LR Baggs Element Pickup

Well, I got an LR Baggs Element pickup installed in my KoAloha last week. Took it to a shop cuz I didn't trust myself enough to sand down the saddle to compensate for the undersaddle element (I've done it on cheaper ukes before, but didn't feel like pressing my luck on this one...haha)

Anyways, overall I really like it. Initially, I was going to go with a passive system, just because I didn't want a preamp box mounted on the side of my uke, but this system comes with volume and tone controls that mount inside of the soundhole, so it works out.

I like the way it sounds, it's clean and doesn't sound as "thin" as some of the pickups I've used in the past.

It does have it's down sides, though. The tone control really doesn't seem like it does much...probably would have been better off getting the cheaper volume control only version, but it's ok. The big negative is that it affected the tone of the uke (unplugged). It's lost a little bit of the volume and those "pop-right-out-at-you-signature-KoAloha-high-notes." Don't get me wrong, the uke still sounds great unplugged, but it's ...different...I think the big part of it is the gigantic nylon 9V battery bag that's velcroed to the inside of the heel...next time I change strings, I'm gonna pull it out and see how she sounds...I might just have to find another way to mount the battery...we'll see

Anyways, pics and audio sample:
*Sorry, my camera doesn't do too great with close up pictures





Here's an audio sample I recorded real quick one morning, it's not an actual song, just random improv over two chords...I would've done a better one by now, but I just got a new guitar and I've been in slack-key mode and haven't been playing much uke...never thought I'd say that.... Also, I recorded this about half-way through my 3rd cup of coffee...so yea...

Eh, Keoni . . . what wen cost you fo da install and how much was da pu? How does dat one compare with the Fishman?

Kanaka916 said:

Eh, Keoni . . . what wen cost you fo da install and how much was da pu? How does dat one compare with the Fishman?

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Howzit Kanaka

I paid $60 for the installation, and like $140 for parts. The one with just the volume control was somewhere around $120. I haven't used the Fishman yet, but I chose the LR Baggs one at the recommendation of Alan at KoAloha. He said they used to use the Fishman pickups, but the signal was a little too hot for their ukes and they tended to have feedback problems.

now thats a beautiful sound

Guting said:

now thats a beautiful sound

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Mahalo brah, I didn't tweak the audio at all...that's straight from the uke to laptop. I'm thinking about picking up an outboard preamp or even a decent portable mixer so I can get a little more control over the tone, but yea she's good as is.