Pickup The World 20 Film Transducer

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This is an update to my previous review. One issue I found with this pickup is a bass emphasis I could not dial out satisfactorily with tone controls on DI's, preamps, software modelers, and I've tried practically all, thinking it was an impedance issue. I could get rid of some of it by setting basses and mids ccw, but then was left with a weak signal).

I have come to the conclusion that the bass emphasis is in the signal itself, due to the mechanics of the guitar top - it exists in all my guitars, and cannot be fixed by boosting with a preamp (eg the PowerPlugs.) I don't think it is an impedance issue per se, since that is the problem the DI's are supposed to solve (and didn't).

The problem is solved by placing a (1 MegOhm) resistor across the sensor itself (i.e. between signal and ground). Increasing the resistance will increase the bass, and vice versa - I found that 1 MegOhm is a good place to start if you have this issue. Most outboard devices still have plenty of gain at input to drive the rest of the signal chain (the energy of the signal is now more balanced across the spectrum)

You may not have this problem (I actually sum the signals from both sensors before the jack), and then jumper from signal to ground before the jack (inside the guitar)

My thanks to t/s at LR Baggs for suggesting this solution.

Pickup features: DTransducer
Impedence or other specs: High Impedance

Model of guitar or bass: Flamenco
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Flamenco
Reason for pickup change: Pickup sounds beautiful.

Perceived output level: Above natural sound to hear effects (reverb, etc.)
Tone: Extremely natural sound from the guitar
Sonic evaluation: I have used acoustic amps from Trace Elliot, Fender Acoustasonic, Roland Microcube, and now a GS-10, all with a bit of reverb, chorus, and perhaps a tiny bit of gain (in GuitarPort, GuitarRig) - just enough before feedback, although my nylon string Yamana Silent Guitar is beteter for the heavy metal stuff................:-)
I use both PUTW preamps, the cube and the blender, and both are excellent (I use stereo pickups, on all 3 of my Flamenco Guitars,
a Sanchis from Madrid, and two made by a local luthier (Rowan Hughes).
I will also definitely be using them in a second Sanchis I will be purchasing shortly,

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Flamenco, experimenting with rock sounds.

Comments: I would get this pickup again in a NY second. It is by far the best pickup I have ever used for nylon string. I've been playing guitar 40 years now, and for 35 of those years, amplifying Flamenco was excruciating - from proximity effect, to piezo quack....
I have tried Fishman, B-B Hot Dot (which was the best until now), Takamine's pickup (at one point I had a Takamine Gypsy King cutaway, so could compare), microphones....
I think this pickup is absolutely incredible for enhancing the natural sound of the Flamenco guitar for a decent volume before feedback (it will certainly fill a small club), ESPECIALLY when using the PUTW preamp(s). (I wouldn't use the pickups without them - they are very good indeed.)

Pickup features: Passive thin polymer film
Impedence or other specs: High impedance - 1 mega ohm

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Dobro
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Typical Dobro
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: With proper preamp, as loud or soft as you desire with NO noise
Tone: Sounds exactly like the instrument--but louder!
Sonic evaluation: Signal sent to a Mackie 1604 mixer and then out to Mackie a ctive 450 speakers

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

Comments: I reviewed a Pick-up the World ("PUTW") Model #27 for acoustic guitar already on this site, so I suggest readers check that out for my thoughts on positioning this pickup ("PU") and preamping. Dobros are generally a pain to amplify and this Fender spider-type is no exception. The PUTW #20 did a superlative job. After several stabs in various locations, I ended up placing the PU on the circular center of the "Spider" from which the bridge protrudes. However, it was not flushed up against the bridge as that location gave me too hot or resonant a tonality. The edges of the 20 actually were hanging off the circular center. As I did not want them potentially flopping around, I used General Electric brand "GE Silicone II" sealant to fill in the gaps underneath where the edges of the thin film of the pickup was hanging over the edges. After I had found the sweet spot, I noticed that at very high volume, I was getting what I would call a "clatter" or rattle at very specific frequencies--the A and the G--and they were present whether I played those strings open or played the notes on the adjacent strings. I called David Enke at PUTW and he suggested the sound might be being produced by the lead wire from the PU rattling on the cone and/or struts of the Dobro. He noted that one of the design aspects of the PUTW pickups is the wire is very "microphonic" and will "hear," pickup and transmit stuff going on around it. To resolve this problem, I used the Silicone sealant and in effect built a buffer wherever the wire was crossing either the edge of the Dobro cone or one of the spider legs (two such places). This totally solved the problem. No more clatter, even at high volume. Nothing but gorgeous Dobro tone.

Pickup features: passive stick on transducer
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: 1936 National Style O
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: You'll see a whole lot of themsoon. They killed the competition at NAMM
You musical style(s): mixture of a whole lot of stuff
Reason for pickup change: Needed a little more volume

Perceived output level: good gain, and resistant to feedback
Tone: even and smooth
Sonic evaluation: I go from the pickup to a jack that's mounted in one of the F holes. The pick-up is mounted on the rear of the biscuit, and I have black electricans tape holding the cord flat(ala Chris Whitley, my favorite). I've got a Pick-up the World Power Plug pre-amp that plugs into my Pod 2.0, that feeds my Ultrasound 50 with a 50 watt extension. I use the Pod because I change between 6 different guitars and with the presets, I can just hit a switch and have a seperate sound for each guitar.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It works great for everything

Comments: These are by far the best acoustic pick-ups ever. I'm putting them in all six of my performance guitars.

Pickup features: film transducer for acoustic instruments
Impedence or other specs: 1 meg

Model of guitar or bass: Mermer 'Kula'
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fishman matrix
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): fingerstyle blues
Reason for pickup change: Looking for more natural(acoustic)sounding pickup. this pickup sounds as good as an external microphone.

Perceived output level: Normal, recomended go through external preamp such as Baggs Para DI.
Tone: Well balanced, warm, natural acoustic sound
Sonic evaluation: The pickup goes into a Baggs Para DI, then into a Carvin AG100D. I originally wanted to wire this pickup (Pickup The Up World)in combination with an piezo under the saddle (Fishman Matrix). After having done so, I removed the Fishman as it wasn't needed. PUTW is incredibly warm and natural sounding. Sounds better than my Sure M57.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play fingerstyle and bottle neck slide. The pickup is mounted under the bridge on the bridge plate.

Comments: I have placed the pickup in all of my guitars (3) and I make sure all of my clients(I am a luthier)are aware of this pickup as an option. Only thing they may be able to improve on is that it is almost to lively (but nothing a little EQ can't handle). the pickup is warm and natural sounding, missing the pronounced mids that are common in piezo transducers. Best thing I've heard short of an expensive external condenser microphone.