Okay, so I have a basic acoustic guitar, but i want to record it without having to fuss with buying an expensive microphone and figuring out where to put it, etc. So I was thinking about installing a pickup or something of that sort so I can just plug the guitar into my computer like i do with my electric and my bass. The only problem is, I have no clue what to buy and I do NOT want to drill any holes in my guitar. Is it possible to install a pickup and run the wiring on the exterior of the guitar. Any help would be nice.
Top 3 albums of all time:
1. Abbey Road
2. Dark Side of the Moon
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
yes it is
As I don't know where you are try google for 'acoustic pickup'
If you don't want to drill holes, the thing to do is to install a piezo pickup inside the soundbox (most often under the bridge) and buy a combination output jack/strap button that you install instead of the rear strap button (the one away from the neck). It does involve some work in tight spaces (you have to operate through the soundhole), so it may be best to take the guitar to a luthier if you dont feel confident about doing it yourself.
A simpler alternative is to buy a clip-on pickup that locks in the soundhole. Most are magnetic, so they require steel or nickel strings. They are simple to install and remove.
Since you want to use the pickup for recording, you should realise that most acoustic pickups are intended to amplify the guitar for live performance and tend to give a high-frequency rich signal, amplifying the sound of the strings more than the sound of the soundbox. You may find the recorded sound a bit thin and lacking in low end. If you have a microphone, you might try to record both the signal from the pickup and the mike, then mixing them to your liking. Try aiming the microphone at the point where the neck meets the body, and positioning it about 45 cm from the guitar. If you have two microphones, try pointing the other at the bridge, recording them both and mixing the two signals. The microphones don't necessarily have to be expensive (although a decent condenser microphone can work wonders here) and you might find that you like the sound more than the sound from a pickup.
i was really trying to avoid mics, since they can be pricey. Thanks for the info though, ill look into it some more.
Top 3 albums of all time:
1. Abbey Road
2. Dark Side of the Moon
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
why not buy a cheaper mic instead of the pickup and that way you can record your singing too
Do you know of any cheap mics that are good, i have no clue what to buy
Top 3 albums of all time:
1. Abbey Road
2. Dark Side of the Moon
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
One of these may be what your looking for, you just stick it in the sound hole.
Tim Madsen
Nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.
"What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away you keep forever." -Axel Munthe
Get a Behringer mic or a simple Sony's stereo plug (1/8in) mic.I record through that and get good sound quality.
okay so most the people i talk to reccomend mics. Would the Shure SM58 be good for recording guitar as well as vocals? Also, Behringer makes a small 20 dollar microphone but im wondering if its any good for recording guitars or just for voice.
Top 3 albums of all time:
1. Abbey Road
2. Dark Side of the Moon
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
