JJB-Electronics VPT-200

2 (each)Passive pad type pickups. I had Jessie wire up a Jazz Bass set up with two independent volumes and 4 pads. He's real good about communicating and giving you what you want for your sound. Try to get Fishman or B-Band or whomever to do that! The pots are 500k minis, and the hardware he uses is top notch. Nice thick wire with rubber cover, anchored connections, sturdy end pin jack and solid soldering throughout.

I installed this on a Baden A-type, which is a fine guitar that I will also review. I got one without the standard Fishman Aura, simply because I had seen some comments about not using the modeling side, and I HATE piezos.
I had to drill two holes, and that is very tricky so be careful! I did not want to mar the top, so I put the controls at the base by the end pin.
I experimented with the pickup placement, and settled on the bridge area for all 4 pickups. I tried two up on the base of the neck but the response was dim.
I placed 2 for one volume control in the middle between the top 3 and bottom 3 strings and the other 2 pickups for the other volume control on the outer bridge edge high and low side. Be aware that you will get a LOT more out of these once you glue them down. Tape deadens the area and does not make full contact. Another reviewer used Control Gel Super Glue which I found perfect. It can be really hard to reach into your guitar, so take your time.

I play through a Peavy Memphis Blues Tube amp, and use a Johnson J-Station for minimal effects (thru the effects loop on the amp)some chorus, delay and reverb. I play all sorts of stuff from Classic Rock to Jazz and Country (doesn't everybody?);)
These babys will knock your socks off. Strong output,and it just sounds like a guitar. Loud, clear, distinct, articulate. The bass especially is solid and tight. No more buzzing!
The two I placed out on the edges of the bridge are like bass controls. They add BAM, so I don't even turn that volume control past half way! I can just imagine what an acoustic Bass would sound like with a pair of these. Take every piezo out of every acoustic you own and replace them with a pair of these pickups with a 1/4 inch jack to plug into your onboard preamp. You'll never use another Piezo pickup. They are that good.

Stop searching. If you are reading this, then that sound you hear is the death knell for piezo pickups. These spell the end of non-acoustic sounding acoustics (!??) I compared them to K&K and some other products but the price point of these is unbeatable. Jessie makes a great product. These will give you the sound you are looking for from your acoustic guitar or any other acoustic instrument they might be used in.

Dual soundboard transducers that are passive. Includes volume control and tone control and input jack that are prewired for easy installation.

The VPT-200 was installed in a Gretsch Americana 3/4 sized guitar. The pickup installation required two holes to be drilled on the top for the controls and one hole to be drilled on the side for the input jack. I would consider this a moderate modification to the instrument unless you did not want to drill any holes. Given that, there are alternate pickups provided by the manufacturer without controls that use an endpin input jack in the event that outboard EQ can be used via preamp or mixer.

The output level is outstanding with a very clear tone. The volume and tone controls allow a good bit of adjustment to the signal but generally I set and forget. The tone is very balanced across the strings, however, by installing the soundboard transducers closer or farther away from the guitar string endpins on the internal bridgeplate it is conceivable that you can have your instrument sound richer in bass or treble. I thought that this was an excellent feature because you could compensate for the natural sound of each particular instrument. For example, with a dreadnaught or jumbo guitar you may have more of a natural boominess to the tone given the size of the body. In this instance, you could install the bass side transducer a little farther back from the bass side endpins. With the smaller sized guitar that these were installed with, I was satisfied with the normal transducer installation suggested in the easy to follow included instructions.

I play a variety of acoustic tunes both strumming and fingerstyle. I found these pickups to adapt very well to my playing dynamics. One particular benefit I found was that when strumming hard, the pickups did not clip the signal at all. Very cool especially if you tend to be heavy handed.

These pickups were a huge surprise to me. I had purchased the guitar at an on-line overstock clearance sale for less than $30. The pickups were $30 with free shipping included. So basically for less than $60, I had a great sounding little acoustic electric. I am a solo acoustic gigging player and have found this instrument to sound great in a live situation. My other acoustic that I perform with is a Taylor with the Expression System electronics. The Gretsch with the JJB Electronics VPT-200 has its own voice in comparison but gives me what I demand in tone especially when I am trading off during a set with the Taylor.

The customer service with JJB Electronics is excellent. I emailed several questions about the pickups and received immediate and courteous responses. I felt very confident in making the purchase and was very impressed with the quality of the product when received. I have had no issues with performance of the pickups over the time that I have used them. Truthfully, a lot of times I find myself smiling as a I play because I can't believe the richness of the tone with such an inexpensive acoustic pickup. BTW, I have used a number of more expensive transducers over the years but these easily compare to those costing much more.

Keep in mind that since these are soundboard transducers they can be installed in other acoustic wood instruments as well. I checked out the website for the company and found installations in cigar box guitars and even a wooden percussion stompbox!