Mandolin pickups

[Sadw/OMyMando]

I just recently joined the blues ensemble at school and need to know how to make my mandolin louder. Would it be better to get a pickup or just play into a microphone?

[mandroid]

The school sound gear includes microphones, I'd just use that, in your situation.

Lots if prior Dialog on Pickups in the Equipment Section, to read up on all the back and forth that has gone on before, on the various brands and Types.

[Sadw/OMyMando]

i wouldn't be asking if the school had it. i don't have time to rummage through old posts... if anyone else would care to help me it would be greatly appreciated.

[Mike Bunting]

Nothing like tact.

[allenhopkins]

Not an easy question to answer. How loud to you have to be? Opinion seems to be that you get a more "natural" mandolin sound through a microphone, but that's assuming 1) it's a good quality mic, and 2) you're running it through the PA system, not into a separate instrument amp. The downside is that if you have to crank up to "rock volume," you're very likely to get feedback with a mic.

There are several kinds of pickups. Some are "piezo" based, with a pickup material that produces an electric current when vibrated or compressed. These can be located in the mandolin bridge, or attached to the top. (I'm assuming you're thinking of amplifying your current acoustic mandolin, rather than buying a new one to play in this band.) They produce a fairly natural sound, but often there's a "quack" when the pick hits the string. Many of them work better if connected to the sound system through a pre-amp, which boosts their signal.

Magnetic pickups are similar to electric guitar pickups, generating a signal when strings vibrate within their magnetic field. They tend to produce an "electric guitar" type of sound, which may or may not be what you want. Not knowing what kind of mandolin you have, I can't say whether it could be retrofitted with a magnetic pickup or not.

There are also small microphones which are either clipped to the top of the mandolin, or installed inside the instrument. These tend to produce quite a "natural" sound, and also tend to be pricey. I have seen mandolinists use a cheap Radio Shack lavaliere mic (similar to what a TV newsman might clip to his tie), taped or clipped to the top or pickguard -- with varying degrees of success. And again, feedback can be a problem at high volume.

Your best bet would be to go to a good instrument dealer in your area, and ask what retrofit guitar, mandolin or violin pickups are carried, and see if you could try several out -- either on your mandolin, or on another instrument (mandolin, guitar) in the store. And make sure you have a good idea how loud you need to be, and whether you'll be playing through the PA or through a separate instrument amp. As I said, not one simple answer to your question. And don't be snarky with Mandroid; he gave good advice. This topic has been discussed over and over and over again on this site, as new pickups come out and different mandolinists ask similar questions. The answer you come up with will be the one best suited to your particular needs.