Yamaha LL500 - pickup?

andyoz · June 2015

Hi,

Anyone have ideas about adding a pickup to my LL500.

Am I better to leave it alone and buy a nice electro acoustic instead.

The LL500 is a special guitar and seems to have been largely ignored by guitar buyers when first it first came out 15 years ago.

Lewy · June 2015

There's no reason why you shouldn't add a pickup. It needn't be a destructive or overly invasive thing.

How do you play? It makes a difference to what pickup will give you what you want.

andyoz · July 2016

Just resurrecting this thread as really need to go electro acoustic...the stage becons

I was checking out the LR Baggs m80. Only invasive thing is drilling the hole for end pin.

It's a permanent mod to a really nice guitar which I think will be one of Yams future collectables.

.Sod it, I should just install the pickup and enjoy.

AliGorie · July 2016

yeah Andy, I remember those Yammies from back then, I tried and liked one but for the neck 'n string spacing - too narrow for me, I'd have got one.

Now, acoustic p/up's - some folks seem seem to be getting their thongs in a twist about acoustic transducers.
NB, many makes actually have an endpin hole already drilled but just have a 'pin' instead of a jack socket - have a look down inside or take the ep out.
SBT (soundboard transducers ) are easy to fit and tend to have a more natural sound compared to UST (under saddle transducers).
They just stick on the bridge plate - under the saddle area.
For those not accustom to working on guitars - do your readin up, get a reasonable quality (playable) cheap guitar and do your practice on it - then with what u've learned and that experience do your own "tecking".
good SBT are K&K mini's and PUTW 'Quack Buster. - both can bought in the UK
good luck

andyoz · September 2016

An M80 has come up second hand on the forum so am tempted. The LL500 doesn't have an endpin sized hole already drilled. If it does get drilled and I want to revert back i assume I just fit an aftermarket wood endpin and there's no permanent damage (this isn't a £3000 guitar I'm dealing with here!).

The LL500 is a nice light guitar so would an M80 add much weight?

Lewy · September 2016

andyoz said:

The LL500 is a nice light guitar so would an M80 add much weight?

I'd imagine if the lightness of your guitar is something you're conscious of, you'll notice it. Adding a M1A to my lightly built J45 TV certainly makes a noticeable difference in heft.

andyoz · September 2016

I'm not too precious about the weight really. I guess if I was to buy an electro-acoustic it would be inherently heavier than the LL500. I think the M80 is probably the least invasive option.

andyoz · September 2016

Well, I've bought the M80 off the classifieds here so see how it goes. Sounded the most natural in this video to my ears.

andyoz · September 2017

Just an update - the M80 is a peach and the guitar sounds lovely.

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Yamaha LL500 - pickup?

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