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Posted on August 22, 2008 by Jim Pharis | Posted under Music
Acoustic Guitar Pickups - Then and now
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There were several developments made in the early 20th century to deal with the volume problem. Steel strings were developed, larger bodied guitars were designed, and resophonic guitars were invented all in the effort to make the guitar louder. The biggest impact on guitar volume came in the 1930's with the introduction of the guitar pickup and amplifier. The guitar's voice could now be heard in a band setting. There was one problem, though. The amplified guitar didn't sound like the acoustic guitar anymore. The warm, intimate sound had been lost. Players that wanted more sound out of their acoustic guitars had few choices. They could use thicker strings and play harder, play into a microphone, or both. Fast forward to today. Fortunately for present day guitarists, there have been advances in guitar pickup technology. In fact, little has changed in acoustic guitars since the 1930's. The biggest changes, by far, have been in amplifying the acoustic guitar. Microphones were the earliest guitar "pickups". In fact, they are still used in some situations. An external microphone can be a good choice for the solo guitarist or the guitarist in a bluegrass/newgrass type of situation. Solo guitarists will sometimes use a pickup of some type with a microphone. Internal microphones are another option. Like an external mike, they are normally used with a secondary pickup source. This dual pickup situation generally requires a good bit of outboard gear to control the various components. The next oldest type of pickup is the magnetic pickup. The type used for flat-top steel string guitars is a very close cousin to the ones used on electric guitars. In fact, the present day models designed for steel string guitar have evolved from electric guitar pickups. Magnetic pickups sense the metal in the guitar strings and amplify their vibrations. They have a characteristic sound that some people like. They downside of them is that they don't give an accurate reproduction of the guitars actual sound. Soundboard transducers came about as a result of player's dis-satisfaction with the magnetic pickup. The soundboard transducer mounts to the top of the guitar, either outside or inside, and amplifies the tops vibration. They can have a pretty good sound, but feedback easily and pickup any bumps or taps to the guitars top. Undersaddle transducers were the next step in the acoustic guitar's pickup evolution. Undersaddle transducers use polymer strips that are impregnated with piezo crystals. This strip is installed in the bridge under the saddle. The pickup senses the string vibration through the saddle and amplifies it. There is frequently a pre-amp included with the pickup to "sweeten" the sound of it. The piezo pickup has a unique sound. It tends to be mid-rangey sounding with a percussive edge to the attack. This sound is so familiar that some players have a preference for it. The piezo is sometimes combined with a microphone to create a more realistic reproduction of the guitars sound. The only major evolution from the pickup types listed above is Taylor Guitars Expressions System. This system has elements of transducer pickups in the way that they're mounted to the top. The way that the pickup actually functions is more like a microphone than a pickup. It's a very good sounding pickup system. The system can be added aftermarket to a Taylor guitar. Prices run $300-500 plus shipping charges. These are the pickup up choices currently available for the acoustic guitar. The basic acoustic guitar probably won't change much from its current design. But you can bet that the pickups for it will continue to evolve. About The Author: learn-fingerstyle-guitar.com |
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