is it difficult to fit a pickup to a 12 string

benmurray85 · May 2014

ronseal!

i have zero skills in DIY and guitar maintenance tbf! so is it as simple as retro fitting one of those that go over the sound hole or is it an altogether trickier affair?

ICBM · May 2014

If you want a magnetic soundhole pickup it's exactly the same as for a 6-string, you don't need a special pickup. You can either have it with a trailing cable - easy to fit, a pain in the backside when you want to put the guitar in the case - or fit it with an endpin jack, which will mean reaming a 1/2" diameter hole through the end of the guitar.

An undersaddle pickup is more difficult, you'll need to cut the bridge saddle down very precisely by the same thickness as the pickup. You also generally need a special pickup strip designed for wide string spacing, for a 12-string.

Or you could use an internal body transducer system like a K&K, but you'll still have to ream the endpin out.

If any of this - apart from sticking a magnetic pickup in with a trailing cable - sounds too difficult or risky, take it to a professional. It's not a big job unless you want a full system with onboard preamp etc (don't, they're a pain in the backside too!), but it's easy to mess up if you're not familiar with them.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

is it difficult to fit a pickup to a 12 string

Comments