Pickup for a GC8

[dbf909]

I just picked up a GC8 from an AGF forum member (also a member here I believe) and am considering a pickup.  I have a few other Taylors with ES systems but have not really looked at after-market pickups in a long time.

I think that I want to stay away from an Under-Saddle type and would love to avoid a pre-amp if possible.  Although an external pre-amp would be OK if necessary - I'm thinking of getting an Aura 16 anyway.

What do you all think?  What is your favorite after-market pickup system?

[dbf909]

After a little bit of research, it looks like the best choices are:

1) B-Band AST with or without A1N internal pre-amp

2) K&K Pure Mini with or without internal pre-amp

3) LR Baggs I-Beam with or without "Active" internal pre-amp

Anyone have any experience with these or other suggestions?

I guess I should have posted this in the main Taylor guitar section for more exposure.  Can it be moved?

[cjd-player]

I've  had a very good experiences with the K&K, without a preamp,  but eventually I did get an LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI for tone shaping and volume control in our church worship band.  I chose the K&K over the I-Beam based upon recommendations from friends and on-line video comparisons.

I have no experience with the B-band.

[Guitar Rodeo]

The LR Baggs Anthem is growing in popularity and they are quite good. But, I am old school. Really good microphones can be timeless and they stay with you if the guitar goes away. No built in pick-up will ever sound like a true acoustic, because short of the rigs that essentially hang a microphone out in front of the sound hole, none of them hear the room ambiance.

[Scriptor]

No built in pick-up will ever sound like a true acoustic, because short of the rigs that essentially hang a microphone out in front of the sound hole, none of them hear the room ambiance.

+1 on that ... if you must have electronics, I can say that I prefer the ease of use of the Taylor ES (if so equipped) ... but at previous times when I picked up acoustics without electronics I have gone with the K&K Mini (and a good pre-amp) with satisfying results & an LR Baggs M1A (active) which surprised me at how good it sounded for a soundhole pickup ... 

[S MS Picker]

I use JJB Electronics for after market contact piezos. Similar to K&K but much more affordable.
A word to the wise: use double stick tape to decide where you want them. The first one I did was was on a "99 414.
The bass has to be rolled off quite a bit. I use a LR Baggs Gig pro & get wonderful results.
Steve

[dbf909]

I'm actually looking at the iBeam for the last few days.  I like the pre-amp built into the end-pin jack assembly - it is one less thing to affix to the inside of the guitar.  Now if I could just get rid of the battery - phantom power maybe?

I thought about the double sided tape but doesn't it affect/deaden the sound?  Especially the foam type?

[S MS Picker]

I have some really thin tape.Maybe .002 thick,I can't measure it,it keep sticking to the mic.After you decide where , you use superglue for the permanent fix.
Steve

[jalbert]

Do you play solo at relatively low volume levels, or does the pickup need to cut through a full band mix? Or something in-between?

[S MS Picker]

Do you play solo at relatively low volume levels, or does the pickup need to cut through a full band mix? Or something in-between?

Playing solo, the pre-amp really isn't necessary.With others, especially drums and electric guitar,the LR Baggs gives more control and the ability to adjust the tone.
Steve

[jrporter]

FWIW I went with a Fishman Matrix Infinity to play through my Fishman Loudbox Mini on my new GA4...

[Martin]

I have a 2010 GC8, and I installed the K & K pure mini put in it, and I couldn't be happier with the results.  I've played it through an amp and a couple of times through a couple of different PA systems.  It's a really nice, natural-sounding pickup.  When I played through the amp, I didn't use a pre-amp, and it sounded good.  When I played it through a PA system, I've either used an active DI or my Mackie 1204 as a preamp.  Either time worked great.

It sounds good, and it's pretty non-invasive.  You have to superglue the pickups under the bridge, but it's totally reversible if for whatever reason you don't want them an anymore.  Also, it does not change the sound of the guitar itself as opposed to attaching things to the soundboard, having a battery pack bouncing around inside, etc. 

If/When I ever buy another Taylor, I will always go with the full acoustic model w/out electronics or cutaway and put a K&K mini in it...anytime, every time.

[dcopper]

The K&K gets good results on this forum and has a tried and true history.
I personally prefer the original Fishman Rare Earth pickup which IMHO is voiced more naturally than the newer Rare Earth with the volume control, (I have both). To me it sounds very much like the ES system. I also have an LR Baggs M1 and an M1 Active. While I like the volume control, I think the original M1 sounds better. You may want to also look at the new LR Baggs M80. It has active and passive modes.
I prefer these over the U/S systems but have used LR Baggs Element Active systems in one of my T5s, (making it a T6) and also I mounted one in an NS74ce cocobolo with good results.
Just my dos centavos. I can't comment directly on the K&K but many folks like them and use them quite successfully here.
We are at a bit of disadvantage because we don't know your playing style though. That might help with some opinions.
Good luck,
davidc

[not darth]

I have some really thin tape. Maybe .002 thick, I can't measure it, it keep sticking to the mic. After you decide where , you use superglue for the permanent fix.
Steve

Just take a piece of copy paper out of your printer, measure the thickness of that, cut and stick a strip of that paper to both sides of the tape, measure that, then subtract twice the thickness of the paper = thickness of the tape.

-K

[pieterh]

I've installed my first K&K Pure Mini on my wife's OM, a similar body style to the GC. I couldn't be happier with the results: passive into a powered monitor it sounds pretty good, very natural. With my Radial Pz-pre it's amazing. And very unobtrusive. Warmly recommended.