Dean Markley SC-1 Pro Mag

Pickup features: single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: formerly Goya 12 string (no octave strings); currently Larrivee D-03
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: external mic
Other pickups on guitar: no
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): acoustic folk/rock, light fingerstyle
Reason for pickup change: needed easy amplification; can't stand still enough for an external mic

Perceived output level: quiet
Tone: trebly - G, and B strings stand out above the others; muddy when played hard
Sonic evaluation: on the Goya I was going directly into the PA - sounds terrible
I used a direct box with the Larrivee and that cleared up a lot of the problems, though I also lost a lot of volume

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: not suitable for fingerstyle; okay for strumming if you don't really care what it sounds like

Comments: Several people have told me that it doesn't do justice to the Larrivee. I whole-heartedly agree. I would not put this in a high-quality guitar. After I buy something worthwhile for the D-03, this pickup will move on to my brother, who has inherited the Goya.
If you're playing heavy rock, and no one will hear you anyway, go ahead and buy this, if you're playing alone at a coffeehouse-type gig, you better find a preamp/EQ system to clean up the sound.
Positive: - easy to install/remove
Negative: - to harsh and unbalanced if used directly to PA;
- can get in the way when strumming hard if you're not careful, producing a nasty tapping noise;
- too quiet for light fingerstyle

Pickup features: single coil-passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Morales
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: None
You musical style(s): Seattle Sound-unplugged
Reason for pickup change: I want to play some accoustic live on my gigs.

Perceived output level: Averagely-Hot
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: Peavey TransTube with clean signal chain

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Alternative.

Comments: If my P/U was stolen i think i`d steal another for my guitar cos i really like the sound. I have it for about six months and i always take it on my gigs.

Pickup features: Single Coil, Passive, magnetic sound-hole pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Norman B-20 Accoustic
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Alternative, Accoustic Rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to try pluggin in my accoustic to do some live playing.

Perceived output level: Very low sound level without any kind of Preamp. Lot's of hum though which takes away from any good features they could have thrown on here. I guess a noise suppressor might help but only when you're not playing. Once some sound goes into those strings in comes that incredible hum again. I couldn't imagine playing it in a live gig with any kind of volume.
Tone: Nothing great. It's got a nice solid tone but nothing to jump up and down about
Sonic evaluation: I was running it through my BOSS ME-30 Guitar Multi Effects and then into an old amp plugged into a Fender Twin Cabinet. I'm not sure that helps any. Had to really turn up that volume to get any usable sounds out of it. On my cheapo little practice amp, I turned it up full and it wasn't even that loud.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play accoustic rock generally and it would be a good match if it sounded cleaner. As it stands now it isn't good for much of anything.

Comments: I was just borrowing it and I've come to the conclusion I'd never buy one for myself. Might try out the Humbucking counterpart by DM and see if that helps but the SC-1 is a piece of crap if you intend to use it other than screwing around in your basement. It would be a very poor answer if you didn't have enough money to go and buy a new accoustic with pickups inside it but for some people I suppose it would do...depending on how desperate you are. That horrible hum is imposible to get past though. If the folks at Dean Markley could fix that and still make it affordable then it would be worth checking out, but until then, don't bother wasting your time.

Pickup features: magnetic soundhole pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Yamaha 6-string acoustic
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: average
Tone: Kind of flat sounding with a bit of brittle top end, but not as much as a piezo bridge pickup has.
Sonic evaluation: Sounds okay, though kind of electric, for nondemanding applications. It helps to cut around 200Hz using a mixing board or a direct box with EQ.
It picks up hum as much as any other magnetic single-coil pickup (e.g., a Stratocaster),
which makes it unusable in many situations.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Mostly folk strumming and fingerpicking.

Comments: Sounds tolerable except for the hum. It sounds better than cheap piezo under-saddle pickups.
But better yet is an under-saddle+mic system
like the L.R. Baggs Dual Source. Those cost a lot more, though.

Pickup features: passive magnetic single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Seagull Spruce Top
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Misc
Reason for pickup change: I just needed a sound hole pickup w/o modifying the body of the guitar.

Perceived output level: Kinda Quite, you gotta use that over drive channel w/o distortion!
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: I use the pickup w/ my Peavey Audition 110. If I play in the clean channel, it doesn't sound that great, but if I switch to my pre/post amp channel, the volume gets good while retaining ambience so long as I have the level at a point where there is NO distortion...

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: No, I wouldn't buy it again, the hum is kinda annoying. It's not a bad sound, but it doesn't transfer accoustic reverb worth a damn, and, I am satisfied with it, it suited my needs for the price I paid.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender DG-24MA Acoustic
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): all
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Considering that it costs $50 I would say the quality is simply outstanding. It is very clear, and sounds great on a cheap-little Park amp with double gains. I am impressed.
Tone: Very well balanced. I had to modify it a slight bit so that the bass end was lower in the hole than the treble end - this got rid of "booming" bass...it only took about 12 seconds to do that, by the way.
Sonic evaluation: Sounds great with my Fender acoustic. I even threw a little distortion into the mix (just for fun, ya know) and it came close to the sound of a cheap electric guitar. For $50 it's like turning your acoustic into an electric and an acoustic-electric. I can't argue with that.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play all sorts of music. I would suggest that this pickup is better for rock/folk music rather than Jazz. It doesn't have a "bluesy" tone...but then again...this is an acoustic guitar.

Comments: I really like this product. For $50 you just can't go wrong.

Pickup features: Single coil, passive, non adjustable height.
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Yamaha six string, and an Alvarez 12 string.
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, little bit o country
Reason for pickup change: I have an occasional need for an amplified acoustic. Micing is very unreliable and I tend to move back and forth as I play.

Perceived output level: Very low output without a preamp. I had to turn my 50w combo up to about 4 to get the sound from the amp louder than the sound from teh guitar! Lacking a dedicated preamp, I ran the signal through a TS-9 Tubescreamer set for "clean boost" and things improved quite a bit.
Tone: With out the ts-9 as a "preamp," the sound was next to unusable. It was very tinny and at made both of my acoustics sound like clean electrics (cheap clean electrics!). However, with the TS-9 adding some omph, it became more acceptable. The sound regained most of its acoustic flavor and the bass and mids were much more evident. However, the "g" string is still not quite in balance.
Sonic evaluation: I was running this through a Peavey Classic 50w 2x12 combo. I only ocasionaly need an amplified acoustic, and I only paid $20 for the dang thing. With those two caveats in mind I find this pickup acceptable. It takes some careful tweaking to get an acceptable sound. This could be a pain for quick changes in between songs. It actually sounds better with the 12 string than the 6.
For someone with needs similar to mine it is an acceptable choice.
It sounds decent when playing through a mix with another guitar, bass, drums, accordian, etc. For a few dollars more you might find something better though.
If the amplified acoustic thing is your primary gig, I would look elsewhere and plan on spending more money. This pickup won't cut it for solo singer/songwriter coffe house gigs.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: see above

Comments: I am moderately satisfied by this p/u. I don't think the list price is worth it, but most of my complaints about it are answered by the fact that I got it for $20 on the used market in new condition with a box.
It is easy to get in and out of the guitar with the strings on. The pu has a 15' cord attached to it with a male plug on the end. I would have preferred a 1' or so cord with a female plug suitable for duct taping to my guitar strap. The cord is very thin and fragile looking. If you manage to break it off close to the pickup, it's all over. This pickup is sealed and there doesn't look like there is a way to get inside and solder another cord on.
I give it a 7 only because of the price I paid for it. Had I paid full price I would be looking for something else.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Takamine 12 string, and an ancient Yamaha 6 string
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: don't think so
You musical style(s): folk, rock
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: normal
Tone: extremely trebly....
Sonic evaluation: I plug the pickup into the house PA system.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is unsuitable for music that is mainly acoustic.

Comments: This pickup sucks. I would not recommend it to anyone unless they were
just looking to have an acoustic guitar amplified for one or two songs. It's extremely
unbalanced, the unwound strings are amplified a lot louder then the wound
strings. It makes a beautifull acoustic guitar sound like a clean electric
guitar. Which isn't neccesarily a bad thing, but it doesn't acheive the
sound that I'm looking for.

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs: not listed

Model of guitar or bass: Martin D 35//Taylor 855//Martin D 41
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Martin thinline 332
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: have not seen any
You musical style(s): finger pick mainly--some flat pick with folk country styles
Reason for pickup change: The Martin thinline did not represent the true sound of the instrument
This is an ongoing search to bring out the sound that represents what a
good instrument should truly sound like-yea I know its a fishman ribbon
but it doesn't do justice to rosewood

Perceived output level: very low with the pro mag-required use of pre amp-<in nearly every case>
Tone: muddy --- Not clear at all through the whole spectrum
Sonic evaluation: Used with the dean markley--Marshal amp --and occasionally with an ART
acoustic processor--The pro mag when used with the ART
could sometimes be brought to a less muddy sound with full parametric
eq--- periodic hum could be heard with and without the ART and was at
times unpredictable--
When used with the model G fishman Acoustic preamp there was little
control over the high end

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Fingerpick--sometimes flatpick both blues and Country (with folk styles)<christian contemporary>

Comments: Destroyed or stolen? Na--I already gave it away------
I have played for more than 35 years--I am heavily into midi and have
moved into roland synth with the GR 1, etc--When I play I want to hear
each note and feel the sound--I play Martin D41--Takemine FP325--(used with full
onboard electronics for midi work)Martin D35 and A Taylor 855 12 string
I use both marshal and Kustom columns in concert --I am frequently
very close to the monitors and feedback is an issue --however,was not
too bad with the pro mag--
I have found that bronze strings are a little brighter
with the pro mag than phos bronze and the martin string is no different than
some of the other major brands when used with it
__Humidity was a problem--don't keep the pro mag in the case with your
guitar if you have a humidifier inside-I don't believe that helped increase
the life of the thing
I have made comparisons of other products by mainly playing and looking
over others' set-ups. Nothing will work well in every situation.
I chose the pro mag after hearing it used on another's instrument one
afternoon. It sounded good to me then, later I found out it wasn't pro-
mag it was their Zh7--
I also found that the promag actually damaged the finish around the tone hole
(be very careful about placing it -seems easy but the foam has to be on top!!
It would be nice if Dean Markley could provide some better attachment and offer
a shorter cord to prevent trips and less tangles--an extension could then
be added if needed.
As before--I gave it away--(mainly due to the wear I noticed oround the tonehole area
from it)--the person I gave it to called me 3 days ago and asked if I knew
how to fix it--she said it was dead--so I told her to play taps and go buy a new one
they're not that expensive anyway.
Obviously I don't want to drill holes in my D 41 or my D35 and I'm not going to do it
to my taylor either so-----My suggestion is to Mic It--maybe I'll take a look at
Miniflex--Perhaps the new (mini clip?)--miniflex will require the drill----
Course I spent all my money on guitars and now have nothing left to buy
electronics with, so when I'm rich I'll look into the Zh7 if the tone hole
situation is rectified.--Note-- just because my dean markley fell
apart in less than a year on me doesn't mean yours will--I believe it's
the best choice for the starving muscian-and some day I hope to be well fed.

Pickup features: Single Coil for soundhole
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: yamaha
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Pop/rock
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: As a professional musician, I need a great sounding pickup in my guitar. Believe it or not, this little $40 sucker does the trick--much better than the $150 bridge pickup I had installed (mucho feedback, too). You're not going to get a true "acoustic" sound with the Dean Markley, but that's what i like about it. I play it through a 70s Fender Twin Reverb, and the thing sounds great. Don't let the price fool you. If you want a great sounding single coil sound, then this is your best bet. There was a review of acoustic pickups in one of the big zines a few years ago, and they said the same thing. Check it out.
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: