L.R. Baggs iBeam

Pickup features: Bridge plate transducer
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Yamaha Thin body acoustic
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: factory undersadle and pizeo mic mix system
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Folk, country, blues and rock
Reason for pickup change: Original pickups didn't make it.

Perceived output level:
Tone: Balanced. Sounds real, like the guitar when it's unplugged
Sonic evaluation: Directly through the PA

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

Comments: Been plucking for over 25 years. Never liked the sound of acoustic pickups including the new Tayor Expression system. The Fishman pro was the best I had heard until I tried a Seagull Artist with the LR Baggs iBeam Mix system. Definately the best I had heard. So I put an iBeam in my Yamaha and it sounds a lot better than most very expencive guitars. Highly recomended.

Pickup features: passive internal surface mount for acoustic, no drilling, no internal amp/battery
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 710
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: tons
You musical style(s): easy listening to contemporary to rock. occasional bluegrass when forced
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Clean, natural, well-balanced
Tone: near perfect reproduction of natural Taylor tones
Sonic evaluation: Used with a Baggs Para DI (another $200) to preamp the passive IBeam model. Gives a noise free and very flexible rig for any acoustic. Baggs makes an ACTIVE preamped IBeam, haven't checked it out, though would like to compare against the Para DIs preamp.
As the I-Beam is very evenly balanced, the Para DI provides a 3 (really 4) band parametric EQ with TWO adjustable notch controls. Check it out on the web.
Great for live work, haven't had the opportunity to record with it as yet. Only better combo I could imagine is added internal mic and blender. Still would keep the I-Beam in the mix. Mounting in a full acoustic heel was the challenge (no AE predrilled input jack). I crafted a custom solid brass Switchcraft 1/8" input jack for the Taylor heel that requires 45% less drilling versus the typical 1/4" installed jack. I just can't stand to have a drill bit spit out curly pieces of solid rosewood. Have a luthier do the drilling and install. No internal electronics and battery for the passive IBeam means less weight, stress on internal body components nor interference with the acoustic resonance of fine woods and NO battery changing hassle. As mentioned no drilling, etc for IBeam transducer mounting! The transducer has adhesive and you just prep the underside of the top directly below the saddle, then stick the transducer strip on! Couldn't be easier. Still...have a luthier do the jack mounting, etc. Heshe should mount the transducer for no additional charge.

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

Comments: Definitely would buy and install again. Been playing hit and miss since 1974 and acoustic heavily since mid 90s.
Typical live rig Taylor 710 w/Baggs IBeam->Baggs Para DI (EQ adjusted according to type of music)->George Dennis Stereo Chorus/Flanger/Volume pedal (noiseless) ->EH Black Finger (twin RCA black plate 12AU7s to keep the noise down)again set according to music type-> DI to the board w/EQ set even or into Peavey KB300. Taylors as a rule are very well balanced with more low and low-mids than many acoustics including Martins,Breedlove, Larivee, etc. and some Gibsons.
Love everything about the IBeam, hate nothing (so far). Like to see Baggs and other mic manufacturers create 1/8" small overall diameter input jack kits.
I've compared it to several other types (ribbon, mic and soundhole coil) and brands, Fishman, Dean Markley, Martin ribbon, Alvarez (not in the same league), DID NOT try Schertler, BBand, Seymour Duncan or and other types by Fishman, Baggs, Martin and DMarkley though would like to compare against the Baggs IBeam.
Only improvement might be to add an internal mic through either another Para DI, a Baggs Mixpro or Fishman, other high quality external BLENDER unit in order just to keep the session cargo down. Of course up goes the $$.
~peace~

Pickup features: Acoustic Guitar Bridge Plate Transducer
Impedence or other specs: Ultra-High Impedance

Model of guitar or bass: Sigma DM-18
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Schaller Chrome/Custom Built Preamp
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues/Varoed
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to see if the I-Beam was better than the Schaller system.

Perceived output level: Medium-low output-Needs a High Gain Preamp
Tone: Clear but unbalanced (see details below)
Sonic evaluation: I have 18 years experience repairing guitars and amps. When the local dealer began to carry Baggs I wondered whether this pickup would exceed the tone of my Schaller Chrome transducers with a custom-built outboard preamp I use. The Schallers have been excellent performers, but I wondered if the I-Beam would trump them. I purchased the I-Beam and pulled out the Schallers. The actual install of the pickup is relatively easy, but getting the pickup into a position where the sound is balanced is not. No matter where I placed the pickup (in my guitar there is not a great deal of area to experiment!) I could not get the pickup to produce as balanced a tone as the Schallers. Admittedly, it could have been a problem with placement, but I thought this review might give a heads-up to others contemplating purchase of this unit. I promptly ripped out the unit and replaced it with me Schaller Chromes. For a list price of $45.00 the Schaller Chromes are an outstanding performer with high output (amazingly so for a piezo-based transducer), no hum, and balanced sound. Ah, a fool and his money! For the sound the I-Beam gave, it's probably a pretty fair pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: More important to match to the guitar!

Comments: Actually, I may try to lose it (Ha Ha!)

Pickup features: Active soundboard transducer with soundhole vol. Control.
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin D 28
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: No idea. Paid endorsements courtesy of LR Baggs can be found on their website I'm sure.
You musical style(s): With this guitar, folk, blues, rootsy country, bluegrass, country swing in a 6 piece band (The Wanted).
Reason for pickup change: Tired of hassles with mikes and a noisy Dean Markley soundhole pickup. I finally joined a band after playing mostly solo/acoustic duo for 25 years and needed something more permanent and practical.

Perceived output level: Fine, with the built-in preamp. Some soundmen have commented its pretty hot.
Tone: I've listened to it with headphones to isolate sound of the pu and compared it against live sound. Sounds natural - like the guitar - except the built in preamp has set some sort of ideal eq curve which is non adjustable (seems a bit bassy). Its fine and sounds natural when the feed back is notched out. The high end is a little weaker and not quite so natural, its a little more like an undersaddle transducer, crispy or quacky - which is fine for playing live.
Sonic evaluation:
I've had it about 6 months, and after some initial fiddling, I'm now very happy with it, it sounds more natural for flat-picking than saddle transducers I?ve heard or magnetic soundhole (M1 or Fishman Rare Earth). Used it through a PA with Baggs Para-DI (not impressed for the money). Now I have Presonus Acousti-Q which I like better(I will review this later). Have played it at home through a Roland JC 60 for practice and experimentation, and it sounds great through the Presonus with eq set properly. Played it live through a mixer into a Bose PAS which is awesome, even without the eq box. My guitar has a resonant bottom end, and was always prone to feedback even with a mike, unless the bass was eq'd way down. I now use the notch filter at about low F# and then a mid cut around the D string, and that takes care of the feed back, but leaves a nice rich natural tone and a crisp high end. I have used a feed back buster in the sound hole a couple of times and I can really crank it with the band (we are not talking Green Day here kids, calm down!). I play in an acoustic band with electric bass, fiddle/mandolin, dobro, accordion, and 2 female vocals, and can cut through in a club (100+ bodies) without feedback using the Bose PAS and a feedback buster. I play both rhythm and lead work. It is a little weaker on the high end than I would like. I can use the boost switch on the presonus to get a real lift when necessary.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Folk and Blues solo, and with the acoustic band, it has a great natural sound. Open tunings sound great, nice rich bottom end, but not overpowering. If I was playing a lot of lead above the 5th fret I probably would not be as happy. I wouldn't bother trying this if you want to play acoustic with a heavily amplified group, the feedback will probably drive you nuts.

Comments: Played 25 years, folk clubs and open mikes etc. in high school and uni., less so now with family and work, etc. but I'm getting back into it. I read these reviews before buying, so knew it was a gamble as they seem to be 50/50 for and against this pickup. Now that I've had it 6 months I'm very happy with it. I like my sound, like the price (watch the installation cost though!), the fact that you don?t have to alter the guitar, and the sound-hole volume control.
Now for the downside Words of Warning: #1 Installation and the natural tone of your guitar makes a HUGE difference to this thing. I took it home prepared to install it myself. The flimsy jig makes it impossible to do an accurate installation, unless you are professional. I took it back to a great repair guy I know and he played with it for hours before finding the best placement (Close as it can get to the high side and under the saddle, almost touching the end-pins).
#2 IF YOUR GUITAR (LIKE MINE) HAS THE X-BRACE SEATED WAY BACK FROM THE SOUND HOLE AND CLOSE TO THE BRIDGE PLATE, YOU WILL HAVE VERY LITTLE ROOM TO MOVE THE IBEAM AROUND ONCE YOU GET IT IN THERE. (UNLIKE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO SUGGEST!). I had maybe 1-2mm of play either way. The manufacturer's diagrams all make it look like you have tons of room to move it around, to adjust for tonal differences in your guitar, but not me. The less room you have to move it around, I think, the less likely you are to get the sound you want. NOBODY TELLS YOU THIS. Lucky for me, I had a good repairman who took the time to get it right and it paid off.
Word of warning #3 - some places charge you a fortune to install this thing so ask first, when you are comparing prices. The place I bought it wanted $80 to install! My repair guy who is a well-known repairman in the Toronto area did it for $30.
I like this pick-up a lot for the kind of music I'm playing and the price range. I like it a lot better than the more expensive magnetic pick-ups out there(the Rare Earth humbucker- blender did not impress me at all for the money - C$350, and then you still have to eq it anyways). I don?t like magnetic pickups for oldtimey country and bluegrass, they make everything sound like a jazz guitar, which is fine for lead work or blues, if that's what you want. On the other hand, if you want something that doesn?t require a lot of monkeying around with installation and buying a preamp with eq (I needed one anyways, or so I tell myself), this pick-up probably isn?t for you.
I don't really believe in numbers... these things are way too subjective, and every guitar is different, and the pick-up placement is key. If I had to do it again, I would probably get the same thing.

Pickup features: Active, bridgeplate transducer
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Norman B-20
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Worship, picking strumming
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Very good: never had any problem getting enough signal : into amp, P.A. ...
Tone: Bassy (in my guitar) with little high-end treble
Sonic evaluation: I play this now into a Laney LA65C but have used it in many other situations. I find that, despite it being bassy and a little muddy, it has a quality of sound which I greatly prefer to that of a undersaddle piezo pickup, even if I have to eq it significantly and watch carefully for feedback. In fact, in one situation a sound guy almost swore at me because he couldn't get it to sound right (he was sending ith through their Berhinger active direct box). When I unplugged from the box and let the signal go without any help, he couldn't believe the difference and then struggled to get the other guitars to sound decent compared to mine. You really need to take some time to place the pickup well : there is (aparently) a big difference in the optimal location depending on the guitar and some experimentation is necessary. Now that I have a real acoustic guitar amp to play through, I will probably try to move it to find a better location (better control of the bass and low mids). As I said, there is a quality to the sound which I find much more natural than any piezo I've ever heard. Wonderful.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Folky worshipy soft-rocky fingerpickingy lightstrummy stuff.

Comments: I've been playing for 16 years, have tried several Yamahas, Takamines, other Normans. I have had a Dean Markley ZH-1 for this guitar (TERRIBLE) and have had this pickup for about 2 years. I find it can't be compared to anything else. Do you want a natural sounding guitar without that piezo "twang"? This might be good for you.
I'd like to find a way to increase the high treble output (if they're not there, you can't add them with an amp) because the tone can sound a little flat. I would probably buy it again, but I would look at some of the newer stuff out there, including the M1 before. Who knows? I'd give it a ten for the natural sound but I have to take a bit off for the lack of balance and treble response.
I would probably buy the new model with a volume control in the soundhole though.

Pickup features: active transducer
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin D12-20
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: high
Tone: natural
Sonic evaluation: This pickup sounds great. I get compliments on the sound of this instrument all the time, particularly from sound men in clubs. Of course, you must paly through a good amp or PA. Nothing will sound like an acoustic guitar through an electric guitar amp.

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

Comments: This pickup is terrific. One thing, mine was installed several years ago before they developed the iBeam onboard pre-amp, so we used the L.R. Baggs "acoustic timbre" onboard pre-amp. I believe that this product is actually better, as it has a dedicated middle control, and the Baggs iBeam pre-amp does not.

Pickup features: active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin D-15
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: see Baggs website
You musical style(s): mostly contemporary Christian music, strumming, fingerpicking
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Plenty of power to plug right into the mixer
Tone: boomy on the bottom, extra crispy on top
Sonic evaluation: First of all let me say this about evaluating your acoustic guitar tone. You cannot accurately judge the tone of your guitar through any sound system while you are playing it. Some of the natural acoustic tone reaches you ears and you feel vibrations from the body. You need to make a nearly perfect recording to play back or else let someone else play and put them far away enough from the listening area so you hear only amplified sound.
I use this pickup recording direct to computer and playing live on a very well set up church sound system (yes they do exist!)
I have found that for recording I need to take a big notch out around the top's resonance freq (4th string D, or 147 Hz) boost the upper mids 2k-4k and a narrow notch out around 14k. I assume some of my eq'ing is necessary to undo some overcompensation baggs does for the sake of guitars less blessed with such abundant low end and clear high end.
For the live setup I found my eq settings needed to be pretty much the same as for recording. (I use cakewalk software to eq on computer, Behringer 5 band parametric for live)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: all styles work fine, but best tone seems to come from fingerpicking or flatpicking

Comments: The pickup by itself doesn't sound as natural or great as all the company hype would suggest, but with some careful eq'ing and proper use of effects you can get a good acoustic sound.
If the pickup were lost or stolen I would be happy because it would give me a good excuse to try to find another pickup that will sound great out of the box.
I will probably continue using the ibeam but blend it with the new M1 which seems to have the potential (once you set the pole pieces right) to have great balanced tone right out of the box. Or if I get really brave, I'll superglue a K&K pickup under the bridge and blend that with the M1.
I give it a 8 overall only because with some qualtiy eq work I was able to get a pretty good (but not great) sound. Based on plain naked pickup tone alone I would give it a 6.
One last thought, I've had this pickup for over a year and have changed the battery only once.

Pickup features: passive.
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Larivee L-01
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Lots of different ones.
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Celtic
Reason for pickup change: Like everyone else, I've been searching for that "True Acoustic Sound".

Perceived output level: Not real hot, just right!!!
Tone: Very balanced tone.
Sonic evaluation: Terrific sound and very easy to EQ if needed.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good match for my style of celtic playing.

Comments: I'm an acoustic guitar tech at a small music store in northern California and have installed hundreds of pick-ups (piezo's, sound hole magnetic's and mics of various kinds) in my guitar and customers guitars over the years and have never been completely satisfied with any of them. The best thing I had come up with for myself was a Shure Beta-57 mic. It gave me the sound I was after but as anyone who uses a mic knows, your constricted to that mic. Movement one way or the other changes the sound.
We got a brochure about the L.R. Baggs pick-ups and as I read the description of the I-Beam and thought that maybe this is what I looking for. They described it as having the same responce as a condenser microphone. Wow! That's what I've after all along. I got one from Baggs (they are really great at customer service by the way) and I'm really glad I did. They say it is best used with a pre-amp, (it still sounds good without one, just not as hot) so I used it at my next gig with my DOD 7 band EQ pedal and I couldn't belive the sound. It was perfect. I even got a lot of comments after the gig on how good the guitar sounded.
I am totally sold on this pick-up and would recommend it to anyone.
The installation is very easy. It only takes about 10 minutes at the most. (Providing you already have a endpin jack hole in the end of your guitar. That takes about 20 minutes in itself) and they are not cost prohibitive. Considering the cost of some of the blending systems that are out there, this one beats 'em all.
Thanks to L.R. Baggs for a terrific pick-up!

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Cort Earth 1200
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): James Taylor, Christian
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Hot
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I bought it as I read that the sound is more natural than UST pickups. Like some of the other reviews mentioned, the feedback problem is serious. Overall, the tone is accetable but not particular fantastic either.

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

Comments: Even if it were not stolen, I'm already thinking of changing it. However, this is my backup guitar so I don't really want to waste any more money on it.

Pickup features: active under bridge plate transducer with microphonic attributes
Impedence or other specs: high - very high

Model of guitar or bass: 1984 Martin D35
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: who cares .. every guitar is different - what a dumb question
You musical style(s): CSN-JT-Van Morrison- Eagles-Clapton-Santana
Reason for pickup change: Wanted something that would capture the natural tone and the hype said this would do it. What they didn't tell you is this is so microphonic it will pickup a dog farting in the back alley. Feedback problems are now being examined for correction.

Perceived output level: Hotter than fire when going thru the Para Acoustic D.I. into a PA !
Tone: Bassy at this point but re-positioning a half-million times might do the trick
Sonic evaluation: At first this pickup sounds great in your home. Live on stage you begin to encounter feedback problems - of course I play in noisey bars & brothels, not in quiet library type settings. The I-Beam is very sensitive and produces low end feedback which I am told can be possibly remedied by repositioning the I-beam away from the bass portion under the bridge plate and closer to the X brace treble side. We'll see. If it works, I'll be impressed. My overall impression of this pickup is if you are playing in typical noisey bars, this ain't the pickup you want.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: acoustic light & classic rock - the stuff we all grew up with that sounded great

Comments: If this were stolen I'd buy something else but then no one in their right mind would steal it. I've been playing 20 years off & on. I own a Para Acoustic DI, Peavey XR600F head with 2 Impulse 10/12's; a 1984 Martin D35 & brand new Taylor Maple 12 string Special 600 with the new expression system that is orgasmic. Baggs sent me the M1 soundhole pickup as an alternative to the I-Beam if it doesn't work out - that speaks highly of Baggs trying to help out. I'll let you know in two weeks if this works or not. Since every guitar is different, what sounds good in one may sound like kaa-kaa in another.