Pickup for archtop

Patrick Madsen · Nov 17, 2015

My Chennell Baritone is at the luthiers getting a setup and change over to steel stings with a possible addition of a pickup. I'm preferring a passive to give it a more natural sound.

The challenge is installing one due to the limitations of the f holes. There is a sound port he may be able to use to access installation.

We just started researching p/u. He came up with this one so far:
http://www.kksound.com/products/mandolintwin.php

Any other suggestions? I have no qualms about changing the bridge if nec. Budget is under 200. for the p/u. I don't want any exposed wires showing.

Attached is a photo of the instrument.

Wicked · Nov 18, 2015

I think the KK is a good choice. That side port will make the installation relatively painless.

I was told that the pickup in my D'Angelico archtop is K&K - but it appears to be a hybrid system which includes a piezo pickup in the floating bridge. I haven't found any reference to such a system on the K&K website. It sounds very good, regardless.

Interesting that you are moving to metal strings. I am running the South Coast classical metals on my rig, but the tension is not quite high enough on the 13.75 inch scale to really make the instrument shine. I have been considering giving some light steel strings a try. The bridge and tailpiece can definitely handle the higher tension. The neck is the only questionable factor, since I don't know if there is a carbon rod inside.

Patrick Madsen · Nov 18, 2015

It looks like the D'Angelico is K&K. MY Chennel bass has an Artec piezo in the bridge. I'd prefer a ribbon piezo in the bridge over a stick on kind. I'll check out K&K a bit more.

I hoping the steel strings will make for better volume and brilliancy. I miss the steel string sound in low G and CM's would need a Bb tuning for a baritone.

The D' is a great looking archtop. Wish they had them in larger sizes.

kissing · Nov 18, 2015

A good quality internal transducer stick on like the KK would be the right choice

Mxyzptik · Nov 18, 2015

My Schertler pickup just sticks on the top with a bit of putty.

KohanMike · Nov 18, 2015

Last year Brad at U-Space in Downtown Los Angeles installed a Fishman AG passive in my f hole mandolele. He said he had to use an angled forceps to get it in place through the f holes, no other access. It worked, but I found the passive just didn't have enough volume for me, and I also decided on remaking the mandolele in glossy black, so I sold it. I'm going to install a side mount preamp in the black mandolele myself, which I've done for a number of my ukes.

http://www.fishman.com/products/view/ag-series-1

Patrick Madsen · Nov 18, 2015

Thanks guys, the Schertler is a bit overpriced considering it'll be used sparingly and I don't want a pickup with putty on the soundboard.

I thought of an angled forceps for placement so glad to hear it's being used already. So far the KK Twinspot for a transducer or perhaps the Fishman for a ribbon piezo, may be the way to go. I have a Baggs preamp already for the Chennell passive bass pickup.

My primary interest on the instrument right now is how it'll sound with steel strings.

Tootler · Nov 18, 2015

kohanmike said:
Last year Brad at U-Space in Downtown Los Angeles installed a Fishman AG passive in my f hole mandolele. He said he had to use an angled forceps to get it in place through the f holes, no other access. It worked, but I found the passive just didn't have enough volume for me,

If you have a passive pickup, you really need to use an external preamp. The output of the piezo pickup on its own is not always enough to drive an amp.

With my Risa ukes, I find it's OK on small combi amps such as my Vox mini 5 but mixer pres at local open mics do not give enough boost to the signal to drive the main amp. Put it through a decent acoustic preamp and it sounds great. Alternatively you can use an effect pedal as they usually boost the signal. An EQ pedal or a chorus pedal are worth trying as you can use them to shape the sound.

A decent external acoustic preamp is likely to be of better quality than the built in pres of many active pickup systems.

kissing · Nov 19, 2015

Passives are meant to be used with a DI box, external preamp or effects pedal to boost its signal for PA's

hollisdwyer · Nov 19, 2015

+1 on the K&K's. I have them on 3 instruments. I've found that feedback issues are not such a problem with them but you do need a DI if you want to plug into a sound desk. If you are plugging into a a small amp it's just plug and play.

Patrick Madsen · Nov 19, 2015

I'd be using it on either my Phil Jones Double 4 with Baggs preamp or my Vox Valvetronic guitar amp

KohanMike · Nov 19, 2015

I don't want to carry around any more equipment, and I also don't want to have to use a pedal, so I install preamps, or buy with a preamp installed.

Pickup for archtop

Patrick Madsen

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