edited Fishman rare earth blend or LR Baggs M1A?

BowynMadley · June 2015

Looking to put either of those in my acoustic. Anyone got and advice etc on the above models and which is best?
Cheers chaps
Bo

Lewy · June 2015

My gigging experienced with the Rare Earth Blend was that the mic was very feedback prone so in most cases it had to be so low in the blend as to make it pretty pointless - so I'd only consider it if you like the sound of the magnetic pickup because that's what you're going to be hearing most of, with the mic just adding a little air where circumstances allow.

Never used the Anthem but I'm a big fan of the Lyric which uses the same mic. I despise the piezo sound so much that even a hint of it in the mix (as is used by the Anthem for the bass frequencies) is enough to turn me off the Anthem.

BowynMadley · June 2015

I have heard about feedback issues with the rare earth. Now looking at an lr baggs m1a
Anyone use one?

crunchman · June 2015

I've no personal experience but someone whose opinion I respect a lot has recommended the Seymour Duncan Mag Mic to me.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/acoustic/mag-mic.php

DiscoStu · June 2015

I've got an M1A in my Stonebridge. It sounds great and I've never had a feedback problem with it.

stickyfiddle · June 2015

I really really liked the M1A in my Taylor 214.

DiscoStu · June 2015

Here is my Stonebridge/M1A combo. Going through a Yamaha THR10 on 'flat', just to get some reverb.

Game of Thrones theme acoustic - DiscoStu:

BowynMadley · June 2015

The M1a is looking like the favourite so far. Just looks simple and effective

BowynMadley · June 2015

I'm also looking at the m80 too. Anybody have any experience with that model. Thanks for the info so far guys it's really appreciated

Bo

BowynMadley · June 2015

Bump for info on the lr baggs m80

Lewy · June 2015

Nice features on the M80 but flipping expensive for what still sounds like a soundhole pickup....

BowynMadley · June 2015

I really like the idea of the active/passive switch as I'll be running it straight into a pa and other times into an amp. It is pricey though.

Lewy · June 2015

BowynMadley;681758" said:
I really like the idea of the active/passive switch as I'll be running it straight into a pa and other times into an amp. It is pricey though.

Not 100% sure but I think Takamine's rebadged version of the M1a has that switch?

*edit* - just checked and it does. It's £20 more than the M1a and £80 less than the M80 at Thomann

BowynMadley · June 2015

Cheers @lewy much appreciated. I've been umming and arrring for a month or so now. That takamine pickup is a good price but I've found a m80 for a very simular price. Bit more umming and arrring I think. I'll rip through some more review tonight.

BowynMadley · July 2015

All sorted now thanks guys. I went for the lr baggs m80 in the end. Got a really good deal on it.
Bo

Chris_J · June 2017

Zombie thread....

BowynMadley said:

All sorted now thanks guys. I went for the lr baggs m80 in the end. Got a really good deal on it.
Bo

How you getting on with the m80?

I'm looking for a pickup to share between 3 guitars and the m80 is in the running.

BowynMadley · June 2017

Chris_J said:

Zombie thread....

BowynMadley said:

All sorted now thanks guys. I went for the lr baggs m80 in the end. Got a really good deal on it.
Bo

How you getting on with the m80?

I'm looking for a pickup to share between 3 guitars and the m80 is in the running.

The m80 was a fantastic pickup and very versatile. It wasn't as practical as they say though. Changing it over from guitar to guitar is very fiddly without taking the strings off. In the end I realised that I only gave one acoustic that I want to have a pickup so I sold the m80 and bought the lr baggs anthem tru Mic SL. I'm very very pleased with it. Sounds very good

AliGorie · June 2017

I use the Rare Earth Blend for plugged in playing - does the job. I tend to play through a TC Electronics ParaEQ so can give it more Mic in the mix.
It's on the Bourgeois JOM thread - but not plugged in on those - does that even make sense.

Chris_J · June 2017

Thanks for getting back to me!

I'm in 2 minds whether to just fit a pickup permanently to my 000 or to go down the route of a removable soundhole pickup so I could share it with my D18 and parlour... Decisions decisions. I used to have a guitar with a k&k mini, which was decent, but, if I wanted to play more than 1 guitar live then I'd need multiple systems.

I get what you're saying about the m80 being a pain to switch between guitars. I'm guessing all the decent soundhole/blend pickups week be the same due to their size.

The rare earth blend is also in the running as is the Schertler m-ag6 with the additional mic.

BowynMadley · June 2017

Chris_J said:

Thanks for getting back to me!

I'm in 2 minds whether to just fit a pickup permanently to my 000 or to go down the route of a removable soundhole pickup so I could share it with my D18 and parlour... Decisions decisions. I used to have a guitar with a k&k mini, which was decent, but, if I wanted to play more than 1 guitar live then I'd need multiple systems.

I get what you're saying about the m80 being a pain to switch between guitars. I'm guessing all the decent soundhole/blend pickups week be the same due to their size.

The rare earth blend is also in the running as is the Schertler m-ag6 with the additional mic.

If i were you I'd go fully installed. Yes you loose the interchangeability (Not sure that even a word) but what you gain in tone will far outway that. Plus what you have to take into account with sound hole pickups and especially the m80 is that it has 3 magnets in it. The humbucking coil and and 3rd for body resonance. This makes it a bit chunky and heavy. I bought my anthem sl from an American lr baggs dealer and after paying the import fees it was close on £100 cheaper than any uk dealer.

Lewy · June 2017

Since this Zombie thread is resurrected, I'm no longer the big fan of the LR Baggs Lyric that I said I was a couple of years back on this thread. Great sound potential, but way to fussy to get a good sound quickly on a gig.

Chris_J · June 2017

Lewy said:

Since this Zombie thread is resurrected, I'm no longer the big fan of the LR Baggs Lyric that I said I was a couple of years back on this thread. Great sound potential, but way to fussy to get a good sound quickly on a gig.

What are you favouring these days Lewy?

Lewy · June 2017

Chris_J said:

Lewy said:

Since this Zombie thread is resurrected, I'm no longer the big fan of the LR Baggs Lyric that I said I was a couple of years back on this thread. Great sound potential, but way to fussy to get a good sound quickly on a gig.

What are you favouring these days Lewy?

K&K Pure Mini, augmented with a C1000s on a stand if environment permits (although perfectly happy with just the Pure Mini if needs be). I use it into the K&K Pure XLR pre/DI.

That's if I want the most natural sound and response, I have also been enjoying playing around with an M1A plugged into a LR Baggs Session DI, with it's saturation and multiband compression. It doesn't sound natural but responds in a very pleasing way so I might try that on a solo gig at some point.

Chris_J · June 2017

That's great, thanks for the info!

I guess I'm trying to avoid fitting a pickup (permanently atleast) but maybe that's the best/easiest way of getting a good sound... even if it's just a passive k&k

Lewy · June 2017

Chris_J said:

That's great, thanks for the info!

I guess I'm trying to avoid fitting a pickup (permanently atleast) but maybe that's the best/easiest way of getting a good sound... even if it's just a passive k&k

I'm in a similar boat with a couple of guitars - a J45 TV that doesn't work well with a Pure Mini because the bridge plate is too small, and a Collings OM that I don't really want to have drilled. That's what had me digging the M1A out of mothballs to try out again, having previously gone off it, feeling it was too brittle and glassy sounding on the high end. The Session DI tames that quite a lot (caveat: only tried at home, not on a gig yet)

Funkfingers · June 2017

I had the Fishman RE Blend in a mid-price Martin. Chucked it for a pre-owned L. R. Baggs Anthem SL. Not caring much for the undersaddle transducer part of the installation convinced me that my Stonebridge deserved an L. R. Baggs Lyric.

thomasross20 · July 2017

Pure mini is just brilliant.
Cheap, out-of-sight, sounds great - can't be beat IMO.

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edited Fishman rare earth blend or LR Baggs M1A?