Acoustic Guitar pickup question.

[Bonhomme Richard]

I am thinking about putting a pick up in my Martin D-18. Now that I am playing a regular gig I wanted the option of playing my Martin. Last night I brought my 2 other acoustics with me ( 2 different Ovation models) but I would have loved to have gotten that good Martin sound on stage.
Any suggestions as to what model pickup you'd recommend would be appreciated as the advice here has always been honest and helpful.
One thing I don't want to do is modify the guitar - no drilling. My wife would kill me.

[XNASA]

1. I guess a Fishman soundhole PU would work best.

The only modification would be that you have to replace your strap peg with the 1/4" plug/strap peg combo. But you wouldn't have to do any drilling or screw into your Martin.

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. Yeah, I was looking at the fishmans...............

So many versions from inexpensive mic to more elaborate. I'm just not sure which would give me thew best sound. I have an old Lawrence sound hole pickup that really sucked.
i guess I'm just leary and wondered if anyone here has done it and was pleased with the results.

[Idylle Moon Dancer]

3. I have a Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker

Now I'm wishing I'd gone with the combo thingy that combines the pickup with a microphone in one unit. I'm generally satisfied with the pickup, but far from thrilled. If it had adjustable magnet-poles I'd be a lot happier with it. I have string balance problems: the treble strings are very loud and the mids are too quiet. I filed down the cork pad on the treble side of the pickup and that provided some small relief, but I'll probably take it in to get the action (thus the distance between strings and pickup) adjusted a bit sooner or later.

(I recently discovered a soundhole pickup with adjustable poles, and it claims to also pick up on vibrations from the guitar's top. I think it was made by Seymour Duncan or L.R. Baggs)

Come to think of it, you probably want to go with an internal mic, if you want to capture the sound of a particular acoustic guitar. I played a recording of my guitar using the Fishman for a friend; I asked him, does it sound like an acoustic guitar? He said no, it sounds good, but more like a very clean electric played through the neck pickup. IIRC Fishman has an internal mic that doesn't require any more modification than do their soundhole pickups.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. My Friend Has One

Something for you to think about is the "in body mike" pickup by Fishman. He has that on an archtop acoustic. The only drilling that was done (he had it installed, didn't do it himself), was where the strap button is at the bottom of the guitar. The strap button then becomes the output jack.

The thing sounds great. Really transparent and clear. The only problem is that volumes that aren't super loud will cause feedback. So, he bought the Fishman preamp. (I knew he wanted one so i picked him up the model he was talking about when i was up that way.) That made a GIANT difference. Now he can play quite loud with no feedback and with some tone control.

Yeah, i know there is some modification needed, but it really is minor. And, the mod is just making the hole where the strap button is a little bigger.

The Professor

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. I am leaning toward something like this.

Fishman Acoustic Matrix
Fishman's Acoustic Matrix™ undersaddle transducer senses the vibration of the entire bridge saddle, giving a smooth balanced sound for string spacings up to 2-1/2". The dynamic range and frequency response are far beyond those of standard undersaddle transducers. Acoustic Matrix systems include a self-contained endpin jack/preamp with buffered low-impedance output for professional sound systems. A 9-volt battery is required.

Or
]
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_Acoustic/Fishman_Acoustic_Matrix_Pickup_Systems.html

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

6. I use a Schertler transducer on my guitar but they're quite expensive

http://www.schertler.com/prodotti_ing/pickups/guitar_dyn-g.htm

I use it on my nylon string guitar, but they're also made for steel strings. You use a putty-like substance and temporarily stick it on the outside of the guitar. It's made in Switzerland and it's supposedly a different technology than piezos or the old-fashioned stick-on acoustic guitar microphones. I think I paid close to $300 for mine a few years ago. I don't know if the price has come down or not. I use with it an Ultrasound acoustic guitar amplifier. The sound is just like my nylon string guitar, only louder.

[Beaverhausen]

7. L.R. Baggs makes some great pick-ups

http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/products_pickups.shtml

I don't use them but I know lots of others use their "systems" and the guitars always sound amazing.

[Bonhomme Richard]

8. Thanks for all the help.

I think I will shelve the idea for a while and just work with the Ovations. Only so many dollars to work with and I decided to spend the money on a new zoom lens for my camera.
LOL, just too many interest and not enough money.