EPM Quantum Pro

Pickup features: Undersaddle element, onboard preamp with volume, bass, sweepable mid, treble sliders, phase switch, on/off button and power LED.
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Seagull M6 Spruce
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: n/a
You musical style(s): celtic folk/folk rock/roots
Reason for pickup change: I got a great deal on an end-of-year inventory clearance on the Seagull M6, but it had no electronics installed. Godin (makes Seagull, Simon & Patrick, Art & Lutherie, Norman Acoustics) factory instals EPM systems in some of their instruments, so I checked out the EPM website, liked the specs on the Quantum Pro, and stumbled across it on ebay. Done!

Perceived output level: Average output for an acoustic preamp. I think. Lots of volume if needed - just thumb the slider!
Tone: Tone can be a bit tricky to get just right. My experience with the EPM preamp was that a little movement in the slider cold mean a lot of change in overal sound balance, so go slowly. Also, the tone can change fairly dramatically if you ramp up the volume slider quickly. My suggestion is to leave the volune slider somewhere around 50-60% and use the channel level on the mixer from there. (Although I break my own rules to turn the guitar up for a quieter fingerstyle song and back down for the next bar-brawl tune!) Overall, it's not a pickup to record your acoustic with - use a mic! But for live music, it's dandy.
Sonic evaluation: I do solo acoustic gigs, so for small venues I usually run guitar and vocals through my Ibanez TA-35 Troubadour combo acoustic amp. The pickup sounds best to me through this setup (or likely any other acoustic amp) than through my PA (Behringer 1202 mixer - FBQ1502 EQ - QSC USA 900 amp). Basically with the larger PA I need to fiddle with the channel eq a tad longer than with the acoustic amp, but the overall tone is quite good for a live show, especially for the price I paid! The EPM system also hanles a fair bi of noise before feedbcak sets in (think St. Paddy's in a university town and you'll know what I mean!)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: As stated above, I play folk/celtic/roots type acoustic music, usually solo, and the EPM system has worked very well for this. In fact, I would recommend it for any style of music.

Comments: I looked at a LOT of other pickups before I bought the EPM. I tend to be a price-sensitive shopper, but want quality for what I spend, too. I think this pickup os definitely worth the cash (you can buy a new system for just about $150CAD, less if you're nice to your retailer!) I an also attest to EPM's sommitment to sustomer service - my local luthier identified a damaged undersaddle element as the cause of the noise I'd been hearing at my gigs. When I explained the problem to EPM, they sent me a replacement element FREE, OVERNIGHT by UPS! Don't see Fishman doing that a lot, do ya!
Overall, I'll rate the EPM Quantum Pro an 8/10. I could wish for the option of a balanced ouput so I could stop lugging a DI everywhere, and as I've said, the tone controls can be a bit fussy to get just right. But as pickup/preamp systesm go, the EPM wins for good quality at low cost every time. And if they're good enough for Godin to put into their acoustic guitars, who am I to argue?!?