LR Baggs M1A Active Soundhole Magnetic Pickup  

I don't know if it was just my unit or if it was my guitar or both, but first the pick-up was VERY sensitive to buzz from the lights in the room.  Second, it seemed to really exasperate every slight string-buzz on my guitar.  I was SOOOO hopefull about this pickup, but I turned it right back around.

Seemed to be very well built.  I was impressed with the quality of the build quality.

Again, it didn't work for me .. electric buzzing plus string buzz highlighting made is a non-starter for me.

I installed the M1A in my 1956 Gibson Southern Jumbo.  The sound is AMAZING.  I'm extremely impressed.  The M1A makes a fantastic vintage acoustic sound equally fantastic amplified.

One caviat, however.  Gibson really built tanks back then compared to the typical newer acoustic.  The tail block on the Gibson was about a 1/4" thicker than the M1A strapjack could accomodate.  Baggs extremely responsive and helpful tech support advised countersinking the hole from the inside.  That simply wasn't an option for me and there is no qualified luthier available so I had to get inventive, but I was able to engineer a fix that worked fine.

IMHO, spending the time to balance each pole piece is a necessity and results in a rich, bright sound with excellent sustain.  I am running the M1A with no EQ into a TC Helicon Harmony G.  There is PLENTY of gain.

I'm VERY pleased with this pickup!!!!

The M1A is certainly at the higher price range of sound hole pickups, but it's well worth the investment, especially since it can move from instrument to instrument pretty easily.

The mix of body and string sounds accurately reproduce the acoustic tone of my guitar.  The above mentioned strapjack issue was disappointing and nearly a show stopper but a bit of inventiveness resolved the issue.

An optional "long reach" strapjack would be a welcome addition.  My guitar can't be the only one in the world with an extra thick tail block.

A choice of white or black might be welcomed by some; however, the white certainly stands out and is distinctive

Not much to it. Very simple...the way I like it!

I had previously been using an under saddle pickup of some or other variety (it had already been installed when I bought the guitar) and had never been happy with the live sound I'd been getting, even while using various "high end" preamps. The under saddle always lent a tinny sound to the guitar (decidedly NOT charactaristic of a jumbo body Guild), and the other soundhole pickups I'd tried (DiMarzio, Fishman) tilted toward the dreaded "rubber band" sound I'd always hated about acoustic-electric guitars. While I can't say the M1A fully captures the depth and richness of a nearly 40 year old guitar, it at least sounds natural, and with a minimum of fuss. I no longer need a preamp, and never use an outboard EQ (tried it and only managed to make my guitar sound worse). Just a DI and a good P.A. and soundman. My Guild lays comfortably in the mix with the rest of my band, and manages to stay present against electric guitar, lap steel, keyboards, accordian, and electric bass. Installation is super easy. The volume wheel is a bit awkward to reach at first, but I got used to it in short order.

All-in-all, a superb product for the price.

I've been using the Baggs M1A pickup in my '73 Guild F-40 for three or four years, and it's a keeper. I plan on buying a second one for my 12-string.

10

I put this pickup in my guitar about 2 weeks ago & dearly love this thing. Over the last 40 some years I've tried several different kinds of acoustic pickups. This one is a thousand times better than the under saddle unit I have been having a hateful relationship with for several years now. Wish they would have had this unit on the market 20 years ago. I can actually enjoy playing my flat top again.. now I'll have to relearn all those fingerpickin' & bluegrass songs that I quit playing when I went to electric guitar. It isn't cheap, but I can tell you it is worth it. I don't mind laying out the cash when something works this good.     I also like the color as it looks real good sitting on the blond top of my guitar.     No more eq / volume on the belt.