Pick-up or not?

If you had an opportunity to buy an instrument with or without a pick-up without it really affecting the price what would you go for?

In the 6 months I've been playing I haven't felt or found the need for amplification but I hopefully have a long uke playing lifetime ahead of me so who knows?

Get it!!!!

All else being (relatively) equal - get the pickup. You may never use it - but if you do find you need it and don't have it you'll wish you'd gotten one.

I like pickups so much that as a rule, all my ukes have pickups (except one, which is a Makala beater).

I have pickups in two of my ukukeles, never really used them, but good to know I could.

All else being equal? Sure, get the pickup. On the other hand I can't stand regular under saddle peizo pickups on a ukulele and I use a microphone. My only ukulele with an inbuilt pickup is an 8 string tenor and the double strings add back the missing harmonics and reduce the harshness of the peizo pickup so its ok. Not brilliant.

However others seem to like peizo pickups. I'm old school. I demand as close to natural as possible. Microphones have issues to but I'm prepared to live with them for the sound quality. Trade offs.

Anthony

As the people of Iberia have a habit of nattering loudly while performers are performing, then for gigs I need amplification. So, my trusty Kala Tenor with a built in Piezo is ideal. However, if I were to record it for posterity, I'd prefer to use a good acoustic microphone.

Has anyone used those stick on microphones inside the body of the instruemtn as opposed to under saddle pick ups?. Is the sound better? But do you have problems with feedback, etc? I'm interested in knowing because after my recent experience with a duff concert ukulele with built in pick-up, I am seriously considering getting a standard concert Uke and having my local guitar shop install a pick up on it. The alternative of a microphone type pick up attached to the soundboard is interesting. Look forward to some feedback on this issue.

I use a K&K Sound Meridian Pro Microphone with Meridian Pro preamp and run this into my Roland AC-33 for busking.

I'll plug my review of the Roland AC-33,



If you listen through it I start with my Kala 8 string tenor with the peizo pickup going straight into the Roland and later on I use the Meridian pro microphone/preamp so you can compare the sound. The thing with microphones is that you need to carefully place them. Having the microphone an inch or two above the soundboard opens up the sound however you can place the microphone against the soundboard(foam windshield touching the soundboard), away from the sound hole and this will prevent most feedback.

Anthony

I like pickups in my guitars and ukuleles too. All else being equal, I would choose the model with the pickup every time. I've bought 3 ukes from HMS and I had the Pono pickup installed every time. It sounds great and is less money than anywhere else I've seen!

I'm with everyone else and all things equal; get the one with a pickup. Doing a live performance/gig; a pickup (UST or soundboard transducer) allows you to move around. With a microphone, you're pretty much stationary.

For me it would depend on both the uke and the pickup.

If the uke is a so-so uke then by I would get the pickup no matter what the pickup is - it's not likely to affect the tone and sustain that much and could come in handy. (I had one acoustic / electric uke that I have since given away - the pickup was it's only redeeming factor because acoustically it was terrible).

If the uke is a really, really nice uke I wouldn't get an undersaddle pickup. Just a personal thing with me but I don't care how good the pickup is it is going to make some impact on tone and sustain - USTs work off the compression between the saddle and the bridge - to do that they have to absorb some vibration no matter how miniscule. If I'm getting that calibre of uke I want every bit of acoustic performance I can get from it. If I want to make it louder I'll use a good microphone.

I've also found that a good soundboard pickup will let more of the tone of the instrument through - i.e. the difference between a mahogany uke and a mango uke is clear with a good soundboard pickup, not so much with a UST.

I would consider a good soundboard transducer in a really nice uke before I would accept a UST. Note that this doesn't mean that I'd necessarily seek a pickup of any sort, just that if I was going to use one in that calibre of uke it would not be a UST.

Just my $0.02.

John

anthonyg said:

I use a K&K Sound Meridian Pro Microphone with Meridian Pro preamp and run this into my Roland AC-33 for busking.

I'll plug my review of the Roland AC-33,



If you listen through it I start with my Kala 8 string tenor with the peizo pickup going straight into the Roland and later on I use the Meridian pro microphone/preamp so you can compare the sound. The thing with microphones is that you need to carefully place them. Having the microphone an inch or two above the soundboard opens up the sound however you can place the microphone against the soundboard(foam windshield touching the soundboard), away from the sound hole and this will prevent most feedback.

Anthony

Click to expand...

If I ever get a nice amp, I would get the AC-33 as it's battery operated. I don't plan to busk or play where there's no power but I never planned to play uke either

Wow,

I've been out all day and returned to loads of answers. Thanks all.

I'm looking at an 8 string tenor. The difference between with a passive pickup and without is £15 Sterling. There is also a possible ex demo model with a pickup that is cheaper than a new one though part of me is saying just order a new one.

Bizarrely whilst out today I found out about an opportunity to join a new jam session locally where amplification could be beneficial or even a necessity, as a lot of the other players are amped up and run through a mixer.

I think I need to have a chat about whether there is difference in tone between with or without when the two instruments are played accoustically.

Cheers

Ben

Ben_H said:

I think I need to have a chat about whether there is difference in tone between with or without when the two instruments are played accoustically.

Cheers
Ben

Click to expand...

If you notice a difference in tone while playing acoustically, then you need to go into some business where sensitive hearing is rewarded with large amounts of cash. Even under-the-saddle transducers do no affect acoustic tone noticeably, IMHO.

Oh, and for 15 quid, do it!

Get the pick up. Do I use mine very much? No. But I am very glad I have it. When I need it I already have it. I will never have the angst of leaving my ukulele with somebody to potentially screw up my instrument. just sayin'.....

Oh.... if it's the Lanikai 8 String (I'm guessing you're looking at Thommann, right? ) then it's a no-brainer. The difference in price is minimum and to install a pick up later, if you decide you'd like one, would cost you a lot more. In a store, I looked at an acoustic only version and a version with a pick up and could not notice any difference aurally between the two when unplugged. The Lanikai 0-8E is on my wish list!