I’ve been enjoying acoustic for a number of years and I’m prepared to begin enjoying out. I wish to put a pickup in my guitar (a Martin 000-15M) however I’m a bit overwhelmed by all of the totally different decisions, and I don’t know what is going to work finest. I play principally solo or duo with a choose, but additionally play some solo fingerstyle. What is an efficient selection that may work with my guitar? —John Chen 

Amplifying acoustic guitars is a problem, and plenty of sensible folks have spent years engaged on options to do it nicely. There are a great deal of pickups obtainable, and it may be exhausting to know which can finest fit your wants. When recommending pickups to my shoppers, I begin with a number of inquiries to slim down the alternatives: piezo or magnetic; lively or passive; reversibility; and enjoying type/anticipated makes use of.

The primary query is easy—piezo or magnetic? Piezo pickups are constructed of supplies that rework vibration into {an electrical} sign. These are normally positioned beneath the bridge saddle or caught beneath the highest. Since piezos straight sense the guitar’s wooden, many gamers really feel that they’ve a extra correct acoustic tone and character. Nevertheless, this relies significantly on a well-executed set up. Poorly positioned or badly put in piezos are infamous for uneven response, useless strings, and different maddening deficiencies. For those who set up a piezo system your self, bear in mind that your outcomes could not mirror the pickup’s fullest potential. Hiring an expert to put in a piezo system is an efficient funding in efficiency and reliability.

Magnetic pickups for acoustics practically all the time come within the type of an oblong shell that clamps into the soundhole, simply previous the tip of the fingerboard. Magnetic pickups solely sense the strings, to allow them to sound a bit extra much like electrical guitar pickups. Some gamers think about this a bonus—as a result of magnetic pickups don’t straight sense motion of the guitar’s high and air chamber, they are often extra proof against suggestions than piezos. Their partial obstruction of the soundhole also can assist with this. For those who play with pedals or results, a magnetic pickup can also work together with these in a extra comfy and acquainted approach. Fishman’s Uncommon Earth and L.R. Baggs’ M1 are two extremely popular magnetic methods, and are available each passive and lively variations to swimsuit participant choice and funds.

Energetic methods are those who require onboard energy, normally within the type of a 9-volt battery. Energetic piezo methods are the commonest, for good purpose—they have a tendency to carry out higher and extra constantly than passive methods. Piezo transducers require a high-impedance amp enter to take care of their full frequency response, and plenty of results and amplifiers don’t have sufficiently high-impedance inputs to permit the pickups to sound their finest. If the impedance is simply too low, the piezo will undergo from skinny, scratchy response. Effectively-designed lively piezo setups have a high-impedance preamp stage in-built, which permits the pickup to carry out constantly with a extra strong sign throughout totally different sorts of inputs. 

The one actual legal responsibility for the participant is the occasional upkeep of adjusting the battery, together with the chance that the battery may die throughout a efficiency. Some guitars have battery compartments accessible from the skin, however most aftermarket methods assume the battery shall be positioned contained in the guitar, requiring the participant to loosen the strings so as to change it—hardly one thing that may occur between songs on a gig.

For gamers averse to the fee, weight, or upkeep of lively methods, there are a number of well-established passive piezo methods in the marketplace. The preferred of those with my shoppers is the Ok&Ok Pure Mini. Although these pickups could also be a bit extra delicate to the amp or enter they’re being plugged into, they provide a dependable and maintenance-free possibility that appeals to many. One draw back: virtually all the standard passive pickups in the marketplace are supposed to be wired on to the output jack, with no quantity or tone controls. If you wish to modify the extent or tone of the instrument on-the-fly, an lively system is the only option. Lastly, though good passive pickups can sound high-quality plugged straight into an amp or DI, they all the time carry out higher when matched with a high-quality exterior preamp.

As in any case the place I’m modifying a guitar, I think about reversibility and potential influence on worth. Almost each pickup in the marketplace makes use of an output jack with an built-in endpin/strap button. Putting in these includes drilling out the tapered endpin gap to a bigger 1/2-inch gap. Typically, gamers are keen to decide to having this jack put in, as it’s by far essentially the most sensible possibility. For those who actually want to not drill out the endpin gap, some magnetic pickups have lengthy lead wires that path out of the soundhole, with a 1/4-inch plug on the finish. These is usually a bit ungainly to retailer, however it’s an possibility.

Past the endpin, there are different worthwhile issues. Undersaddle pickups require drilling a small gap within the ground of the saddle slot within the bridge. This tiny gap presents no danger to the well being or construction of the guitar—except the tech drills by means of one of many braces by chance! (I’ve seen a number of of those, even in manufacturing facility guitars.) As soon as once more, this can be a sturdy argument for skilled set up.

Physique/high sensors are adhered on to the underside of the guitar high, both with superglue or high-tech double-faced tape. These may be sensitive to take away, with a danger of tearing away wooden fibers, and a excessive chance of damaging or destroying the pickup itself, so any such pickup is much less reversible than the others.

Many piezo methods include side-mounted preamps providing a great deal of performance—EQ, onboard tuners, modeling, suggestions filters, part switching…the listing goes on. Nevertheless, all this comes at an enormous price. They require the installer to chop a gap within the aspect of the guitar, which is a one-way road that understandably makes many gamers really feel a bit queasy. It has been years since a shopper requested me to put in such a system, since many good choices now exist that don’t require such a drastic modification. Nevertheless, in case your wants embrace prolonged onboard controls, and the guitar is just not a prized classic mannequin, it could be {that a} side-mounted preamp such because the Fishman Ellipse Aura could be applicable.

Magnetic pickups sometimes clamp onto the highest with a padded jaw on both sides of their housing. Producers do their finest to make these jaws protected for the highest, however I’ve seen loads of circumstances the place the highest was scratched, dented, or in any other case broken by magnetic pickups that have been too free, too tight, or in any other case incorrectly put in. Make certain the jaw pads are clear and undamaged, and use care in putting and tightening them.

The ultimate and most necessary consideration is enjoying type and anticipated use. Gamers who file, or carry out in quieter environments, could do nicely with a top-mounted sensor that conveys extra nuance and acoustic character. My present favourite of those is the L.R. Baggs HiFi system. These pickups’ better susceptibility to suggestions is just not more likely to be a priority in such environments. Extra energetic gamers, or guitarists in ensemble settings, could go for undersaddle pickups, that are much less more likely to sense the thumps and dealing with noise that may plague physique sensors. Energetic undersaddle pickups additionally steadily have onboard quantity and tone controls that permit for changes without having any ground house for outboard gear.

It may be exhausting to weigh the professionals and cons of every kind of system. For gamers who need extra versatility, there are hybrid methods such because the L.R. Baggs Anthem that mix a number of sources—magnetic and piezo, magnetic and microphone, or undersaddle piezo and high sensor. These multisource methods can carry out nicely in a spread of settings, permitting the participant to regulate the system to emphasise the supply that’s finest suited to every enjoying setting. Increasingly of my shoppers have been requesting methods with this sort of flexibility, and there are good decisions obtainable in the marketplace. The one actual legal responsibility with these is the added price and extra concerned set up.

It may be dizzying to type by means of all of those totally different issues, when all we actually need is to take our beloved acoustic and make it louder. Nevertheless, a poor match between pickup, amp, and participant could make the amplified expertise fairly unsatisfying, so it’s value spending time to know the choices. Your Martin is a pleasant guitar that may be an ideal amplified instrument, and it’s value investing in a system that may make it carry out its finest.

This text initially appeared within the March/April 2025 challenge of Acoustic Guitar journal.