Lr bags/fishman mando pickup

**Joe Davoli** · Nov-30-2007, 4:52pm

I have an LR Baggs pick up on my mandolin. It doesn't send that "hot" of a signal, even with a pre amp. Anybody know if the Fishman would be better/send a louder signal? Thanks.

**mandroid** · Nov-30-2007, 5:50pm

General observation:
They are both Piezo-electric devices.
I cannot see how one is vastly better than the other .
a microvoltage current is generated when P-E wafer is shaken or flexed.
{piezo speakers, of the same stuff, vibrate when a current is put through it}

anyone found milli-voltage output specs, in numbers,
of all the various Piezo offerings?

Brand names aside, would larger pieces of piezo crystal have greater output ?

but without neutral data collection, in standard units,
It's kind of subjective.

A preamp, for Gain, is probably in your future.

... now on to the individual anecdotes

again.

**mandolirius** · Dec-01-2007, 12:35am

I get a ton of signal from my McIntyre Feather. Works ok without a preamp but better with one.

**Wolfboy** · Dec-01-2007, 10:44am

FWIW, I have a Fishman bridge pickup on my '20 Gibson A, and a McIntyre (pre-Feather) in my Weber Beartooth, and both send plenty of signal and sound real good when run through a Baggs Para DI.

**steve in tampa** · Dec-02-2007, 7:55am

I have a Baggs, McIntyres, and Fishmans in different mandos. All sound their best with some type of pre amp. the Baggs pre amps are good. Also have SansAmp Acoustic, BBE, and Aphex Acoustic Exiter. A Boss EQ will work also. Just need to put some kind of gain on the signal.