What is the best acoustic guitar pickup for Martin? We will help you get all the essential information for a good buying decision.
Using a pickup or microphone is a practical way of amplifying the soundstage of your acoustic guitar, especially for live shows. Between a pickup and mic, the former is used extensively by players as pickups offer better amplification and sound quality.
With pickups sitting in your acoustic bass, you can make the most of different guitar effects pedals, unlike a mic.
The best thing about acoustic bass guitars is that you can play or practice unplugged in private without using pickups. But when you’re performing live with several other bassists and musicians or recording in a studio, you’ll indispensably need a pickup if you want to be heard.
Now, let’s take a look at our list of the best acoustic pickups for Martin guitars.
The 5 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups for Martin
| Image | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| L.R. Baggs Anthem (Top Pick) | Check Price |
 | K&K Pure Mini | Check Price |
 | Fishman Matrix Infinity | Check Price |
 | L.R. Baggs Lyric | Check Price |
 | L.R. Baggs M1 | Check Price |
L.R. Baggs Anthem (Editor’s Choice)
The L.R. Baggs coveted Anthem Series is equipped with proprietary TRU MIC technology that harmoniously blends an exclusive condenser mic with the iconic Element pickup to produce arresting audio. Lying at the core of the Anthem is an avant-garde microphone that has been created painstakingly for capturing a studio-style mic-enriched sound for gigging.
This acoustic guitar pickup-cum-mic fits on the underside of your guitar’s bridge plate, soaring only 3mm above the surface, allowing you to make the most of the PZM (pressure zone microphone)/boundary effect.
The patented installation system, together with the noise-cancellation effect, lets the TRU MIC perform nearly like an external mic and effectively suppress feedback. Consequently, what you and your audiences get to hear is a well-balanced sound marked by unprecedented clarity, openness, and purity.
Pros
- Patented TRU-MIC technology coupled with Element pickup guarantees extraordinarily lucid and clean sound
- Compatible for almost all music genres and playing styles
- Help reduce feedback and unwarranted noise
- Element pickup offers low-end support to TRUMIC
- Soundhole preamp features controls for mic trim, battery check, phase inversion, mix, and volume.
Cons
- Many neophyte players might struggle with fitting this mic-cum-piezoelectric pickup
- L.R. Baggs could put prominent markings on the mix knob to indicate the direction for getting more transducer vis-à-vis mic
K&K Pure Mini
The Pure Mini from K&K Sound is a transducer-style pickup that can perform without batteries or onboard electronics. The K&K Pure Mini pickup is in a league of its own as the transducer comes with gargantuan output for driving PA systems and amps directly. Yes, you don’t need to place a preamp in your acoustic bass rig to take advantage of the Pure Mini yet help your instrument reproduce rich and warm tones.
The USP of this transducer by K&K Sound is that the pickup makes the most of your acoustic bass’s soundboard since it’s located farther from the strings, unlike under-saddle pickups. In addition, all three transducers have been specially designed and engineered to enable them to pick up a particular pair of strings and eavesdrop on the bridge area. As a result, the pickup comfortably and perfectly reproduces the soundstage of your instrument, and therefore the notes sound pleasant and harmonious.
The Pure Mini enjoys a distinct advantage over under-saddle pickups in that the transducer is fully capable of bringing out the sounds of all the strings in a well-balanced manner. Despite being a passive transducer, the pickup doesn’t all sound harsh, trebly, and shallow but instead delivers a warm, full-range, and precisely balanced signal. Quite significantly, the Pure Mini resists feedback a tad better than under-saddle pickup owing to its bridge plate location.
As a bridge-plate transducer, the Pure Mini is just the right thing if you want to strum enjoyable and exhilarating tunes. Make sure you use this passive transducer with a DI box for signal boosting and making the most of tone-shaping controls. Given the Pure Mini’s competitive price point (lower than most active and passive acoustic guitar pickups), it does sound as good as any high-end pickup.
Pros
- Pickup system with three transducers compatible only with steel-stringed guitars
- Comes prewired: Relieves you from the need to solder the pickup for installation
- Passive pickup: Doesn’t require batteries or onboard electronics for performing
- Full-bodied sound where tones are natural-sounding, mellower, and warmer
Cons
- Bassists report experiencing noticeable feedback at higher volume levels
- Upper-end deficient in sparkle and midrange is somewhat swollen
- Fitting or installing the transducer could be problematic
- Compatible only with guitars having stainless steel strings
Fishman Matrix Infinity
This under-saddle pickup delivers a crystal-clear tone as the state-of-the-art edition of Fishman’s Matrix Infinity line of pickups and preamp system. The ultra-advanced Matrix Infinity Flagship Series pickup guarantees excellent string response and is super simple to install. In addition, the soundhole-mounted tone and volume controls can be accessed quickly, enabling you to make customized sonic adjustments with effortless ease.
The unique rotary controls for tone and volume chisels midrange perfectly on one hand while on the other amplify the lows and highs. An end-pin-mounted under-saddle pickup, the Matrix Infinity has been designed thoughtfully and innovatively. Once you mount this pickup with a sealed enclosure, you’ll be easily able to create your signature by fine-tuning the tone and volume controls.
You’ll find it easy to fit the pickup on your instrument’s soundhole, provided you know your way around soldered mounting. You can also take advantage of a voice switching mechanism that lets you tweak the settings in sync with your instrument’s size and style. Fishman claims that its Matrix Infinity happens to be the bestselling under-saddle pickup globally, and for good reasons.
For a start, this pickup that can be positioned furtively inside your acoustic bass guitar’s soundhole delivers pure and well-rounded acoustic sound. The Fishman Matrix Infinity pickup and preamp system gave you a unique way of creating an electric guitar-style soundstage. You’ve to take extra precautions for mounting this pickup as you’ll be required to bore a hole in your instrument to enable loudspeakers, amps, and effects pedals to access the guitar’s port.
You get a lot of headroom and leeway in guitar picking as the Matrix Infinity comes integrated with a preamp.
Pros
- You can choose from two distinct saddle slot sizes (widths)
- Rotary volume and tone controls
- Vibrant and lively string receptiveness
- High-quality construction and engineering
Cons
- You may need professional assistance for fitting the pickup
- Midrange sounds are not entirely distinct and prominent
- Installing this under-saddle pickup can be pretty challenging, especially for players unfamiliar with soldering
L.R. Baggs Lyric
If you want a mic to perform like a pickup, enabling you to bring out the best of your acoustic bass guitar, then look no further. You cannot dispute that capturing the sound of your acoustic bass using a mic is indispensable. However, keeping yourself continuously crouched in front of a microphone during live concerts and gigs can be physically demanding. So don’t you think it would be nothing sort of a miracle if you could embed the mic inside your instrument?
The Lyric mic-style pickup from L.R. Baggs is a sophisticated internal mic that has been specially created for guitars. Powered by a 9-volt battery, this internal mic is reinforced with active noise-canceling technology that helps minimize microphonics and feedback. What you’ll definitely like about Lyric is that the mic preamp can generate more natural and immersive sound compared to piezoelectric pieces.
You bet once you install this preamp mic in your acoustic guitar, you’ll enjoy playing or practicing for extended sessions thanks to the generation of organic notes. With the Lyric embedded inside your instrument, you won’t even need a pickup for conveying your bass’s intrinsic voice to your fans or audience. This featherweight mic sits on the bridge plate’s underside-you have to squeeze out some adhesive from a glue stick and peel it on the mic for fixing it on the instrument.
Pros
- Acoustic guitar mic exploits TRU MIC technology to deliver an open and clear soundstage like an external mic
- Utilizes noise-canceling technology eliminates “boxy” reverberations within acoustic bass’s soundhole
- It comes with a built-in “black box” circuit innovation for unleashing the microphone’s potential, relieving you from the need to install a suite of gear
- Taut and punchy bass, mellowed midrange, and crispy treble
Cons
- Greenhorn players may not be able to mount this mic-type pickup without professional help.
L.R. Baggs M1
The L.R. Baggs M1 Active Acoustic Guitar Magnetic Soundhole Pickup has been developed especially for guitarists passionate about mega acoustic tone minus the disconcerting feedback.
The MI active pickup for acoustic bass guitars efficiently fits your bass soundboard’s natural soundstage, typified by a hard-hitting string attack. On the other hand, the M1’s intuitive bodywork ensures a natural and riveting sound while slicing through a noisy mix.
You can liken the patented magnetic soundhole M1to a humbucker but with a distinctiveness that helps distinguish it from humbuckers. Unlike standard humbuckers, where the hum-canceling lower coil doesn’t augment the sound, M1’s lower coil is meticulously tuned to let it catch higher frequency timbres.
This tuning support enables the pickup to move in concert with your instrument’s soundboard, causing a body signal’s creation in the lower coil, eventually tempering the amplified sound with charisma.
Pros
- Magnetic soundhole acoustic bass pickup makes your tone sound natural while suppressing feedback
- Extended battery life for uninterrupted playing sessions: A single 3V Lithium coin cell offers 1000 hours
- Versatile pole pieces facilitate impeccable coordination with a wide variety of strings of various gauges
- Dynamic and crystal clear tone
- Integrated gold-plated 1/8” jack for detaching the pickup with ease
- It comes with a prewired strap jack connect
Cons
- Incapable of transmitting a robust signal to your audio mix without a preamp
- Many players will find drilling a hole on the guitar’s underside a tall order.
Types of Acoustic Guitar Pickups
There’s unanimity amongst acoustic bass guitarists that pickups help amplify the natural soundstage of acoustic basses much better than mics. Of course, microphones are more capable of bringing out the best of an acoustic bass guitar, but they’re more suitable for home settings. But when it comes to performing in live shows and concerts where you find yourself with several other guitarists and musicians, mics don’t cut it.
Mics are unable to amplify the instrument’s sound to a level appropriate for a live show and make things worse by picking up other instruments’ sounds. And this is precisely where pickups designed especially for acoustic guitars come to the aid of players allowing them to perform with aplomb. For a start, pickups enable your audience to hear your instrument’s natural soundstage in the bewildering din of noise.
Additionally, they amplify the sound to an exceptionally high level before feedback predominates and allows you to move freely. This guide walks you through the different pickups that acoustic bass guitarists usually install in their instruments.
Under-Saddle Pickups/Piezoelectric Pickups/Transducers
Under-saddle pickups also referred to as piezoelectric pickups or under-saddle transducers, comprise slim piezoelectric pieces that are, by and large, the most extensively used acoustic pickups. The piezoelectric transducer pickup is fitted in a slot underneath your instrument’s saddle. Under-saddle pickups stay hidden from view and can be installed with ease.
Piezoelectric pickups’ popularity lies in that they can judiciously blend desirable feedback resistivity with a realistic acoustic tone. However, piezoelectric pickups can give off a disagreeable sound called “quack” if you push too hard.
Magnetic Soundhole Pickups
Magnetic soundhole pickups are nearly akin to the pickups that go inside an electric guitar. You install the acoustic magnetic pickups across your instrument’s soundhole, and you can remove them easily when you want to. These pickups help reproduce a massive, rich, and warm tone apt for several playing styles and are also very resistant to microphones.
Nevertheless, bear in mind that you won’t be able to use magnetic pickups for instruments having nylon strings.
Soundboard Transducers
Soundboard transducers or SBTs are essentially sensors mounted on the acoustic bass guitar’s bride-plate. As a sensor, an SBT usually perceives your instrument top’s motion, leading to a reasonably woody tone.
Dual-Source Transducer System
A Dual-Source Transducer System as the terminology indicates the use of a combination of two or more transducers of various types to bring out the understated subtleties of an acoustic bass. Simply put, dual-source transducers offer you adequate leeway to experiment with your instrument’s natural or inherent soundstage.
Internal Mics or In-Guitar Mics
Internal mics fitted inside your instrument’s sound chamber are not as efficient as their external counterparts but furnish superior feedback resistance. To extract the maximum out of an internal mic, pair it with another variety of pickup.
Conclusion: The Best Pickup for a Martin Guitar
Picking the most versatile pickup for acoustic guitar from the five models reviewed above is undoubtedly a tall order. Every piece works wonders with most acoustic bass types, from the K&K Sound’s Pure Mini to the Fishman’s Matrix Infinity and the three L.R. Baggs’ pickups.
However, the L.R. Baggs Anthem that integrates a condenser mic with a flexible Element pickup takes the top spot for its companionability with several playing styles and music genres.
The Anthem also helps resist feedback and hum considerably while helping produce clean and focused sound.