L.R. Baggs iBeam

Pickup features: Passive in conjunction with a L.R. Baggs Para DI
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Larrivee L-03R
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: This pick-up sounds great. I installed it exactly as the manufacturer suggested directly under the saddle but shifted laterally a small 1/8" towards the treble side.I tried it plugged directly into our churches PA system through the LR Baggs para DI.Our church has a pro-level permanently installed system. Even with the EQ controls set on "0" the sound was very good. This indicates that the pick-up itself is good withour radical EQing. I toned the mid-range down a bit as per the manual and the sound became AWESOME. It was like my Larrivee unplugged but louder. Our church band only plays at moderate volume so I don't know how it feeds back at high volume. I tried plugging this into my home stereo through the tape deck mic input and it was very boomy so I just turned down the bass on my stereo amp and lower mids on the Para DI and it sounded fine. But not nearly as good as the church PA. Conclusion: The amplifier used has a huge affect on the sound. If you have some low power portable PA or questionable acoustic amplifier, you may have to spend time EQing it. For this reason, I wouldn't go without a quality pre-amp like the Para DI or at leat a Gigpro. I wouldn't get the iBeam active and use it without a seperate pre-amp.

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

Comments: I am very pleased with this pick-up. Installation was simple IF YOU FOLLOW DIRECTIONS! It sounds great. My only complaint-a small one-is that I have now (with the Para DI $250)invested $430 CDN in an acoustic pick-up system. But my guitar is worth 4 times that so it is a good value. I can also use the Para with my classical.

Pickup features: active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Seagull S6
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): singer/songwriter, e.g. Ron Sexsmith, Archer Prewitt
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: can't compare it to much, but was getting plenty of signal to run thorugh a PA - I'm sure the 9V helps on that end
Tone: Suprisingly balanced. I was getting "wolf tones" around low D/Db, which were easily tamed with the Para D.I. (more on that later) Pick on string sound very natural with the proper EQing.
Sonic evaluation: First let me say that in general, I hate the sound of amplified acoustic guitars. I've never met a piezo that I enjoyed listening to. I was looking for something that would sound like a microphone that I could turn up loud. Anyway...
I'm running my Seagull directly into a PA through a Para DI. A few things about this pickup: As Baggs plainly states, placement makes a big difference, and you will be rewarded with experimentation. I tired at least five different placements, each 2-3 mm different, and each with a distinct sound. I noted each placement, recorded a sample of it into my computer (or whatever you have), then did a blind comparison. I found placing it parallel to the saddle but slightly towards the pegs gave me the string attack/cut I was looking for, but also enough "body" sound so the character of my guitar shone through on quieter playing.
Another important thing: If I had bought this pickup without also getting Baggs' Para D.I., I wouldn't have dug it nearly as much. Because this pickup gives you such an honest replication of your guitar's particular resonance qualities (not just a generic, squashed, stringy sound), I found that an outboard EQ is a must for shaping it into a sound that can be properly amplified. Here's how mine is set up, and it sounds great: I deemphasized the aformentioned wolf tone/feedback note using the notch filter, took a little bit of mids out at 1kHz for a less nasal tone, added a touch of presence (really helps to get a natural "pick" sound), and but a touch of low end to help my low E resonate. And even though I didn't turn any of the EQ nobs more than 20 degrees, it made a huge difference--turned an average, somewhat nasally tone into a beautiful, almost-can't-tell-it's-not-a-mic acoustic guitar sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I don't bash my guitar, I don't exclusively fingerpick, but do use plenty of palm muting, percussive strumming, etc. From what I can tell, the pickup's a great match for the style -- it amplifies MY acoustic guitar's sound, which is about all you can ask for.

Comments: I would definitely replace it if it were stolen. HOWEVER, I would also replace my Para DI -- some kind of EQ is needed for this pickup, but you'll be rewarded. (BTW -- Blue Star gave me a great deal on both -- $220 for the active pickup AND the DI -- seeing as list for both adds up to $400 or so! plus I saved on installation costs since I could do it myself). I love the fact that I got such a natural sound from it, although it did take a good deal of experimentation and subtle EQing. For now I am very satisfied with the sound of this pickup, and unless a brand new "holy grail" technology comes out, I'm sticking by it.

Pickup features: Active Bridge-Plate Transducer
Impedence or other specs: Low Impedance output (due to preamp)

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor Big Baby 2002
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Dean Markley Pro Mag and various microphones
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Nickel Creek and many, many others
You musical style(s): classical, folk, rock, and pop
Reason for pickup change: I needed the Big Baby to replace my stage guitar, which was stolen, and required more mobility and much better tone than what was available via the Pro Mag.

Perceived output level: It has very high output, comparable to my LR Baggs Dual Source (on my aforementioned stolen guitar). More than enough for a DI Box or straight into the board.
Tone: The iBeam active, as installed, has very balanced tonality with a slight emphasis on the bass due to pickup placement. This was intentional due to the Big Baby's less-than-average bass response.
Sonic evaluation: My normal use of the iBeam Active has been via PAs, through a DI Box (it's been through both passive and active DI boxes). I also play in my home studio plugging it straight into the line inputs of my TASCAM TM-D1000 which routes to a Samson Servo 260 amp and a pair of Tannoy Reveals. I also listen via Sony headphones (MDR-7505 and MDR-7506). I never use any signal or effect processing on acoustic guitar -this pickup included.
The iBeam Active has been very impressive from the first time I plugged it in. The nuances of various playing technique shine through. There is some compression when I play with more aggressive technique but otherwise, the dynamic range is (fortunately) unlike any other piezo-type pickup I have ever played (which, for the record, includes most made by Fishman, Ovation, Baggs, and Markley). The fidelity of the pickup is quite amazing and pretty well approximates proper microphone placement. Prior to installation of this pickup, I'd mic'ed the Big Baby with small and large diaphragm microphones (I am a classical music recordist) and I've found the tonality of the iBeam Active compared to my own microphone placement to be quite impressive.
Just like using microphones, the success of using the iBeam Active in live settings varies. In a singer-songwriter, all-acoustic instrument setting the pickup performs incredibly. In a large, mostly electrified setting, however, the iBeam can be lost amid the other instruments. This is just as LR Baggs advises on their website, though. This is not unlike using microphones, as I have said, and where I suppose I have to lend credit to the quack of undersaddle piezo pickups for their ability to "cut through" (I hate most piezo pickups). Of course, this can be adjusted with EQ and signal and effect processing but, like I said, I don't with acoustic guitar.
It is claimed that this pick-up sounds "just like the guitar it's put in" and I don't think that's 100% true. I've heard guitar recordings that sound strangely like the sound I get out of my pickup and I'm pretty sure that if I do my homework, I will find the same pickup in the guitars they used to record. It's not a bad thing, though, the pickup is indeed good enough to use in the studio without mic'ing the guitar. The iBeam Active does have its own signature sound and the only real way to hear the "true" guitar is to mic it and even micing it is a very subjective thing.
For what it's worth, the only other pickup that I have found that produces the kind of tonality and dynamic range is the Taylor Expression System (Taylor ES). Seeing that it's only available on Taylor guitars and only their more expensive models, I would say that it's not really that fair a comparison. I spend more money on microphones than I do guitars so spending an additional thousand or so dollars for a marginally better amplified acoustic guitar sound is not very practical for me.
I should mention installation as well. The most difficult part is routing a 1/2" hole for the output jack (have this professionally done if you've never done this before). Other than that, the installation jig is a cinch to use. I am fortunate that the Big Baby is a very well constructed guitar to begin with so the tone from the pick-up was right the first time with no need to experiment. The "Battery Bagg" is much better than LR Baggs' previous "Launch Rocket" (which tended to launch the battery when least expected) and tucks away from sight. The weight difference is slightly noticealbe (due mostly to the 9V battery). All in all, pickup installation was a two-hour affair

Comments: I am very glad that I got the iBeam Active and after nearly ten years of playing guitar, I have a pickup that doesn't offend me every time I plug it in. With my previous LR Baggs Dual Source, I had to compromise between the microphone and the Ribbon Transducer (a good undersaddle, but still quacky). The installation is relatively easy and doesn't require a lot of stuff in the guitar (wheras my old guitar looked like the inside of a radio). I liked the Dual Source better than any Fishman, Ovation, or Markley system and since I like the iBeam Active even more than the Dual Source...
The only thing I miss is onboard control of volume.
I was fortunate that the iBeam Active turned out the way it did -I made my purchasing decision based on written reviews and my previous experience with LR Baggs products. A risk, yes, but worth it.
So, let me digress onto some of what others have said...
I run FOH at a Cincinnati-area coffee house (check it out if you're looking for a place to play http://www.rohsstreetcafe.com and tell Matt O that I sent ya!) and play there every now and then. A few weeks ago, I opened for Paul Guerra and after we'd both finished our sets, he complimented my guitar sound. He hadn't noticed that I was playing a Big Baby and told his brother-in-law that my guitar must have cost at least $2500. When I said "not really," he adjusted his estimate to at least $1200. Then, I told him the cost of the Big Baby and he was mortified. He exclaimed that the pickup sound from the guitar was so good that it didn't match the price for the instrument (nor the pickup, for that matter). Coming from a gigging veteran like Paul, that's quite a compliment.
Another time, different venue, my friend Josh and I were playing and he hadn't noticed that I was playing without a mic'ed guitar. Upon noticing the absence of a microphone, he was astonished because my guitar "sounds so good."
The only way I could imagine going above the iBeam Active would be to get a Taylor with an Expression System. I've yet to compare them side-by-side but when I played an ES-equipped Taylor at Guitar Center, the sound was thrilling and expressive but not so much so to justify such an incredible expenditure of money. For the price of an ES-equipped Taylor, I could have two lower-priced Taylors (Baby, Big Baby, 110, or 214) both equipped with iBeam Actives and still be very satisfied with the tone.
To answer the charge of the critics of the iBeam, please remember that not all pickups will work well in all situations or in all guitars. If you think of the iBeam Active in the same way as a fine microphone, it makes more sense. Certain microphones are great while others are grossly inappropriate. Regardless of what iBeam supporters say, the iBeam Active does have its own character, one which a guitarist may or may not like or may find unsuitable for certain situations (and these situations are already noted on the LR Baggs website).
What I can say without reservation is that the pickup is easy to install, has excellent dynamic range, and sounds particularly good on Taylor Big Babies. Your mileage may vary.
Finally, if you are considering this pickup (or any aspect of acoustic amplification/recording) and are in the Cincinnati area, you can contact me and you can try the iBeam-equipped Big Baby at the aforementioned Rohs Street Cafe to hear, for yourself, the pickup that won the MIPA award for guitar pickups TWO consecutive years in a row. Happy picking!

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: maton 625c custom ceder top
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: maton ap-5
Other pickups on guitar: emg undersaddle pizzo
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): acoustic rock country bluegrass and finger style
Reason for pickup change: looking for that holy grail of amplified acoustic sound

Perceived output level: not bad depending on placement of pickup
Tone: hollow and brittle
Sonic evaluation: i am a professional muso and have been for 20 years. Like so many of the musos reviews that i have come across we are all serching for that illusive acoustic sound,so being a WORKING muso and getting frustrated with my acoustic sound over the years i have pretty much tried every sort of pickup combination known to man,so when the good folk over at the baggs factory anounced to the guitar playing population of the world of a , and i quote "A REVOLUTION in acoustic sound" i was to make sure that i would try to get my hands on serial no 000000000001. Well i did get me one and after my friendly guitar tech installed the i beam and i had it back in my hot little hands it was time to give my ears the blessing they had been promised, OPPS!!!. Mr Baggs when you release a statement of such epic proportions do you actually listen to your products this pickup could quite be the biggest peice of S@#T i have had the mispleasure of using.Now maybe some of you reading this may think that i dont know nothin or didnt experiment with placement enough or just that im down right pissed, whatever i can only but warn you ,do not buy this pickup, you would be better of spending your hard earned dollars on something more usefull such as a good quality megaphone it would most definatly sound better and you could abuse the baggs people at a much louder volume

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: acoustic everthing this pickup is suitable for paper weight , fly fishing, and a handy baking utensil pretty much anything but amplifing an acoustic guitar .

Comments: i can only hope that the gobblins come in the middle of the night and steal this pickup but leave the guitar. Allas my search continues

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: santa cruz 000
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:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: fingerpicking

Comments: I would like to sell it BUT I DONT DARE.....
I got a McIntyre Acoustic Feather for my National and i regret not having one for my Santa Cruz too.
In a few words
If they were not clever enough to provide more than two adhesive strips for the difficult right spot, tell me? why they should be clever enough to make a nice pickup!!!!

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin 00016-SGT
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: Many
You musical style(s): Alt. Country
Reason for pickup change: New Guitar

Perceived output level: Slightly more than Typical under saddel.
Tone: Balanced Perfectly
Sonic evaluation: Going into a Para DI, Then into PA.I have also used a Fender SFX. This pick-up is very easy to dial in a great sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for Alt. Country

Comments: I had Mandolin Bros. install this pick-up when i bought the guitar, they obviously know what they're doing. Alot of reveiwers report trouble in positioning this pick-up. Mine sounds really great, Full, and alive like the guitar itself. When I'm not playing solo, I use a feedback buster and it hardly effects the sound at all. I think the Combo of the I-Beam and the Para DI is just awesome.

Pickup features: Body-sensing Bridgeplate Transducer / Passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Tacoma DR38
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: L.R. Baggs LB6 Saddle Piezo
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Funk, Jazz, Rock, some Flatpicking.
Reason for pickup change: Trying to get away from a M\mic but still sound like a mic

Perceived output level: Relatively Low Output compared to Saddle Pickup's
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: Running through L.R. Bagg's Mixpro to a PA or a guitar amp. Now i read so many reviews of the iBeam and it seems like either you love it or you hate it. There are many things you have to consider: 1) How does your guitar really sound? Is it well balanced naturally? 2) What kind of sound are you looking for? 3) where did you place the iBeam? The iBeam is slightly more maintanence and requires lots of experimentation. If you are sensing the sound to be slightly muddled and boomy, most likely your ibeam is sittin right below your saddle. You will notice that certain ways of playing it will cause muddiness and bass tones. And certain strums will kinda make your guitar sound like someone dropped a glass cup. Playing it gently is probably how you get the best sound from the ibeam. So you get ticked off and write a bad review. Before you return it, consider experimentation. Positioning is the first key. Now the bridge plate is the part of your body is where it vibrates the most. Now there are different degrees of sound and tonality as you move the ibeam toward/away from the saddle. As the iBeam instruction book claims, the iBeam will pick up more homogenous sounds as you move away from the saddle. At these places you will lose some of the "stringy" sounds and more "body" sounds (most people want that). Problem with these is you lose the "fatness" which is usually helpful in a live situation. 2nd key is EQ. As LR Baggs really pushes their customers to do is to get a D.I. box as a vital supplement to the iBeam. Because of the iBeams large range of sounds, it is best to EQ it as much as possible. Don't combine EQ's but adjust EQ's one chain to the other. The Active iBeams have a set EQ curve on them already. The Passive's don't which requires a preamp to EQ it. So positioning and EQ. Think of recording, where do you place your Mic and how do you EQ it. Same theory.
I combined my ibeam with a Piezo so i can switch back and forth for certain sounds or even combine the two. the Ibeam for me delivered the most natural sound, it's quite amazing. the LB6 basically is really useful for live settings being in the mix without the fear of feedback. Bear in mind the Ibeam is a transducer that acts like a mic, so it may be more susceptible to feedback than a Piezo. I placed a Feedback Buster rubber pad to cover the soundhole and used the iBeam. I notice that the doing so, really muffled the sound picking up by the ibeam. Then i remembered, the soundboard is the only thing the ibeam is picking up. Piezo's capture the sound as the strings vibrate to bridge plate as well as the bridge's vibration. the ibeam captures the sound as the vibrations run through the soundboard. Keep those in mind which adjusting your pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Funk, Jazz, Rock, some Flatpicking.

Comments: Yes i would totally buy it again. It's a great deal for a great pickup. Before gettin a iBeam, consider a good preamp. Plug and play may not work for you depending on your guitar's sound. Personally i am very thrilled to own it, probably the best pickup you can buy for the natural tone before considering mic'ing it up in a recording studio. Also it's probably the easiest pickup to install in the market without the need to drill a hole in your bridge.
So if you're tired of Piezo pickup sound, try the iBeam out, you won't be disappointed (IF you know how to experiment and EQ)

Pickup features: Active contact pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Guild D55
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fishman Rare Earth Blender
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: The guy from Nickel Creek
You musical style(s): Christian Praise and Worship/Rock/Folk
Reason for pickup change: I didn't like the Fishman Rare Earth.

Perceived output level: Very HOT
Tone: Muddy, boxy, sort of like a microphone
Sonic evaluation: I play this through a Baggs Para Acoustic DI into my church's PA system or directly into a Carvin AG100D for smaller venues.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Put the ibeam as close as possible to the pin holes without touching them.

Comments: I bought the ibea, because i didn't want my Guild's bridge rerouted to accomodate a larger under saddle pickup. I regret not doing this because the ibeam doesn't quite cut it. It's nice and all for a smaller, intimate setting - it get's the sound right. But turn up the volume or attempt to play your ibea, equipped guitar with a bassist and drummer, and you're probably going to be getting feedback. The ibeam doesn't quite do it for larger volumes. I'm planning on replacing this ibea, asap with a highlander IP-1 and pay the extra amopunt for the routing job on the bridge - to me, it's worth it given the context I play my guitar in - a live/church/concert style setting.

Pickup features: active
Impedence or other specs:

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:

Perceived output level:
Tone: This is a retraction for a review that I submitted about 6 mos. ago. Initially, I thought this pickup sounded good. It does have some nice qualities to it but the cons far outway the pros. First, if you are going to use this pickup be aware that you are going to have to eq the heck out of it. It is extremely boomy and has a lot of mids in it too. If you want a nuetral pickup that you can plug in and get a decent sound quickly then this is not the pickup you want. In addition, you won't be able to play it through an amplifier that is voiced for piezo, which most amps are. It sounds like you are playing inside a paper cup. Granted, I didn't buy the $150.00 parametric eq box that baggs sells but why should I have too. This pickup has an active preamp in the endpin which means it should be eq'd pretty well right? Wrong!. Don't count on getting any great eq from this active endpin. In fact if you do decide you want the I-beam I would just buy the passive for less money and then try one of the other things that baggs sells the gigpro or mixpro. But I can't speak to that either as I have never heard the passive with these products. I just had a LR Baggs Dual Source installed and it sound a ton better than the I-Beam for a little more money. Even the ribbon tranducer alone sounds better than the I-Beam and I think that it's less expensive. This pickup does have some nice qualities to it like the airy microphone sound that it sometimes acheived and I'd say that it can sound good through a decent PA with lots of eq.
Sonic evaluation: As I stated, be prepared to eq the heck out of this thing if you are going to make it work and don't even try to put it through an acoustic amp without a lot of eq are maybe the para di baggs sells. For the money you would have to spend on the pickup and the para di I'd recommend the baggs dual source or a high quality piezo pickup.

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

Comments: N/A

Pickup features: Active bridge-plate transducer
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Larrivee OM-05
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Sean Watkins, tested by Phil Keaggy
You musical style(s): fingerstyle, celtic, folk rock
Reason for pickup change: not a change, it's an install from nothing.

Perceived output level: Hot, though not as hot as a fishman Matrix.
Tone: bassy balanced...
Sonic evaluation: through Mackie mixer into yorkville speakers. Firstly, it was super difficult to install. Following what the Baggs instructions say, the sound was too boomy in the bass. Probably had to do with the position of the bridge and bridge plate on the Larrivee OM... When moved towards the soundhole, the pickup effectively runs out of bridge plate to stick to... since the pickup is at the same angle as the saddle, the treble has less bridge plate area than the bass side, which lends to more (too much) bass response. Solution for this problem was to move the pickup to behind the bridge pins, still at the same angle as the saddle: the treble side is right at the edge of the pin hole for the high E string, and the bass side is back away from the hole for the low E string. Now we're talking!... It sounds like my guitar... I plug in headphones and set the level to the same as my guitar, it sounds like my guitar. As the volume increases, it does start to get a bit more boomy, but that's not a bad thing when you have a smaller-bodied guitar like an OM...

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Fingerstyle, celtic, folk rock... if it works for Sean Watkins and Phil Keaggy, it works for me...

Comments: It takes many a try to get the pickup position correct, but once you do, it sounds awesome. It's not "lifeless" like undersaddle piezos... it sounds like your guitar... I guess when I say it sounds awesome, you have to love the sound of your guitar, cuz it truly sounds like your guitar... Not like most undersaddle pickups which make most guitars sound the same. Only thing I wish is that a few more adhesive strips (other than the 2 extra) are supplied, cuz it's so hard to find that sweet spot.