L.R. Baggs Element Active Control System

Its an undersaddle ribbon type pickup with a preamp built into the end strap jack.And it has a volume that tapes to the underside of the sound hole.The volume works very good with this system.

I have this istalled in a pre war santa cruz acoustic guitar.It did not have a pickup in it when I got it.I had a lr baggs dual source in it at first.The dual source first of all changed the sound of the guitar when the pre amp was mounted to the back of the guitar.And I never could get the the microphone to sound right.So I switched to the element active.The pickup is like any other undersaddle pickup.You have to get it perfect or it wont work right.I worked on the installation and got all strings to pickup even and it had a even tone on all six strings.

At first I thought it sounded ok for an undersaddle pickup.But had only tried it at home at low volumes and at a friends house.I only had the volume up enough for the amp to kinda mix in with natural sound of the guitar.I had also played it out some at moderate volume.So I take the fender acoustic amp and the santa cruz to a gig with drums, bass and all of that.I finaly heard the sound of this pickup with out the natural sound of the guitar.Very bright metalic sounding pick up system.Not warm at all.As a matter a fact I will never buy this system again.Both the dual element and the element active are NOT worth putting in your gutar.I once had a martin gold thin line in a gibson j 45 the was way better than both of these systems.Had a lot fuller sound than the lr baggs.

I have been playing along time and have had a lot of instruments and systems.And this one is one I would never buy again.I have a k&k pure western on order that will take the place of this pickup system.I used to have a 70s barcus berry hot dot that had a better sound than this pickup.

The LR Baggs active Element is an undersaddle ,ribbon material pickup with an active preamp and volume control.The volume control is miniture size.And it mounts under the inside of the sound hole.The pre amp is in the end jack.The undersaddle transducer is made to pick up evenly along the entire length of the pickup.Unlike other saddle pickups that has crystals for each string.If the string makes good contact with the pickup,you have sound.It is designed to eliminate as many parts inside the guitar as possible.It does not change the natural unplugged sound of the guitar.

I installed this on a Santa Cruz pre war D model.The only modification to the guitar was a little hole for the pick up wire in the saddle slot.No changes to the looks of the guitar at all.And the hole for the endpin had to be enlarged just slightly.You would never know the guitar was ever modified unless youn looked closely.I had a LR Baggs dual source in this guitar.It also had the element as well as a miniture condensor mic.But the mic always had way to much bass.Being a pre war model,the guitar has bass to spare.And I could never get the bass out of the mic.And the pre amp was mounted on the back sound board of the guitar.And it changed the sound of the guitar.So I took it out and replaced the dual source element with just the active element.

The sound level of the active element is great.With plenty enough to spare.I use it through a Fender acoustic Jr.The tone of the Element is well balanced.I remenber when I first installed this pickup,how warm it sounded.Very natural sound for an undersaddle pickup. But I have never found a pickup yet with the quality of a good microphone.But from my experience,the active element is as good as you are going to get for an undersaddle pickup.And for a system with no hassle.Just hook up to a good sound source and you are ready to go.Plug and play.I like a system that you plug in and the sound is there.For an undersaddle pickup,this is the best I found. It does not have built in eq and all of that.It is made to put into a guitar that you want a good amplified sound with out cutting up your guitar.

I would rate it a 10 for over all rating.It is the warmest undersaddle pickup I have tried.I have never found any pickup yet that I am 100% happy with.And probably never will.But this is a great alternative to the hazzle of a mic.And it is the most natural sounding undersaddle pickup I have had.Like I said ,plug into a good system,turn up the volume,a little eq,and you have a good sound.But this pickup also picks up the sound of your instrument too.So the quality of you guitar has something to do with it also.

LR Baggs
element active undersaddle transducer pickup system
for steel stringed acoustic guitars
With a volume control, inbuilt active preamp housed in the jack socket with auto tone conrol linked to the volume (niffty stuff really)

I installed this in a Yamaha Guitalele (nylon string) tuned to A for better string tension and tuning consistency. It was an unusual instrument to install it in but it is a very interesting match and has been working well in my band. I play it along side a traditional handmade nylon guitar with external pickup system that cost $500 and the LR Baggs delivers a stronger sound by a mile. The only weak spot is that I cant control the tone. Having siad also, I havent wanted to yet.
I am a classically trained guitarist with honours so I am farely fussy about purity of tone, but in the context of my jazz band this pickup has added that extra something to the sound of my little "toy guitar"

This pickup had a very strong tone with plenty of bass and not to much feedback. It has a single volume control, and whilst i think it does the job nicely I think that it could be expanded by the company with a minnie 3 band eq running alongside the system if the need should arise for greater tonal control at the source.

A quality and simple pickup that delivers one thing well, sustained smooth and relatively clear tone.
It could be improved with a 3 band tonal system (1 dial tonal system would mean nothing as the pickup sounds so good as it is).
It could also use a better battery canister to hold the battery or drill it into the guitar.

I've owned it for around three years. Everything you need is here except E.Q, which I do at the amp(board, pa., etc...).

I installed it on my Taylor 310. Easy to do, but take your time. The wire keepers and the volume wheel are held on by foam backed tape. Mine didn't hold well at all, and I had to go back and glue them again. You really can't tell anything was changed.

I have a Takamine with the onboard 9V preamp, E.Q. system and I find this Element pickup to be on par from an output perspective. The basic dry tone is clear and well balanced. I lead worship at Church, and play around with friends. I play into a Behringer AX1000 and use the amps eq and effects. From the back of the amp I XLR out to the sound board, then through the mains and monitors. If the sound man doesn't have enough "Me" in the monitor mix, I can still adjust my tone and on stage volume at the amp.

I've been playing for 16 years. I own, or have owned, enough gear to know when something works. This is a keeper. I have a friend with a big $$$ Taylor with the Expression system. I like my tone much better, even with his axe through my rig. I have a friend with an I-Beam, and it is too sensitive for a loud stage. I never have a problem with feedback. The powered preamp and volume wheel at your fingertips is what sold me on it. I've played live every Sunday for around three years and it has never let me down. I've also run it into a Boss BR1600CD recording unit and the demos sounded great. Unplug when you aren't playing, or it will drain your battery. However, the battery life on this thing is forever. I change the battery about every six months just because, but I never had to. If I ever need to put a pickup in anything else, this will be what I buy. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Undersaddle pickup with tone and volume controls. See specs from other listings.

I installed this in a Martin D-15. It only required drilling a hole in the bridge and at the end pin jack. Very simple installation with well written instructions.

This is an excellent pickup that is very evenly balanced on each string. I play it through a Strawberry Blonde (SWR)or run direct through the house system. Either way it sounds great and in my opinion is the best you can buy for the money.

This system works very well in my Martin D-15 and was very easy to install. It has a well balanced sound and maintains the acoustic sound of the guitar. It's well worth the money to buy one of these.

It is an Under sadlle pickup read above reviews to read about it

I have it installed in my Taylor 110. It is being installed becuase i didnt have a pickup.

I love the sound very natural. Almost nothign was done to my guitar other than drilling for the end pin There is a voluime control that goes under the soundhole and a battery places in a pouch near the neck inside the guitar. Picks up fingpciking and strumming very well good output. And there is only feedback when the pickup is at max and facing the speaker or something.

I would defently replace it. It was affordable and cheap to get instaleld. I found it sounded better the the M1 made by LR Baggs. It is avery good investment. The people working at the store i bought it from said that the element is now coming stock on LAvariee and MArtins.

Pickup features: Active UST
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Simon and Patrick, MJ, Cedar Top
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Non
Other pickups on guitar: Non
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Rock to Classical
Reason for pickup change: Guitar did not include on board electronics

Perceived output level: Hot
Tone: Very well balanced
Sonic evaluation: Using a under the saddle Active Element from LR Baggs with a Fender Acousticsonic Jr. This pickup is great, for the cost and quality you can't go wrong!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, rock, classical, finger picking just to name a few...

Comments: If stolen I would replace it!
I have been playing for 19 years.
I love the cost and the quality (no feedback!)
I looked at numerous other products... a under the saddle pickup is an under saddle pickup no matter whom manufactures it! The cost and quality this pick up was the number one choice of five guitar techs I chatted up... I did look at the Ibeam and listened to it but you have to play around with the EQ to get a good sound...With AE you can play without any setup, playing with EQ will just enhance the sound even more...

Pickup features: Active pickup with vol. control and preamp
Impedence or other specs: Runs on 9 V battery, includes endpin amp-jack and undersaddle

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 214
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: K & K Big Shot
Artists using this pickup: Many!
You musical style(s): Folk, Rock, Blues, Comedy, Psychedelic
Reason for pickup change: It had none. And the Taylor Expressions sounds bad to me, and costs $500.

Perceived output level: Fairly real, a more mic'ed sound, and rich and bassy like the acoustic sound of this resonant guitar.
Tone: Balanced and full.
Sonic evaluation: I use the Ultrasound-50, and it's bassy, or a Fender AcoustaSonic and it's bright. The thing sounds so good on it's own that I am putting the K & K into another guitar. This and the B-Band have the best sound in any undersaddle. The addition of a hidden volume control makes it perfect for live work, too. This thing is fabulous.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: A lot of fingerstyle, some strumming, acoustic leads with a band, and as soo to back my voice. Ballads, Country, Rock, Folk, Jazz and Novelty.

Comments: I would love to have these in every guitar. I am experimenting with various pickups in different guitars...watch for the results when I lend these for MP3 samples at www.dougyoungguitar.com!

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs: Under saddle

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

Perceived output level: Strong, but not too hot. 9
Tone: Well Balanced. 9.
Sonic evaluation: Using with a Larrivee OM-09 in conjunction with an AR Acoustic amp. Absolutely beautiful tone. As close to a microphoned sound as I have found. Clear and well balanced. Very responsive to picking technique and attack. 9

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Country and Folk. Excellent match.

Comments: If lost or stolen, would replace immediately. Have been playing on and off for 40 years. Love the clarity, responsiveness, and that it sounds much like the guitar. Chosen because it had the best sound to my ear for my purposes. At this time, it's the best I have come across for under $200.00.

Pickup features: UST w/ onboard preamp. Volume, bass, treble, phase and notch controls
Impedence or other specs: N/A

Model of guitar or bass: Rainsong DR1000 dreadnought
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fishman stereo onboard blender
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Acoustic, pop/rock/folk etc.
Reason for pickup change: While I love the unplugged sound of the Rainsong, I thought the Fishman setup was excessivley bright & brittle amplified. Figured there was a reason Rainsong switched to the Element system in their newer guitars.

Perceived output level: definitely hotter than the Fishman setup, probably 1/2 again as hot
Tone: More dynamic than Fishman. With contols set flat, had bassier lows and glassier highs, though not quite as brittle. Seems very balance . It is still an under saddle piezo so there is some quack, but not as much as the Fishman
Sonic evaluation: Use the Rainsong w/ this set up into a Baggs PADI w/ a Zoom 504II effects box int the loop into a Carvin PA620 200 watt PA. This pickup is still a bit brighter than my Fishman MAtrix II that is in my Yairi rosewood dread. But it's much better than the Fishman was in the Rainsong. The Rainsong is a VERY resonant guitar and Baggs especially voiced the element system for Rainsongs to take this in account.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I flatpick and strum mostly but also finger pick. Seems better than the Fishman for both styles.

Comments: I've been playing for 25 years and gigging twice a week for the last 2 years. Also have a Yairi DY90 w/ Fishman MatrixII. This seems to be an all around better fit for the Rainsong. Even though the Fishman had a built in condensor mic, it feedback at very low levels and really just exagerated handling noise (IMHO). I would just use the pickup and suppliment w/ an external condensor mic (AKG C1000s) when gigging. The Baggs seems more Feedback resistant as well. The one thing the Fishman has over the Baggs is the Notch filter was much more effective. I don't know if it went deeper or what but it would just grab the feeding back note and eliminate it. The Baggs is not quite as effective, but that could be that it doesn't feedback as easily anyway. I will honestly say I almost prefer the plugged in sound of my Yairi w/ the Fishman than the rainsong w/ the Baggs (and especially the Fishman) because it has a warmer bass response, but that could be because I'm just used to it. The Rainsong, though, sounds much better supplimented with the external mic though, more balanced and less boomy. I would bet an Element in the Yairi would sound even better. I can't say that this is the best undersaddle pickup available because I haven't heard them all (Like the PUTW stealth, Highlander, Schertler etc.) but I definitely think it's an improvement over the Fishman Matrix, at least for this guitar, plus, the standard element active is cheaper than the Fishman Matrix and has a volume contol as well. If I played my Yairi more, I'f probably repalce the Matrix in it with an element. I think this is now probably one of the best single source pickup systems available, if not the best. I bought this on the recommendation of other rainsong owners who had tried both systems and am not dissappointed. The retrofit was SUPER easy, no soldering or anything. The pickup itself is SLIGHTLY thinner than the Fishman pickup and may cause buzzing if your action is already very low. A simple saddle replacement or truss rod adjustment should rectify this. Does it sound just like my guitar only louder? Of course, not, no pickup does! But, it does sound more natural than what I had before, more feedback resistant than contact pickups (K&K, B-band, PUTW #27), and not as metallic as magnetic soundholes (although I admit, I haven't heard the new Baggs M-1 and am very curious). In response to the previous Rainsong owners review, Baggs told me they had tried the i-beam and i-mix sytems for the Rainsong and they did NOT perform as well as they had hoped (probably because Rainsongs are SO resonant), that's why they just use the Element system for Rainsongs.

Pickup features: Undersaddle Pickup with onboard control system
Impedence or other specs: I have no idea

Model of guitar or bass: Rainson OM-1000
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: don't know
You musical style(s): strummin, fingerpicking, rocking
Reason for pickup change: N/A

Perceived output level: strong output. compares to other 9-volt systems
Tone: clear, bright balanced and even across the strings
Sonic evaluation: I play a Rainsong OM-1000 through a Crate D250 acoustic guitar amp and this pickup in this guitar is a great combination. I mostly play guitar in my church setting but also with my band outside of church. The Element delivers a clear, quite, accurate representation of the guitar. The guitar itself is very bright, very clear and clean and I found that I had to really tweak with the EQ before I could get a good sound. The reason is that graphite instruments like Rainsongs will transmit ALL the frequencies to the pickup which in my case left me with a midrangy honk when amplified. However, when I had dialed out the midrange frequency that was the problem, I ended up with one of the best guitar sounds I have ever heard. Warm, full and bright all at the same time with a depth that put a smile on my face. I waited to do this review until after I used it live at my church where it is just guitar, percussion and vocals and my friend who was out in the audience said it was the best amplified sound he had ever heard (to be fair I also use a AKG condensor mic on stage but when he was dialing in the sound he thought that the tone coming out of the amp with the pickup only sounding warmer than the guitar did unamplified!) I think that his comment says it all. I also really appreciate the Element's on board notch filter and phase shifter which removes feedback in most cases, can achieve significant volume before feeding back. The coolest feature of the onbaord system is that the battery is accesable via a pop-up hatch that makes changing the battery so easy I actually laughed when I figured it out. My only caveat is that the pop-up hatch tends to buzz a little when I hit the bas strings.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It is a great match for my styles which are mostly straight ahead strumming in rock band, folk and church scenarios. Works well for fingerpicking too!

Comments: This pickup has restored my faith in undersaddle pickups! I was going to add a K&K sound pickup or an Ibeam to my guitar but I might not after hearing how great this pickup sounds in this guitar. The tone is about as good as one can get for an undersaddle pickup and it easily blows away the Fishman matrix (which I have heard in other Rainsongs so I can make a direct comparison)I have been playing for 12 years and have only had the Fishman system in my guitars. I will never go back to Fishman products as I have now been converted to Baggs! The only thing I don't like about this pickup is that I miss the percussive elements of acoustic guitar playing (but then again no undersaddle pickup will reproduce those sounds anyway)and also the tone doesn't quite shimmer in the highest frequencies like the raw sound of the guitar. If the pickup got destroyed I would probably replace it with the Imix system by Baggs so I can have the best of both the undersaddle and the bridgeplate pickup worlds. I am very interested in trying the bridgeplate pickups by Baggs and K&K as the concepts behind them make sense to me. But until the budget allows, I am very happy with the performance of this pickup, and I believe that it dominates anything else out there in the undersaddle transducer market! I give it an 8 because of the buzz in the battery cavity, otherwise I love it!

Pickup features: Active pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender F-35
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock. Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, John Mayer style
Reason for pickup change: I didnt have one in this guitar and I wanted to use it for live full band shows.

Perceived output level: Similar to Fishman natural pickup
Tone: a little bassy but my guitar is a little bassy so its probably balanced well.
Sonic evaluation: I use it with the Fender Acoustasonic Junior Amp. This is suitable for smaller live environments.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a good match for my style. Strumming mostly.

Comments: I have had this guitar for a couple of years and had an Ibanez Talman acoustic electric guitar to use when I needed to plug in. However I like using my Fender more so I finally decided to put in a pickup. This blows the Ibanez away. A very natural sound. When I play it seems like its my guitar but louder, which is what a pickup should do. I was going to go with a Fishman but decided to take a chance with the LR Baggs and im not dissapointed. Very nice sound. It might be nice to have some EQ control on the guitar but it does have volume control so its not that bad to EQ at my amp. I would definately replace this if lost or stolen.

Pickup features: active under saddle transducer
Impedence or other specs: high impedance

Model of guitar or bass: Guild D-50
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: not sure
You musical style(s): folk, acoustic instrumental
Reason for pickup change: New guitar, first pickup

Perceived output level: High output; lots of gain before feedback (actually, no feedback experienced yet)
Tone: Bassy, however this matches the tone of the guitar. Has a crisp clear tone
Sonic evaluation: I run the pickup through a preamp and then a DI box either into an acoustic amp (Yorkville AM 100) or through a PA (canon to canon)
This combination results in some control over the natural boominess of the guitar while maintaining the "purity" that seems to come from using the canon input on a board or amp.
The resulting sound is penetrating but exhibits excellent acoustic tone in my opinion.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play acoustic folk and instrumental fingerstyle based styles. I guess the pickup is suited to that but

Comments: