Acoustic sound hole pickup - recommendations?

[sairfingers]

Hi Guys
My acoustic does not have electrics. I have a Trio+ pedal that I use to create backing tracks and currently I create them on my electric and then play along on my acoustic. This works well but of course involves swapping guitars around. In order to simplify things I’m looking at options.

Options.
1. Buy a pickup system eg. K&K mini and have it fitted. I’d also need a preamp control so too expensive an option for my simple ‘at home’ needs. 
2. Buy a low end electro acoustic guitar. This would be even more expensive than option 1 and I’d end up still swapping guitars around as it wouldn’t sound and play as well as my other one. But it would give me a second acoustic guitar I would be happy to use outside at bbq’s, take on holiday etc. However that won’t be happening anytime soon given the current situation!
3. Buy a soundhole pickup eg. Seymour Duncan ‘Woody’ which can be got for around £50/£60.

Any of you guys use soundhole pickups? Any recommendations? Are they easy to take on and off? I realise this type of pickup works like those on an electric so won’t pick up the guitar tone but that won’t matter for the Trio backing tracks. Is the sound acceptable when played as an electro acoustic on its own?

[close2u]

I would encourage you to look for a 'detachable' soundhole pickup like the SD Woody 2nd hand on ebay / mktplace etc to give you a quick and not too costly start. More expensive models can be had if you can't find one that can be obtained soon. But you're right - to get a custom pickup that needs installation & preamp etc will be a costly business with a wait time until a tech is available.

[stitch101]

Check to make sure you don't need a pre amp with a sound hole pick up.
I haven't used one in about 30 years so things may have changed.
but without a pre amp the sound hole PU may not have enough power to
record into you looper.

[sairfingers]

Check to make sure you don't need a pre amp with a sound hole pick up.
I haven't used one in about 30 years so things may have changed.
but without a pre amp the sound hole PU may not have enough power to
record into you looper.

Now that’s a thought. But my electric records into the looper without a pre amp. Wouldn’t an acoustic sound hole pick up be the same or do the electrics in an electric guitar amplify the sound a bit before it gets to the looper?

[stitch101]

You electric has a volume pot the sound hole pick up doesn't.
Try turning the volume right down to 1 and see if it records into the looper.
If it does you may be OK with a sound hole PU. If it doesn't record or records
really quiet a sound hole PU will do the same.

The volume pot is a variable resistor and boost the signal coming from your pick up.
A sound hole pick up doesn't have a volume pot so no variable resistor.

Like I said I haven't used a sound hole pick up in over 30 year so thi gmay have change
a d itmay work just fine without a pre amp.

[Rossco01]

Hey Sairfingers drop me  a direct message. I have a detachable soundhole pickup which is doing nothing  sitting in a draw (and can't imagine I'll use it again) so happy to pass it on. I think I'm right in saying you're in the UK? Let me have you're address and I'll send it across. I've used it direct into a focusrite 2i2 without an issue before... as stitch says not sure how well it would work into a looper without some form of preamp.

[close2u]

The Trio+ has built in fx si I'm thinking and wondering if there is is preamp in there too just as in multi fx pedals.

[sairfingers]

Thanks for your input guys. I’ve just tried what stitch suggested and the looper on the Trio only starts to work when the volume on my electric is turned to 5 so clearly an acoustic sound hole pick would need a pre amp. Thanks for that suggestion stitch, you’ve saved me wasting time and money.

Rossco, thank you so much, what a kind offer, but I’m clearly going to have to rethink my options here. Swapping guitars about isn’t such a big deal so in the meantime I’ll carry on with my current setup.

The more expensive sound hole pickups have a built in pre amp so that’s an option but I think in the long term I might bite the bullet and get a K&K mini fitted. I’d have a go at fitting it myself as the sensors that attach to the bridgeplate seem easily done but the thought of drilling out the strap button hole to take the jack plug.... that’s a different matter!

[sairfingers]

I think in the long term I might bite the bullet and get a K&K mini fitted. I’d have a go at fitting it myself as the sensors that attach to the bridgeplate seem easily done but the thought of drilling out the strap button hole to take the jack plug.... that’s a different matter!

I’ve been mulling this over and am now leaning towards a soundhole pickup with a built in preamp. I wouldn’t need to spend money on a tech to fit it and of course my guitar would still be ‘original’. The K&K mini is around £100, the recommended preamp is another £100, then there is the cost of having it fitted on top of all that.
Some of the more expensive active, ie. they have a built in volume control, soundhole pickups are cheaper than that total.

From my research into all this I’ve read many reviews recommending a separate external preamp because they allow greater flexibility in terms of sound modelling capability (even for guitars with factory fitted active pickups) but this is not really a factor in my ‘play in the house’ status. It is my playing ability that limits this and of course I’d be using the acoustic setting on my electric amp not a specialist acoustic amp.

However I can’t find a review that says whether or not the output from an active soundhole pickup is enough to work a looper!