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. I have a nice ramirez guitar that I would like to put a pickup on, for myself , to practice through a small amp . Suggestions ?? thank you

I like the K&K Pure Classic. It takes a bit to install them in a completed classical guitar, but doable with care. They sound great. They work with amps without a preamp or with an external preamp. No batteries.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

There are some top classical virtuoso who use some hidden system that broadcasts to a receiver at the amp. It is totally invisible, because of the great prejudice against showing electronics during a classical recital, but it works great. One who used this is Sharon Isben, head of the guitar department at Julliard. I had years ago seen an article in which she mentioned this and named the installer. IF you cannot find via Internet search, try emailing her at Julliard or her personal web site.

Today's post brought me an iRig Acoustic Stage, https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigacousticstage/

A flat microphone (not a piezo) about the size of a triangular pick clips to the sound hole, and from there a thin wire runs and plugs into a box on your belt, and from that a standard 1/4 inch jack cable to the amp. The box has volume controls, tone selection (there's a nylon setting which lets you chose from natural, warm and bright) and a feedback cutout button.

I tried this on a ukulele and a steel-strung tenor guitar through my practice amp, and the sound was very, very close to a decent instrument mic. I'll be trying it out on stage on Friday, so will report back (particularly what the sound guy says about controllability and feedback).

Amazon had it on offer so I paid the equivalent of roughly US$100.

The big pluses are:

it takes maybe 10-15 seconds to swap between instruments, and I can always get a second pickup/lead for around US$25 so it's just a matter of plugging and unplugging
no modification to the instrument at all
sounds like a mic, not a piezo

I'll discover any drawbacks over time as I gig it in bars and so on, but my initial impression is very positive.

+1 for K&K

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Thanks chris , yes please report the results you get . I could then swap out betweenmy classicals and ukes

Don’t get me wrong, the K&K is a great sounding pickup, but installation is best when the transducers are CA’d in place — tricky on a steel string and, for me, virtually impossible on a classical unless installed before you close the box. I really prefer PUPs that sound good with a tape application — much easier to install, de-install and to shift when you find they aren’t as well balanced as you like. I keep the LR Baggs Lyric and the Schatten HFN on the shelf for classicals and like both. For us in Canada, the Schatten is tremendous bargain as it’s Canadian-made and much better priced than the Lyric. To my ears, they both sound great.


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Hey Ernie, LR Baggs Lyric Classical. Have installed a goodly amount of these and folks like them. No CA to glue your fingers inside the guitar either and no I've never done that, well once maybe...

They don't sound very good playing purple haze but do Mozart well.

Tnx for the recommendations Hesh, and all the other suggestions. I have not installed anything in ages. so its time to get in gear for me, and hey shmendrik hesh I luv purple haze ,. but shmozart makes me smarter I hope LOL.

If you have to use a pickup, I'm a pretty big fan of the LR Baggs Lyric in general, particularly if you match it up with an LR Baggs Venue preamp. Great sound (for a pickup), not super expensive, not that hard to install, no horrible holes in the guitar (other than the end pin jack), and not finicky or delicate feeling while you are on stage. It ticks a lot of boxes.

I always prefer mics, though, when mics can work in the situation, which is more often than people give them credit for these days.

If it helps, here is how I installed the K&K with CA. Pucker factor reduced to half with the jig, but there was still sweat on the brow.

viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=51437

Edited to add: There is a couple of youtube links buried in the post that show the jig in use which might help.

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. Me too brother, me too!

Here's a tip for folks installing K&K pups with the two or three glue on transducers.

Hit the plate, the bridge plate with some 180 - 220 paper first and wipe it clean with a paper towel. Then spray accelerator on a clean paper towel and wipe the bridge plate with it. This will flash the glue much faster.

Dave uses a jig that he made that registers on two pin holes to position the transducer. I position my bench light directly overhead and locate where I want the transducers free hand using two pin holes at a time sighting downward through the holes. Both methods work fine.

Love K&K too and much less expensive.

Check out our friend Dave Farmer's site for a pic of his services and you will see a clever way to loop the K&K cable inside the box taking up lots of slack.

I'm a K&K fan too, put one in yesterday. Too get the cord to loop I just turn the jack with a mini screwdriver using the horizontal holes that are in the jack then tighten the nut when the loop is in the position I want.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Will wait till july on this, am getting eye surgery, in june and new lenses. Tnx everyone it is much appreciated !!!

Cataracts? I always figured you for a Lincoln Continental type of guy....

Just back from gigging using the iRig Acoustic Stage. I'm impressed, and so was the sound man. It sounded as good as a decent instrument mic though a little different - less airy, stronger on the bass and mids. Definitely an acoustic sound though, nothing like the artificiality of even a good piezo. No feedback problems.

Two minor issues:

1. It's loose on my ultra thin uke top. A scrap of 1mm rubber sheet fixed that fine. It fits my tenor guitar well though.

2. The belt clip wouldn't stay on, fixed with a couple of small strips of gaffer tape.

I'd say it's a very good solution if you can get one in the US.