Baggs Pickup

[steve in tampa]

Sent a F9 off to Big Joe at Gibson to have a Baggs Bridge pickup installed.

Got it back 10 days from the day I sent it. Fresh set up , and looks like it was polished up too!

The pickup is great! Ran it through a Fishman PocketBlender pre amp to my Roland K300 amp. Plenty of power, and no feedback problems.

Installed with an endpin jack. A wire from the bridge goes under the tailpiece cover, through a small hole to the jack.

Thanks Big Joe!!!

[GEH]

Please tell us more about the Baggs pickup #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
LR Baggs (http://www.lrbaggs.com/) builds no mandolin bridge pickup - as far as I know

[steve in tampa]

I heard about it here from Big Joe at Gibson on this thread:

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....l=baggs (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=13;t=24342;hl=baggs)

Have not had the opportunity to use it on stage through the PA yet, but it passed all the tests here at the house.

[siren_20]

Available from FQMS... NFI on my part.
Baggs/Sullivan Bridge Pickup (http://www.fqms.com/Baggs_Sullivan_Mandolin_Pickup_P12151C1197.cfm)

[steve in tampa]

Just got back from a jam thing where I got to try out the new pickup on a PA with several different groupings of instruments including drums. It sounded great and did not feedback at all. Used a Baggs GigPro for a pre amp. Really felt like a natural mandolin sound.

[Michael Wolf]

GEH,

Baggs told me, that you can send them a bridge of your choice and they'll install a pickup for 159,-Dollars.
The only one they build regular, is the one for FQMS.

Steve, did you compare the sound of this PU with other solutions (soundwise)?

Cheers
Michael

[steve in tampa]

I usually play an Ovation and I have a Michael Kelly with a Fishman system.
Been playing out a minimum of 2 nights a week for the last few months, and have been working at getting a nice acoustic mandolin sounding sound using all different kinds of tone shaping pedals.
The Baggs pickup installed as it is has really eliminated a lot of gear carrying. Last night I sitting in with different people in large jams, and the ability to get on stage quickly, with a minimum of set up time, and not tie up the sound guy or otherwise hold up the show is very nice.
This was with an endpin jack at Gibson Showcase.

[Michael Wolf]

How does the Ovation (is it the US-Model?)compare to the Gibson with Baggs? Since the Ovation is made as a stage instrument, I could imagine it has some advantages in performance and tone control, though it isn't a achtop.

[steve in tampa]

The Ovation (MM68) is a great stage instrument. Onboard pre amp, volume and EQ. I have used it for years. It is great for open mic situations where I can just plug in and play. It does, however sound a lot like a little guitar. In a mostly rock oriented situation, it would be my choice, with some effects like chorus, and reverb.

What I have been looking for in sound is a completely different tone that the guitar. I am a converted guitar player, and tend to remain friends with the folkies, country pickers, and classic rockers I have played with in the past.

It is about being able to add another dimension to the music, and a big part of that to me is the differentiation in tone. Been using a slew of pedals in an attempt attempt to get that woody, natural acoustic sound that I'm after. Want to minimize the gear, and have an easier set up.

The Baggs in the Gibson F9 has been a big step forward.

I have a Weber Bitterroot on order with a McIntyre Acoustic Feather, mahagony back and sides, and a cedar top. I think that will be my solution to the tone I am after.

[Big Joe]

We have been using the Baggs pickup for some time and it is available from us. We usually do them as part of an installation and complete set up. Most of the artists on the road are using the Baggs system. It delivers more power with less feedback than anything else and sounds better than the others. We have tried everything and it is the best we've found so far....for mandolins.

[Yellowmandolin]

Could somebody post a picture of this setup? How is the endpin jack installed without making the hole too much bigger?

[steve in tampa]

Gooing to get much needed memory installed in my laptop tomorrow, and then I might be able to attempt some pictures. Until then......
The wire from the bridge pickup goes under the strings down under the tailpiece cover, and through a small hole to the jack. The endpin hole seems to have been reamed out a little for the jack. It is a very tidy installation.

[steve in tampa]

Played last night and ran the pickup through a Tech 21 SansAmp Acoustic DI.

Dialed it in for a very natural and balanced sound.

Played around w/ a Baggs PARA DI also, and it sounded great, but not quite as warm.