Acoustic Guitar on board preamp

[Owen]

I have a Seagull Acoustic which I like. It has a piezo under the bridge but no onboard preamp. I fancy an onboard preamp cos I like everything to be in one place.

Any suggestions?

 

[Frank Blank]

Any of these from Fishman.

[pete.young]

Cheapest option and minimum surgery is to replace the jack socket with one with a built-in preamp.

My Seagull has a Godin EMP Quantum IT system which works well, https://godinguitars.com/product/godin-epm-quantum-it-acoustic-system-with-tuner-battery-cables-and-jack .

Agree with Frank about the Fishman stuff too, I have a Presys on another guitar which is also fine.

[Frank Blank]

5 minutes ago, pete.young said:

Cheapest option and minimum surgery is to replace the jack socket with one with a built-in preamp.

My Seagull has a Godin EMP Quantum IT system which works well, https://godinguitars.com/product/godin-epm-quantum-it-acoustic-system-with-tuner-battery-cables-and-jack .

Agree with Frank about the Fishman stuff too, I have a Presys on another guitar which is also fine.

I had a Seagull once, lovely guitar, it had the same Godin Quantum system, sounded superb.

Edited April 30, 2020 by Frank Blank

[Matt P]

i would suggest that one of the endpin or soundhole preamps would be the easiest and least destructive to fit, my main acoustic has the AER AK-15 which is a soundhole preamp with an undersaddle piezo and a mic, it's not cheap though.

Artec make some soundhole preamp options, http://www.artecsound.com/acou/shp.htm

there are some Fishman ones on ebay but i don't know if they are Legit Fishman or copies as they are so cheap .  Like this one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Fishman-Acoustic-Guitar-Pickup-System-Fishman-VT1-Tail-Nail-Pickup-EQ-DIY-UK/264420760972?hash=item3d90b49d8c:g:2EkAAOSw3O5dSASd

I have aversions to cutting holes in acoustic guitars to fit preamps (although my dreadnought is a factory electro with a side mounted preamp and battery) my blues guitar has one of the Basic Fishman soundhole magnetic pickups wired straight out to an endpin jack, this is for blues playing though so i wanted that particular sound

 

 

Matt

[Owen]

Thanks all. I am also averse to hacking the side of the guitar to install a preamp. The soundhole option looks best at the moment. Those Fishman ones do look a bit suspicious But the proper ones look attractive enough. The endpin option is attractive but I would like access to a vol control so I guess a shop bought Fishman option seems to be winning at the moment.

https://www.fishman.com/products/series/matrix/matrix-infinity-vt/

However the Artec stuff is 40% (ish) of the price and seems fine.

I shall do further research.

Ta everyone

[Matt P]

the cheap fishman ones certainly don't look Legit although there is a cheap OEM fishman that looks identical (the sonitone) and it is available through more reliable channels

 

https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Fishman-Sonitone-Undersaddle-Pickup/art-GIT0033735-000?campaign=GShopping/UK&ProgramUUID=HADAqJarPzAAAAFlea9yjI.G&gclid=Cj0KCQjwka_1BRCPARIsAMlUmEpNkbLoHTiCVVRMBdQ7JFCIP8Pk9YKTV3wYa7m3oh34vbRfRsZt2coaAhfOEALw_wcB

 

the Sonitone may be the cheapest of the Fishman offerings but it is fitted as standard to some big name instruments, even Gibson and Martin use this Pickup/preamp in their entry level acoustics.

 

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/gibson-g-45-studio-antique-natural-electro-acoustic-guitar?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwka_1BRCPARIsAMlUmEoaTZSo625zyOEzM4VW1UM5H-FxgPntJnX0Ra5ehsdtjR-LlPQu-JMaAm7FEALw_wcB#product-details

 

i have been debating buying one of the stupidly cheap ebay ones though as an experiment, it might not be proper Fishman quality but it might not be total junk and for under 12 quid i don't have a lot to lose.

 

Matt

[TrevorR]

Also consider LR Baggs who make great pickup systems with a non-destructive preamp mounting on the sound hole...

https://www.lrbaggs.com/acoustic-guitar-pickup-systems

Blendable under saddle and internal mic...

https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/L-R-Baggs-Anthem-/art-GIT0028945-000?campaign=GShopping/UK&ProgramUUID=HADAqJarPzAAAAFlea9yjI.G&gclid=Cj0KCQjw17n1BRDEARIsAFDHFeyS8I8ZBjLgL2WAWBc5FQyxZ9y92VF8_yAUNj4bENhdL-JxpbCHVxsaAs76EALw_wcB

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by TrevorR

[TrevorR]

On 01/05/2020 at 12:27, Matt P said:

there are some Fishman ones on ebay but i don't know if they are Legit Fishman or copies as they are so cheap .  Like this one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Fishman-Acoustic-Guitar-Pickup-System-Fishman-VT1-Tail-Nail-Pickup-EQ-DIY-UK/264420760972?hash=item3d90b49d8c:g:2EkAAOSw3O5dSASd

10 quid for a Fishman system... yes, that's absolutely 100% legit! Absolutely!

Like Esther used to day, "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!"

[Matt P]

13 hours ago, TrevorR said:

10 quid for a Fishman system... yes, that's absolutely 100% legit! Absolutely!

Like Esther used to day, "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is!"

i probably should have phrased it better, i know they are copies and not legit (they don't look right at even first glance), but that doesn't mean that they are total garbage for a tenner (but they probably are)

i'm still tempted to buy one to see how bad (or not) they are, i need a basic preamp for an experiment and these would make an ok preamp donor for a test before i shell out for something quality. if they turn out to be vaguely usable then it would do for a stopgap system whilst a better quality item was sourced.

 

Matt