Lipstick pickup on a pac-rim acoustic

**OzMando** · May-18-2008, 6:37am

Hey there mando-cafe,

I'm starting to use my mandolin a bit more in performance playing rock/pop kinda stuff at church and I'm starting to see the (huge)limitations of my cheapo clip-on transducer. I'm also interested in doing some jazz stuff.

I'm thinking of installing a lipstick/danelectro type pickup as they don't have pole pieces. I've also seen these sold as humbuckers which would allow me to coil tap and get a bit more tonal variation.

Has anyone used this sort of set-up?

Any other options I should be considering?

Thanks,

OzMando

**mandroid** · May-18-2008, 10:03am

You gonna punch, er carefully cut, a hole in an acoustic to fit it in
or build a semi acoustic around the pickup?

my info offer: 2 pickups in a Strat type format, I have in stuff.

EMG select.. stacked humbucker, and a Fender Lace Sensor 'gold' version.

neither were expensive, when I bought them, neither went into an acoustic.

what went into an acoustic, before I got it, is a 4 pole
30% shorter, stacked humbucker type.
custom from Seymour Duncan, so I probably was a bit more $.

**Ken Olmstead** · May-18-2008, 11:26am

I don't know how it would work on an acoustic (probably fine) but a lipstick is what the Kentucky 300e comes with. Probabaly for the same reason you suggest, no pole pieces.

**OzMando** · May-18-2008, 6:36pm

Thanks guys,

apart from the suitability of the design how does the lipstick suit the tone?

should I throw in a transducer and a blend pot? (the more I think about it the more expensive it is becoming

)

**Ken Olmstead** · May-18-2008, 7:22pm

I think you might take a step at a time scenerio. Try the lipstick and if you are looking for another sound and the trasducer blended in might achive that the add it at that time. You might get the lipstick on and go, "yeah this is great!"

**OzMando** · May-18-2008, 10:16pm

true thanks

**Mike Bunting** · May-18-2008, 10:49pm

Are you looking to amplify an acoustic mandolin or are you looking for an electric mando sound?

**OzMando** · May-19-2008, 1:33am

I'm not yet sure, hence the thought of having a lipstick up top and piezo/transducer elements inside with a blend pot.

I used to have an Ashton Dualler guitar which was an acoustic with an undersaddle and a single coil that were blendable. With the single coil by itself it still sounded like an acoustic, just a very different tone.

I might try one an add the other later.

**OzMando** · May-19-2008, 1:35am

I am wondering if anyone else has had success adding a lipstick pickup to an acoustic. I think I've seen them in electrics but haven't heard of one on an acoustic so if someone has I would benefit from your opinion.

**Jim MacDaniel** · May-19-2008, 3:30am

If you like that twangy Rickenbacker sound, you could try the toaster style pickup that comes on their solid-body emando (also no pole pieces). Their national parts center sells them separately if interested.