The best thing about an acoustic guitar is that they do not require an amplifier or a volume knob to be heard – the guitar’s own echoing body naturally improves the sound.
However, what if you need to boost the volume? Whether you intend to perform gigs, jam with others, or simply play a bit louder, the time may come when you consider deciding to amplify your guitar. The very first step here is to choose the best acoustic guitar pickup.
What is An Acoustic Guitar Pickup?
A pickup is basically an electronic device that helps ‘pickup’ the mechanical vibrations of sound and then transduces them into an electric signal. The signals can then be amplified via a speaker which helps them become much louder than the original source.
The acoustic guitars mainly achieve their sound mainly through a resonant body – it is the big empty space which is in the middle of all that wood. But it appears that replicating this naturally acoustic sound through the electronic means can turn out to be very tricky. Check out more at trustyguitar.com/acoustic-guitar-pickup/.
The acoustic guitar pickup manufacturers have developed 4 man types of acoustic guitar pickups to try as well as capture the elusive sound. Depending on your performance context or playing style, and budget, any of these four could be right for you:
- Sub-Saddle
The sub-saddle pickup is more like a thin wire that lies under the saddle and picks up mechanical vibrations coming from the strings. This is perhaps the most common type of internal acoustic guitar pickup.
- Surface
The surface pickup comprises of one or even more sensors that are attached either to the guitar’s top or under the bridge plate. These pickups produce a very authentic, natural sound as they capture both the mechanical vibrations of the strings and also the sound coming from the echoing body.
- Magnetic
Generally referred to as the ‘soundhole’ pickup, it is basically a narrow bar that fits well into the soundhole completely. This kind of pickup uses similar technology as an electric guitar pickup and, consequently, generates a similar ‘electrified’ sound.
- Microphone
Microphone happens to be another great option when it comes to finding the best acoustic guitar pickup. As the sound the players try to pick up is acoustic, as it is with the human voice, then why not make use of similar means to even capture it? The two different kinds of mics worth taking into account here: the external ones that is more like a standard microphone and the internal ones that fit inside the guitar.
Combining All Of Them
The best option here is to combine the different types of pickups. This is more of an expert-level option, for apparent reasons. On the other hand, by combining the strengths of different pickup types help eliminate the weaknesses of others, and can be the best approach to minimize the quality of your improved acoustic guitar sound.