Pick Up Advice For Guild DS 240 ???

Wazmeister

I've had 'high end' guitars all of my life, and recently I played a friends DS 240... and couldn't believe how good it was !

Only £449 new, set up perfectly out of the box, and it was really impressive for the price...

Anyway, I need a decent pick up fitted to it. Which way do I head ?

Also, the bracing seems quite close to the sound hole - anyone know which pick up systems will fit and work ?

I've always fancied something like the L R Baggs Anthem...

Thanks in advice 

Andy79

More importantly how does it compare to that old Atkin?

Wazmeister

Andy79 said:

More importantly how does it compare to that old Atkin?

Well Andy, I guess it cannot when you compare prices and the woods used in the build process.

I loved the Atkin.

However, when you consider the Guild is over £2000 less than the wonderful Atkin, then somethings have to be taken into account.

I wanted a cheaper guitar I can leave lying around, take outside, etc etc. 

The Guild has a truly wonderful neck, and seems to bring more melody out in playing. It is rock sold in tuning (which is vital to me), and Im really quite fond of it.

The Guild def seems like a £1500 - 2000 guitar.

Just need a pick up system now...

cmacguitar

I've got the LR Baggs M80 in my D28 and my L00-1 and love it

Epsilon

I've been curious about these for a while. What is the neck like?

Cirrus

I really like the K&K Pure Mini, it seems more balanced and with a better presentation of pick attack that any under-saddle transducer I've tried.

Wazmeister

Ok, so if they all fit, what are your thoughts overall for the (best) pick up options ?

TheMadMick

I have a K&K in my Guild and it comes out thin and weedy through a Marshall AS50D. Maybe it's the strings I have fitted but beware.

Cirrus

TheMadMick said:

I have a K&K in my Guild and it comes out thin and weedy through a Marshall AS50D. Maybe it's the strings I have fitted but beware.

I've only tried the Pure Mini, but that's the opposite of what I've experienced compared to piezo pickups.

mgaw

TheMadMick said:

I have a K&K in my Guild and it comes out thin and weedy through a Marshall AS50D. Maybe it's the strings I have fitted but beware.

are you using a pre amp?  i have used KK for years and they sound great, very well regarded pickup

Andy79

Dearmond 210 and have done with it. Maybe 50 years out of date but still great

danishbacon

Schertler Magnetico AG6 with added condenser mic, If you fancy the ‘sophisticated’ option. The m80 is nice but a bit heavy. Anthem is also a brilliant system. 

stickyfiddle

The Anthem is excellent. I had an M1A in my Taylor 214 for gigging and that always did a very solid job with minimal effort. 

TheMadMick

mgaw said:

TheMadMick said:

I have a K&K in my Guild and it comes out thin and weedy through a Marshall AS50D. Maybe it's the strings I have fitted but beware.

are you using a pre amp?  i have used KK for years and they sound great, very well regarded pickup

Yep. A K&K one. Still thin and weedy. Maybe I'm simply unlucky.

ICBM

Guild fit the DeArmond Tone Boss soundhole pickup to several of their models as stock. I haven't tried one, but I probably should - it looks as if it might be a LR Baggs M1 in disguise, but even if it isn't it should still sound better than a piezo...

Cirrus

TheMadMick said:

mgaw said:

TheMadMick said:

I have a K&K in my Guild and it comes out thin and weedy through a Marshall AS50D. Maybe it's the strings I have fitted but beware.

are you using a pre amp?  i have used KK for years and they sound great, very well regarded pickup

Yep. A K&K one. Still thin and weedy. Maybe I'm simply unlucky.

Could be that there's an issue with the installation - that'd be my bet if it's not plain broken. If they aren't firmly and uniformly glued to the bridge underside in the appropriate positions, you'll lose bottom end. I believe there's a message to that effect in the installation guide, thought it's a couple of years since I installed one.

Wazmeister

Cirrus said:

TheMadMick said:

mgaw said:

TheMadMick said:

I have a K&K in my Guild and it comes out thin and weedy through a Marshall AS50D. Maybe it's the strings I have fitted but beware.

are you using a pre amp?  i have used KK for years and they sound great, very well regarded pickup

Yep. A K&K one. Still thin and weedy. Maybe I'm simply unlucky.

Could be that there's an issue with the installation - that'd be my bet if it's not plain broken. If they aren't firmly and uniformly glued to the bridge underside in the appropriate positions, you'll lose bottom end. I believe there's a message to that effect in the installation guide, thought it's a couple of years since I installed one.

Thanks for all the input guys...

So, as Ill be doing the installation myself (maybe), I have a couple of questions please;

1.) Which is easier to fit ?

2.) Or would I be better going for the LR Baggs Anthem and having it fitted by a luthier ?

@Danishbacon

@ICBM

danishbacon

All of them will require drilling into the end pin (unless you want a dangling cord out the sound hole for the sound hole mounted ones, ie. you could use it amplified only when needed but it's a faff, strings off, etc). That job in itself is doable if you have the correct tools, so assuming that, sound hole is easiest install. This option also exists, but given the cost of the guitar, I'd just have it drilled and jack installed. http://www.tapastring.com/vintagejack.htm

Baggs anthem is definitely more involved and requires a small hole into the end of the saddle slot and a hole into the bridge and top underneath. It's also a more 'invasive' install, nothing that damages the guitar or really fundamentally changes is, but you'll now have things glued to the top from the inside, battery and a 'fallible' preamp. It's all mostly reversible though, except for the saddle holes and likely glue residue inside the guitar. If that all sounds scary, a luthier is the right way to go. 

ICBM

The K&K is the least difficult of any 'permanent' install, but as already said you will still have to ream out the endpin hole. It's also not that easy if you're not familiar with working 'blind' inside a guitar with superglue - don't even think about using double-sided tape, it doesn't work well enough and makes the pickup sound bad - even if you follow the instructions very carefully with the locating jig, which does work very well.

A soundhole pickup is the only type that's any easier - it will still need the endpin hole reaming, but apart from that just a screwdriver to tighten the clamping screws. Some install instructions suggest using sticky cable clips on the inside but I would avoid these - they never seem to stick well permanently, and you're better to just put a loose loop/knot in the cable or cable-tie it to stop it flapping against the inside.

Wazmeister

ICBM said:

The K&K is the least difficult of any 'permanent' install, but as already said you will still have to ream out the endpin hole. It's also not that easy if you're not familiar with working 'blind' inside a guitar with superglue - don't even think about using double-sided tape, it doesn't work well enough and makes the pickup sound bad - even if you follow the instructions very carefully with the locating jig, which does work very well.

A soundhole pickup is the only type that's any easier - it will still need the endpin hole reaming, but apart from that just a screwdriver to tighten the clamping screws. Some install instructions suggest using sticky cable clips on the inside but I would avoid these - they never seem to stick well permanently, and you're better to just put a loose loop/knot in the cable or cable-tie it to stop it flapping against the inside.

Thanks mate, as ever, really appreciated...

Is there much difference in sound quality between say a K&K and LR Baggs M1/M80 ?

danishbacon

Wazmeister said:

ICBM said:

The K&K is the least difficult of any 'permanent' install, but as already said you will still have to ream out the endpin hole. It's also not that easy if you're not familiar with working 'blind' inside a guitar with superglue - don't even think about using double-sided tape, it doesn't work well enough and makes the pickup sound bad - even if you follow the instructions very carefully with the locating jig, which does work very well.

A soundhole pickup is the only type that's any easier - it will still need the endpin hole reaming, but apart from that just a screwdriver to tighten the clamping screws. Some install instructions suggest using sticky cable clips on the inside but I would avoid these - they never seem to stick well permanently, and you're better to just put a loose loop/knot in the cable or cable-tie it to stop it flapping against the inside.

Thanks mate, as ever, really appreciated...

Is there much difference in sound quality between say a K&K and LR Baggs M1/M80 ?

I've not tried the K&K but I would imagine that they are fundamentally different approaches to amplification altogether.