Perhaps the most versatile, and one we'd definitely recommend because it's so much fun, is a looper. If you're beyond the early novice stage a pickup opens up a whole new world of dazzling effects – reverb, delay and chorus just for starters. Fit a pickup and suddenly recording becomes a breeze, literally a matter of plug 'n play. Listening back to your playing is a vital part of practicing that many novices avoid because of the hassle involved in miking up a guitar. What if you're a complete novice, months if not years away from performing in front of a large crowd? We'd still recommend fitting a pickup to your guitar because it will revolutionise your practice regime, especially if you've already got access to an amp or a DAW. In fact, performing solo anywhere larger than a medium-sized room will probably require amplification, and if you're fighting to be heard above bandmates then you'll need some way of boosting your sound from the get-go. The obvious advantage of installing a pickup is the additional volume you'll benefit from when playing bigger venues. Why? Because a pickup will reveal an entirely new dimension to your guitar and your playing. But, before we delve deeper into these two topics it's important to discover why you should buy a pickup for your acoustic guitar in the first place. So, when choosing an acoustic pickup there are two primary factors to consider: tone and aesthetics.

Of course, electric guitar pickups are fundamental to the tone of the instrument, whereas acoustic pickups are seen as a necessary evil that, if you don't pick carefully, only approximate the original sound characteristics of your beloved guitar. The fact is, pickups are fêted on an electric guitar but often scorned on an acoustic.

Something to be hidden out of sight – an ugly necessity that we'd rather pretend to ourselves, and our audiences, isn't there.

Burnished, chromed, engraved, gold foiled, painted in camo or decorated in cartoon figures, electric guitar pickups proudly assert that this is an instrument that boasts muscular output and sublime tone.Ī visible acoustic pickup, on the other hand, is viewed as an unwanted appendage. Aesthetics is really important.īack to that dream electric, the pickups will be a stand-out visual feature. We want to see every angel step, bee's wing, cat's paw, flame, pommele and ribble. Take any top-end acoustic and it's a similar story. We guitarists demand that natural and sunburst finishes showcase every last square inch of exquisite figuring, or that solid paintwork is so thinly applied that even the subtlest grain shows through. It's a funny old world isn't it? Take any top-end electric guitar and, quite understandably, you'll expect it to be made from the finest tone woods available. MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Alternatively, the Infinity undersaddle piezo bundle does include both volume and tone controls, so it's well worth a look too. The PowerTap opens up so many creative opportunities.ĭownsides? The humbucker option features only a basic blend control, which seems a bit mean. For example, you can add a little more reverb to the humbucker or go wild adding extra delay to the sensor. The icing on the cake is that you can split the output signal, routing humbucker and body sensor to separate amps, effects and so on. We found the sensor delivered a spacious 3D-like quality to our playing, not just the percussive elements but our natural picking dynamics too. Essentially, it's taking the place of a microphone in a typical dual unit setup. In Fishman-speak that's touch, ambiance and percussion, hence the Tap moniker.Ĭurrently, the sensor is only bundled as part of a system with Fishman's excellent Rare Earth humbucker or its Infinity undersaddle piezo. Fishman has recently introduced its PowerTap body sensor, a small bridge plate mounted module that accurately picks up playing dynamics. We want our public to hear our every touch, our every tap, our every last percussive knock. Once upon a time we would have settled for a close to authentic guitar tone, the experience of delightfully sonorous notes drifting artfully from speaker to audience as we play. Percussive playing - tapping and the like - has become all the rage over the last decade or so, forcing players to re-evaluate what they want to hear over the PA.

Piezo guitar pickup wiki