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What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 1:55 pm
by Miza
Here's the dilemma. My '78 Maton has a built-in pickup, not sure if it's UST or Piezo, but it sounds ok (typical compressed, quacky sound). Over the summer I acquired a LR Baggs M1a, an active magnetic soundhole pickup (what Gilmour uses 8) ). With a moderate amount of EQing, the M1 does sound better, but after a bit of A/B testing, I decided I like the sound of both blended together, which I am able to do thanks to the dual inputs of the Radial Tonebone PZ Pre.

Since the Maton already has an endpin jack (mounted on a rather large steel plate) I'm not sure where to install the second one for the M1. I could put it above or below, or around the corner where an electric gat's jack would be. Or, I could source a stereo jack and replace the one that's there. But this would mean I'd need to use a stereo instrument cable and some kind of stereo signal splitter box on my board?

Keen for advice, or better ideas. Cheers.

TL;DR version: I have two pickups in my acoustic and need a jack for each but not sure if they'll fit. Should I make em fit or use a stereo jack+cable?
Maton_and_M1a.jpg
Maton_endpin_jacks.jpg

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 2:12 pm
by olegmcnoleg
I'd go the stereo option so you don't have to drill holes in your acoustic. If you put the hole on the bottom bout, you will also need to re-enforce the wood there. The end block is the safest place to be drilling and pushing leads in and out.

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 6:08 pm
by Miza
Upon closer inspection, the endpin jack of the new one has three pins, so I think might be stereo already. Not sure if it will fit in the steel plate tho.

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 7:20 pm
by kwhelan
is it active? they use stereo plugs to disconnect the battery when you unplug the lead

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:36 am
by Miza
kwhelan wrote:is it active? they use stereo plugs to disconnect the battery when you unplug the lead
Yes, the orig pick up is also active, so it might well be a stereo jack already.
I just need to figure out how to disconnect it from the steel plate so I can check.

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:14 am
by mrmofo
if the guitar requires Phantom Power the earth is split by the jack to provide power to the piezo.

you might get around it if both are active and you install a blend pot.

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:24 am
by Miza
mrmofo wrote:if the guitar requires Phantom Power the earth is split by the jack to provide power to the piezo.

you might get around it if both are active and you install a blend pot.
Doesn't need phantom power no. The orig pickup takes a 9V battery, and the M1a takes a little button battery.
I can do the mixing at the pre-amp, but I will need to get a stereo>mono cable, or a stereo cable and a Y splitter box, as the Radial has two mono inputs:
Radial_PZ-Pre.jpg

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:46 am
by mrmofo
oh cool, so all you need to do is solder in a switch to cut the 9v power off when the guitar is unplugged.

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:59 am
by Miza
mrmofo wrote:oh cool, so all you need to do is solder in a switch to cut the 9v power off when the guitar is unplugged.
Ahh, ok, thanks for the advice. I wouldn't have realised (and would have ended up with flat batteries).

I was wondering why the little 3.5mm jack that plugs into M1 pickup is a TRS jack, so that would explain it.

I might be seeking some professional help at some point. For the guitar that is.

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:36 am
by mrmofo
you might be able to source a battery style strap pin and wire the - from the batterys to it.
hook up a faux TRS jack into the strap pin when you play. you could wire it for both batteries and use the TRS jack for audio output.
you wont have to make any new holes that way.

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:47 am
by Miza
I might have been wrong about that jack being stereo. This article has been helpful identifying the different jack types:
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/ ... tput-jacks

So yes, I will need a TRS style jack to get enough lugs for stereo and power?

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 12:25 pm
by olegmcnoleg
Hmmm, at this point I’m thinking you might be better off in the long run just getting one good pickup system. There are far better options now that either of the ones you have?

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 1:23 pm
by Miza
olegmcnoleg wrote:Hmmm, at this point I’m thinking you might be better off in the long run just getting one good pickup system. There are far better options now that either of the ones you have?
Yeah, maybe. But that would require even more investment.
I do admit I was a bit swept up with the glowing reviews of the M1, but in reality it's not a perfect solution on its own. And needs a lot of EQing to get it to sound good.

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 8:06 am
by Miza
So I think I need one of these TRSS jacks to run two pickups and a switch for the batteries:
https://www.amazon.com/Fishman-Jack-End ... B000QC6M36

On the plus side, it turns out input 1 on the Radial PZ-Pre accepts a TRS jack! :thumbup: So I won't need a stereo>mono splitter box on my board.

Does anyone have a spare TRSS jack lying around, or no where in NZ I could get one?

Re: What to do: Blending pickups - use two endpin jacks or one stereo on acoustic?

Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2019 6:09 pm
by Single coil
I have half a trs cable. Unsure if the jack is M or F but yer welcome to it