Pickup added to an Acoustic?

[big_teee]

What is the best way to modify a non electric acoustic guitar to add electric.
My customer has a non electric Yairi, and wants to add a pickup for performing.
I do lots of solid body work but don't have a clue about acoustics.
Please discuss all types of pickups, and control on an acoustic.
Thanks,
T

[nosaj]

Fishman underbridge pickup. https://www.fishman.com/products/ser...saddle-pickup/
nosaj

[big_teee]

I wouldn't know what to do with that?
$100 and no preamp?
What else?
T

[nosaj]

I wouldn't know what to do with that?
$100 and no preamp?
What else?
T

Here browse these. Lots of options
https://www.fishman.com/products/ins...oustic-guitar/

[Chuck H]

Well Fishman really stays at the forefront of this genre. So there's that. I probably wouldn't want to hack a hole in the side of my early DY51 (signed by Kazuo Yairi him self in 1985) just to put a preamp in it. But Yairi has become a long traded brand now and I don't know the value of the guitar in question. The Fishman under bridge pickup can be fed to a peg/jack thing and then to a dedicated direct box/preamp thing. There are a lot of ways that guys do it actually. It depends on just how much damage your guy wants to do to this guitar. I think the popular trend is to blend the Fishman style under bridge pickup with a soundboard transducer. So, two pickups that must be dealt with independently by the user. For plug and play I'd say the under bridge pickup is best. For minimum invasive surgery to the guitar I'd run it through a peg/jack with no on board preamp and leave that to the user. Ask them what they want and give it to them. It can be very specific from player to player.

[big_teee]

I haven't seen the guitar, it is a 70s guitar with I'm told monster tone, and looks a lot like a Martin.
It is newly purchased from a fairly classy pawn shop!
Valued at somewhere 1- 1.2K.
It currently has a jack in the bottom edge, and a piezo disc that was stuck on to the underside of the top.
It came loose.
He wants to do something better.
Maybe the under bridge piezo to the jack hole would be the best option?
So does the piezo wire have to have a drilled hole, or through a peg hole you mentioned?
T

[Jazz P Bass]

You must drill a hole for the piezo wire.

[Chuck H]

Yep. The under bridge pickup needs it's own hole. It sure can't share one that a string is tensioned in !?!

Since you already have the jack, you could make it a stereo jack and have the two pickup arrangement I mentioned. With both under bridge and sound board transducer. This is considered a very good combination according to acoustic players I've met. Ask your person what they want. Easy peazy under bridge is cake to use, but some real picky players only use them in combination with soundboard transducers. So does your person want the ultimate? Or the easy good enough?

[big_teee]

I'm probably just passing on info.
Hopefully they can get this done by a real luthier.
At least they can maybe gather the parts.
There's a guy in Little Rock, that works on acoustics.
So how does the stereo jack tie into the amp?
Having enough problems understanding the single pickup.
T

[Chuck H]

One guy I saw with the arrangement I mentioned was demonstrating at the 2009 Winter NAMM show I attended. A somewhat renowned (and IME) very good player. He had just what I mentioned. Two pickups with a stereo output jack on a vintage Martin 000. From the jack he would plug in a stereo to dual mono adapter and then process/blend each output as he saw fit. Seems cumbersome to me, but he's not the only player that does it.

I'm sure you could handle an under bridge pickup. The board transducer, however, needs to be "placed" according to both player preference in tone and feedback control. I might do that for myself, but not being in that profession I would hesitate to do it for a pro player and dare to put my stamp on it.

[big_teee]

I have a early 90s Ovation L717 Legend deep bowl Lefty.
It has the under bridge pickup, and I just drug it out and played it.
I always thought it sounded pretty decent.
I think I'll recommend an under the bridge type.
T

[Fluoroscope 5000]

I'd also let them know about this: https://www.fishman.com/products/ser...rum-di-preamp/

With just an under-saddle pickup it can produce the sound of different studio mic'd acoustic guitars live without feedback issues. It's really impressive if they can afford the ~$350.