10 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups of 2024 - Review & Buying Guide (2024)

Acoustic Pickup Buyer's Guide

The first important issue to address before you purchase a pickup is whether or not you’re willing to modify your guitar to install it. You also need to consider if you are competent enough to do the job or need someone to do it for you. Although, most guitar stores will have a professional who can do it for you for a reasonable price.

Some pickups require little to no modification. But this type of pickup might not give you the sound quality you want. Then, you can go for a more advanced pickup, but that might require extensive modification. If your guitar has sentimental value or you don't want to low its resale value, then you want to avoid any major modification. A clip-on pickup will therefore be your best option.

What to Look for When Buying an Acoustic Guitar Pickup

There are quite a few features that you need to keep an eye out for when choosing a pickup. We're going to go through each of them right now.

But, before we do, you need to decide for what reason you want the pickup.

Is it for live performances?

Do you need it for recording?

Is the pickup just for practicing at home?

Once you know what you'll need the pickup for, then move onto the next section.

Acoustic Guitar Pickup Types

There are a range of pickups on the market that all work in different ways. Let's look at the most common types.

Piezo pickups (pronounced “pee-YAY-zoh”) will almost always require modification because they are placed under your guitar's bridge. They are a type of microphone that works by converting the physical vibration of your guitars' strings into a signal using a compressed crystal.

They are generally inexpensive and sound bright. Another drawback - besides the dreaded drilling - is that they do not sound as natural as other pickups. However, they will not provide you with any feedback issues. They are also awesome at cutting through the mix, making them ideal for live performance. Piezo pickups feature a much older form of technology than magnetic pickups.

Under-saddle pickups are a variation of piezo pickups. The difference is that they are placed under the saddle rather than the bridge of your guitar. This means that your soundboard can resonate more freely, providing you with a more balanced sound.

There is another type of transducer-based pickup that is called a contact pickup. They might remind you of a doctor's stethoscope. Though visually different from piezo pickups, they work in a very similar way. Both of them function in direct contact with the guitar. They both measure the pressure of the string vibrations. Then the signal is pre-amplified before it is sent as an output in the same manner as a piezo. The main difference is that they are attached to the soundboard rather than below the bridge.

This is what gives them a more natural tone than a piezo. They are, however, prone to feedback at very high volumes. Some will require modification to mount them.

Soundhole pick-ups are similar to a common electric guitar magnetic pickup. They generate a signal from the disturbance within the magnetic field. That means that they require steel strings to function. Some models allow for height adjustments to the pickups, which is also similar to those on electric guitars. Despite being very accurate, they can be perceived as sterile sounding. Then again, many offer tone adjustment so that you can equalize your tone to one that sounds more authentic. They are slightly more vulnerable to feedback than a piezo device.

In-guitar microphones are another option, although they aren't technically pickups. There are 'blended model' devices these days that combine a traditional pickup with a mic (which works with coil stacks) then blend the two signals. Some allow for control over how much of each signal is prevalent in the mix. This combats feedback issues. A great blended in-guitar mic will probably set you back a fair bit but it is well worth paying for if you plan to perform in front of large audiences.

How much does it cost to put a pickup in an Acoustic Guitar?

The overall price comes down to two main things. Firstly, your budget will determine whether you're looking at high-end or low-end models. Secondly, the type of pickup you choose will also be important.

It's always recommended to ask a professional to modify your guitar when attaching pickups to it. This is particularly true if you're attaching piezo, under saddle, or contact pickups. Of course, this will be an added expense on top of the pickups, but it's unavoidable. If you try to do this yourself, then you run the risk of destroying your guitar.

If you're just looking for a pickup to use at home, then there's no need to invest in an expensive piece of kit that will require a professional installation. For example, you can buy a clip-on model for less than fifteen bucks, which you can install yourself.

How to install a Guitar Pickup for Acoustic?

Again, this will entirely depend on the type of pickup you buy. Opting for a clip-in is the easiest route. Pickups that require taking apart your guitar, drilling, or gluing are best left to professionals.

Despite the warnings, it is a relatively simple process. If you are going to attempt to install it yourself, then we recommend practicing on a cheap acoustic. You can usually pick up a bargain at a thrift shop. You don't need to worry too much about the quality if it is essentially going to be used for practice. The main modification each typically require is to widen the endpin to a larger size with a drill bit. The hole should be large enough for running the wires through.

Most pickups that are placed internally will need to be attached to a smooth surface that has been sanded. Again, this is an easy enough job. Some need gluing while others are self-adhesive. You may need a mirror to get a good look at what is going on inside the guitar. Under-saddle pickups will require saddle and bridge removal. We highly recommend that you employ a professional to do this.

Best Sounding Acoustic Guitar Pickup?

All of the pickups on our list sound fantastic. Choosing a single product that sounds better than all the rest is difficult. Instead of picking just one, let's have a look at some of our favorites and why we like them so much.

For a simple sound enhancement, then you'll likely be best with the Fishman Matrix Infinity. This will give you a big power boost, but it might make your guitar sound slightly synthetic.

Guitarists who want the most natural and authentic tone for their guitar while a pickup is installed should choose the L.R. Baggs SL. This is a fantastic product that we can highly recommend.

If you're still unsure, we advise checking out a few YouTube video reviews, as they will allow you to listen to the pickups in action. Remember, the sound has been condensed so that it can be played via YouTube. That means that it won't be completely true to life, but it still should give you some idea of what the pickups sound like.

We also recommend going for a trusted brand. If you choose one of the products from our list, though, then we don't think you'll be disappointed.

Best Acoustic Guitar Soundhole Pickup?

If you are opting for magnetic soundhole pickup, you might want to look for one that's a humbucker, which is the same as electric guitars use. These pickups are not susceptible to picking up background hum, which is a big plus. The Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking pickup would be a good purchase if you are looking for the best soundhole pickup. It's designed in a way that ensures you never get any unwanted background hum. We think it's good enough for live performances too.

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Best Under-Saddle Pickup for Acoustic Guitar?

Our top choice would be the Fishman Matrix Infinity under-saddle piezo pickup. This is an award-winning pickup that also has a microphone built into it. It provides you with unbeatable quality, as well as well-balanced sound.

Conclusion

It's a great idea to buy a pickup for your acoustic guitar. And there are some fantastic products out there these days too, there's no reason not to experiment with this piece of equipment. You can go for anything from a blended system, like L.R. Bragg produces, to a clip-on condenser microphone.

Whatever product you choose, always make sure that they're designed to eliminate feedback. You don't want your live gig ruined by horrible feedback.

We also recommend that any pickup that requires modification should be installed by a professional. It might seem as simple as drilling a few holes or gluing a few things here and there. It's still a big risk when you mess around with your instrument. You don't want to harm it. So, pay a bit extra, and get a professional to install the pickup in your acoustic. It won't take them very long, and it's well worth it in the long run.

Of course, an expensive installation isn't required for some of the pickups on our list. If you buy a budget model, such as one that clips onto the soundhole, then you can do this yourself without any issues. These pickups will also only set you back ten or twenty bucks, so are an affordable option for amplifying your guitar.

We hope that you've found this article informative. And good luck choosing your new pickups. We're sure that it will transform your guitar for the better!

Expert Tip

If you have your heart set on installing modifications yourself, we hope you heed our advice about practicing with a throw-away acoustic. You don't want to destroy your beloved instrument. Make sure that you watch lots of online tutorials before you fetch your drill too! People experienced with DIY should still learn what to do before running the risk of destroying your instrument.

Did You Know?

The Latin origin of the word piezo shares its roots with 'piezein'. This means to press or squeeze something. This is a particularly fitting image for the description of how the electronics in a piezo work. The electric charge that accumulates in certain solids as they respond to stress applied to them is known as a piezoelectric charge.

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