View Full Version : Plugging in advice
Hi
I have a Weber Bridger Octave Mando. I want to outfit it with a permamnent pick-up with a 1/4" endpin jack set-up so I can play it bit more in a noisy plug-in situation. I use my Schertler for my mando but don't want to buy another one just for the OM. Moving the Schertler from one isntrument to the other during a set is not convenient.
Anyway here's my question. Which of the pick-ups out there are "voiced" nice for an Octave Mandolin?
Does anybody have any installed in their OM's?
If so which models?
Many thanks!
Hey Perry,
I have a Bridger mandola and love it. I bet your octave is really nice.
I have a Schertler too, but my favorite pickup is a little different from most people's choice. It's a Fishman Rare Earth. It sounds great and I have tried everything. Not exactly like a mic’ed acoustic instrument, but very close.
Of course, you must have an oval – or D -- hole instrument to use it. I don't have it mounted in my Bridger right now, but I do have it mounted in my Old Wave Octave. There is a picture on this site here (I know there is better way to provide a link, but I can’t make it work.):
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....ld+wave (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=14685;hl=old+wave)
The Rare Earth is a tight fit in my Bridger mandola, but I made it work with a little “Dremeling”. I rounded the corners on the one in the picture. I used a similar Rare Earth on a Martin tenor guitar I had for a couple of years. When I get around to it, I’m going to put in a small 1/8" connector so that I can take it out and reinstall it easily without having to remove/reinstall the endpin jack.
Any way, good luck.
Hoyt
For oval-hole flat-top octave mandolin and (tenor) mandola, I really like George L's Pop-In Acoustic Pick-up (http://www.georgels.com/pages/pop.html). #
It's a little smaller than most sound hole guitar pickups and fits with no modifications. #
It has a full humbucker sound.
Although designed for removeability, it should be easy to cable it to an endpin jack.
craigtoo
Jul-11-2004, 1:28am
I have a Fishman in the Stuart, and a Headway in the McDonald.
Of the two, I prefer the Headway...
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/headway.html
craig
steve V. johnson
Jul-11-2004, 11:35pm
I have a PUTW #27 in my Crump B-II and I love it. It sounds really true to the acoustic sound and is reliable and painless to use onstage.
I plug it into a Raven Labs PMB-II and then into the PA.
I have PUTWs in several instruments and love 'em and rely on them.
stv
hey thanks for all the advice....
i have a fishman rare earth anh had indeed tried it in the OM. Problem was that the strings are so far away from the soundhole that pick-up was not hot enough.
Hoyt: on your Old Wave OM how far are the strings from the top of the pick-up?
The George L (GREAT cables!) the PUTW and the Headway all look very interesting. I think I want something in the "stealth" mode though
perry