I tried an inexpensive stick-on, removable pickup on my Fullerton Gloucester mandolin, but it really sounded crappy, with lots of extra noise. Decent pickups cost more than I paid for the mando, so I’m starting to think that for gigs I might be better off with a cheapo beater electrified mando.
Anyone played one of these?
It’s too cheap to believe, but I recently bought a short scale bass guitar from these people for $110, and the quality is surprisingly good. For $80, I wouldn’t have much to lose.
Alternatively, does anyone here have a decent electrified mando they’d like to sell, or maybe trade for a whistle?
That’s a Sammick product similar to the Fender and Epiphone labels. It’s OK, but don’t expect a lot of mileage out of it if you’re gigging. Collapsed tops are common. It has less noise than a soundboard stick-on pickup, less tone than a bridge pickup. Many think they sound a bit like an electric guitar. You can get very loud before feedback though.
Unlike the $30 uke and the $110 electric bass, you really don’t get much in the mandolin world for that money, your Fullerton aside. If you’re looking to amplify the Fullerton, there are better choices than the stick-on. What pickup are you using? Does it have a pre-amp? You might not be far away from where you want to be already. For $80 you can’t go too wrong, but you probably won’t get a lot closer to your goal either.
Only downside is it means drilling out the strap button hole in the tailpiece and the Mando, but I reckon it’s worth the trouble. I found it much better than a piezo as it is actually a tiny mic. A bit of masking tape over the f holes if feedback occurs and you’re good to go.
I have another one at home awaiting installation in a concert uke!
Probably a good idea. I’ve been trying to
order a mando transducer for the past 2
days, and everyone’s either got them on
backorder, or they’ve been recalled by
the manufacturer…
That mando arrived yesterday and the very brief first report (interrupted by the need to rush to the OR to assist in an emergency appendectomy) is that it is surprisingly non-sucky. More to follow
Oh, they’re definitly non-sucky. It’s just that the tops are steam-formed laminate which has a bad reputation for collapsing. But even if it only lives a couple of years, it’s only $80, right?
I’ll be interested to hear what you think of its amplified sound. Some folks like them, others don’t. One bit of advice I’ll give is to get the EQ right before the next gig. It can be a real pain to try to EQ one of those on the fly.
Too late, Loren. I got the cheapie. No real need for a high end mando, and we have too many other irons in the fire right now to spend a lot on one.
I tweaked the action on the Valencia, and it plays surprisingly well.
I Loooooove my Collings 