Undersaddle piezo in Martin 000-18

[jorge rodriguez]

Hi,

I have a 1971 Martin 000-18 and I would like to install an undersaddle pickup in it, but I think that the x braces are exactly below the saddle ends... so I can't risk drilling a hole there. Has anyone found this situation?

Checking other possibilities I'm also considering something like the LR Baggs Ibeam, that just sticks below the bridge... but then again I'm not sure that it would fit below the saddle (as it is recommended), because the x brace doesn't leave enough room... would installing it behind the bridge pins give a bad sound?

Any help much appreciated!! Thanks!!!

Regards,

Jorge

[Mark Swanson]

Are you sure the X braces are not further out in the wings of the bridge? They should not intersect the saddle slot but should be further apart. If you place a strong light inside your guitar in a darker room, you should be able to see through the top enough to tell.
The I-Beam should go right where Baggs suggests, and placing it further back will hurt the tone for sure.

[jorge rodriguez]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the advice, I will check!!

Jorge

[jorge rodriguez]

I just checked with the light... and the braces fall right below the ends of the saddle... I also thought it was strange, but apparently that's how Martin built guitars in the 70s (maybe only this model?).

That's a shame because I really wanted to use this guitar for gigging. Can you think of any other system that I could use for amplification? I don't like magnetic pickups in acoustic guitars, I don't like the sound very much... and microphone based systems often cause feedback problems... but I am open to suggestions.

Thanks again!!

Jorge

[Bob Gramann]

A K&K Pure Western Mini (a 3-piece bridgeplate transducer) will probably fit on the bridgeplate right under the saddle. That, or a McIntyre Feather (also a bridgeplate transducer) will give you a pretty reasonable sound for not much money. I prefer the sound of either to any undersaddle transducer that I've ever heard.

[jorge rodriguez]

Thanks Bob! I will check those!

[Mark Swanson]

Those pickups will work...I am not as big of a fan as Bob, but they will fit your situation. I have used the K&K pickups.

[Bob Gramann]

Don't count me as a fan. I just like those more than any of the others that I like less. I gig with a microphone. I only install a pickup when a customer insists on it. (Except, I do put a K&K in my acoustic basses).

[jorge rodriguez]

Ok thanks Bob and Mark! That was really helpful. I think I'll try one of those...

[David King]

Do all the undersaddle pickups have the wire coming out the end?. What if you drilled the hole at an angle so it didn't hit the X brace.
I see some very nice looking condenser mics selling for a lot less than they used to. I wonder if any of those would work?
I have a Sennhieser MKH-40P which is nice for most instrumentation situations but a lowly Shure SM57 is pretty good most of the time. Audix was also making some nice instrumentation mics that clip on.

[jorge rodriguez]

Hi David,

I also thought about that, but all the undersaddle piezos that I've seen do have the wire at the end. And the position of the X braces really makes it impossible, even if you drill at an angle.
I really like the sound when using a microphone (of course it's the real sound), but I've had bad experiences playing in noisy venues, with lots of feedback etc... if I found a nice mic system that wouldn't cause so much trouble I would really go for that, but it's hard to find, and money is a problem as well

Thanks for your reply!

Jorge