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RE: Built in amp help! please. (in reply to Jim Opfer)
Hi Jim.
I had an invisible pick-up fitted underneath the saddle. Drilling of the guitar body was required to allow access. The problem here is that the pick-up slightly raised the action of the guitar. The battery which provides the power is contained within a small nylon bag again stuck with adhesive to the inside of the guitar body. Although only small, I feel that it has a detrimental effect upon the sound when played acoustically. As a result I have removed the pick-up completely.
Another guitar of mine had a fishman transducer fitted, again to the inside of the guitar body but no drilling is required as the jack emerges discreetly from the sound hole and was located on the side near the base of the neck. Again I felt that this was ineffective as the sound produced electronically depended on where on the inside of the body it was fitted. Golpes in particular where not as clear and defined if the transducer was fitted near the bridge. Move it to where a golpe is struck and the sound was too deep and the golpes too loud.
I have never used a mic to amplify sound, but feel that this would be my personal preference if I where to require amplification.
As you know I purchased my guitar with the pick-up fitted, but if I had the choice would I would not have contemplated the drilling for obvious reasons.
I have heared that you can have a combination of the two, saddle and transducer and would also be interested to hear other people comments/ideas.
RE: Built in amp help! please. (in reply to Jim Opfer)
I have a Cordoba 55FCE with the Fishman pro blend attached. It is a Hybrid flamenco guitar that the lead players of the Gypsy Kings use. Acoustically (it gets better with each use) it is not as bright as their other better blancas, but electrically ita a dream! The Fishman is indeed a great pickup with both under saddle and built in mike and various adjustments. The frequency and phase adjustments allow the guitar to be played quite loudly without annoying feedback.