Myers Grip Pickups

[cantab61]

Does anyone have any experience with the Myers grip pickup?

[mandroid]

Looked it up to even Know what it was, Before .. it seems. So someone asked about it, before.
http://myerspickups.com/myerspickups.html

'Grip' is this one .. http://www.myerspickups.com/thegrip.html.. Suction Cup mount.

"Active" means it has a coin battery in it to power the preamp and the Miniature
Condenser Microphone plate charge.

Not My self , there have been many other mentions of other companies Mini Microphones people touted.

[kkmm]

Yes, I bought 3 of them to be installed on 3 violins for my relatives. I did try it on my acoustic guitar and mandolin.
It sounds very acoustic thru a good amp (3 different amps I tried all sound good).
One amp sounds bad (Roland battery operated, largest amp with two speakers).

Forget about the suction cup, it won't hold well and the player won't have piece of mind during playing as it could fall off anytime, especially with the weight of the instrument cable. I had to use black velcro, one on the side of the instrument and one on the back of the pickup. This way, it could be easily removed and installed quickly on another acoustic instrument (cello, guitar, mandolin, etc...).

The good: one pickup for any acoustic instrument you own.
The bad: feedback could be a serious problem, be aware where you are standing during play.
and the Ugly: personally, I do not like the look of a black square on the top of my instrument, but it's just my personal taste.
All my acoustic instruments have built in "under the saddle" pickup for guitars or "in the bridge" pickup for mandolin / violin).

[cantab61]

Thanks for the feedback kkmm - very useful

[cantab61]

Thanks mandroid - I had all the manufacturer's data - I was looking for feedback from a user

[mandroid]

Replicating a Carpenter jack, Using Viola Chin cup brackets could place that Pre amp in a more secure but removable fitting .

than the cup .. kkmm the one buyer that may respond .. before this gets scrolled back down to anonymity
by other threads .. on top.

so this is a bump.. good luck..

[Loubrava]

I've got a brand new Meyers I'd like to get rid of. I only used it one time didn't work well with my band so I ended up going with a Godin A8 mando. If any body wants it real cheap let me know.

[Brad Sicotte]

I've got one with the carpenter jack on order, I will post an update and review when I get it dialed in. I don't play in very high volume applications but I do end up in very tight quarters where using/sharing a microphone can be problematic. I'm also thinking that this type of mic/pickup will be very handy when sitting in with people. The output is low impedance so I won't have to carry a DI around with me all the time.

[almeriastrings]

The output is low impedance so I won't have to carry a DI around with me all the time.

Yes - you will.

It is an UNBALANCED output on these things... also, it is quite a bad match to most common DI boxes. I'd suggest an active DI with a very high headroom input, or a high quality transformer-based passive DI to convert from unbalanced to balanced if you intend to use it with a typical console or XLR mic input. If plugging into a line input, be aware that a long cable run is not advised.

[Brad Sicotte]

Yes - you will.

It is an UNBALANCED output on these things... also, it is quite a bad match to most common DI boxes. I'd suggest an active DI with a very high headroom input, or a high quality transformer-based passive DI to convert from unbalanced to balanced if you intend to use it with a typical console or XLR mic input. If plugging into a line input, be aware that a long cable run is not advised.

Good point, thank you! I'm planning to use an LR Baggs active DI with it to tune in the sound and for long runs (ie through a snake). I would think the unbalanced output would be fine for <20 ft no?

[almeriastrings]

Maybe. A lot will depend on the environment where it is used - amount of RF interference present, what the installed electrics are like, fluorescent lights, etc, that can really induce hum. You can never really tell. I would try to keep the unbalanced run to a minimum. I would just treat the output as an active preamp source and get it into a DI and balanced out as close to the playing position as possible, particularly if then running into a desk and PA.

[Brad Sicotte]

I did a little comparison/overview video posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCoQqFznvyk. This is my first time making a video so please be kind.

First impressions are pretty good. I tried the pickup into my PA through and LR Baggs Para DI and dialed in a pretty good sound. Next step is to play it at a gig.

[Dave Greenspoon]

Sounded good to me, Brad!

[DHopkins]

I have the Myers pickup with the clamp on my Gibson F-4.

I tend to move around on stage so it's difficult to use a stationary mic. I worked with Gregg (Myers) to get an extension on the mic "boom." The F-4 has an oval hole and the standard length wasn't long enough to mount the preamp below the strap button and still reach the sound hole. Mine is 7" long. If I had mounted it on the bottom of the mandolin it would reach but that was awkward for me.

It comes with cork grips/padding on the clamp. I switched to thin leather strips. I happened to have some thin deer leather strips from a previous project and it worked great.

One caveat: With the volume knob, it sticks up quite high and most cases will probably not allow you to leave the preamp attached and still close the case. It's not practical to put the preamp on and take it off every time you use the mandolin. If I took the plastic knob off, it would fit but it would leave the bare shaft exposed. I made a wheel-type knob with a 1/4" hole to fit onto the shaft of the control. I used some purpleheart wood (which was also left over from another project).

As for sound, it's great.

[Brad Sicotte]

Update: Used the Myers at a coffee house gig today and I was really happy with the sound and the convenience was the best! Sound was very warm and not harsh in any way (what I was looking for). Also the chop sound was nice and meaty sounding so I'm very happy. Looking forward to using it some more at other gigs!