Best pickup for Bourgeoius OM?

[rc3797]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum, and have a question regarding pickups. I just purchased a great 1998 Bourgeois OM with an adirondack top and mahogany b&s. I'm loving everything about the guitar, and the usual buzzwords apply in spades. It's lively, responsive, and the best-sounding OM I've ever played. I mostly fingerpick when I play out at open mics, but would like to play the guitar in church, which will mostly be strumming. I was wondering what you guys reccomend for a pickup that has plenty of volume, but won't really kill the responsiveness of the guitar? I had a H&D dread with an L.R. Baggs dual source that worked great, but I'm not sure this guitar can handle that much internal hardware. My only experience with the k&k pure mini was in a Larrivee parlor, and I was not impressed with the output at all. Would that be a better option for this guitar if I used a red eye preamp, or am I better off going with an active system?

Sorry for the long-winded first post, and I'm glad to finally be a part of the forum!

[sevenpalms]

Oh man....I sold my 1999 Bourgeois OMC earlier this year and regret it every day!!! The PrePantheon Bourgeois Guitars are special and Dana does OMs better than anybody... I hope you enjoy yours for years... my recommendation is just going with a K&K Pure Mini with an external preamp. In my opinion they are the most un-intrusive pick up...and they always sound great. You could always look at the Baggs Lyric as it also just adheres underneath the bridge...but I hear mixed reviews.

Was your OM the one that was on eBay last month?

All the best!

[stevecuss]

I think the K&K offers everything you are asking for - low cost, high output, no batteries or weird stuff in the guitar, great overall sound. The only down side is that it requires superglue, which might limit you down the road if you choose another pickup.

I think the best option is the Trance Amulet Mono. It is a higher grade version of the same idea, but adds an internal preamp. If you are averse to batteries, you can go with their nifty phantom model which runs on external phantom power. The Trance uses double sided tape, so it doesn't leave any residue long term if you ever want to switch.

I mentioned the issue of upgrading down the road because it seems to me that pickup and preamp manufacturers are in a fresh exciting era of development and the game keeps changing. The Tone Dexter and other IR preamps seem to be changing the game.

If it were my money I'd spend on the Trance, but the K&K is a fantastic solution too and will play nice with that Red Eye.

[SpruceTop]

Trance Amulet M Dual Mono (battery) or Trance Amulet M Phantom Dual Mono (phantom powered). Trance Audio website

[rc3797]

Thanks guys! I'll have to take another look at the k&k, it looks like. Jeff, I'm not sure, I traded my H&D TD-M for it, and met the guy here locally in NC to do the trade. That H&D was the best dread I've ever played, but I'm only 5'8", so it was a bit "big"-feeling for me. It did introduce me to how great the mahogany and spruce combo sounds, though.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by rc3797

. My only experience with the k&k pure mini was in a Larrivee parlor, and I was not impressed with the output at all. Would that be a better option for this guitar if I used a red eye preamp, or am I better off going with an active system?

Best money you'll ever spend to support the pure mini:

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Behring...EaAmP0EALw_wcB

[westman]

Rc, I use a Fishman Rare Earth Blend on my DB JOM, internal Mic + humbucker to fill out the sound - best option I've found for live playing.

[rc3797]

I'll definitely check out the fishman as well! Thanks!

[skinnerb]

I have a Highlander 1 in my custom Bourgeois OM, and I could not be happier with the sound from it. Pure and true to the guitar itself.