Fishman Rare Earth Blender System

Rare Earth Humbucking Blender.
I swithced to this pick-up from a Fishman Matrix.
The Rare Earth has less output but the sound is much more natural. I use it with a Fishman preamp to boost the output a little.
I never get complaints from sound persons and I think this is an excellent pick up. I also installed it myself, the end pin fits almost any previously installed pick up.
I had an RFI problem in a previous model (without the mic)and Fishman replaced it free of charge. Battery lasts a long time
This is an excellent gigging pick up

I have a 1990 Martin D28 (workhorse)
I replaced a Fishman Matrix with the Humbucker blend.
The Matrix was too bright and brittle sounding, also too loud for anything I play. It's probably good for a Rock Band with the acousitc guitar look.
The Rare Earth improved the sound of the guitar to be far more natural sounding.

Output is a tad low compared to previous matrix I had so I use a Fishman pre amp with it to boost the output a little. The tone is balanced and natural.
I have an old Trace Elliot 30 watt amp. I use it with the Cajun band I play with. It's super portable and I use it as a stage monitor.
I don't have to pester the sound guy for level and I send a direct pick up signal to the house.

I'd give it a 9. If it was lost or stolen I'd probably buy another one because they are cheaper now. I have the Rare Earth blender in a 1990 Martin D28 and the more simple Rare Earth Humbucker in a 1966 Guild D40 for a backup. I chose this after trying lots of other systems and found it easy to install and use and the sound is very good. Fishman also has great tech. support and a very responsive staff if you have any problems.

Pickup features: Humbucker magnetic pickup & Internal attatched condenser mic on gooseneck
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Larrivee L-03R
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Fishman Rare Earth Single Coil
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Fingerstyle
Reason for pickup change: I was Chasing the Holy Grail!! a more natural sounding acoustic sound.

Perceived output level: into an acoustic amp (using a Schertler Unico)the signal is hot, going straight in to a desk it will need a pre amp. I have used the Fishman Platinum Pro Pre Amp with great success
Tone: This Is the most natural sounding acoustic pickup i have used or heard. it accuratly reproduces the natural sound of my guitar. at last i think ive found the grail.
Sonic evaluation: I use this through a Schertler Unico 180W acoustic amp in smaller gigs, and via a fishman platinum Pro EQ when going straight into the desk.I modified the pickup and wired it to stereo (it explains how to do it in the fishman manual that comes with the pickup)this allows the 2 channels Mic & Pickup to be handled seperatly (a great advantage if playing at volume as the pick up can be sent to the onstage monitors via the desk, without sending the mic through the monitors thus avoiding feedback problems (a tip i picked up from an earlier review that has been very successful)it also allows for greater sound blending and control.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mainly fingerstyle and this pickup suits my style perfectly. I could not imagine a style that it does not suit.

Comments: I thought long and hard about purchasing this pickup and only after careful research (including reviews on this site) did i go ahead. I am so glad i did, if it was lost or stolen i would cry!! this is an amazing piece of kit!! the only fault i can find is the price it is rather expensive but hey!! the longer i have played the guitar the more it seems true, You only get what you pay for.

Pickup features: Humbucking, active, with condenser mic on gooseneck
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 810B
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Don't know
You musical style(s): varied
Reason for pickup change: First purchase for acoustic

Perceived output level: Very nice. Plenty of punch. I was pleasantly surprised, though I have never used a soundhol epick-up before..
Tone: Variable to the user's liking due to having both a humbucking active pick-up and a tiny microphone mounted on a gooseneck that hangs down from the pick-up body into the sound chamber of the guitar. You can adjust the signal strength between the pick-up and microphone, and adjust the microphone placement, to get the desired tone. I'm still toying with the setting variability but I have foiund with a 1/3 pick-up and 2/3 mic mix, that I get somme good snap and punch from the pick-up while still retaining a nice acoustic feel to the overall sound from the microphone.
Sonic evaluation: I'm putting the pick-up ina Taylor 810B (the "B" referring to a limited edition version of the 810 in Brazilian rosewood). So far I've just run it into a smaller (8 channel) Peavey power mixer and let it run through a Carvin floor monitor. The sound is really full and punchy without completely losing the tone of the Taylor. I opted for this P/U because I did not want to drill or modify my guitar in anyway whatsoever and thus the soundhole approach. The one drawback is that, while this P/U can be either permanently or temporarily (my use) installed, it is not designed to be slipped in and out with ease. Because it is active, and because there is the microphone extensing out from the underside of the pick-up, it is fairly bulky to be sliding in and out of a guitar. Overall, thoguh, not a bad tradeoff for the tone.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly electric blues, rockabilly, rock and have had a hankering to do a little acoustic. Bothe finger and flat picking. So far so good though I'm really just experimenting still. HAven't played out with it yet.

Comments:

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Playing a Gibson J-185
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Great except for the buzz
Tone: Good except for the radio station it dialed in the other night at a gig in Los Angeles
Sonic evaluation: Everything about it is great until it goes under stage lights and then it buzzes to the point that it is near worthless. I understand that single coils buzz but this is ridiculous. I have been playing professionally for years and have never experienced anything like this. I use it with a noise gate which at least silences it when I am not playing. I've gigged with it several times and now have to stop. I figured a soundman would eventually fix the problem....nope. The soundmen hear the name Fishman and say that it should sound great. Then when it is plugged in a buzz fills the room. I have tried it through amps and PAs. The same problem exists. Time to get the Humbucker model.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It seems great for all styles under controlled circumstances, but under stage lights it turns to complete garbage..

Comments: It's worthless as it is. It should sound great but if you are a gigging musician, look elsewhere.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ovation Balladeer 1112
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Dean Markley Pro-Mag Plus
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: ???
You musical style(s): varied
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a brighter acoustic sound

Perceived output level: good output level - needs no external preamp
Tone: highly variable: amplifier-dependcent
Sonic evaluation: This pickup DOES NOT produce a true acoustic sound. I woulod call the results "acoustically-flavored electric". The results are also highly dependent upon the amp you use. Through a good acoustic amp you can EQ in an interesting semi-acoustic sound, but going directly into a PA the sound is far less satisfactory - like an electric guitar. Even a Baggs Para DI does not help this baby much. I also experienced extreme feedback problems on certain bass notes, but this may be related mostly to the Ovation as othjers seem not to have reported such problems.

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

Comments: I bought this mainly because I wanted to avoid the piezo sound, and based upon some testimonials I read, but I would not buy another UNLESS I wanted an electric sound with a twist. This may be very good for certain applications like rock-a-bill, but for acoustic sound - forget it!

Pickup features: Magnetic PU: humbucking; Microphone: condenser, cardioid(I think); blend controls, active preamp
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Takamine GS-330S
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: a Dean Markley magnetic soundhole PU
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: I don't know
You musical style(s): acoustic rock/pop, fingerstyle ballad, some folk/blues/jazz (I play in a church group)
Reason for pickup change: didn't like the sound of my Dean Markley, too "plasticy" or whatever

Perceived output level: It was slightly better than my Dean Markley (I don't really know, this is only my second pickup)
Tone: Sounds very balanced from string to string, lacking in some treble for the fingerstyle stuff
Sonic evaluation: Right now, using my Takamine equipped with Elixer strings, I'm running it strait into the main board at church, using a Peavy Basic 50 as a moniter. It sounds just like my guitar unplugged through the mains, still slightly "electric" through the Basic 50. Sometimes the sound tech adds some chorus to the mix, and it still sounds great.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I listed "my " styles above...It does great in providing an authentic acoustic guitar sound no matter what. Like I said before, however, it really needs an extra treble boost for fingerstyle playing. Ideal blend for the system is 50/50 mic/mag.

Comments: Over all I am extremely satisfied with this pickup. I have been for the past 8 months or so looking for the perfect pickup: the magnetic pickups I've played with were ok, but still slightly unnatural sounding; I've always detested the sound of piezo pickups; other interesting pickups (Tacoma's Tone Bar, various other factory-installed pickups) sounded "ok," but I never found one that really met my expectations. I heard a lot about the Rare Earth Blend, so I bought it on faith that it would sound great: it does. Recently I helped out with the music at a friend's church: my only equipment was a basic direct box; they were using a very basic microphone amplification PA system. Later a guy pulled me to the side and asked me all about my pickup. His comment: "It sounded great. Just like your guitar, only louder." 'Nuff said.
The only thing I can think of that would be nice is a treble boost for the songs a finger-pick on. If I broke it, I would kick myself for the next month and-a-half, pull out the old Dean Markley, and save my shekels for another six months and get another one (other financial priorities).

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Lowden O32c
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Saw Kottke play with the humbucker version of this pickup.
You musical style(s): Fingerstyle (Kottke, Hedges, ...)
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a versatile pickup that would produce a realistic "acoustic" sound when amplified. It was installed "stereo" to keep the channels separate going into a Fishman Acoustic Performer amp.

Perceived output level: Very hot signal. As a result it was very hard to produce significant dynamic variation.
Tone: I found that the mag pickup signal was very metallic and the mic signal woofy.
Sonic evaluation: It was difficult to get a pleasant acoustic sound out of this all-Fishman setup. Eventually I gave up and went with a Sunrise/Acoustic Lense combo through the Amulet pre-amp. This setup sounded more acoustic right out of the box.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I don't think that this pickup is well-suited to acoustic fingerstyle. I could see it being more popular with "strummers".

Comments: Overall I didn't find that this pickup captured the subleties of acoustic fingerstyle guitar playing.

Pickup features: Humbucker with internal mic
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 712 ( Sitka ) 714 ( Cedar )
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Acoustic Jazz/ Windham Hill-ish stuff/flat picking
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Hotter than most under-the sadle-pickups with very good feedback resistance
Tone: Very balenced except when I use Exliers, the non-coated strings tend to be hotter.
Sonic evaluation: I use this with my Taylors going into a SWR california blonde. I often use a Nanoverb as well. It's a lot better than all under-the-sadle- pickups in terms of fighting the "plastic" sound. But there is still a certain level of plastic. It's not the magic bullet. I tend to not use the mic at all. I first thought it was cool but in the end it's so prone to feedback at anything more than a 25% blend at a gig I just end up saying "forget it". At home it adds a bit of "wood" but don't take this too seriously, putting a mic inside a guitar is not exactly a good place to get tone. Imagine recording vocals after eating a SM57 and you get the idea. I'm thinking about getting the humbucker because it's easier to get in and out of the guitar.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Mostly solo acoustic fingerstlye jazz

Comments: I'd get the humbucker and save a few bucks if it were stolen. I'll probably add a condencer mic ( outside the guitar ) in the future to add a little wood for some gigs.

Pickup features: Magnetic soundhole pickup w/ mini-mic on gooseneck inside
Impedence or other specs: 1/4" jack in endblock

Model of guitar or bass:
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Bluegrass
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Weak output even though Fishman says it has a built in preamp (I ran signal thru LR Baggs Gigpro preamp and this GREATLY improved sound quality)
Tone: Mic by itself is kind of hollow and thin but when mixed w/magnetic sound is quite useable
Sonic evaluation: I run straight into LR Baggs Gigpro then into PA board.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For the more country acoustic stuff you can use the magnetic pickup alone and get a rounder slightly electric sound. Mixing in the soundhole mic gives a nice acoustic quality.

Comments: Would buy another one. Like the fact it mounts across soundhole with no drilling other than putting in an endpin jack. This pickup seems well made and a good value for the price. It benefits from an additional preamp to make output signal stronger but this is a small gripe and some folks may not really see the need for it. I play 75-100 jobs/year and it is worth the small sacrifice in sound quality to not have to fight a regular mic feeding back with a Martin D28. Overall, it is a good under $400 (including extra preamp) value

Pickup features: magnetic and small mic on goose neck
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Old 60s Harmony Sovereign
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Led Zeppelin, British and celtic folk, blues slide,blues rock
Reason for pickup change: I think I've tried every pickup for acoustic known to man. I hate, I mean damn dirty dog hate piezo pickup sound. Sunrise is ok but lacking natural woody. I've tried all the under the saddle crap and hated it all. I tried Takamine, Martin, Ovation, and alot others and hated them all.

Perceived output level: This pickup is Ultrahot I mean Megahot, to die for hot. Very natural and earthy and woody sounds almost like the guitar by itself only louder.
Tone: Balanced, crisp,shimmery perfect. I am totally happy.
Sonic evaluation: If I use an amp I use my 70 Fender twin reverb. 100watts of pure tube tone. Now that makes for a loud acoustic. Or I plug straight into the Gina soundcard but first through a Joe Meek British channel VQ6, compressor mic preamp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It got me the sound I wanted and I am very hard to please, very hard!

Comments: If it were stolen yep I'd have to get another one. Nothing else compares and I tried them all on my quest for Jimmy Page acoustic tone. Don't you guys wish you knew how I got it so cheap and new. Ha Ha