000 hours of playing time
- Dimensions: 2.875″ x .425″
- Weighs less than 1/3oz
Technical specifications
- Instrument: Acoustic Guitar
- Type: Piezo
- Position: Bridge Plate
- Active/Passive: Active (9V battery)
Pros
- Improved treble frequencies
- Versatile
- Lasting playing hours
Cons
- Lacks tone control
- May not fit to every guitar
It is designed to mimic the response of a microphone. It is a god choice if you are looking a sound between a transducer and a microphone.
Price – INR 10,611
Buy – https://amzn.to/30L3fk4
- Fishman Matrix Infinity Narrow
Matrix infinity is a prominent brand in acoustic guitar amplification. This pickup features a redesigned endpin mounted preamp along with controls for volume and tone. It also sports a low battery Indicatior and a voicing switch. This switch cuts specific frequencies to approximate the electric signal you’re your acoustics’ tone.
Let’s have a look on technical specifications and features
Features
- Soft-touch endpin-mounted preamp
- Sophisticated level of sound quality and responsiveness to your touch
- Unique Tone control
- Integrated LED low battery indicator
- Switchable voicing accommodates your guitar’s body size and performance situation
- Solder less connections
Technical specifications
- Instrument: Acoustic Guitar
- Type: Piezo
- Position: Undersaddle – Narrow format
- Active/Passive: Active
Pros
- Improvised tone quality
- Positive user reviews
Cons
- Uneven sanding results
This is a perfect choice for those guitars having a wider saddle slot.
Price – INR 12,027
Buy – https://amzn.to/2NOXYmi
- Seymour Duncan SA-6 Mag Mic
It is a combination of an omni directional condenser mic and a magnetic pickup. This allows you to get a tone to have a natural sounding resonance while providing clarity via the magnetic pickups. You can mix the two to get natural, percussive or feedback-reducing tonalities.
The Mag Mic active acoustic pickup gives you a better quality hum-cancelling Stack magnetic pickup along with an omni-directional condenser mic. This complete setup serves up your guitar’s original warmth along with exciting full-spectrum detail.
Let’s have a look on its features and specifications
Features
- It’s a pickup with a mic
- High-quality hum-cancelling
- Stack magnetic pickup
- Omni-directional condenser mic
- Convenient volume control
Technical specifications
- Instrument: Acoustic Guitar
- Type: Humbucker, Omni-directional Mic
- Position: Soundhole
- Active/Passive: Active (9V battery)
Pros
- Natural tone
- Versatile
- Clear loudness
Cons
- Extra time dialing in the blend of the magnetic pickup for some guitarists.
This guitar pickup is a good choice for those who want tonal preference requires you to precisely blend a mic and magnetic pickup tone.
Price – INR 13,439
Buy – https://amzn.to/2uqP7QU
- LR Baggs Anthem Tru-Mic Microphone/Piezo and Active
The LR Baggs Anthem Tru-Mic Microphone/Piezo pickup is the piezo-equipped version of the Anthem SL. The system features an in-guitar microphone combined with piezo sensors. Consequently, this combo makes it perfect for both steel string and nylon string guitars.
Let’s checkout its features and specifications
Features
- Microphone acoustic guitar pickup
- Feedback-avoiding design
- Noise-canceling technology
- Tru-Mic system
- Free from placement issues
- Control unit fits inside soundhole: Volume, Mix, and Phase controls
Technical specifications
- Instrument: Acoustic Guitar
- Type: Piezo, Tru Mic
- Position: Soundhole, Undersaddle – Narrow format
- Active/Passive: Active (9V battery)
Pros
- Balanced piezo tone
- Dense band mix
- Great feedback suppression
Cons
- As the pickup favors the treble frequencies, some people may not like the sound quality for solo acoustic.
This pickup can do wonders for you if you are playing in a band or ensemble.
Price – INR 21,258
Buy – https://amzn.to/37mKiX6
- Fishman Matrix Infinity Wide
The Matrix Infinity Wide has the same features as the Matrix Infinity Narrow. The specific difference on the units is the width of the under saddle strip. You should check the dimensions of your guitar’s specifications before deciding on which version to get.
Let’s checkout its features and technical specifications
Features
- Soft-touch endpin-mounted preamp
- sophisticated level of sound quality and responsiveness touch
- Redesigned, sealed enclosure for the soundhole-mounted Volume and Tone controls adjustments effortless
- Unique Tone control
- Integrated LED low battery indicator
- Features the world’s best-selling under-saddle pickup, the Acoustic Matrix
- Switchable voicing accommodates your guitar’s body size and performance situation
- Solderless connections for easy installation
Technical specifications
- Instrument: Acoustic Guitar
- Type: Piezo
- Position: Undersaddle – Wide format
- Active/Passive: Active
Pros
- Better tone quality
- Smoothness
- Versatility
Cons
- Uneven sanding
Infinity wide is perfect if you have a wider saddle slot.
Price – INR 12,014
Buy – https://amzn.to/2tHbQYL
What is a feedback?
Feedback is simply a loop of sound that is caused by resonance. When a frequency goes through an amplifier, the resulting tone is then captured by your guitar pickup and after that it is amplified further. This goes on until the initial frequency is the only thing coming out of your speakers, and is really unpleasant to listen to.
Acoustic pickups are very sensitive to feedback but this varies based on the type of pickup. As a basic rule, the more your pickup hears the more sensitive it will be. A pickup with a built-in microphone is going to be more sensitive to feedback than a piezo guitar pickup. The more frequencies heard by a pickup the higher vulnerability of feedback, so the pickups that most accurately reproduce your acoustic tone are generally more likely to cause feedback.
| Acoustic Pickup | Feedback Risk |
| Microphone | High |
| Transducer | Medium/High |
| Soundhole | Low/High |
| Piezo | Low |
This was all about acoustic guitar pickup. Stay tuned to Gaanatunes for more
