Four-head transducer for nylon string acoustic guitar. In each of its incarnations (mini, classic, and 12-string), the Pure Pickup is our award-winning, signature pickup for all manner of acoustic guitars.
Many, many players agree that this is the best passive pickup on the market, which means it's the perfect plug-and-play solution for the musician who wants a warm, full-range signal without worrying about cluttering up their instrument, adjusting onboard electronics, or having to remember to change the battery.
Fully internal, two-head, retrofit transducer system for mandolins.
The Mandolin Twin is a dual-head retrofit mandolin transducer. It reproduces the original mandolin tone with very natural tone quality and it is highly feedback resistant. It is used by high end Mandolin builders like Clark Mandolins and by many professional players.
Available Models
The Mandolin Twin Internal is a fully internal pickup system. Both the tranducers and the endpin-jack are mounted inside the mandolin. The transducers are attached with double-sided adhesive tape, providing a robust installation with minimum sound interference. Installation of this system should be done by an experienced luthier or mandolin tech. If you are looking for a system that is easy to install by yourself please check out our Mandolin Twin Fusion system.
The Mandolin Twin Fusion does not require any permanent alteration to your instrument. The pickups attach to the inside of the mandolin with double-sided adhesive tape, while the carpenter jack remains on the outside of the instrument. It provides the exact same sound quality as the Mandolin Twin Internal because the pickups are mounted in the same positions. The Mandolin Twin Fusion can easily be installed by the musician. A comprehensive step-by-step installation manual descibes the process in detail. Special installation tools are provided.
With acoustic amps, both Mandolin Twins work very well in passive mode. To connect to a PA system, we recommend a suitable preamp like the Pure Preamp or the Pure XLR Preamp.
The Aloha Twin is an internal double-sensor pickup specially designed for the ukulele. It is based on the same technology as our award-winning Pure Pickup.
Installation Notes
The Aloha Twin can be installed two ways:
- With the supplied double-sided adhesive tape in front of the bridge plate (or bridge, if no bridge plate is present) on the inside sound board.
- With superglue on a flat bridge plate (or directly under the bridge, if no bridge plate is present). Please note that the bridge plate must be completely flat – it will not work if the bridge plate is radiused, which means it is curved up, e.g. Mele Ukuleles.
Either way, this pickup system has a strong output signal and works nicely even without a preamp. Please keep in mind when playing without a preamp, the result depends somewhat on the quality and type of the amplification equipment. For more tone control, the external Pure Preamp would be a great choice with its clean musical EQ and small size.
The Definity System is a brand-new solution that delivers K&K's natural pickup power to a variety of difficult to amplify acoustic instruments in an elegant and easy-to-install package.
It is designed to work with virtually any floating bridge instrument, like Archtop and Macaferri guitars, and even semi-acoustic electric guitars with Tune-o-matic bridges. It is also well-suited for the banjo, cello, and many ethnic or folk instruments like bouzouki, saz, etc.
Installation Notes
One single pickup element usually transmits an entire instrument with good balance.
The Definity System comes with a stereo endpin jack (soldered mono) that allows for future upgrades. The endpin jack includes a self-adhesive clip that can be removed. It allows you to choose internal or external jack locations.
The pickup is only 6/1000 of an inch thin and measures 1 3/4” x 3/4” total. We call it a “compression pickup” because it is especially suited for “wedged” applications under a floating bridge. However, the pickup element is capable of transmitting sound like soundboard transducer as well. In fact, we found that the best tone is achieved if the pickup is mounted so it is partially “wedged” and partially open on the soundboard.
Preamp Options
The Definity pickup reaches its true potential with a preamp. A basic solution is the Definity Preamp, which features a phase switch, adjustable mid and treble controls (via trimpots), and a 1/4” line out.
A more professional solution combines the Definity pickup with a Pure XLR Preamp. It features +/-20 db bass, mid, and treble controls, plus an adjustable input gain control. Its noiseless circuitry provides unsurpassed clarity and power and the adjustable input gain allows you to dial in the precise amplification factor needed for your instrument.
Definity System (with Definity Preamp) $196
Definity Pro System (with Pure XLR Preamp) $339
Definity Pickup (for use with existing preamp) $103
Studio Mic'd Sound Wherever You Perform
The Award-winning Anthem series, featuring our patented TRU•MIC technology, seamlessly combines a proprietary condenser microphone with our acclaimed Element pickup to deliver the warmth and fidelity of a studio-mic’d guitar anywhere you perform.
TRU•MIC TECHNOLOGY
At the heart of the Anthem is a revolutionary microphone engineered to capture a dynamic studio-mic’d sound for any live performance. The TRU•MIC mounts to the underside of the bridge plate and hovers just 3 mm above its surface to take advantage of the PZM or “boundary” effect. This proprietary mounting system, combined with noise cancellation, frees the mic to perform as if it were outside of the guitar in a studio and maintain remarkable feedback suppression for the stage. The result is a balanced frequency response with excellent clarity for the purest sound you have ever heard amplified. We have paired the Element pickup with the TRU•MIC to provide solidity and punch for low frequencies.
For those of you who prefer a minimalist approach to controls, the Anthem SL delivers the same groundbreaking studio mic’d fidelity as the Anthem in a streamlined format with a single volume control. The endpin preamp has all-discrete circuitry for the purest signal and the TRU•MIC is premixed with the Element for optimum performance.
Features:
- Anthem TRU•MIC carries the majority of the guitars’ frequency range while the Element Pickup carries only the lowest frequencies
- The mic is highly feedback-resistant
- Noise cancelling microphone technology eliminates any annoying honky or boxy qualities from the inside of the guitar
- Mic installs easily on the bridgeplate with peel and stick adhesive
- Mic and pickup levels preset for optimum performance
- Soundhole remote includes volume and mic trim controls
- All discrete pre-contoured endpin preamp with preset crossover
- Element Pickup fits most common string spacings and saddle width
- Comes with battery bag for secure and unobtrusive battery retention
- Patent-pending
Model available for nylon string guitars.
Advanced Undersaddle Pickup with Unrivaled Dynamic Range
Unlike typical undersaddle acoustic guitar pickups that are dependent on string compression for their sound, the Element was engineered to mirror the soundboard’s actual movement as you play.
At the heart of the pickup, a flexible film sensor only 2 thousandths of an inch thick picks up the guitar’s most delicate nuances. Tracking the motion of the top rather than a direct string attack suppresses “quack” caused by compression and unlocks the Element’s unrivaled dynamic range. The pickup’s minimalist construction lessens any influence on the acoustic properties and creates an intimate coupling between the pickup and guitar for the highest fidelity possible.
Leveraging the unitary design that made our Violin Pickup a staple for thousands of performing musicians, we now mold our same miniature vibration sensor directly into a 5/8” banjo bridge. As an integral part of the bridge, the pickup captures inherent characteristics of the instrument fluently at the source without altering any acoustic properties. It comes with a fully custom jack and mounting system we engineered to be reliable, easy to install, and aesthetically compatible with the finest instruments.
Our Violin Pickup is a miniature vibration sensor cast directly into a Superieur Despiau “Two Tree” maple bridge for maximum sensitivity and signal transfer. As an integral part of the bridge, it effortlessly captures the instrument’s inherent dynamics. Furthermore, its selective admittance pattern is aligned so that the signal is generated as the bridge moves in a left-right motion (in response to the string vibrations). The pickup also rejects any impulse directed to the plane of the bridge- minimizing annoying finger squeaks, body noise and feedback. It is the pickup of choice for top pros like Mark O’Connor, Darol Anger, Jean-Luc Ponty and Sara Watkins. An external preamp is recommended.
The FIVE.O is small, light-weight, and best of all, specifically engineered to track the uke’s unmistakably unique voice. The system combines a custom version of our award winning Element pickup, a soundhole mounted volume control and a miniature endpin preamp powered by a 3V battery. We radically miniaturized our design so that the complete system weighs less than a 9V battery and tucks away neatly inside of the small instrument for a non-invasive installation. The pickup also features a pull guide to facilitate faster installations.
The Matrix Infinity pickup and preamp system is the newest version of our flagship Matrix Series and offers clear, transparent tone, dynamic string response, and ease of installation. Easily accessible soundhole-mounted Volume and Tone rotary controls allow the player to effortlessly make adjustments to their sound.
Matrix Infinity features:
- Completely redesigned active, endpin-mounted preamp
- Soundhole-mounted rotary controls for Volume and Tone
- Unique Tone control cuts mids while boosting treble and bass
- Integrated LED low battery indicator
- Features the world’s best-selling undersaddle pickup, the Acoustic Matrix
- Switchable voicing to accommodate all guitar body sizes and performance situations
- Solderless connections
- Professional installation is recommended
- Requires 9-volt battery (not included)
- Available in two saddle slot widths: Wide 1/8″ (3.2 mm) format or narrow 3/32″ (2.3 mm) format
- Guitar versions have a standard overall length of 2.65″(67.3 mm), and will fit most guitars with string spacings of up to 2.5″ (63.5 mm)
- Ukulele version has a standard pickup length of 2” (50.8 mm) and will fit most ukuleles with up to 1.85”(47 mm)
Equipped with cutting-edge neodymium magnets, the new Rare Earth pickups offer a warmer, more natural acoustic tone, along with exceptional accuracy and increased musicality.
The Rare Earth Humbucking pickup has been carefully re-voiced and fine-tuned to offer an even smoother treble response than their popular, category-defining predecessors.
The Rare Earth Single Coil has been carefully re-voiced and fine-tuned to offer an even smoother treble response than their popular, category-defining predecessors.
Rare Earth Active Soundhole Pickup Features:
- Re-voiced and fine-tuned for smoother treble response and a warmer, more natural acoustic tone
- Active electronics and neodymium magnet structure for exceptional string balance and sparkling acoustic clarity
- Miniature batteries mount conveniently on the underside of the pickup (batteries included)
- Low-current design of the preamp allows up to 240 hours between battery changes
- Newly designed mounting system and ergonomic body shape
- Pre-wired output jack can also be endpin-mounted
- Easy installation with no alteration, plug-and-play right out of the box
This value-priced cousin of the award-winning Rare Earth pickup shares the same neodymium magnet structure for exceptional string balance and sparkling acoustic clarity. The Neo-D’s low-profile, high-impedance design needs no battery. Available in single coil and humbucking models.
Neo-D Soundhole Pickup Features:
- Neodymium magnet structure for exceptional string balance and sparkling acoustic clarity
- Low profile, high-impedance design needs no battery
- Easy installation with no alteration, plug and play right out of the box
- Excellent string-to-string balance and acoustic clarity
- Fits in soundholes as small as 3-7/8″ (98.5 mm) diameter
- Humbucking model features stacked coils to eliminate noise
The M-100 consists of a piezo-ceramic pickup element that is embedded in an adjustable ebony replacement bridge. The pickup comes complete with a 1/4″ external jack for easy mounting. When paired with an impedance-matching preamp, such as our Platinum Stage, Platinum Pro EQ or Powerjack, the full potential of the M-100 can be realized.
Professional installation is recommended.
This pickup is a complete replacement biscuit with an embedded piezo-ceramic pickup. It comes complete with a maple/ebony saddle, mounting screw and 1/4” endpin jack.
This piezo-ceramic pickup mounts in the wing slot of the violin bridge with Fishman’s patented Floating Mount system.
Lightweight to minimize muting, the V-100 includes a mini jack which mounts to the tailpiece. A 10’, 1/8” to 1/4” cable is included. When paired with an impedance-matching preamp, such as our Platinum Stage, Platinum Pro EQ or Powerjack, the full potential of the V-100 can be realized
The Pure Mini is our award-winning, signature pickup for steel string acoustic guitars. The Pure Mini is a 3-head, bridge plate transducer. It features super balanced, flat sound transmission, warm woody tone without any quack and superior dynamic range all over the guitar's frequency spectrum. Our customers tell us that the Pure Mini's output is louder than any other passive pickup on the market.
Bridge plate transducers are the optimal choice for achieving a rich, natural guitar sound. The Pure's position on the bridge plate provides the perfect balance of sound, picking up all the strings without sounding harsh or percussive and "listening" to the sound board to amplify the unique characteristics of your guitar. The result is a warm, full-range signal that sounds great even without a preamp!
Technical specs & installation notes:
We recommend the Pure Mini (formerly Pure Western Mini) for all acoustic steel string guitars as a first choice. Direct installation with superglue gel is required for optimum performance but the system can be carefully removed without damage to your guitar (you may damage the pickup though). This pickup system will fit all standard steel string acoustic guitars.