Sound hole pick ups

Garland The Mostest Bestest Member Posts: 4,661 AKA: Gdjjr Thistime Location: Texas! Playing guitar since: off and on since 1960, a lot more off than on	Sound hole pick ups Jan 23, 2023 15:34:33 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Garland on Jan 23, 2023 15:34:33 GMT -5 I've been curious, more than once, about sound hole pick ups... and today I inadvertently ran across 2 famous persons using them in public...
	Playin at playin guitar- SO MANY GUITARS/SONGS, SO LITTLE TIME Guild D140 Natural Epiphone Dove Pro (limited edition)Alpine White Luna Artwood Vintage Distressed Folk Body Washburn HG75SEG-0 (gave to my youngest son) Gretsch 5420T in Aspen Green Orangewood Ava w/LR Baggs Lyric Martin 00015M w/LR Baggs Lyric Lag T118ASCE-BLK Guild D240E A-M-I J45 clone Squier Affinity Telecaster in White

Garland
The Mostest Bestest Member

Posts: 4,661
AKA: Gdjjr Thistime
Location: Texas!
Playing guitar since: off and on since 1960, a lot more off than on

Sound hole pick ups Jan 23, 2023 16:43:32 GMT -5

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Post by Garland on Jan 23, 2023 16:43:32 GMT -5

The above got me to thinking... about sound hole plugs.

Most seem to be made of rubber. I have seen advertised, and at least one person, at open mic, using a wooden one.

It seems to me wood would be better since it would reflect the sound waves better inside the body... amIwrong?
If so, why? Pups pick up on vibrations which are affected by their environment. Correct?
Yes, I know that piezo's get their signal from the strings vibrating... so do sound hole plugs stop the wood from being an integral part of the sound? Why not? If there is no effect, then why bother? The strings, in the case of the rubber have to emit a different vibration, since there was nothing there, now there is...

why bother or even worry about top wood?

Playin at playin guitar-

SO MANY GUITARS/SONGS, SO LITTLE TIME

Guild D140 Natural
Epiphone Dove Pro (limited edition)Alpine White
Luna Artwood Vintage Distressed Folk Body
Washburn HG75SEG-0 (gave to my youngest son)
Gretsch 5420T in Aspen Green
Orangewood Ava w/LR Baggs Lyric
Martin 00015M w/LR Baggs Lyric
Lag T118ASCE-BLK
Guild D240E
A-M-I J45 clone
Squier Affinity Telecaster in White

Jim
Supreme Member

Posts: 1,939

Location: Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
Playing guitar since: circa 1960

Sound hole pick ups Jan 24, 2023 14:22:58 GMT -5 Garland likes this

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Post by Jim on Jan 24, 2023 14:22:58 GMT -5

My Goya M-26 has a Fishman Neo D01 soundhole pickup. This one was relatively inexpensive, but I needed one very quickly for a gig. It sounds pretty good, but needs a pre-amp or phantom power to be heard and it has no volume control. My other guitars have less visible pickups, a Baggs I-Beam in the D-21 and a Baggs Element in the LG1. These have 9-volt batteries and sound great - not as good as a mic, but pickups never do. I use them out of self defence.
I don't like the look of the soundhole pickup. It is removeable, since I had a jack put in-line, but I never bother to take it out when I'm playing acoustically. The Fishman was about a third the price of the Baggs pickups.

I believ the soundhole cover's main purpose is to eliminate feedback.

Last Edit: Jan 24, 2023 14:28:18 GMT -5 by Jim

-1962 Martin D-21
-1950 Gibson LG1
-1958 Goya M-26
-1974 Yamaha FG75 high strung
-A number of banjos, mandolins, Autoharps, ukuleles, dulcimers, mouth harps, a Tele clone and various other stuff.
-I own a fiddle, but only play it when Maggie and the cats are all out of the house.

TonyKgull
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Posts: 6,425

Location: Ontario, Canada

Sound hole pick ups Jan 24, 2023 14:26:02 GMT -5

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Post by TonyKgull on Jan 24, 2023 14:26:02 GMT -5

Garland, The rubber ones cause a bit of a compressor effect, not in volume, but in focus of the sound and do take away a wee bit from the resonance of the guitar. This can easily be compensated for with pedals though.

The wood ones I'm not sure about. There's too many variables in the wood ones and I've actually never seen anyone using one. I've never even met or spoken to anyone that even had any interest in one.

Back to the rubber ones, their main purpose is to stop feedback on stage. That's it. Just like with mics, acoustic pick ups, at least some of them, especially some of the older ones or dual system pick ups, can catch some of the stage sound and cause feedback.

The rubber simply seals the acoustic's speaker chamber (the box/body) so that it can't catch any sound from the outside and therefore feedback is eliminated.

There is the odd person using one just cuz they like what the sound hole cover does to the actual sound of the guitar......as produced by the pick up system. So there's that as well.

=====================================
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I
am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
- Jesus, from Matthew 11:28-30

Garland
The Mostest Bestest Member

Posts: 4,661
AKA: Gdjjr Thistime
Location: Texas!
Playing guitar since: off and on since 1960, a lot more off than on

Sound hole pick ups Jan 24, 2023 15:15:05 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Garland on Jan 24, 2023 15:15:05 GMT -5

TonyKgull, I have a 4in one I got some time ago for my Fender Parlor body (which I no longer have)just to see what effect it had on the sound. It was only 5 bucks so no big deal... it killed the sound. Of course that was unplugged since the guitar had no electronics and I didn't know enough to even think about adding them/it.

Being 4in it won't fit anything else I have

... but, with sound hole controls that might be a problem anyway... so I can't verify or validate either way. It's just a curiosity that came to mind.

Playin at playin guitar-

SO MANY GUITARS/SONGS, SO LITTLE TIME

Guild D140 Natural
Epiphone Dove Pro (limited edition)Alpine White
Luna Artwood Vintage Distressed Folk Body
Washburn HG75SEG-0 (gave to my youngest son)
Gretsch 5420T in Aspen Green
Orangewood Ava w/LR Baggs Lyric
Martin 00015M w/LR Baggs Lyric
Lag T118ASCE-BLK
Guild D240E
A-M-I J45 clone
Squier Affinity Telecaster in White

Jim Supreme Member Posts: 1,939 Location: Port Hope, Ontario, Canada Playing guitar since: circa 1960	Sound hole pick ups Jan 24, 2023 21:50:08 GMT -5 Derick and Garland like this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Jim on Jan 24, 2023 21:50:08 GMT -5 My broher Dave put foam in the f holes of his Epiphone Emperor (later called the Joe Pass) inorder to eliminate the feedback. Similar to the soundhole covers.
	-1962 Martin D-21 -1950 Gibson LG1 -1958 Goya M-26 -1974 Yamaha FG75 high strung -A number of banjos, mandolins, Autoharps, ukuleles, dulcimers, mouth harps, a Tele clone and various other stuff. -I own a fiddle, but only play it when Maggie and the cats are all out of the house.

WELCOME TO THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR CABIN!!!

Post by Garland on Jan 23, 2023 15:34:33 GMT -5

Post by Garland on Jan 23, 2023 16:43:32 GMT -5

Post by Jim on Jan 24, 2023 14:22:58 GMT -5

Post by TonyKgull on Jan 24, 2023 14:26:02 GMT -5

Post by Garland on Jan 24, 2023 15:15:05 GMT -5

Post by Jim on Jan 24, 2023 21:50:08 GMT -5

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