I got the bug about two weeks aho and wanted to have a few effects to add while recording. I tried one of the Dean Markley Pro Mag sound hole pick ups. Man those things sure have come down in price these days. But anyways, I got it and I must admit, it did not sound too bad. It is easy to put in and out but I did not really like how much real estate it took up around the sound hole.
My second experiment was getting one of those piezo buzzers from radio shack to make my own stick on pick up. So I went out and purchased 2 of those buzzers for like 4 bucks a piece and got an old guitar cord and soldered it all up. I made a dual stick on I guess you could say. Heck after doing this, I could probably make one very similar to the K&K mini style for real cheap. So I soldered it all up and placed them inside of a orange juice cap and hot glued them in. Then I took some of that poster hanging putty and attached them to the guitar body. I put on on the treble side of the bridge and one on the bass side of the bridge. I was surprised at how well it actually worked. But after messing around with this for a little bit, it was way too sensitive to body touch and overall handling of the guitar. It flat out picked up everything on the guitar body. But it was a fun project that cost less than 15 bucks to try anyways and that price included that mounting putty for poster boards too.
Now moving on to the LR Baggs Lyric. Now if I was prepared it would have taken me only 20 or so minutes to put it in all nice and neat. However, I needed to ream out the hole of the strap button more and had to track down my drill and all of that. I thought that Taylor already had a 1/2" diameter hole on the end pin strap button. Well not exactly. So I had to find the appropriate bit and sand paper and that took some time.
I settled on the Lyric because I did not want to mess around with drilling a little hole for an under saddle element style pick up. When I removed the saddle from the bridge, there was a pilot hole half way through the bridge already for an element type pick up. I did not know that and noticed it when I took a flash light messing around. But anyways, on to the install experience.
Some of you are probably pros at putting these in already but this is the first time I had ever added electronics to an acoustic. I have done plenty of electric guitars but nothing like this ever. I was surprised that there was no warranty card or instructions inside of the package from LR Baggs. Instead they want you to go to their website and download a PDF. It was no big deal but still, I thought they would at least include a diagram.
After the install, I replaced the strings and tightened them all down and plugged it in. After I took and adjusted the trim pot for the presence and plugged it in to my amp and dialed in everything a little, I was very impressed with the outcome of my Sunday guitar project.
After the initial test run I took it all back down and readjusted the end pin jack and threw on a new set of strings. And with the wire ties that are included with the Lyric, I have them all placed to where if you take and look into the sound hole you do not see any loose wires hanging down or in the way of the model tag inside of the guitar. I placed the battery pack on the neck plate itself. And actually, I have not noticed hardly any change in the weight and the overall sound of the guitar naturally unplugged.
I am very impressed and very happy with the outcome.
