Product: Fishman Ellipse Matrix
Price Paid: CD 185
Submitted
07/16/2008
at
12:26am
by
Mick
Email: mick at linux<dot>ca
Features
:
Active under-saddle with sound-hole mounted preamp.
Instrument
:
1962 Guild D-40 that has seen too many miles. I spent many years playing this guitar on stage and always resisted putting in a pickup because I, too, didn't want a great gaping wound in the side of my guitar. This pickup sounds just fabulous with no visible mods.
Sound
:
10
Well balanced, transparent with and without a few 'toys'; makes an acoustic lead line sing.
Overall Rating
:
9
Easy to use, easy to install. Replaced the adhesive strip with automotive VHB (very high bond) to keep the preamp from falling off (again). It (the tape) also has the effect of isolating the on-board from body vibration feedback and 'thump'. But yer right; nothing's perfect...
Product: Fishman Ellipse Matrix
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
01/07/2007
at
11:35am
by
Mike Lynch
Features
:
see previous review
Instrument
:
1978 Martin D-18
Sound
:
10
This is an update to my previous review of this pickup. Still like it, still works fine. Here's the difference. I recently tried pulling the mic (which is on a gooseneck flexible shaft) out of the soundhole and pointing it at the end of the fretboard and what a difference. With the mic buried in the body, it still worked but feedback was a problem. Even when you got the feedback under control it still had a reverberating undertone that colored the sound and picked up thumps, bumps, and other unwanted noise. About the only way you could deal with that was to tune the mic/piezo blender so far away from the mic that the addition of the mic was hardly noticable. I am a fingerpicker (use fingerpicks) so this works good for me. If you are stricktly a strummer, especially a heavy strummer, this probably won't work. Now I set the blender closer to the mic than the pieze and an really happy with the tone.
Overall Rating
:
9
Hey, nothings perfect.
Product: Fishman Ellipse Matrix
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
10/14/2006
at
04:09pm
by
Mike Lynch
Features
:
Undersaddle piezo pick up attached to a very clever soundhole mounted preamp with built in condenser mic. Controls consist of master volume, piezo/mic blender, phase button. End pin jack (prewired) included. 9 volt battery powered with a velcro battery bag.
Instrument
:
Installed myself on a 1978 Martin D-18 (that I've tried several pickup systems with). Like any onboard mic, too much volume gets you lots of feedback. System seems to work best with master volume at about 60% and the blender about 60% toward the piezo. I run it through a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. I've tried it through a PA and had good results.
Sound
:
10
I think this system sounds pretty good. It brings out the natural sound of my guitar, only louder. Like any onboard mic, too much volume gets you lots of feedback. System seems to work best with master volume at about 60% and the blender about 60% toward the piezo. I run it through a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. I've tried it through a PA and had good results.
Overall Rating
:
9
Overall, I am very happy with this set up. Especially since you don't have to cut a hole in the side of your guitar. I don't care for the adhesive strip you get to mount the unit in the sound hole. But, once it's in, it is attached with a clever magnetic strip allowing you to remove the unit without breaking the adhesive seal. The Fishman people are great to deal with. I asked them to send me an additional adhesive strip to test the unit in another guitar the they did at no charge. I think this is a great solution for electrifying a vintage guitar that you do not want to modify.
