Lace Music Products Acoustic Bronze

passive magnetic soundhole pickup

when my pickup died again due to a battery problem I went looking for a solution that would be flexible but not require batteries. I ended up being very creative and combined this magnetic pickup with a AKG lav condenser mic. It worked out very well so I wanted to share about it. The mic is mounted to the guitar with a mini-xlr jack so that phantom power is supplied from the mixing board. Velcro sewn to a soft pencil eraser creates the mic mount that attaches to the felt on the bottom of the Lace.

The Lace pickup sounds great, as does the AKG. I had read about the different mag choices and decided that the magnetic needed to be positionable. The adjustable mounting of the bronze really helps for this instrument as I have the treble side cranked up high. The balance works well with good tone. I roll off some bass on the mic also and as I A/B the two inputs the sound is very simillar outside of the basic character of the pickups. Magnetic is very full and the mic is very open with overtones. I sometimes go without the mic if I am playing backup and inputs are scarce. But I tend to slap the guitar when I lead strong rythym sets (contemporary worship) and the mic picks up the percussion and muting technique. Blending the two sounds has really elevated this instrument in my opinion.

one downside of this pickup is that I do sometimes brush my palm against it while playing, so it took a little getting used to... but I am so impressed with the pickup sonically that I hope to eventually try their new Blade on my 12 string. Other positive products to share for this instrument are 11/52 string guage and jellyfish alloy bridge pins.

Pickup features: Passive single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Yamaha SJ-180
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: who knows?
You musical style(s): small venue solo singer/guitarist
Reason for pickup change: I never had one before on this guitar. It's my home/front porch/bedroom guitar, but the one I like the best.

Perceived output level: normal Fender-like
Tone: well blanced, very well balanced; I was pleasantly surprised
Sonic evaluation: I got this pickup for a Yamaha acoustic I got out of dumpster many years ago that had barely been played, was practically new. I've played the guitar so long that I wanted to be comfortable onstage with an old friend instead of wrestling with my acoustic/electric with a piezeo and preamp that I once thought I needed or my Fender electrics, none of which suit me as a solo singer/guitarist in an amplified environment either because they're too acoustic or too electric sounding. This pickup, once positioned correctly for my tastes, does sound more electric than acoustic, but to my ears it sounds like an old Gibson hollowbody with P-90s or that "wood" sound you get from a really old Fender. Very well balanced. It reacts to positioning in the soundhole distinctly making it easy to dial in. I can't say it sounds totally acoustic; I've got one of those, but I miss the somewhat more electric response that I can get out of the Yamaha even without a pickup, and this does an amazing job of keeping the acoustic's warmth properties while adding its own palatte of tone. I'm not a strummer, more a picker either with a pick or fingers, and I do a lot of pure downstroke rythm emphasizing the bass notes, thumb-over like they said not to do. This pickup has done an amazing job of taking my "intimate" guitar and turning it into a performing guitar. There's no hum at all, and only a little bass register feedback if I face the amp and get too close, neither of which I do while performing. I plug into the house system cold and let the sound expert work the mix or go to a powered mixer, set it and forget it. If I use an amp, it's either a small Vox or a Crate stack, depending on the volume I need, because those are what I have. I don't like overbearing mids, and this does a fine job. Once again, very well balanced.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I use this to accompany voice. I do solos. Some lead, some instrumentals, mostly accompanyment.

Comments: I've been halfheartedly looking for a pickup for my Yamaha for twenty years and was playing long before that. I never found one until this one that doesn't rattle, boom, or sound tinny or shrill. The guitar is a 00 size, not a jumbo, and the fretboard is worn and scalloped all over from playing, but warm to my hands and the intonation is still perfect. I have a light touch and use .010 Es unapologetically. I like electrics, particularly Fenders, but they don't have the warmth I like in accompanying voice. I have a modern mid-priced unnamed acoustic electric, but it's a jumbo, has a gawdawful fretboard for my style, requiring nothing less than 13s or the intonation goes to hell and I get dead notes up high, and I have to cut most of the mids from the preamp to get a decent picking sound out of it. I've been playing long enough and have thrown away thousands of $$$ trying to find my match. My rig looks sort of cobby now, but it plays and sounds better than anything I've had before, and I've tried everything.

Pickup features: Passive Magnetic sound-hole pickup
Impedence or other specs: For flat-top guitars

Model of guitar or bass: Breedlove C2/R
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: unknown by me
You musical style(s): Pop, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Gospel, Folk, Rock & Roll
Reason for pickup change: Get acoustic guitar volume up to performance levels with SWR Strawberry Blonde amplifier(s).

Perceived output level: Average output level for this type of add-on pickup
Tone: Well balanced for the type. Not too brassy or tinny. Good frequency response ranges (highs & lows).
Sonic evaluation: This pickup has the best overall sound of any of the in-hole flat-top magnetic styles I've used (all of them, at some time or another, since about 1965).
Depending on EQ'ing, it can sound like a so-called "jazz" sound, or airey, somewhat reminiscent of an "acoustic" guitar type sound.
Many of these type pu's are too midrangey to sound good alone.
I don't care for piezo's under the saddle, and mics, though sonically purer, can't take the SPL's on most stages or orchestra pits without feeding back.
This AGI Lace has enough highs to sound OK with the piezo tweeter in the SWR amp I currenty use. Or the tweeter can be turned off as well.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I use this for all styles. It has enough definition for fingerstyle or inside note shifts on jazz chords.

Comments: First of all, I believe it to be a bit misleading that AGI Lace infers that this pickup has "humbucking" features. To my mind, a humbucking pickup traditionally uses an extra, reverse wound coil, to eliminate 60hz hum and other interference. While it is well shielded and fairly quiet, it is in fact a single coil perched upon a bar type magnet.
A piece of ferrous metal is used to diffuse the magnetic field under the plain B & E strings.
The pickup unit then sits in a quite nicely designed plastic housing which allows for slanting the pickup higher on one end, for instance.
It works great at what it does, sounding very good within the limitations of trying to get an "acoustic" sound from a straightforward magnetic pickup design. I actually like it very much, for what it is. But it is not, in my mind "humbucking" by any stretch, though is quiet enough and has a great signal to noise ratio and sound, which is more important to me anyhow.
One should be aware, however, that it is NOT the usual Lace design adapted for flat-top duties somehow. It's just not that unique.
Good for the money though, in my book.

Pickup features: acoustic soundhole pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Taylor 414
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: no idea
You musical style(s): Fingerstyle acoustic
Reason for pickup change: I wanted a non-invasive way to amplify my acoustic guitars.

Perceived output level: Lower output than Fishman's pickup/preamp setups in Taylor's guitars
Tone: pretty well balanced
Sonic evaluation: I tried this pickup thru a Peavey Classic 50 4x10, a Peavey Ecoustic, a Fender Acoustisonic SFX and a Fender Acoustisonic Pro. A friend tried the same pickup thru a Prime acoustic amp, a Gallien Kreuger 250ML, and his Tasco PA. We both had the same results with all the equipment we tried.
This pickup does a respectable job of producing realistic acoustic sounds for the four wound strings, but the two plain strings sound VERY "stratty." That ratio may sound okay as you are reading this, but, in practice, if you are aiming for realistic acoustic reproduction, it's extremely frustrating. We both did a lot of eq tweaking on the amps, and couldn't get anything we were happy with. As far as I'm concerned, this pickup is a compromise at best. If I wanted my guitar to sound like an electric guitar, I would just play my strat. Unfortunately, I want my amplified acoustic to sound more like an acoustic, so this pickup doesn't cut it for me. I guess I'll have to install an undersaddle pickup and use an external preamp (I'm NOT carving up the sides of my guitars for an on-board preamp).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play fingerstyle British-Isles folk, medieval, renaissance, baroque, Celtic, and American folk. I don't believe that fingerstyle players would really get along with this pickup. I doubt bluegrass pickers would, either. I see it as more of a strummer's rhythm guitar pickup, where the bass strings would probably come over louder than the trebles.

Comments: If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't buy this pickup. For the tone I seek, it just doesn't work.

Pickup features: Single Coil, passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez PF-10
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: none currently
You musical style(s): Classical, Acoustic Metal
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to amplify my acoustic

Perceived output level: Very Loud
Tone: very balanced with no "muddiness"
Sonic evaluation: I use a Peavey Audition 30 with the Ibanez above mentioned

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Acoustic Metal and Classical, Okay match

Comments: It really isn't natural sounding. It actually makes my guitar sound more like a Fender Strat than anything else. I wanted a rich acoustic sound. I wouldn't get the same one if it were destroyed or stolen. It compares to the Fender Bronze pickup which is more expensive. I wish it could more easily mount in the guitar. I'm not totally satisfied because I didn't have the natural sound I wanted but I got a Zoom 504 for it and now it has a convincing sound.

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Acoustic Guitar
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: Good, natural, balanced sound
Tone: Sweet full tone of a magnetic, but with clear treble.
Sonic evaluation: I have tried at least 10 different magnetic pickups including the Sunrise and this is by far the most natural sounding one! It works great with non-standard string spacings and it doesnt sound like a jazz guitar. The pickup is quiet and you don't need a preamp! You can adjust the pickup to boost the treble or bass and the b string is BALANCED with the rest of the strings.I do not know if the Fender Lace Acoustic is the same pickup but this Don Lace model is Awesome! You got to check out their web site. They even got good chicken wing recipes there! (http://www.agi-lace.com)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup may not find a place in an all miked bluegrass band, but if your sick of the sound of transducers, go for it. I send mine through a T.C. Electronic chorus pedal and it sounds like an orchestra.

Comments: I found what I was looking for.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.