All Right, I Give In (Pickups)

[Deleted]

Call me old-fashioned, but I've been a strict adherent to either playing without sound reinforcement or, if pushed, with mics when I play out. But I'm beginning to realise that I need to shape up and join 21st century.

So, what pickups do you folks recommend for a Martin OM-18V?

I hear that K&K are pretty natural sounding?

Also amp recommendations would be just super.

Thank you!

[Gypsy Picker]

Dave, in my OM-28V I use a Fishman Rare Earth Blender with their Platinum Pro EQ with very good results. The pickup is a magnetic soundhole type with a mic that can go either inside our outside the guitar. A little wheel blends the signals together. I pop mine in when I'm performing and dangle the cord down the bottom of the soundhole. You can do a permanent install, but I don't want to modify my guitar. I've heard good things about the K&Ks, and of course they're invisible where mine is not. Let us know what you wind up doing.

[Deleted]

Thanks, Mr Picker! I'll let you know what happens.

Although I couldn't be happier with my -18V, I must confess to being slightly envious of your -28V. Is it as great a guitar as it's rep.?

Cheers!

[Doug]

I'm a big, "keep in simple guy". I use K&K in both my play out guitars and the new guitar that's being built as we speak will have the K&K mini too.

I like the fact that they run with no preamp in the guitar, and can run straight into the PA with no preamp. I've never had any trouble with them. But if you play in a loud band it might have a problem with feedback.

I can put a SM57 in front of the guitar and have someone switch back and forth between them and I can't tell the difference.

[Gypsy Picker]

Dave, I'd love to have an OM-18V to complement my rosewood. I think both the rosewood and mahogany OMs rank as superb all-purpose guitars. Mine is actually a custom based on the 28V, but with a cutaway, slotted headstock w/Waverlies, and bone nut/saddle with ebony pins.

[Deleted]

gypsypicker said:

Dave, I'd love to have an OM-18V to complement my rosewood. I think both the rosewood and mahogany OMs rank as superb all-purpose guitars. Mine is actually a custom based on the 28V, but with a cutaway, slotted headstock w/Waverlies, and bone nut/saddle with ebony pins.

Sounds great! My OM came with a bone saddle, but I made another couple anyway (endless hours of enjoyment! ). I put some ebony pins in and I'm thinking of getting some of them gold Waverlies from Santa.

[Deleted]

I've searched for years for just the right pickup for my classical. K&K blows all the others away IMHO.

[Deleted]

Dave the K&K Pure Western mini everyone is recommending are very good. Since you have a V model under-saddle pickups tend to be a bit tricky to install, so you will have to use a plate transducer like the K&K, a magnetic pickup like the Baggs M1 or a Schertler Dynamic transducer.

Magnetic pickups will be the most cost effective but the least satisfying tone wise.

Dynamic transducers by Schertler are very, very good but in working with them I find it really helps to have two on the guitar and they are expensive @ $400 each.

Plate transducers are cost effective and pretty good tone wise*. Some passive models will work without a pre-amp but I highly recommend using one anyway.

I'm not going to praise one brand over another* but I will say avoid B-Band products like the plague.

*How well a plate transducer works and sounds is directly related to how well it was installed. A poorly installed pick-up will feedback easily and will have a uneven string balance. Don't hand your guitar over to the Music Store Tech, take it to a Luthier/repairperson with a reputation for pick-up installs even if it means paying a bit more, it's worth it.

[andrewg]

Dave, a mate of mine uses a Fishman Rare Earth soundhole pickup on his J200 and it does sound pretty good. Have you already swapped saddles on your 18V? If not you'll find it's glued in and is a bugger to shift as I discovered on an OM28V I once owned.
My Gibson J185 Koa came with a built in active Fishman pickup-no external controls just an endpin jack-and that sounds pretty good with my little Roland AC60 acoustic amp.

[Marshall]

Kinda late in the game for this, but. . . ,

Go to dougyoungguitar.com and listen to Doug's sample of nearly all pickups in the world. And choose for yourself.

I had a couple K&Ks and didn't like them. I've been using PUTW #27 and think they are the best, most acoustic sounding.

[Deleted]

It really depends on your volume needs...K&Ks (and other contact P/Us) are great at moderate volumes, but feedback at higher volumes or when working w/ a bassist or keyboardist...so I prefer a good passive UST and an outboard pre-amp/DI (I use a Baggs PADI, myself).

[Deleted]

I am new member here,thanks

[Deleted]

I like all things L.R. Baggs. The K & K products are great when installed properly.