For live performances, choosing the best-sounding guitar soundhole pickups is essential for capturing your guitar’s natural tone. Soundhole pickups offer easy installation and effective feedback management, helping you maintain sound clarity.
In this guide, we’ll explore how soundhole pickups work, compare them with other pickup types, and review top models to enhance your live sound.
Exploring Soundhole Pickups for Live Performance
Soundhole pickups have become a go-to option when ti comes to pickups for acoustic guitarists during live performances. Their design offers a straightforward installation process, and they are particularly effective in environments where feedback control is essential.
These pickups provide a reliable way to amplify the guitar’s natural sound. They capture string vibrations and deliver them directly through an amplification system.
How Soundhole Pickups Work
Soundhole pickups use magnetic fields to capture the vibrations of the guitar strings. When the strings vibrate, they disturb the magnetic field generated by the pickup’s magnets.
This disturbance is converted into an electrical signal, which is then sent to an amplifier. The sound produced is generally warm and rich, resembling the tone of an electric guitar but with the acoustic qualities of the instrument preserved.
Some models, like the L.R. Baggs M1 Active, also capture body vibrations, offering a more dynamic and resonant sound.
Soundhole Pickups vs. Other Pickup Styles
Understanding how different pickup types capture and shape sound helps you choose the best option for your needs. Each type offers unique tonal characteristics and functionality, which is crucial for achieving the desired sound and performance quality.
- Piezo Pickups: Installed under the saddle, they capture body vibrations, producing a bright, articulate tone with distinct attack.
- Internal Microphone Pickups: Positioned inside the guitar, they capture internal resonance, delivering a natural, true-to-life acoustic sound.
- Blended Systems: Combining pickups like piezo and microphone allows customizable mixes of string attack and body resonance.
Pros and Cons of Soundhole Pickups for Live Performance
Soundhole pickups offer practical advantages for live settings, but they also come with certain drawbacks that may impact your overall sound.
PROS:
- Ease of Installation: Soundhole pickups are simple to install and remove, making them convenient for quick stage setups.
- Feedback Resistance: They are less prone to feedback, ensuring a clean and stable sound during live performances.
- Consistent Sound: These pickups deliver a reliable, amplified tone across various venues, maintaining consistent sound quality.
CONS:
- Aesthetic Impact: Soundhole pickups can be visually intrusive, especially on acoustic guitars, where the instrument’s look is important to some players.
- Limited Capture of Body Resonance: While soundhole pickups capture string vibrations well, they may not fully capture the subtle vibrations of the guitar’s body that contribute to its overall tone. This can be a downside for players who want the complete resonance and depth that their acoustic guitar naturally produces.
- Magnetic Pickup Characteristics: Because soundhole pickups are magnetic, they can produce a somewhat more electric-like sound compared to piezo or internal microphone pickups. While not drastic, it can be noticeable, particularly to purist players who are sensitive to the nuances of acoustic tone.
- Compatibility Issues: Not all soundhole pickups fit every guitar model perfectly. Some may require slight modifications or adjustments to fit correctly, which could be a hassle for some users.
Best Sounding Guitar Soundhole Pickups
Choosing the best-sounding guitar soundhole pickup can significantly enhance your acoustic guitar’s performance, especially in live settings.
Let’s take a closer look at six standout soundhole pickups known for their excellent sound quality and unique features.
#1) L.R. Baggs M1 Active Acoustic Guitar Pickup
The L.R. Baggs M1 Active Acoustic Guitar Pickup is designed for musicians seeking a natural and responsive acoustic sound. This pickup is engineered to deliver a balanced blend of string and body resonance. This helps ensure that the pickup delivers consistent output across all frequencies, ensuring balanced sound even in complex acoustics.
The M1 Active also offers a straightforward installation process, with a pre-wired strapjack harness included for convenience.
Features:
- Feedback Resistance: Specifically designed to minimize feedback, crucial for maintaining clarity during live performances.
- Volume Control: Built-in volume control enables on-the-fly adjustments to your sound without external devices.
- Battery Life: Offers over 1,000 hours of continuous playtime, reducing the need for frequent battery changes.
- Quiet Operation: Ensures hum-free performance, even in high-volume environments.
- Gold-Plated Jack: The built-in 1/8″ gold-plated jack ensures a reliable and clean connection.
#2) Fishman Neo-D Single Coil Soundhole Pickup
The Fishman Neo-D Single Coil Soundhole Pickup is an excellent choice for guitarists looking for a straightforward solution to amplify their acoustic guitar. It offers a bright and clear tone, enhancing the natural sound of your instrument without requiring batteries or complex setups.
The Neo-D is built with neodymium magnets that enhance sensitivity, capturing subtle nuances of your playing.
Features:
- Single-Coil Design: Provides a bright, articulate tone, ideal for cutting through in live settings.
- Passive Operation: No batteries are required, offering hassle-free use and maintenance.
- Wood-Grain Finish: Complements the natural aesthetic of your acoustic guitar.
- Universal Fit: Designed to fit most standard acoustic guitar soundholes, ensuring a simple installation process.
- Quiet Performance: Delivers a clean, hum-free sound even at higher volumes.
#3) Seymour Duncan Woody HC Hum-Canceling Soundhole Pickup
The Seymour Duncan SA-35C Woody HC is a passive soundhole pickup that delivers a warm and natural acoustic tone. It is particularly favored for its hum-canceling capability, which ensures a clean and noise-free performance.
The SA-35C Woody HC features a low-profile design that fits seamlessly into the soundhole, maintaining the guitar’s natural appearance.
Features:
- Hum-Canceling: Eliminates unwanted noise, providing a clear, uninterrupted sound during performances.
- Passive Design: No batteries are needed, allowing for a straightforward setup and maintenance.
- Walnut Housing: The solid walnut construction adds durability and aesthetic appeal to your guitar.
- Quick Installation: Easily fits into the soundhole without requiring any modifications to the guitar.
#4) DiMarzio Black Angel Soundhole Pickup
The DiMarzio Black Angel is a passive soundhole pickup designed to deliver a natural and full acoustic sound. It also features a handy phase switch to eliminate phase cancellation issues, delivering consistent tone clarity every time.
The Black Angel’s high-output design ensures that your sound cuts through even in dense mixes, perfect for high-energy performances.
Features:
- Dual-Coil Design: Provides hum-free operation, ensuring a clean and clear sound during performances.
- Wide Frequency Response: Captures the full range of your guitar’s tonal qualities, from lows to highs.
- Passive Operation: No batteries are required, making it easy to use and maintain.
- Rare Earth Magnetic Element: Enhances dynamic range, allowing every nuance of your playing to be captured accurately.
#5) Fishman Rare Earth Magnetic Acoustic Soundhole Humbucker Pickup
The Fishman Rare Earth Magnetic Acoustic Humbucker is a highly recommended choice for those seeking hum-free operation with excellent string-to-string balance. Its stacked-coil design ensures quieter performance than single-coil pickups, making it ideal for live and studio environments.
The pickup fits into soundholes as small as 3-5/8″ in diameter.
Features:
- Neodymium Magnets: Cutting-edge magnets provide outstanding string-to-string balance, enhancing the clarity and definition of each note.
- Integrated Preamp: Housed within the pickup, the preamp allows for direct connection to amplifiers, PA systems, and recording consoles without signal degradation.
- Volume Control: A convenient thumbwheel allows on-the-fly volume adjustments, giving you control during performances.
- Long Battery Life: The preamp’s low current design allows for up to 300 hours of use between battery changes.
- Pre-Wired Output Jack: The pickup comes with a pre-wired output jack that can also be endpin mounted for a seamless setup.
#6) Dean Markley ProMag Grand Acoustic Guitar Pickup
The Dean Markley ProMag Grand is a zero-hum humbucking acoustic soundhole pickup. Its patented coil configuration dramatically reduces hum, making it ideal for studio recording and live performances.
The ProMag Grand delivers the rich, well-balanced sound of the original ProMag Plus, with significantly reduced noise. Its real maple wood housing is finished with an ebony grand piano polish and adorned with the Dean Markley signature in gold, ensuring it looks as good as it sounds.
Features:
- Patented Coil Configuration: Provides hum-canceling operation with up to 15 times less hum than competitors, perfect for studio-quality recordings.
- Rich, Balanced Sound: Delivers the same rich tone as the ProMag Plus, ensuring clarity and warmth across all strings.
- Ease of Installation: Designed to fit easily into most guitar soundholes, allowing for a quick and hassle-free setup.