LR Baggs M1A active pickup. How to install the M1A on a guitar

[JustinZachary93]

What is the size of the end pin jack? Is it a 1/2 inch?

[davetoporek]

do you think this will be good for heavier folk/rock style music, or do you think this is a more classical style pickup ?

[bobdwilliams]

@davetoporek / Hey Dave, it's great for every style.....but the amp...ahhh, the amp is a quest I'm still on...I'm thinking about the Roland AC-60? Have you ever played through one of these?

[davetoporek]

@bobdwilliams No I haven't. I will let you know If I ever find the chance!

[arbshredder]

is that a jc-120 you are playing through?

[bobdwilliams]

@arbshredder No my amp is the jc-77 ....I need to get some other something....acoustic amp...maybe a Fender 30 DSP. What do you think?

[sahilcc7]

Does this need batteries?

[dontfunkaround]

@sahilcc7 yes. one is located in the bottom of the pickup

[bobdwilliams]

@sahilcc7 yes, this is the active pickup :>)

[EVH3m]

do you need others to buy like preamps so that this pickup will work?

[bobdwilliams]

@EVH3m no it will function right out of the ol' bow! You will LOVE it!

[ELEANOR320TD]

hello, in an Art lutherie "Left" position can i install this pickup?? Thanks.

Regards from Spain

[bobdwilliams]

@ELEANOR320TD Oh yea...it will work just fine! *Hello from USA :~)

[ELEANOR320TD]

ok thanks.

But i need change the position of the pick up to "left handed", maybe touch the sound control in the guitar and the instalation have problems.....

[bobdwilliams]

@ELEANOR320TD ....no, left / right wouldn't matter. It will sound AWESOME on your guitar--RAA!

[ELEANOR320TD]

Hi Bob! yesterday I installed the pickup un my guitar but i have a problem.

The 4th string when push "in the aire" have a desagreable vibration, only in the fourth string.

The cable its a double male jack 1/4 (6,35mm) and my amplifier its a Stagg rocket 40w RMS.......

I have to upload a video ;) thank you!!!

[jacklovesmanutd]

i was thinking of getting the baggs m1 pickup (not the m1a) but all the videos ive seen of the m1 people have fed the wire back through the soundhole but i want to do what you did and install a jack where the strap holder thing is. is that possible with the m1 or do you HAVE to feed the wire back through the soundhole ?

[zimmermandylan1]

85,000th view

[LarryHarveyMusic]

I think the hum you hear is ambient noise from the recorder, you can hear it before the playing begins. Bet this will sound great on my D 35. Been thinking about this for a year now, but wasn't sold on another system. Thanks to Jack Harvey for turning me on to it.

[LarryHarveyMusic]

Ordering mine today.

[FreedomBeats]

when you did this recording, did you use a mic as well?

[bobdwilliams]

@FreedomBeats

No that's the M1A....I love this pickup!

[FreedomBeats]

@bobdwilliams Ah I was just wondering because it sounds like there's a hum throughout the track. If you listen right at the start, that's what I'm on about. I also noticed someone else mention something about noise that shouldn't be there on here. Any ideas to what it is?

Cheers

[smolds87]

@bobdwilliams You do have a mic though, I can hear you breathe in the beginning. But this is a great pickup. I use it in my takamine.

[bobdwilliams]

@smolds87 that is the mic on my computer. I'm not very good at setup/recording I find the more I adjust things the longer it takes me to play. I hate tweaking the songs after I play them...I just want to play ;~)

[Fabianvga]

where did you bought the power jack to connect the cable

[guitars4]

@Fabianvga that comes with the pickup.

[SRVisGOD1]

does the pickup come with the jack or a chord? I'm looking at getting one soon

[guitars4]

@SRVisGOD1 By jack you mean the 1/4" input? Yes. That's what was installed on the strap bead, it acts as two purposes.

[slipwagon]

I can't get the damn thing to fit in my soundhole.  I have a Parkwood guitar.

[nicospahni]

Well done! I'm interested in buying the M1 active and was wondering how it responds to deliberate slaps to the body (compared to an internal mic).

[illnastic]

How close is the pick up to the strings?

[guitars4]

@illnastic It varies from guitar to guitar, but for the most part, you're in good hands. Mine has a bout 5mm to work with and you don't have to worry about it.

[rickysyers]

Nice work! Though I so returned mine! Too Trans~doocy!

[afiqfalif]

Does it comes with the drilling tools and stuff?

[guitars4]

@afiqfalif I'm afraid you need to take care of that on your own terms.

[Obironnkenobi]

Really dumb question. But did this come with the end pin jack?

[guitars4]

@Obironnkenobi yes.

[mgtheguitarwhisperer]

I agree with the excellent sound. Today I bought the 2nd Lr Baggs M1 for another guitar.

[brossej07]

Anybody every had a problem with the strapjack hole's size??? My standard cable will NOT fit, unless it's supposed to be forced in (which I have a very STRONG feeling it's not supposed to T_T duh!) It's weird it's like the male end of my cable is too big around or the female end of the strapjack is too small (insert sexual comments below xD)

[bertrarious]

If the endhole where you put the female connector is too tight, it will restrict the spring steel when attempting the cable insertion. When you inserted the connection through the guitar was it a press fit or did it slide smoothly? If the former, the hole may have been a bit too tight.

[germcgrath7]

hi im installing now. strapjack was simple, but the pickup has me puzzled. martin hd28v. opening the 2 screws is just not opening the clamps to install. any ideas?

[calumcroft]

I have a D-1 with an M1A in it as well. I thought it was a great buy and still do but I'm not overly happy with the sound I get when going straight into the PA so I'm thinking of getting the Para D.I. to go with it. I'd love a good Acoustic amp but I've already spent hundreds of pounds on bettering the acoustic side of my set up this year so I think the next indulgence will have to better the electric side of things. Just hope the D.I. does the trick till the next time.

[rolandgladden]

I'm really a novice but have seen this sort of thing before from working in music store. Well done! Very cool to see it here. Best, Roland

[u2ber87]

Can a any pick-up be de-atached and applied on another guitar.

I have classical and acoustic, and they both need some electronics.

Please reply ppl.

[africanyankee]

Hey! great video, I just got the A1 and am installing it soon. I was just wondering, do you have the music for this song? if its an original, then i understand, but it has a wonderful feel to it, and I'd love to learn it. thanks

[evolution4648]

can it be made to function the same way as the passive M1A?

[willielokie]

I use the exact same pickup. And I have that noise in the background when I plug it through an interface. Is it normal for this pickup to have that much noise?

[bobdwilliams]

I don't think so....mine isn't making noise?

Good luck with it, Willie

[quickmantan]

@bobdwilliams

HI bob i im using the LR baggs m1 on a martin D28, i would like to know how you set up the pick up magnets... do you have them raised close to the strings or did you lower them all the way in, to get that sound, caus i find mine to be really twangy..

[bobdwilliams]

@bobdwilliams I think ... maybe the posts are set too high? I fool around with mine and get different sounds out of it. I love this pickup!

[Annonymus121]

what bit size ?

[bobdwilliams]

15/32 should do you just fine!

[Annonymus121]

thanks i bought the ibeam pickup so it ended up being 31/64, but my ibeam pickup is VERY quiet

[saddiago]

Great video, but it would've been nice to see how to use the self-stick wire clips that come with the product. I am completely lost as to how to use them, am I supposed to stick them on the guitar? They don't stick! Help...anyone.

[tkjp999]

watch the vid 'Acoustic Pickup Installation' and see if that helps

[MauriceUK1]

Sounds great on your Martin .. I put one on my Guild JF100 and I hate it ... lol I get a horrible cheesy electric sound ... nothing like the guitar ... half price anyone??? lol

[ylju]

@MauriceUK1 ..................i have a jumbo guitar as well and this pickup sounds a bit shitty,very hollow boxy sound............i was wondering if maybe it was because of the jumbo nature.......tomorrow i stick it in a dreadnought to find out........if its still crappy,i give it a month of tweaking then i say yes or no to selling it

[MauriceUK1]

@ylju HI ..RE the LR Baggs .. I tried everything .. but I hated the sound .. I bought a Fishman "Matrix "set up instead and my guitar sounds great now ... I sold the LR Baggs ..wont use them again .. cheers Maurice

[chsgdss]

***** VERY GOOD *****

[wetsallywaters]

could you do this to a classical guitar with nylon strings

[bobdwilliams]

I don't think it would work very well ......because of the magnetic operation of the pickup against those nylon strings......but maybe it could/would? Anybody else use this on a nylon guitar with any success?

[dogwomble]

This particuclar pickup won't work for the reason bobdwilliams mentions. Piezo pickups or internal microphones work better for nylon-strung guitars.

[vhooraz]

@wetsallywaters It won't work. No metal no magnetic field--->no sound.

[ElectronicRevuer]

is it possible to install this without drilling a hole in your guitar? I guess it depends on the hole of your end pin?

[bobdwilliams]

Yes ElectronicRevuer....just let the chord hang out the soundhole. Maybe put a little tape. Caution!!! use the non-sticky blue tape! Don't use a great sealing tape because the finish could come off when you want to remove it!

[RobotSlaughterhouse]

Thats an amazing guitar, I would be afraid to tweak with it!! Great video, I also enjoyed the tune in the background:]

[Ferraro03]

What if you already have a hole from where you can take your original strap button off, do you still need to drill a larger hole?

[simonpca]

Unless you have an half inch strap button hole (!!) that goes all the way through your guitar, yes you do ;-)

[Ducktowners]

does the strap button go through the body of your guitar? He uses a 15/32 drill bit to install this pickup. I guess it's that size all the way through the guitar?

[Ferraro03]

Yeah, the strap button hole on my guitar goes all the way through, but I don't think it's large enough in diameter. I'll just have to have a professional check it out when I get it.

[thejohann85]

is the sound on the video a combo of mic and pickup or just pluggled straight in and im only hearing the pick up?

[Xonoxsuka]

Nice tidy job you done, thanks for the video.

Did you use the martin string to fish the end pin'jack out through the hole you created?

[bobdwilliams]

look at the 'StewMac' web site or 'AllParts' for oversized end pins.

Hope this helps :~)

[claudio601]

Thanks! Very helpful! =D

I have another question. I'm afraid about unscrewing the jack from the hole. In which way i have to do that? (I want let you know that i've bought the guitar with the pickup system already mounted)

[spacebetweensound]

What is the name of the tool we see attached to the guitar at the strap button at 55 seconds?

Is this the hand tap? DOes the pickup come with the hand tap?

[bobdwilliams]

Yes that is the tap I used to ream out the hole without splitting the wood. I wouldn't drill into the guitar without it! I have a few these in different diameters. Sadly, no tools will came with the pickup :~(

[spacebetweensound]

By active pickup, does this mean the pickup would be plugged into the 2nd plug in for some amps? thanks for all your help.

[culurblind]

okay bob. so i just got this guitar that has been handed down through generations of my family. its a gibson acoustic that was originally made in 1903. so ive been fixing it up, getting new nut, bridge, etc. so i decided id put a pick up in this one instead of my other. but i am a ittle confused on the part where you replaced your strap button with the pick up. so does the cord plug into that? and how do you get it to stay on? thanks

-gage

[bobdwilliams]

Hey Gage, yea you plug directly into the strap button. It stays in place by the cover nut. Hopes this helps, Peace

~Bob

[1465johnw]

Hi Bob. I installed the pickup. As there was already a largish hole where the strap button was located, I simply taped over the hole, then drilled out the hole in stages, going up in drill bit sizes. The tape over the hole was essential. I got a tiny bit of chipping around the outside of the hole, but it is totally covered by the outer flange of the connector. I almost didn't do the job as I was worried I'd mess it up, but thanks to you, I am extremely happy with the result and the pickup.

[bobdwilliams]

very cool John! I love this pickup myself! The chips wouldn't have been a problem if you used a hand tap. (Then the bit after) But you are right, the flange covered that.

Peace :~)

~Bob

[Descarboxilasa]

Beatiful guitar !

[1465johnw]

Thanks for this Bob. I just bought the same pickup and will instal it with your helpful instructions. But like Cleotine, I am unsure how to drill the hole. I assume you first drilled a guide hole, then drilled a larger hole and then used a hand tap which you show in the slide to smooth the inside of the hole. Is this the correct procedure?

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks John, yes but go very slowly! My hand tap did MOST of the work and didn't chip or split anything. You will love the pickup, man!

[quickmantan]

hey thanks for the upload, i am getting a d-28 and i want to install one of these.. the only problem im fearing is drilling the whole.. what should i use?? is there any tools you get with the package to shape the hole,, and what tools do i need i as dont have any??

[chilidog1001]

so did the pickup come with the wires and everything to install it at the button???

[bobdwilliams]

Yes Chili...it's a great buy!

[cleotine]

hi bob im not sure to understand what you mean by I reamed the hole from both sides and tapped the correct diameter hole slowly with a 15/32 bit. sorry im french and my english is not perfect...thanks

[bobdwilliams]

Hey Cleotine, I used the reamer to remove any rough places leftover from the tap (smoothing the hole) until I had it smooth on both sides of the guitar body...no burs!

peace

[cleotine]

ok but my d-16 got a small hole for my endpin so do you take a electric drill or you got a wood instrument to enlarge the hole more slowly

[bobdwilliams]

I tapped the reamed out holes 'They will be slightly larger than the 15/32 bit' ream first and the ends won't split when you use your hand/electric drill :~)

[cleotine]

why is there a string in the endpin at 1.12

[tbspin]

to fish it through the body

[Sointula2]

You omitted the part where your arm won't fit into the guitar enough. (ha ha) Using the string is good though. I've noticed most applications show the bar up front in the sound hole. I just installed into a Taylor 750 (710 12 string) and put in back for more treble. I wonder if there might be some experience out there? Nice tune by the way. Thanks.

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks Sointula2...I play using fingers without picks. I like the heavy mid-range & the position near the neck gives me a phat sound :~)

Peace

[glorioustone]

i did almost exactly the same procedure like you did but for a cheap ibanez Artwood AW15 and a Dimarzio DP139 soundhole pickup. i drilled the endpin hole using a 12mm spade bit (practicing first on an old broken guitar before doing it to the ibanez). my endpin jack was an allparts jack and its installed from the outside and uses 3 small woodscrews to secure it. yours is better with the hex nut.

[bobdwilliams]

it uses wood screws to secure it in place? wow that is 'permanently installed' eh? I can remove the M1A and install it in all of my acoustics. StewMac sells over sized end pins that work quite well to fit the 15/32 hole

Peace

[hohohotdog]

do you have to install it permanently with this pickup? Or can you use it as one that you just take in and out as needed, totally temporary, without doing anything to your guitar?

[powerofdomination]

you do not have to install it permanently which is a bonus for this specific pickup

[bobdwilliams]

yep! one of the many great things about this unit!

[joeab09]

:P

Your using d'adario strings on a martin guitar :P

Noice one :D

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks Joeab09, I used the dadarios for setup. I like the Martin Bronze 80/20 medium gage for finger picking; I'm not sold on any particular brand of string. String selection is very important Ill keep searching forever to find the right set B~)

Peace B~)

[suburbancowboy9]

great video...im tempted to try replacing my fishman undersaddle with this by myself

did you have to use any other tools one you were finished making the hole?

[bobdwilliams]

thanks suburbancowboy9, I only used what I talked about in the description panel. I thought the fishman under saddle uses a strap button jack. I should be quite easy to convert.

Peace

[redduke666]

Excellent video, saved ma a lot of head scratching ! especially the use of astring to pull through.

Many thanks.

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks for watching it Redduke666!

I believe you will love playing with these. Did you use a 15/32 hole?

[Anthonyissactsang]

i love that pickup =)

[bobdwilliams]

:-) Thanks Anthonyissactsang!

I usually play straight acoustic but I have to say using this pickup adds quite a bit to my playing time...and changes things around a bit (in a good way)

Peace

[mutbrain]

Thank you very much, very usefull. I have just install mine. ;)

[resoblues]

Nice tip using a guitar string to pull it through. I like the M-1 best of any for sound but like one fellow said about hitting the volume knob and also with me the clicking with a pick when it gets hit became too annoying. But sound wise they have it totally.  Thanks

[jamesal]

good song and nice video =D

[bobdwilliams]

Nitsíniiyi'taki, James :~)

[bobgamacho]

Very nice video! The pictures and text were well done as was your 2 minute song. Between the good reviews, your videos, and a few other sources, I've decided to get this for my Seagull.

I play a very similar style. Any problems with your fingers hitting the volume dial and changing the volume while playing?

Rob

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks Rob! I like your playing also.

No my thumb doesn't hit the volume knob. It is below the string in such a way I would need to purposely stick in fingers to adjust. I've watched the way you play and it doesn't seem likely you would hit it ether.

P.S. stay off those evil evil smokes man! :~)

[bobgamacho]

Thanks for the feedback (pun intended). That was my big concern about this pickup. I want one that has a volume control (which weeds out the M1) and that doesn't have the cord coming through the soundhole. I was kind of apprehensive about doing any drilling, but this is soemthing that I can accomplish.

And, both my wife and I went cold turkey on the smoking in Sept 2007 after a week in Vegas. It was planned out months in advance, and both of us have stayed off the 'rettes since then.

Rob

[coloradox]

Wow!

We couldn't have done it better ourselves! Thanks for using our pick-ups! Your playing was sweet as well!!

John Mooy

Artist Relations - LR Baggs

[bobdwilliams]

Thanks John, the M1 has made a dramatic change in my playing style...I love it!

[DnMZen]

great video, i'm gonna have to agree with nochartmozart on this one. i think i'm about to buy one myself.

was this little song with it recorded with the pickup?

[nochartmozart]

THIS is what knocks me out. You play and share some sweet guitar, AND give out some great repair stuff like this. Thanks!

[bobdwilliams]

thanks Mozart, I love your playing style as well, I keep jumping back to your site

[Ducktowners]

Bonus!

[bobdwilliams]

hey Duck...the same way in L.A?