Ever NOT install a pickup because of beautiful wood?

bho · #1 09-13-2015, 03:53 PM

Hello,

Understanding that pickups serve a specific purpose, and that guitars are tools....

Have you ever decided NOT to install a pickup because you didn't want to drill a hole in gorgeous wood, or ruin an end graft?

Thanks.

kydave · #2 09-13-2015, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bho

Hello,

Understanding that pickups serve a specific purpose, and that guitars are tools....

Have you ever decided NOT to install a pickup because you didn't want to drill a hole in gorgeous wood, or ruin an end graft?

Thanks.

Enlarging the existing endpin hole to accommodate a 1/4" jack end pin has never phased me in the least: New, old, vintage, mahogany, East Indian rosewood, Amazon rosewood, Brazilian rosewood...

Ain't no big thing.

terrapin · #3 09-13-2015, 04:12 PM

Ain't no big thing! What kills me is nice wood guitars with the "Barndoor" onboard preamp/eq! That is just BAD!

Wade Hampton · #4 09-13-2015, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bho

Hello,

Understanding that pickups serve a specific purpose, and that guitars are tools....

Have you ever decided NOT to install a pickup because you didn't want to drill a hole in gorgeous wood, or ruin an end graft?

Nope. If I've acquired a guitar that I intend to use in performance, getting it stage-ready is part of the process, and having a pickup installed is a large part of getting it stage-ready.

There have been many instruments pass through my hands that I didn't put electronics in, but that's because I either bought them in order to re-sell them or else don't feel compelled to use them onstage.

But holding off on installing a pickup because of how pretty the wood is, nah, never.

I do recognize that for many people this IS a major issue, but it isn't one for me. What's more, I swap out tuning gears whenever I feel that the stock tuners that came on the guitar aren't doing a good enough job.

This seems to leave some guitar-lovers aghast, literally horrified that I'd put different tuners that don't fit into the original tuners' screwholes on a fine guitar, but again, this simply a matter of priorities. To me the highest priority is getting the guitar optimized for the use I'm going to put it to, not trying to keep everything pristine and original. Keeping everything stock and completely unaltered is WAY down my list of priorities, frankly, if it's even on that list at all....

Hope that makes sense.

Wade Hampton Miller

fazool · #5 09-13-2015, 05:02 PM

I hate "barn door" electronics.

Never thought they were reasonable, even back in the day.

I don't play amplified but I wouldn't object to an endpin hole enlargement - much like KyDave said.

jemartin · #6 09-13-2015, 05:35 PM

No.. I do object to all the onboard preamp, battery, etc... onboard. I have had the endpin hole enlarged on all my guitars, but refuse to install onboard electronics, and have gone with an internal mic mounted through the endpin, with soundboard transducers wired to it in stereo.
If I had guitars of the caliber that is in your signature....I would definitely understand the hesitancy to modify the instrument.

tysam · #7 09-13-2015, 06:00 PM

I have no problem installing any pickup throught the end graft. (K&k, Lyric ect ) but I refuse to cut throught sides to put in a barn door, even for customers.

AZLiberty · #8 09-13-2015, 06:04 PM

One reason I have passed on many used Taylors is the ugly ES knobs sticking out of the side of the guitar.

Barn-door style electronics are only slightly less ugly.

Fortunately these days we have many options for hidden electronics. My Taylor and Martin both have Fishman Matrix pickups installed with the controls hidden in the soundhole.

Rodger · #9 09-13-2015, 06:55 PM

I have 2 guitars I never plan to put electronics in... first is a Goodall Royal Hawaiian koa. Second is a Brazilian rosewood McKnight dread. The beautiful wood is a tiny part of the reason. The real reasons are that they are my two primary recording acoustics and I have other guitars with electronics that are great, so no need to change these two.

Wade Hampton · #10 09-13-2015, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tysam

I have no problem installing any pickup throught the end graft. (K&k, Lyric ect ) but I refuse to cut throught sides to put in a barn door, even for customers.

Barn door electronics seem to be going away on acoustic-electric guitars, at least on the higher end guitars. More and more I'm seeing discreet inside-the-soundhole controls.

whm

jim1960 · #11 09-13-2015, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bho

Hello,

Understanding that pickups serve a specific purpose, and that guitars are tools....

Have you ever decided NOT to install a pickup because you didn't want to drill a hole in gorgeous wood, or ruin an end graft?

Thanks.

My guitars are tools, not museum pieces. Give me the pickup.

llew · #12 09-13-2015, 07:16 PM

Every guitar I own has some sort of electronics. Either Baggs Lyric for active or McIntyre Feather, JJB, or K&K for passive SBT's. All work well in different environments. Never know when you might have to "plug in"? But I prefer after market pickups that I can change as technology improves. No "barn door" electronics for me?

ljguitar · #13 09-13-2015, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bho

Hello,

Understanding that pickups serve a specific purpose, and that guitars are tools....

Have you ever decided NOT to install a pickup because you didn't want to drill a hole in gorgeous wood, or ruin an end graft?

Thanks.

Hi bho…

No, I have never refrained having a pickup installed to preserve the 'look' of a guitar, nor would I.

Nobody besides me would ever be examining the tail end of my guitar…and I have none which are house bound.

All mine were built to play for others.

Hopefully my guitars will be judged by how they sound, and how well I play them, not how they look.

sdelsolray · #14 09-13-2015, 07:49 PM

There is a certain beauty to tail of a guitar, where the two sides meet by the lower bout, which is the same place where folks drill holes to put endpins (for straps) or endpin jacks (for straps and/or 1/4" cables). Indeed, many guitars come from the factory with a very straight hole drilled in just the right spot for these purposes, often filled in with endpins or electronic jacks.

But some guitars don't. For example, Webber guitars don't unless you ask. I've had several guitars that had no hole. Although I have no problem with enlarging a hole that already exists or changing out an endpin for an electronic jack, I have to really ask myself more than once if I want to add a hole into the guitar when one is not present to begin with.

ewalling · #15 09-13-2015, 07:52 PM

I have a Lakewood A14 that is my best guitar. It came without a pickup and there's no way I would have one put on. It's just perfect as it is! I have other guitars that have pickups, and although I don't play in public, I do record with them. I just have no inclination to start poking around inside the Lakewood and sticking wires and batteries and goodness knows what in it!