Schatten HFN

Pickup features: Passive version
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Bourgeoise slope D
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: McIntyre GF-30
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): across the board acoustic guitar styles
Reason for pickup change: Couldn?t get the Mcintyre GF-30 to work. Real pain in the ass. Review was written.

Perceived output level: needs preamp. (obviously, as I bought the passive version)
Tone: With good PA equipment, played through an LR Baggs preamp and a d.i., it has sounded downright great. Very natural, something I can dig in comfortably with.
Sonic evaluation: I have a AER acoustic Domino amp which is quite a piece, if your plugging in mic and guitar. However, I will admit that for some unknown reason as yet, the Schatten HFN sounds somewhat like a sound hole magnetic acoustic pickup through this amp. Not nearly as wonderful as in other situations, including other amps I?ve tried. To go through the AER I?m now using a boss preamp pedal instead of the LR Baggs preamp and the sound is improving. At any rate, the Schatten is extremely noise free and quack free as well.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Sounds best of all fingerpicked, which I do with thumbpick and fingers.

Comments: Would I get another? On its merit, I ?d certainly get another Schatten, though personally I enjoy trying different pickups to see what?s out there. In the end, I prefer playing through a good condenser mic whenver conditions permit.
I have been playing for well over 30 years, making my living at it for 20. I have several interesting guitars, dobros and mandolins. As for the Schatten, I think it has a wonderful design and promises great sound. It might not be quite as consistant through the typical playing conditions one encounters as your omni-present under-the-saddle Fishman or Baggs, but neither does it suffer their typical drawbacks. The HFN has given me great satisfaction so far, at least in certain professional situations and I?m working to get it as consistant as possible. I will add that Les and Rod, the people you will encounter if you contact Schatten directly are about as helpful and available as any you are likely to find in the acoustic pickup field.

Pickup features: Passive
Impedence or other specs: N/A

Model of guitar or bass: Traphagen Classical
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Don't Know, Don't Care
You musical style(s): Classical, Jazz
Reason for pickup change: New Guitar

Perceived output level: Output level is acceptable and similar to other passive soundboard transducers on the market
Tone: This pickup is extremely well balanced and full. It really does sound like my guitar is being played through a good quality mike, as claimed in their ad.
Sonic evaluation: Playing through a Raven PMB-1 Preamp and Raven EQ Unit into a Makie PA System.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Play mostly Classical, Neoclassical and Jazz

Comments: I was reluctant to try this pickup at first because I have been very disappointed in the other soundboard transducers on the market (i.e., K&K Sound, B-Band, McIntyre) in that they all sound fairly good if played with another amplification source but lack fullness when used as a single pickup. The Schatten sounds great by itself. This is by far the best pickup I have ever used in any of my acoustic guitars (have tried almost everything on the market). I have been play for many years an own several hand made guitars. The passive model does require a good preamp but they do offer a pickup with preamp model which is resonably priced. Their website address is schattendesign.com. Check it out!

Pickup features: Active Piezo
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Larrivee' OM-9 and Larrivee'Custom Classic
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fishman Matrix
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Session Player - Roots/Americana, Counrty, Soft rock
Reason for pickup change: To improve my stage and recording sound.

Perceived output level: Slightly lower than the output of the Fishman Matrix (Natural version)
Tone: Very Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I use a Marshall Acoustic amp. This pick up is the closest thing I have heard to a miced Gtr with a little bit of Piezo tone mixed in to make it jump.The top end is real natural with no hrsh "Quack". The bottom end is full an airy and the mids are more pure and round.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play finger stlye gtr. Chet, Jerry, James Taylor,Eric Clapton,John Mayer type rythmns

Comments: I highly recommend this product and would definitly buy it again. I acually have 2 more acoustics that I will be installing them in.I have heard a lot of acoustic gtr's with pick up systems and I really havn't come across any thing that is as natural sounding as this pickup.I experimented with the adhesive that mounts the pick up inside the body and on the bridge plate and found that the tone can be altered to get a diffrent mix of the piezo tone to mic tone ratio.If you get too much of the mic tones you get a bit more of the hollowness that you would hear if you were putting a mic inside the gtr body and it sounds a little distant (more so on my Classic) Using the putty to mount the pickup instead of the tape gave me the best balance of both on my Gtrs. I have it installed with an endpin preamp and battery configuration but would prefer to have just the pickup in my gtrs and use an outboard belt pac type pre which apparently is in the works. This pickup has enough gain without the pre to use an active direct box into into a sound system but it's better to have a pre to go into an amp.It requires a little eq as the volume comes up to control the bottom end in around the 100-200 Hz area much like a close miced gtr does. I have a notch filter on my amp that does a nice job of this so I don't need a outboard EQ.It is easier to install than a regular piezo because it mounts to the bridge plate inside the body of the gtr as opposed to under the saddle so there is no hole to drill in the bridge.There is still battery and end pin issues though so unless you have experience in these installs I would recommend an experienced tech to do it. The overall gain is a little lower but that can be compensated for with a stronger pre or a little more gain from the PA or amp.This really is a beautiful acoustic gtr pickup.