Hello, I apologize if this has already been covered... I looked but couldn't find anything. I've got an Eastman MD514 (oval hole, not f hole), and i have a K&K pure xlr preamp i can use with it. I've been looking at pickup possibilities (mostly on forums here) without luck... here's the breakdown:
- I'm not that certain on drilling out an end pin, so I've been looking at carpenter jacks
- Baggs radius seems to get bad reviews (even though that's an MD514 in their promotional picture) mostly for excessive body noise and poor sound
- AKG C411 needs phantom power, which can be kind of a pain in the a$$.
- K&K Twin seems to be the one that everyone here loves, BUT ... seems to be set up for an F-hole ... nothing in the manual about what to do for an oval hole. issue #1 is whether it even works with the bracing setup (parallel braces longitudinally on either side of the oval hole). Issue #2 is how the cord would enter the oval hole and still get the pickups to their assigned spots... it appears nicely out-of-the-way for an f-hole, but it seems like i'd have to tape the cord in place or something to get it out of the way for an oval hole.
- haven't heard much for positive reviews of snake-neck-condenser style mics... and they seem to be more expensive, so...?
So it doesn't appear that there is much choice for a carpenter jack and an oval hole... any suggestions? I've read about someone attaching the K&K twin pickups on the outside of the mandolin, which might work (and be ugly) in this case... any help or suggestions appreciated.
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