Soundboard transducer

What is it? Instead of sitting between the saddle and bridge, these go inside the guitar, attached either to the underside of the bridge or soundboard. The idea is that they’re relieved from the intense pressure compromises of an underside system, potentially offering a more ‘natural’ presentation of the guitar’s body/ top vibration and tone. They can be single-element devices, or multi-part systems. Sound engineers might look confused when their ‘normal’ piezo-pickup settings sound weird. What preamp and power does it need? The same as an under-saddle piezo, a bridge or soundboard transducer will require some kind of preampfification to bring the level up to a usable level, be that in the guitar itself, or outboard via a desk, acoustic amp or specific preamp pedal/ box. Again, they can be active, requiring a battery in the guitar, or completely passive requiring no battery. Batteries bring advantages; usually a stronger signal, resistance to noise and more linear performance with on-board controls. They also require changing and add weight to the guitar. How to fit it Potentially easier than an undersaddle as there’s no drilling/ sanding to be done, other than reaming the endpin jack if you need it. That’s definitely a job for a professional; unless you’re an extremely competent woodworker. The transducers or sensors are fixed either by strong, double-sided tape or glued in the correct spot under the guitar’s top/bridge and herein lies the challenge. Getting them sited for optimum response can be tricky, so again, having it done by somebody with plenty of experience in fitting and testing the pickup you choose, is a good idea. Upsides: Can offer a more ‘natural’ sound than an undersaddle pickups; don’t require anything between saddle and the bridge; passive options don’t need a battery Downsides: Can be tricky to set-up; less resistant to feedback than an under-saddle; passive systems require excellent outboard preamp/EQ Our top three picks K&K Pure Mini (Passive) B-Band A1.2N-1470 System LR Baggs iBeam Active