PICKUPS
When you’re assembling an acoustic
rig, you’re putting together all the stuff
that makes you sound like you. And to break
down the process of getting your sound waves
into electrified form, let’s start with the ques-
tion of how to get your lovely guitar’s signal
into wires that can then send it on to units
that allow you to shape the tone, add effects,
and ultimately amplify the glorious sound.
Many guitars currently in production
are called “stage-ready,” meaning they have
electronics built in. Some of these guitars
are remarkably good, but be sure you plug
them in before you buy: The fact that a
guitar sounds great acoustically doesn’t
mean its pickup—think of it as basically
a microphone that captures the acoustic
sound—will do it justice. The reverse is also
true: Some guitars sound great plugged in
but only sound so-so unplugged.
When you start to shop around for (or
read about) acoustic pickups, it can seem
as though there are as many on the market
as there are guitars. One important con-
sideration to keep in mind is that there are
several different types of pickups, each with
different pros and cons.
Passive vs. Active
Passive pickups are those that don’t require any
electronics to alter the sound (for example,
by adding bass frequencies) before sending it
to an amplifier or PA system. Of all pickup
types, passives are the most analogous to a
simple microphone—they pick up the signal
and pass it through a cable to your guitar
amp or direct-insert (DI) box (more on those
later). Most electric guitar pickups are passive.
Active pickups require battery power,
and have a certain amount of gain (essen-
tially, the ability to boost volume) built in.
If you have an acoustic that has a control
panel (also called a preamp) on its side—
typical controls would be volume, tone-
shaping EQ knobs or sliders, anti-feedback
controls, and perhaps a tuner—then
chances are it is also equipped with active
pickups. (Some guitars also offer a tiny
soundhole-mounted preamp with controls
you access with your fingertips.)
Magnetic and Soundhole Pickups
Soundhole pickups are some of the most common—and easy-to-install—pickup options
out there. These units simply slide into your
guitar’s soundhole, though typically you do
need to have your end-pin (the strap button
on the fat end of your guitar) drilled out to
accommodate a 1/4" jack for the instrument
cable. Despite the simplicity of this pickup
type, there are some fantastically good models
to choose from. There are both passive and
active models, and they tend to cost between
$150 and $300. Check out these models:
DiMarzio The Angel ($159,
dimarzio.com),
