bad sounding acoustic pickup

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 13 Dec 2003 1:52 pm

Scott,
This looks pretty cheezy...It might be what you're looking for ??....Jim
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2365939674&category=623

Travis Bernhardt · Post by **Travis Bernhardt** » 13 Dec 2003 4:40 pm

Don't have any specific suggestions (I have seen some VERY cheap magnetic pickups around, but I've never tried them) but just keep in mind that you could stick a regular electric guitar pickup in the soundhole pretty easily. So if you found a crappy pawn shop type guitar with a pickup that was bad enough for your liking you could rip it out and stick it in the acoustic.

-Travis

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 14 Dec 2003 11:46 am

Scott, the GHS acoustic soundhole mic model A131 is the answer for $100.00. It has a small padded platform which attaches with elastic band to whatever you can find to hook it around. The platform has velcro and the small batterypack transformer has velcro on the back of it and a small gooseneck mic. It produces a natural sound and you can crank it up without feedback. I use it on Dobro and it is fantastic.
Jerry

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 14 Dec 2003 2:05 pm

That Markley Pro-Mag is pretty trashy and electric sounding. I agree it's not the hottest pickup but should give you that ugly sound you're after. You may have to rig something up.

Brad Sarno

Travis Bernhardt · Post by **Travis Bernhardt** » 15 Dec 2003 12:25 am

Nope, never done it. I guess by "pretty easily" I meant you could take it to your local guitar tech and get them to do it...

If you know how to do the wiring yourself then I imagine it would just involve finding a way to clamp the pickup to the edges of the soundhole--just like a regular soundhole magnetic pickup--and then wiring it up. Easier said than done, naturally, but it sounds doable. There's got to be some little clampy thing you can get a hardware store which you can then attach somehow to the pickup to hold it in place...

-Travis

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 15 Dec 2003 1:03 am

Well for pure cheese, go to a pawnshop or used junk shop,
buy a $15 electric guitar of any sort ; read cheapest thing in the place.
Take that pick up off and tape it to the guitar.
This should give as retro a sound as I can imagine.

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 15 Dec 2003 6:44 am

I believe I read that Bob Dunn used a phonograph needle and jammed it into the top of his guitar for a pickup. Not recommended, but just a point of historical interest. This would account for the absence of sustain in his playing, which would be one of the elements of his sound you are trying to replicate. Love those wild jazzy horn lines on the steel!

------------------
Tim Whitlock
'58 Fender 1000, '56 Fender Stringmaster, '65 Twin Reissue, Niomi lap steel, old Magnatone tube amp.