Hi Anton,
I confirmed that a guitar with a piezo bridge and the CTRL-X will pass magnetic signal if the battery dies or is removed. Only the piezo signal will be affected.
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Hi Anton,
I confirmed that a guitar with a piezo bridge and the CTRL-X will pass magnetic signal if the battery dies or is removed. Only the piezo signal will be affected.
Thank you!
And what about the possibility of using Graphtech Ghost piezo pickups with L. R. Baggs Ctrl-X preamp? Can you say something about it?
Hi Anton,
The CTRL-X was designed to apply a nominal +3dB of gain to the piezo signal by the presence of the FET transistor at its input. The piezo pickup needs to be of relatively high output(like that of the LR Baggs X-Bridge or T-Bridge signals) so it can be attenuated, if necessary, to match the level of the magnetic pickup(s).
I'm fairly certain the Ghost pickups should be of high enough output for compatibility with the CTRL-X.
Thanx a lot! :))
HI Bryan. My 9 volt battery for my older godin LRBaggs 12 string has come unsoldered from the circuit board on the top of the guitar. Where on the board do I raattach the - and +? Thanks, Adrian
It will depend on which circuit that guitar is using.Quote:
Originally Posted by adrian
What is the model name of the guitar?
What's the control layout and location?
One 9V battery or two?
Hi Bryan:
I have a Fender flattop with a factory pickup that has died on me. I'm thinking about replacing the Fender component with an Anthem. My questions are these:
1. I used the current rig with an Baggs Para Acoustic DI. I liked it for its ability to add gain, provide EQ and a notch. Will the use of a PADI be possible and/or needed with the Anthem?
2. The current Fender wiring exits the body through a 1/4" jack in the lower bout. I see that the Anthem installation instructions call for a 1/2" hole in the tail block instead. Will I still be able to use the current hole or will I need to drill the tail block?
Thanks!!
Terry
Olympia, WA
Hi Terry,
1. The Para Acoustic D.I. is not required for interfacing the Anthem to an amp or PA system but it can be just as useful for optimizing gain, dialing in a better tone with its EQ and its signal routing capabilities.
2. Provided the output jack location is sturdy enough, the endpin jack can be mounted on the lower bout. for the endpin jack, however, I'm inclined to suggest you add some reinforcement to the inside of the mounting location.
Bryan:Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryan McManus
Thanks for the quick response! That's very helpful. I'm glad I can keep the PADI in the circuit path. It's been very useful. I'll plan on adding some extra material to the inside of the lower bout in order to stiffen it at that point. Maybe something 2" square and 3/16" thick or so, shaped to fit the contour of the lower bout. I can rig up some kind of through-hole clamp to hold it in place while the glue dries.
Mahalo nui loa!
Terry
Olympia, WA
This is possibly a dumb question [I'm just a piano player], but our school was given a Babicz Spider acoustic with the "Element" unit mounted in it. Both on the Babicz webpage and here on lrbaggs.com the photos and specs on this unit show a small battery drawer that pops out. My unit doesn't have a battery compartment that I can see. The front has volume, treble, mid, and bass pots as well as a little green "battery" light but I'll be @#$%^& if I can figure out where the battery goes... I unscrewed the thing from its mounting but didn't see any battery or battery connectors. Any help?
Hi Tim,
Please call 805-929-3545, ext. 111, at your convenience to discuss the battery holder in that side-mounted preamp.
Hi there,
I had a tiny problem with my battery end pin and wire.
While playing the bag came loose and dropped down towards the strapjack resulting in yanking the battery connector wire and snapping it at the endpin on the pickup.
I have taken out the endpin and now there is some wire stuck in one side and I can't seem to remove it with a pair of tweezers. Is there a replacement I can buy locally (malaysia) or from LR Baggs?
Hope you could help me out here...
Thanks! :)
Hi Jonkoo,
I apologize for the delay.
Do I understand correctly that the system's battery lead was damaged or broken?
If so, that should not be a hard part to find. If you have trouble locating an equivalent in your locale, please email your mailing address to [email protected] and I'll send a replacement battery lead for the endpin preamp.
Hi Bryan,
The cable was damaged and I can find a replacement for the cable but not the endpin because I can't seem to remove some of the lead/wire that was caught inside the endpin.
Maybe I can upload a picture of the damage? Maybe you can advise me further from thereon.
Thanks again,
Jon
Hi Jon,
If you can, please post a photo here or email it to [email protected]
Hi Bryan,
I recently purchased a Venue D.I. and I am having very bad ground hum problems when I use the effects loop. I actually returned my first Venue D.I. thinking that it was broken yet I'm having the same exact issues with my second Venue D.I. The lift helps a bit but there is still audible noise and I can't really use an amp with it at all. When I don't use the loop everything is totally silent and great. I need to be able to run the D.I. output to an amp and also send XLR from the Venue D.I. to the house.
I have been using the Para Acoustic D.I. for over 5 years with an insert cable, the same effects, and zero noise issues.
Do you have some suggestions as to how I should go about trouble-shooting this? I really want to make the Venue work because the overall sound is amazing. But I also really MUST be able to use the loop or it's a deal-breaker.
Thanks for your help. You guys make amazing stuff.
Zach Brock
http://www.zachbrock.com
Hello Bryan,
I have two M1 Active pickups on Martin guitars and I would like to ask a question.
I know the instructions say to disconnect the cable lead from the guitar when not in use to save the life of the battery.
Can I leave the cable lead connected at the guitars and unplug the cable at the amplifier.
Would this not be the same thing?
Look forward to your response.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.
Hi djhtex,
With the M1Active, the 1/8” output jack is a RTS and the provided output harness intended for mounting in the guitar’s tail block is also TRS. The M1A’s internal preamp doesn’t get switched on until you plug into the 1/4” output jack with a MONO instrument cable.
Because of that, you need to unplug from the 1/4” output jack in the guitar in order to switch the preamp off.
Leaving the MONO instrument cable in the guitar should keep the preamp on and consume the battery in approximately 1000 plugged-in hours.
Here's a follow-on question from our posts on 10/24/2011. The install went very well in the Fender and the Anthem system sounds super. I went ahead and mounted the endpin jack in the tail block and it worked just fine. I'm now the proud owner of a new Seagull Maritime dreadnought and would dearly love to transfer the Anthem system over to the new guitar. I won't be playing the Fender much anymore and buying a new Anthem system for the Seagull would be pretty spendy for my budget. So how do you get an Anthem system out of a guitar without damaging either the system or the instrument? The adhesives used to hold the components in seem pretty mighty.Quote:
Originally Posted by TerryLiberty
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Terry
If it's the standard Anthem preamp unit with its three adhesive pads, our best recommendation is to push down on the front corner closest to the fingerboard and very carefully filet through the adhesive pad with an exacto knife. The adhesive is strong but the foam is not too dense to be easily cut. Harder to tear, though, so I wouldn't just try to push harder on the corner. Once that corner's adhesive is cut apart, do the other front corner. Now, you can push slowly down on the front corners with enough leverage to gradually separate or tear through the larger adhesive pad on the back end of the preamp. When the preamp is separate from the top, work at any remaining adhesive pad material with your fingertips. It should come off fairly easily.Quote:
Originally Posted by TerryLiberty
Please contact me directly at [email protected] or 805-929-3545, ext. 111, for info about a "transplant kit" with all adhesives needed to move the system to another guitar.
Bryan:
Got it. I'll send you an e-mail about the transplant kit.
How about the process of removing the pickup that's glued to the underside of the soundboard under the bridge? Would a similar process of slicing through the foam work?
Thanks.
Terry
Hey Bryan,
Is it possible to use the T-Bridge with active EMG pickups ?
Hi
I wrote to you last week at [email protected] but I don't have received any reply untill now
I try now on the forum
I bought an element active system piezo (for nylon string) from an authorised vendor in italy.
A very expert liutist mounted it on my classical admira guitar.
My problem is that 2nd e 3rd strings play louder than the other 4 strings and this is very annoying. This is true also tapping over the saddle (in coincidence of the strings)
I’ll back to the liutist soon but I need to know if there is something that I can do myself (liutist is far from me) o something I could know or tell to the liutist.
at your opinion What is the issue?
Thank you for your attention
Marco – Italy
Hey Bryan...I have a Venue DI that's about a year or two old and recently it has been producing a crunchy almost overdriven sound through a PA...panning to one side seems to solve it, but I'd like to know how I can get it back to proper working order...thanks!
Sean
Just an update on my problem. All the while I kept playing with a battery but now I just bought a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 + and the problem simply vanished.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hecube
Hi, I have an Element Active. It sounds great but seems to have a fairly low output level when compared to my other guitar with the same system. Assuming that it is installed correctly (because I've done exhaustive troubleshooting on the installation and so I'm looking for other answers), is there any way with a meter (or otherwise) to actually test the output and see if the problem is possibly in the preamp? (Battery is good, the pickup itself seems to have even response from bass to treble).
I put a volt meter (with the switch at 200m VDC) on a guitar cable plugged in and got these results: 0.4 on the quiet one and 0.8 on the loud one. Does that mean anything? Both guitars give identical readings in ohms (16.8 with the dial at 20K).
Hi, I'm new to the forum. I currently use the I Beam passive in two of my guitars and run through a Para DI with great results.
I'm thinking of picking a used M1A for another guitar. Can I order extra pole pieces through LR Baggs?
Hi Mike,
Welcome to the Forum.
We are always happy to supply replacement pole pieces, most of the time we'll replace them for free. However, if you are buying a used M1 and it looks like the poles for the B and high E string are missing, they are probably still there. The factory setting for those two poles are much deeper than the others. So if that's the case, you might not need replacements.
The M1 poles are sensitive to the metallic core of the strings. The B string has the thickest core of all of the strings, so the pole is lower to balance the output of all six strings.
-Caleb E.
Tech Support
Hello all & thanks Bryan -
I have a Tribeca guitar [circa 2007] that came with a LR Baggs Element installed on board at the factory. It sounds great. But I can not get the battery compartment open
for love or money! The battery is exhausted and I need to change it, but when I press in on the top -it gives- but then it does not release. It is stuck. Can you please
help? Or will I need to take it to a luthier to have it "repaired"?
Thanks,
Pete
Hi Pete,
Thanks for the heads-up on this issue. Can you describe the control layout or reply with a digital picture of the face of the unit? I may know something specific about it I could recall if I could see which model it is.
Any ideas from Support? I'd love to hear...
Quote:
Originally Posted by morgdan
Hi Morgdan,
I apologize for the delay.
There are a lot of factors that can influence output from a pickup system installed into a given guitar. If one guitar is short scale(24.75") and one is long(25.5"), and the two guitars have the same gauge strings, you can expect slightly higher tension in the long scale guitar to achieve the same pitch. Also, if one guitar has a taller saddle or a steeper break-angle where the strings lead from the saddle into the pinholes, it can mean more string energy gets into the pickup with that guitar than with the other.
Does the difference in plugged-in output translate into the guitars acoustically, meaning is the guitar that is louder when plugged in also louder when played unplugged with the same intensity?
Hi there, I apologize if my question has been addressed in a previous thread. I am interested in either an M1 Active pick-up or the new M80 and I am not sure what would be the
best simplistic configuration for me to get the most out of it. Would I need to use a DI, or could I go straight to a PA board from the pick-up. If I needed a DI, would a Baggs Para DI be the best fit or would it's preamp conflict with the M80 used in Active mode? Any thoughts and tips would be appreciated.
Hi Andy,
The M80 is the newest pickup in our magnetic series and has a very different sound than the M1A. If you are looking for a more natural sound, the M80 is the direction to take, however, a lot of people really like the sound they can get from an M1A. Take a look at our youtube channel to see which you prefer: http://www.youtube.com/user/lrbaggsmedia
It is not necessary to have a DI with either system, but the extra EQ and boost in signal is always a nice option to have. If you are going to be running long cables to the board (30+ feet) it is a good idea to use the DI so the signal is shielded from outside interference. Since our preamps use high quality components the signal stays very clean and therefore there is no negative effect to having them inline with an active pickup. In fact, when we are at trade shows we always run our active systems through a Venue DI.
If any of this isn't clear feel free to respond or give us a call here at the office for further explanation.
-Christian
805-929-3545
Hi Bryan. I have a Larrivee with the Element notch system and the contacts in the inside of the strapjack have gone a bit loose so when I use a normal jack i get pop noises all the time if the jack moves a little bit. I'm about to buy a replacement for it but I'm not sure which is the exact piece i need.
The strapjack looks exactly like this (LR Baggs M1-C2):
http://www.bluestarmusic.net/images/...ggs_m1a-c1.jpg
But in the specs the seller says it's the strapjack for the M1 active or passive pickups. Not sure if you use the same strapjack for my pickup system.
Can you please confirm if this is the right one for replacement.
Thank you.
Hi Isrvel,
I can confirm that the part shown in the picture is the M1C2. It is used by the Element-Notch, both versions of the Stagepro system and all the magnetic sound hole pickups(M1, M1Active and M80).
Hi again Bryan,
Hopefully this is the correct place for my question. If possible, I'd like to remove the 3-way toggle switch from my X-Bridge/Ctrl-X setup, and just use the Ctrl-X pot as a blend pot. Is it possible or even advisable to physically remove the switch, or would I be better off just leaving the wiring intact, and simply keep the switch tucked away under the pickguard, set in the middle position?
Thanks.
Banchan
hi i have m1active on my epiphone ej 200 sounds great most of the time just a few times i have to take the low end down on the eq on the mixing desk should i get a preamp and which one would you recommend thanks
Hi Gaelic83,
The M1A, because there is a preamp built into it, does not require a preamp but you can still use one to optimize the signal. Some preamps also have EQ and balanced outputs such as our Para Di and Venue DI. Either of them would be able to apply more gain to your M1A signal and provide EQ for improving the tone. Both also have DI outputs for sending the signal down long leads without inducing noise.
Hi Bryan,
I'm new and know little about pickups, etc. I just bought a Breedlove guitar with an LR Baggs Element Active VTC pickup. It sounds fairly good when plugged into my PA, but I'd like to know more about it: reading various comments in this forum and elsewhere I see a lot of discussion about piezo pickup problems, mainly a quacking sound. I assume the EA VTC is piezo, right? If there are so many problems why are they used in so many good guitars? Should I use a DI box with this pickup? Would either the Para DI or the Gigpro be the right one to use?
Thanks,
Dick