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    • Dec 23, 2022
    • 3 min read

Top Three Aftermarket Soundhole Pickups for Acoustic Guitars





This pickup has been my favorite for several years now. I love magnetic sound-hole pickups, but for a long time, their weakness was that they sounded "tinny" or electric. Which makes sense, as electric guitars largely do use magnetic pickups. The LR Baggs M80 solved this issue by freely suspending the humbucker coil, which adds the acoustics of the acoustic guitar, while maintaining all the advantages that electric guitar pickups have. I use this pickup even in guitars that have built in electronics. I love how I can pop it in the sound-hole temporarily without needing to permanently alter or drill into my guitar. Of course, it CAN be added permanently if desired.


Buy it on Amazon with This Link Here!

Or by clicking the above picture.



M80 Sound Demo



 

This pickup has been a mainstay on stages worldwide forever! Just like the LR Baggs M80, it can be mounted into your guitar without needing to drill or destructively alter your instrument. I like to bang on my guitar to create drum sounds when I loop, and it was for this reason that I eventually discovered and went with the M80 & it's unique virtues, but if beating your guitar to make loops is not in your bag of tricks, This super dependable pickup is a great option. It also does not need a battery, so if needing batteries to power your amplification makes you nervous- this is your huckleberry. I still keep one as backup, and to use when I'm playing outdoors and it looks like it might rain.


Buy it on Amazon with This Link Here! Or by clicking the above picture.



Woody Sound Demo



 



This is a legendary pickup that needs no introduction. Michael Hedges, a family friend who greatly influenced my technique learned about this pickup from my father. He was the first player to introduce this pickup to me, and I suspect the world as well. Keith Richards, Dave Grohl, Leo Kottke, Shawn Colvin, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Ry Cooder, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, and the who's who of acoustic tone have been making the most legendary music with this pickup since it first hit the market. Of course these pickups are super expensive, and super limited in supply. They're all hand made by Jim Kauffman, and at most he'll make about 500 a year. Be careful clicking on sound links: if the tone strikes your fancy, it WILL hypnotize you, and you will NOT be happy until you get one!


Buy it on Amazon with This Link Here! Or by clicking the above picture.



S2 Sound Demo



 

Additional Reading


The official websites of: L.R. Baggs M80, The Seymour Duncan Woody, and the Sunrise S2


If you're interested in learning more about the different types of pickups that exist for acoustic guitar, check out these great articles:


Now that you know the different types, if you're interested in articles examining the best of all types of acoustic pickups, check out these great articles:


If you're interested in learning more about the different types of pickups that exist for all guitars including electric guitar, check out these articles:







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