4 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups

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4 amazing best acoustic Guitar Pickups. On the market, you can find pickups designed specifically to plug into an acoustic guitar. These can be used for enhancing your sound when performing live or recording songs with an open mic.

Acoustic guitar pickups come in a wide range of styles, such as under-saddle piezo, bridge plate transducers, and soundhole pickups – each offering distinct tones and sonic possibilities.

4 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups

1. Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker

Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker
FLUENCE MODERN 6-STRING HUMBUCKER PICKUPS

The Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker is the newest evolution in pickup designs from legendary acoustic guitar and electronics expert Larry Fishman. This groundbreaking design provides noiseless active pickup tones with the organic charm of passive pickups.

The Modern Humbucker utilizes a stacked coil, and multi-voice Fluence Core inside each pickup to deliver the best of both passive and active tones with zero noise or interference issues. This is especially beneficial for players who have had trouble finding the ideal sound from their humbuckers.

This brushed-stainless alnico humbucker set is the ideal choice for musicians ranging from modern metal to classic blues rock and even punk rock! Voice 1 offers a powerful and full humbucker tone with plenty of power for keeping rhythms tight; while voice 2 provides a clear neck humbucker tone without the thin, plinky character many players find annoying.

Modern metal music calls for voices like these, both of which are well suited to use in drop tunings. The ceramic-splitting feature adds an excellent touch of treble without the tinny, shrill character that may make split ceramic pickups a bit unwieldy.

The Fluence series offers a choice of covers, including chrome, gold, black plastic, and open coils. Power for this system comes from either a nine-volt battery or an optional rechargeable lithium-ion pack which offers over 300 hours of playtime on average with just the 9v battery alone.

Modern humbuckers offer a range of options, but the Fishman Fluence Modern stands as one of the best on both high-gain and clean sides. With its stacked-coil design, multi-voice Fluence Core, and noiseless design, this pickup is essential for metal players looking to maximize their humbucker setup.

The Fishman Fluence series is without a doubt the finest modern pickup we’ve ever heard, and you can’t go wrong with a pair. Plus, their ease of installation and wide range of tones make them an ideal choice even for beginners.

2. SH-8 Invader

Seymour Duncan SH 8n Invader Halselement black
Seymour Duncan SH-8n Invader neck pickup (black)

The Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invader is an ultra-high-output humbucker ideal for playing styles like punk, garage, thrash, and metal. Combining three ceramic magnets, over-wound coils, and twelve black oxide cap screws to generate intense energy that pours power into your amp for a heavy sound.

The SH-8 Invader bridge humbucker is an impressive pickup, and if you’re uncertain which one to buy, we have a special offer: We’ll swap out your old Invader set for a new one if you are not completely satisfied with it – provided you return it within 21 days of purchase.

We’ve heard nothing but wonderful reviews about the Invader set and are confident you will too. People like James Hetfield, Matt Pike from Sleep, and Troy Van Leeuwen from Queens of The Stone Age swear by them!

These loud, mean, and vicious-looking guitars look fantastic – but they also sound fantastic. The neck model has a warmer, restrained sound than its bridge counterpart while providing more string-to-string balance with large hex caps. Ceramic magnets add depth and clarity while large hex caps provide balanced string-to-string interaction.

My evaluation of the Invader neck model was conducted using a Fractal Axe-Fx II XL+ loaded with Celestion Impulse Responses and Fractal MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller. The Invader neck humbucker has an open, detailed EQ with strong low end and thick mids; it could handle plenty of lead melodies and higher notes without needing to lower the tone knob significantly for them to sound their best.

Another thing I noticed with the Invader is that it can be challenging to switch between neck and bridge positions. The neck model doesn’t offer a Trembucker option and has thicker EQ than its Bridge counterpart. While the Invader is an incredibly versatile pickup that can be used on most instruments, we suggest getting the Bridge version for more bass!

It’s essential to remember that ceramic magnets tend to favor the lower end of your EQ, so take this into account when making your decision. The Invader is ideal if you want lots of bass from your guitar; however, if you prefer something more refined we suggest Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker or Bare Knuckle Nailbomb as suitable alternatives.

Gibson Les Paul Pickups

3. Bare Knuckle Nailbomb

Bare Knuckle Nailbomb Humbucker
Bare Knuckle Nailbomb Humbucker

The Bare Knuckle Nailbomb is a high-output humbucker pickup that offers the ideal blend of vintage and modern rock tones. Available with Alnico V or ceramic options for the bridge pickup, this humbucker can take you from hot fat blues rock through aggressive thrash with ease and an authoritative voice and powerful response.

The bridge pickup is equipped with a ceramic magnet that produces an even, warm tone without getting too shrill and scratchy, as well as an energetic midrange punch and deep bottom end. The neck pickup utilizes Alnico 5 magnets which give off a woody bright character when used clean; add overdrive and the tone tightens up for a focused and precise attack.

Bare Knuckle Pickups’ High Output Pickup is one of the most versatile available on the market. It can be used for layering on gain, while its balanced EQ cuts through any mix to fill any holes.

It has a natural-sounding voice that can be used for all styles of rock music, such as blues, garage, punk, hardcore, stoner rock, and progressive metal. Plus, its powerful pickup will fit in perfectly with any guitar setup.

Bare Knuckle Pickups is a UK company that takes quality seriously. Established by Iced Earth guitarist Tim Mills, their pickups are handcrafted using high-grade parts for an authentic sound that will last.

These humbuckers offer a vast selection of options, such as 6, 7, and 8-string configurations with either open coils or covered custom finishes. Best of all? Each pickup comes with an impressive lifetime warranty!

These pickups are an excellent addition to any guitar and can be quickly installed using Relish’s revolutionary pickup switching system. The Bare Knuckle Nailbomb turns your Relish into an intense high-gain instrument capable of handling everything from heavy riffs to melodic soloing. This pickup is perfect for anyone wanting to scream their lungs out onstage or those just beginning their electric guitar journey.

4. TV Jones TV Classic

The TV Jones TV Classic is one of the company’s most sought-after pickups. An exact replica of the Filter’Tron, this pickup has become a standard component in guitars from John Mayer to Dave Gilmour.

It brings together elements of both classic Filter’Trons and High Sensitive units in an exhilarating combination. Perfect for rock, blues, and country musicians alike!

This pickup is wound with thinner gauge wire for a rounder top-end and slightly more output than a regular TV Classic. The bridge position has a hotter output that’s perfect for Chet Atkins’s style tone.

The neck has a higher resonant peak, which helps to balance out lower frequencies and enhance this pickup set’s sound quality. These loaded peaks are comparable to those found on Fender Fideli’tron and Gretsch Filter’Tron pickup sets.

Tom V. Jones, the founder of TV Jones, has earned a renowned reputation for his signature pickups and has seen his clientele expand exponentially. As the first to create authentic Gretsch designs inspired pickups, his collaborations with Brian Setzer and Billy Gibbons have earned him an unrivaled reputation as an expert creator of acoustic-style pickups that can handle any musical genre from rock and blues to hard rock.

TV Jones is still a relatively small manufacturer, with most of their pickups produced in the USA. They adhere to stringent specifications in order to deliver the best tone possible.

These pickups may not sound as “waxy” or “articulate” as some other models out there, but that doesn’t make them any less bright and clear. Plus, they’re unpotted which extends the upper treble range; plus the neck has wider pole spacing and mismatched coils than vintage specs require.

The TV Classic and Classic Plus are both excellent pickups, though not the ideal option for Townshend & Young tones. They’re not as bright or clear as the Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker, for instance, nor are they as powerful as a Gibson-style humbucker, making them ideal for indie jangle and rockabilly sounds.

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