Fishman Rare Earth Dual Coil

I put the RE Humbucker in my Taylor 710. It is replacing a Baggs M1 Active, which replaced the B-Band soundplate transducer. I have gone back to using the Fishman RE Humbucker because it suits my style of picking better. I play mostly aggressive fingerstyle blues and the mag pickup retains a musical note while the piezo style contact pickups make a snappy glassy sound. Partly it is due to my heavy handed technique so I should say both other pickups sounded great in there own way.

I use this pickup plugged straight into a Baggs Para DI and either into PA or my Centaur. It has a pretty flat sound with typical output to match my other guitar pickups. I'm using the Don Lace Humbucker on my National Tricone and I can run either instrument without changing EQ settings.

These are great idiot proof pickups for amplifying acoustic guitars. I sometimes use a Microphone too but only if the sound system/room warants it. In pubs and restaurants most people don't hear the difference, what with small PAs and Big crowd noise. Theatres are different. If peple pay to listen then I go the distance to get the best tone. In some of these cases sound tech have commented on the great tone the RE gets.

This is the humbuckng version. Powered by two watch-style batteries, which are readily available. Specs at the Fishman website.

I installed this pickup in a maple body 000 style Martin. The guitar was bright, so the darker character of a magnetic pickup is a good match. I wired the pickup directly to an output jack. I was replacing stock electronics that had gone bad. Removing the old pre-amp left a gaping hole that is now covered with a picture of my sons. Keep that in mind before you carve up your axe.

Output level is relatively low. The sound is bright for a mag. The sound doesn't accentuate attack transients like a piezo, and has a quality that "feels" more natural. The trick to using a magnetic pickup (even one optimized for acoustic) is to use a similar approach that one would use for an electric guitar. Electrics generally require a lot of processing to sound natural when sent direct to a mixer. However, if you plug it into an amp, all is well with the universe. The Fishman is no different. I tried running it through a variety of preamps with disappointing results. The treble strings were harsh and grainy, and trying to reign them in resulted in a tubby low end. When I plugged it into an amp the sound was full, balanced and very pleasing. An acoustic amp produces the best result (I use an Ultrasound), but even cheap electric amps produce a nice sound.

It is a nice product. I might try the Baggs M1 at some point. I love Baggs products. Not crazy about the battery arrangement in the Fishman. I've been playing professionally for 25 years. I've tried everything out there. No perfect solutions, but this pickup is a good choice. I have a variety of guitars with Baggs LB6's and preamps, and I wanted a guitar with a magnetic pickup for certain situations. I went with the Fishman because of availability, hum cancelling, and the compact size. Had to shim the bass side of the pickup to balance the output with the trebel strings.

Pickup features: Stack-designed active humbucker with brilliance switch
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Seagull S12+
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: First P/U on guitar
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Leo Kottke endorsed this pick-up, said it can "save your ass."
You musical style(s): celtic, folk, blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Not as hot as an active electric pick-up but still quite acceptable
Tone: Generally trebly for a humbucker
Sonic evaluation: I plug into a Peavey eight-channel mini-PA. The sound of this pickup is great on it's own, but has the added feature of being nicely shapable. That means that it is adaptable to a variety of playing situations and maybe that's what LK meant when he said it could "save your ass." A mic would likely add another dimension to the sound of this Pick-up, but I find systems involving condenser mics to be 1) cost prohibitive, 2) more prone to feedback and 3) generally reliant on the sound of the other pickup for the lion's share of the tone anyway.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: great for any style

Comments: This is actually the second one of these I have owned. I have been playing for longer than I care to admit to. Other pickups I have owned include various under saddle transducers including, Shadow, Martin and Takamine. (Yeah, I know, but when they first came out they were the s#@%)I wanted to get a way from that quacky harshness you get when you strum hard and this seems to do the trick. I find it curious that this and other magnetic systems get such tough criticism. Although it does tend to sound somewhat electric it is afterall a magnetic pick-up and a mildly electric sound should be anticipated. BTW this is a good thing when I cover a Byrds tune. Some of the most reknowned acoustic guitarists have used magnetic pickups; Michael Hedges, Chris Proctor, just to name a couple. Other soundhole magnetics I tried were: a) Seymour Duncan Acoustic Tube. I dunno what size soundhole that p/u was desisned for but it sure didn't fit mine. b)Dean Markley Pro-Mag plus; Nice sound and price, but wasn't humbucking (I'm aware of the Grand, but a special order is a comitment to own something sight-unseen.), occupied a greater portion of the soundhole (a tuned port) required a little more effort to permanently install and have a reputation for unprecedented failure. c)EMG ACS; nice enough pickup and like the Duncan, had a volume control, but like the Markley, took up a lot of soundhole. Unlike the fishman (and other EMG pickups for that matter) the preamp for the ACS was on a seperate board wich would have to be mounted inside the guitar and connected to the output jack via a 2-pronged connector. So not only is the Fishman discreet in the soundhole, but the preamp and even the batteries are right on the pickup. No pick-up in my personal shootout had better output, string-to-string balance and unequalized tone. I specifically liked the way it handled wound strings. The only thing I hate about this pick-up is the cost. I could've gotten two Dean Markley pick-ups for what I paid for this....but would the Dean Markley one day down the road save my ass?

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: -

Model of guitar or bass: Fender F65 (1975)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Ashworth Under Saddle Piezo
Other pickups on guitar: -
Artists using this pickup: -
You musical style(s): Flatpick Open Tuned and Bottle Neck on this Guitar
Reason for pickup change: Ashworth was rubbish

Perceived output level: Very High!
Tone: Well Balanced
Sonic evaluation: '75 Plywood Fender F65 into any PA available at open mics folk clubs etc. (Guitar reviewed elsewhere! And the intonation's fixed!!)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Various types on this and other instruments (no fingerpicking)

Comments: This was a great happy accident as I had hung the guitar up to rot, being totally mediocre and had no real acoustic bottom (I have Taylor 6 and 12 strings now). The Ashworth didn't help, but this unit came up on ebay at about half the uk retail price, and I bought it on a whim. It's transformed the instrument and I now use it regularly for performance open tuned D with a bottleneck. I constantly joke that I play a Fishman now! The first time I took the combination out playing, I had people enquiring what guitar I had. I think that says it all. I'm surrounded by friends playing all kinds of quality guitars with I-beams and all the rest (my Taylors have the stock Fishman systems), and this one holds it's own. I like the way it's easy to fit, is virtually invisible at 12 feet, has a high signal and what noise? a volume control is an extra which would be nice to have, but I'm satisfied with this very simple and effective transducer.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson J-45, Martin D18
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Matrix
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Lot's of signal. No pre amp required.
Tone: Very well balanced
Sonic evaluation: I run a RE humbucker in both my acoustics. I DI straight into PA and mic the guitars also

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

Comments: Playing for 30+ years. I just couldn't make a piezo type pickup work for me. I tried quite a few. I was looking into getting a sunrise when one of my favorite players told me he'd shelved his and switched to the Rare Earth Humbucker. It was night and day when I found this pickup. I then bought a second one 6 months later for my martin. I play a combination of fingerstyle and flatpicking. The RE HB responds very well to my picking from soft to snaps and pops. It also does a good job of slide. I could get by with out a mic, but it just seems to complete the tone to have one as well.
I'd give this pickup a 10 because it's really made amplifying my acoustic enjoyable.

Pickup features: Active Humbucking Soundhole Pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 810, Larrivee Parlor
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: LR Baggs Dual Source
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change: Purchased for the Larrivee Parlor, but tested against the Dual Source on the Taylor

Perceived output level: Roughly equivalent to Dual Source output
Tone: See below
Sonic evaluation: RARE EARTH MEETS DUAL SOURCE
I recently purchased a Fishman Rare Earth humbucker for my second acoustic, a Larrivee Parlor. My other guitar is a 1997 Taylor 810 with an L.R. Baggs Dual Source mic/preamp. Just for curiosity?s sake, I decided to put both pickups through their paces and share my impressions with the greater community.

The stage
Let me begin by saying that I love the Dual Source. I have never been able to get a better sound using a nice condenser mic without significant hassle: find the right mic placement, sit just so, make no noise, now let?s try to record repeatable results. The LR Baggs lets me plug in and go, and that?s priceless when you are both artist and engineer.
I installed the Rare Earth on the Taylor?s soundhole right next to the Dual Source?s ?mixing-bean with fingerwheels? thingy, and I smiled at the fit: two stealthy pickup systems on the same flat-top. Wow! I could run the Baggs into the board while Rare Earth drives a Matchless and never get over the option anxiety! The Fishman?s handiest attribute? I?ve modded the cable so I can easily swap it to another guitar in less than a minute. Clean and simple.
I recorded three pieces directly into a Roland VS-1680 onto three tracks:
1) LR Baggs Dual Source, mic vol full up
2) Rare Earth humbucker
3) LR Baggs, mic vol off (piezo only)
I use a hybrid flatpick/fingers technique for everything I play.

The performance
The first piece is folksy, with arpeggiated chords and percussive string scrape set at a jaunty pace.
The Dual Source captures the wood and fills it with space, there?s plenty of string chime and rattle. The percussive scrape on downstrokes comes out very clearly, giving a precise rendering of rhythmic nuance. The sound is punchy and articulate, excellent raw acoustic tone that can be eq?ed to taste and placed in any reverb atmosphere.
The Rare Earth sounds much smaller, more congested. There?s not much sparkle or chunk. But compared to the piezo alone, it has a bit more air and string scrape. The piezo alone has a dominant fundamental with a strong upper mid presence, a bit like a nylon strung instrument. All the percussiveness of the guitar turns to a farty blat, and there?s virtually no string chime at all. The Rare Earth has a neck humbucker?s rounder top and is more focused in the mid range. You hear more of the string in vibration, yet the acoustic tone remains opaque.
The second performance is a bossa nova piece with jazzy chords.
The Dual Source again turns in a very realistic recording. The dreadnought?s inherent boominess is accentuated by the condenser mic installed in its belly, but that can be dialled out somewhat with the on-board mixer.
The Rare Earth sounds like a jazzer, all mellow tones in a slightly nasal register. The piezo-only track sounds a lot like a Spanish guitar, you could probably even fake a bit of classical on a steel stringer if you had the chops for it. Neither one sounds like a Taylor 810.
The last piece is uptempo, with Lots O? Big Chords strummed in the first position.
What can I say about the Dual Source that I haven?t already said? The unit kills on this kind of stuff, just a lovely big box of rosewood and spruce pumping out the music.
The Rare Earth again sounds much smaller, more like a hollowbody electric, but is preferable to the one-dimensional piezo on its own. Under-saddle transducers hear so much of the fundamental that they miss all the overtones. With the Rare Earth there?s enough wood and string vibration coming through to sound like a genuine ringing guitar.

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

Comments: The postscript
Einstein knew tone was relative, and so do we, right? It all comes down to context. In my limited experience, i.e. this test is it, the Dual Source remains my benchmark. How does the Rare Earth measure up?
If you?re looking to use it on stage, invest in a volume pedal now because the Rare Earth comes with a single high presence switch and that?s it. You heard right, no on-board volume control. If you are into heavy, I mean, delicate fingerstyle, you probably aren?t interested in putting a magnetic pickup on a $3000 OM anyway. For a flat-top bashing big chord guy, the unit rocks well, and my guess is that a slide player could use it to find her own signature wail no problem.
I am not an acoustic stylist or solo performer, but I write nearly every song on a flat-top these days and use ?that sound? as sonic glue in all my recordings. I want tones that mix well, and if they can be even more accurate than that, so much the better. My applications require neither extreme feedback-resistance nor pristine woodiness, just something convenient that sounds nice. The Rare Earth is easy. Remove from box, do a quick cable mod, use it on any flat-top around.
In strict, isolated comparisons to the Dual Source, the Rare Earth sounds like the neck pickup on a thick ol? archtop. In a mix with bass, drums and vocals, the pickup holds more promise because it manages to fill the remaining space with the ?sound? of a six-string.
I won?t use it as my main source of acoustic recording. But for demos or alternative sounds, it?s certainly worth the US price of $160 including tax. Elsewhere, expect to pay more.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Early edition Larrivee
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Guitar did not have a pickup, I would mike it if needed
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, blues, blues & original fingerstyle rambling & noodles
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to be able to plug this puppy in when needed.

Perceived output level: Full, round, very even sounding across the entire tonal spectrum
Tone: Very good balance of lows, mids & highs. Nice shimmer added when the treble boost is engaged.
Sonic evaluation: I have a very early Larrivee guitar that was givin to me as a gift by my lovely sister in law. she bought it used in 1987. Spruce top, rosewood back & sides. Smaller body. Steel string, but almost a classical shaped body. Made in the Victoria BC plant before they moved. Emailed Larrivee with the description and serial#, but they could not tell me what model it was. Their is no model # designation anywhere in or on the guitar. It does however, look like it was purchased new yesterday. That is how beautiful it looks!! It sounds even better! My buddy has an older ( 1984 ) taylor 810 that sounds like a laminate top stella next to this!! I kid you not....very rich, detailed sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Finger pick, strum, solo original...blues...pseudo jazzy stuff, country, gospel, christian, you name it, I'll ( try to ) play it!

Comments: I had been looking for a ( cheap )soundhole pickup for this guitar. I was pretty much resigned to the fact I would probably have to get a Dean Markley Pro-Mag or some other such mass produced low priced pickup for this as I do not paly out much any more and can't justify the expense of a good sounding system such as the LR Baggs I Beam or the Highlander et al. I really wanted to find an internal microphone set up ( used & cheap ) for it, but soon realized I was either A> Dreaming or B. Crazy!! So, you can imagine my joyous surprize when I walked into a pawn shop and they had this Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker pickup that looked brand new ( it has never been installed ) in the origianl box with all instruction and installation guides and the ( unfilled out ) warranty registration for $89.00. After some negotiation, I walked out with it for $50.00 + tax. THis is an excellent quality pickup that enhances the sound of an excellent sounding guitar. I love the low profile of the pickup and the fact it does not hinder the acoustic sound. I really did not compare this with any other pickups. I just grabbed it when I saw what it was and was able to purchase it for the price I did. Very, very happy with it!!

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Guild D-4
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Dean Markley Pro Mag
Other pickups on guitar: NONE
Artists using this pickup: Lots
You musical style(s): Americana
Reason for pickup change: I got tired of the cord getting in the way.

Perceived output level: Hotter than the Pro-Mag, but it should be, being active.
Tone: A bit on the clanky side but controllable.
Sonic evaluation: I run this through a Carvin PA system & so far so good. It'll work for me with just a bit of tweaking. The D-4 is clanky anyway and it's particular about strings. I'm using D'Adarrio EXP-15's to help. They & DR RPL-10's are the only ones that seem to keep the clank to a minimum. I is definately more electric than the Pro-Mag which has a more acoustic sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup seems to work pretty well for the music I play, whether strummed, finger picked or flatpicked.

Comments: If the thing were lost or stolen, the guitar would be gone too. I'd replace the guitar with something else, Gibson, LL series Yamaha or a Larrivee, and I would probably look elsewhere for a pickup. I've been playing for over 25 years. I also play 2 Yamaha 6 strings, an old Ventura Bruno 12 string and an Epiphone resonator. I mic most of my live gigs and wanted to try something a bit different without that danged cord problem. I like the clean look but it's a pain in the butt to adjust. Fishman! For the price of this you could at least supply the damned shims! The installation was ok but if you don't want a bunch of extra wire coiled up in the body you have to unsolder connections, cut the wiring and resolder. This is really meant to be installed by a Luthier or guitar repair pro. As stated earlier, It's more electric than the more acoustic sounding Pro-Mag but definately nicer to listen to than a piezo. It would be nice to have a volume control built in. I'm somewhat satisfied with this and may move it to one of the other guitars to see if it sounds any better. Over all, not a bad unit. There are a bunch of them out there that are worse.

Pickup features: Humbucker/Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Alvarez 6010 Proffesional
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: dunno
You musical style(s): I play a little bit of everything...from blues to alternative
Reason for pickup change: First pickup in my guitar.

Perceived output level: output was very good!
Tone: Tone was very bright and clean with ZERO hummmmm.
Sonic evaluation: I'm running it directly to a Peavy Studio Chorus 210. The pickup sounds awesome clean or with high gain. With distortion the pickup sounds mean kinda like a les paul. Chorus and reverb together creates some brillinat sounds!! The brightness switch that is built in the pickup didn't do much when switched on/off, so I just leave it on.
I know this is an acoustic pickup and most people are anal about how they pickup acoustic sounds. All I can say it that it sounds very nice clean and bright...not muddy at all.
The one thing I noticed about other acoustic pickups(Dean Markley) is that they hum quit a bit and when you mute the strings they make a horrible sounds. The Rare Earth HB doesn't do this. I love it!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a little bit of everything. I really bought this to amplify my acoustic so I could get down and dirty, but to my surprise this pickup can transmit very warm and real acousitc sound.

Comments: This was a gift, so if it were stolen I would be very sad and probably buy another one. I have been playing for about 6 years and I'm only 21. No matter what your playing style you will like this pickup. It's very hot and can produce some amazing sounds. I compared this to a Seymour Duncan Woody HB, which was very nice as well for the money, but I hated that chord that stuck out the soundhole. I like the way the Rare Earth is more permanent. I guess everyone wishes it was a volume control, but then again its just a pickup. I'm totally satisfied with this pickup.
I'm currently working along side my manager which is in a small band that does small gigs here and there. Well he does a lot of recording and want to borrow my setup to record. I think that says a mouth full.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Tacoma PK30
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Amateur
You musical style(s): Blues, Pop
Reason for pickup change: N/A

Perceived output level: Used w/o any pre-amp. Appears to have reasonable output when plugged directly into my Fender Champion 30, but had less gain when put through a Bose PA system as compared to a Larivee w/ unknown saddle piezo.
Tone: Appears very balanced, especially when compared side-by-side w/ the single coil model
Sonic evaluation: Living room playing w/ Fender Champion 30 and occasional use through my 1986 Marshall JCM 800 50 watt combo - obviously not ideal for this use but how many amps can I haul around?

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I almost exclusively finger pick w/ this guitar and pickup combination. The Tacoma PK30 is a parlor shape and extremely loud for it's size. Must be due to Spruce top w/ Koa top and sides.

Comments: For the price, I would buy it again. There are, arguably, better systems but they are an extra $100 retail. I also like this because it was very easy to install, as the Tacoma strap pin was already designed to accomodate the connector. The picup design is low profile, thin and doesn't interfere with picking position. It's tone is so much better than under saddle-only piezo that many players badly setup and produce that really annoying brassy/buzzing tone. This was unavoidable when Ovations were the only alternative to miking. Seem to have no feedback problems thus far.