Headway Pickup

[Scotty18]

I am just wondering if anyone has tried out the Headway Bouzouki/Octave Mandolin pickup? It's an undersaddle pickup that's quite expensive. I just purchased a new Trinity College Octave Mandolin and need a pickup for it. I know that one of my favourite bands "Great Big Sea" use Headway systems in their bouzoukis and Octave mandolins but I am not sure if it's this exact one. However, I do like the sound that they get so if it is, then it has a great sound to it. Anyway, I am worried that SBTs might feedback so I have been thinking about this for a bit. It's just a lot of money to spend on something that has hardly any reviews or sound clips.

[Tavy]

Headway have an excellent reputation so it should work well (Haven't seen or heard one in person though).

At the risk of banging on yet again about them, I'd go with a K&K, I've had some issues with their internal preamp, but never with the SBT's themselves. So I'd go with a standard twin spot - one under each bridge foot if you can manage it (and there's not a brace in the way). Unless you're playing in a very noisy environment with the sound cranked way up high feedback shouldn't be an issue. You can certainly trigger it off if you stand right in front of the speakers, but as long as you can avoid that their pretty good actually.

[Scotty18]

Hi Tavy,

The K&K is always at the back of mind as a potential pickup. I know it has a great reputation I just worry about the feedback. I typically play noisy pubs/bars and also do quite a lot of outdoor festival style shows. I have a feeling that the K&K would be fine, I just always loved the Great Big Sea Octave Mandolin tone that they achieve at their live shows. I just don't really understand why the Headway pickup is $300.00. That seems extreme for a UST system.

[mandogoshen]

Hi Scotty18,

A good graphic eq can overcome a multitude of sins. I've got a K&K rig on my el cheapo mando(90s Washburn M3SW), but would've used a JJB if I'd known about them. They're way cheaper and just as good from all reports. The pick-up doesn't require a pre-amp, but sounds better with one than without. Boss makes an inline bass eq/pedal that works real well for my mando rig. I can't imagine that the same set-up wouldn't work as well for a mandola, OM, bouzuki or MC.

The way I've got everything set up is as follows: Mando to tuner w/mute to eq to DOD A/B box. Guitar to tuner w/mute to DOD A/B box. 6" jumper from DOD A/B box to passive DI. Balanced out to PA. Unbalanced(1/4") out to monitor amp. Trace Elliot. The guitar's got a Baggs w/eq, so it's not necessary to include one inline.

One can go crazy w/eq and get a Rane 31 band stereo and dedicate each side to one instrument. I've done it and it sounds GREAT! There's no doubt GBS has some sort of dedicated digital eq and a killer transducer/mic combo like a schertler/joemills rig. When on the bill with Brother and Gaelic Storm they all had top notch stuff. We were a local Celtic band and they allowed us to use their stuff. That's how I know about the Rane 31 band eq. That's what I had onstage that night.

But, for normal, affordable approximation(s) the aforementioned K&K (or JJB) rig will do fine. It's all in the quality and settings one uses on the eq. For example I HATE that 'ringy' sound alot of mando players seem to like so I kill the top band of the eq and balance it out w/t other nine bands. Must be doing somethiing right because I get alot of compliments on my 'mandolin sound' from other players.

Check out JJB threads before getting a K&K. You'll save yourself some money. Btw, for some reason this bass eq works well w/a mando. I've tried guitar eqs and they don't sound as good. May have something to do w/t frequency it was designed for that gives a mando a little 'fatter' sound than with a guitar eq. Don't know. Don't care. It sounds good.

[jazzman13]

I've heard some great things about the Headway systems too - apparently they sound great and it's quite hard to make them feed back, which is always a plus. Never used one myself though.

If it's the one that gets installed in/under the bridge, be aware that it requires a fairly extensive installation. I believe the bridge itself needs to be routed and the pickup slotted into it, or something along those lines - it would most likely need to be taken to a luthier for this.
Alternatively, Headway sell their own pre-routed bridges, but I've heard equal amounts of good and bad criticism of these bridges.

[GarY Nava]

I'm a big fan of Headway- you'll find that they sell their pick-ups voiced for OM, Bouzouki etc. I've used them in mandolins and a mandocello. The only downside is, that it needs to be fitted under a saddle, which depending on your bridge, level of skill etc, might not be ideal.
Cheers Gary
http://www.navaguitars.co.uk/mandolins.html

[Soundfarmer Pete]

I'm a big fan of Headway- you'll find that they sell their pick-ups voiced for OM, Bouzouki etc. I've used them in mandolins and a mandocello. The only downside is, that it needs to be fitted under a saddle, which depending on your bridge, level of skill etc, might not be ideal.
Cheers Gary
http://www.navaguitars.co.uk/mandolins.html

Plus, the output from the rope style piezo is very weak so some kind of preamp/booster is needed....which also means hiding a 9volt battery somewhere
The only piezo I`ve ever come across that puts out a good strong signal unaided that is comparable to a magnetic is one of those disc buzzers around 1" diameter but the price can put some people off.....a DOLLAR????????

[GarY Nava]

Plus, the output from the rope style piezo is very weak so some kind of preamp/booster is needed....which also means hiding a 9volt battery somewhere
The only piezo I`ve ever come across that puts out a good strong signal unaided that is comparable to a magnetic is one of those disc buzzers around 1" diameter but the price can put some people off.....a DOLLAR????????

Headway does come with a jack socket mounted pre-amp and I believe (double check with John Litter at Headway first!) that you can wire it for phantom power via a stereo lead

[Rvl]

I have 2 Hathway bouzouki's with Headway's
One has a vol/tone and the other is just the pickup
I prefer the vol/tone rolled off slightly to soften the sound
I have 5 instruments with K&K. 3 have external BigTwin , 2 have internal Mando Twin. I prefer the BigTwins , I find I have to EQ the MandoTwins. The BigTwins are run straight into the Di and amp.

[Kieran]

Been fitting Headway into Bouzoukis since they first came out and haven't found anything better for bouzouki or octave mandolin since.There are two versions HE (high end)version with optional volume tone controls.The cheaper 'snake' AG version for guitar can also work on bouzouki but not as well as the purposely tweaked bouzouki one.If the bridge does not have a saddle but is made from a single piece of wood it has always worked just as well for me by routing the bottom of the bridge so the rope style piezo is pressed between it and the top with an angled hole in the top.
Kieran
http://www.moloneymusic.com

[mandotim1955]

Another endorsement for Headway pickups, they are well made and very reliable. They sound better than most undersaddle pickups, and are relatively easy to install; although a bit of skill with a drill and a plunging router helps! I find that they work really well with the Headway EBD-1 preamp, which is a seriously good bit of kit.

[Rvl]

I like Dtar(Rick Turner's design) and Headway
Both have built-in preamps

[Lord of the Badgers]

and another with Headway.. in my Buchanan zouk. mine's active. It sounds just great. Giving it a proper roadtest tonight my mando has an ashworth in it which is passive, but sounds good when put thru the fishman preamp. considering moving to another headway for the mando (unless anyone shouts otherwise!) at some point.
Got mine fitted by a luthier. Yeah, I paid a fair bit, but I got money off the pickup as I bought it with the zouk. I tend to think such things are worth taking a bit of a hit over

[Kieran]

and another with Headway.. in my Buchanan zouk. mine's active. It sounds just great. Giving it a proper roadtest tonight my mando has an ashworth in it which is passive, but sounds good when put thru the fishman preamp. considering moving to another headway for the mando (unless anyone shouts otherwise!) at some point.
Got mine fitted by a luthier. Yeah, I paid a fair bit, but I got money off the pickup as I bought it with the zouk. I tend to think such things are worth taking a bit of a hit over

The mandolin PU works very well for bridges without thumbwheels.In my experience only the mandolin H.E. version works well (the one with the long preamp extended barrel jack) very full tone.Not so enthusiastic about 'the snake' for mandolin.The H.E. version is worth the extra bit of expense.
Kieran
http://www.moloneymusic.com

[Alan Mayers Instruments]

Hi. I've used the Headway HE4 mandolin pickup for a few years and have had good results. However, the 9v battery does take up quite a bit of room on the body and isn't that easy to change. I did consider the EDB-1 preamp to use to power it but for most people its just a bit expensive (unless you gig constantly).
After speaking to John Littler at Headway he confirm that all standard HE4 pickups can be powered from an external battery supply if the battery is removed and the leads connected together. The power is then sent to the endpin jack using a stereo TRS (tip, ring, sleeve) lead. The signal as usual goes to the tip and power is sent throught ring and sleeve (check with headway regarding polarity).
In the US EMG make an ES-9 pedal which will supply 9volts. In The UK I contacted John Godsland of Orchid Electronics who made a 9v phantom battery box with footswitch and LED indicatator at a very reasonable price, including a 10ft stereo lead. This was for a Headway HE4 pickup fitted in an archtop cittern.
Hope this is useful.
Alan

[Scotty18]

My only concern right now is actually purchasing one of these pickup systems for my Octave Mandolin. I can't seem to find any stores that carry the Headway brand in Canada. I can find the EDB-1 preamp but not the actual pickups. I am afraid that this system might be very expensive when it's all said and done. It looks like this system for my Octave Mandolin would be around $250.00, which is fairly insane for an undersaddle. However, this is solely based on my conversion from pounds to canadian dollars from the Headway site so the prices could be less.