New to the forum and mandolin - pickup advice?

[jaybals]

Hi all, i'm a noob here, as well as to the world of Mandolin (being a guitar Player), but here it goes:

As a surprise present from my sister and her fiance, i got this lil thing:

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u190/jaybals/IMG_0008_zpsac8c2ea7.jpg (http://s168.photobucket.com/user/jaybals/media/IMG_0008_zpsac8c2ea7.jpg.html)

The Epiphone MM-30S.
Well, I've been wanting to play mandolin for a long time! And it's a lot of fun, can't wait to incorporate it into the band.
I've never even touched a mandolin before, so i don't know how it compares. It takes a bit of getting used to, having such a small neck against my relatively large hands.

I also have a bit of a question of amplification. To use it with the band i want to get a pickup for it. However, i LOVE the sound of a distorted mandolin, as used by Warren Ellis of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Also love this seriously epic cover of The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, as performed by Reignwolf:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLDSRzNYJ4A

So what you you recommend as a pickup? So i can get both traditional clean mandolin sounds through a PA, but still get a good distorted sound through a guitar amp.
I was considering a piezo bridge rather than a clip on mic. Or is there a good option for connecting a conventional magnetic pickup without major works to the guitar?

I was looking at this bridge by Shadow:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Pickup-integrated-Bridge-Mandolins/dp/B001L8MAMG/ref=sr_1_5?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1371991955&sr=1-5&keywords=mandolin+pickup

I am a bit put off by the headphone-size output jack on it. The alternative is the Fishman alternative: the M-100.
Is there a low-profile, soundhole pickup for a mandolin, Banjo or Ukelele that i can just stick on the guitar perhaps?

Cheers for any help.

[Ed Goist]

Hi, and welcome to the Cafe!
This might be a good choice: The K&K Sound Mandolin Twin Fusion (http://kksound.com/products/mandolintwin.php#simple2)
* Easy installation and it has the traditional sized jack.
* It can be run directly as a passive pick-up into a good amp, or through a pre-amp into your PA.
* Looks like K&K has several UK dealers so you should be able to find it.
* Rock-on.

P.S.: I've played one of these Epiphone MM-30 mandolins at a music store, and thought it sounded decent, but I found the action at the nut to be very poor. High nut action affects playability much more on a mandolin than it does on a guitar. Do you find it difficult to fret the strings in the first two or three frets? If so, you might want to have the nut slots re-filed for proper action. I bring this up because being new to the mandolin you might have just thought this difficult fretting was part of the deal. It is not. Your mandolin should be as easy to fret at the first fret as it is to fret at the fifth fret.

[jaybals]

Cheers for the advice man! Looks like a great pickup, im sure that's reflected by the price.
Im a bit wary of how i'd place the transducers correctly inside the mando though.
How would it cope with a bit of drive?

I have found an italian-based company which build low-profile, cigar-box guitar pickups, and they said they can do a mandolin version. All it needs to mount it is 4 screws/nails.
http://www.original-flatpup.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=194:flatpup4&catid=72:fp-cbg&Itemid=115
Looks really nice too, in that handmade, exposed wire sort of way.

As for the playability: i find the first few frets ok to play actually! But cheers for the heads up.

[Ed Goist]

No problem.
Lots of good solutions. Both the K&K and the cigar-box guitar pickup should work fine.
I'd say the K&K would be more likely to retain the acoustic quality of the instrument, while the CBG pickup would have more of an electric guitar character.
Both should handle overdrive (especially pre-amp OD) fine.
Let us know what you decide on.

[jaybals]

I'm thinking of now going for an Almuse mandolin pickups. I like the idea of the more electric character int he tone; it means i can throw some dirt at it, or always mic it for a pure acoustic sound!

http://www.almuse.co.uk/

They are a UK based company, and said they can make a scratchplate mounted pickups. This gives me the benefit of needing now invasive work on the guitar, and could be totally reversible!
I'll let you know more as i find out more, but this seems like a great option.

[Ed Goist]

Almuse makes great stuff, and Pete is great to deal with.
This should be an excellent choice.
Keep us posted.

[Steve Ostrander]

Too bad they didn't get you the mm30e--the model with the built-in bridge pickup. "Course, it probably wouldn't sound good distorted. For that, I'd want a true e-mando, like the new fender mandostrat.

[jaybals]

Yeh, that Fendo Mandostrat would be perfect for the Warren Ellis vibe! He uses the original one.
Shame it only come in 4-string as far as i can tell.

I'm crazy happy i even got this one mandolin, having lots of fun with it.
Cant wait to get that almuse pickup in there, like i say having a separate pickup gives me the best of both worlds.

Our band has quite a mix of bluesy rock and folk influences.
I think of us as alternative-blues-pop haha

[Steve Ostrander]

Prepare for MAS to set in. There is no cure.

[rockies]

jaybals, whatever pickup you do decide to go with on your mando keep in mind that if the choice is a magnetic pickup (as in wound guitar type .. cigar box or almuse ) to change the strings to monel or other magnetic property electric strings. The sound will be thin and tinny with phosphor bronze or other acoustic strings.
Dave

[jaybals]

jaybals, whatever pickup you do decide to go with on your mando keep in mind that if the choice is a magnetic pickup (as in wound guitar type .. cigar box or almuse ) to change the strings to monel or other magnetic property electric strings. The sound will be thin and tinny with phosphor bronze or other acoustic strings.
Dave

Oh, good point man, cheers for the heads up! I'll be sure to grab some. Could you perhaps recommend me some electric strings? What brands are good for quality and price? I'm playing on d'addario's now (my choice on guitar too, pretty standard).
The Gibson 'Sam Bush' Monel Wound mando strings any good?

And don't even taunt me with MAS, i have enough GAS with guitar pedals/amps. Deadly on my wallet :P

[mandroid]

piezoelectric , a Dean Markley external contact disc, with an attached cable with a plug is fine enough starter..

run it through a preamp expecting a piezo input for better tone and level control..