Pickup suggestions for Semi Accoustic

[Crusader]

I'm currently making a guitar kind of like an ES-137 and I always had in mind to use 57 Classics or Phat Cats. However I have found it sounds really good with accoustic strings. So I am re-thinking this and wondering if anyone has some suggestions

On the previous semi-accoustic I have 57 Classics, and an under-saddle piezo but I'm wondering about other options for this one. Maybe just one accoustic pickup in the neck position. I don't know much about these type of pickups so anyone got recommendations or suggestions?

cheers

[mistermikev]

I think it may have been scottr or prostheta that told me the artec sound hole pickups are supposed to be really good... probably not much help but thought I'd mention.

[Crusader]

Thanks for that I will have a look at them

(Just for the record your comment didn't come up in Notifications. I just stumbled across this not realising it was my own topic)

[Crusader]

Thanks for the input

As this project progressed I made a bit of a blunder with the neck angle and its too shallow to use a Tunomatic so I did a home-made saddle out of Rosewood and I thought I'll put a Piezo under it, but I like your suggestion for a more powerful pickup!

[Crusader]

Hey I recently put accoustic strings on my 59 Reissue and guess what? it works! (regular Custom Bucker pickups)

However the two plains strings come out louder than the rest for obvious reasons so I am really keen on trying out a piezo pickup on it

[Crusader]

From what I understand the difference in volume is due to the accoustic strings 6 to 3 being wound with non-magnetic material, leaving only the core wire having any effect. To my mind a piezo pickup should remedy this because they don't work on magnetism

Changing first and second string to a lighter gauge I'm sure would definitely work though!

[Crusader]

Guess what? it didn't seem to make one iota of difference (going lighter gauge on 1st and 2nd)

Well another thing I experimented with is I put Nylon Classical guitar strings on my "OSLP" which has an LR Baggs Piezo under saddle pickup (for steel string accoustic) and it sounded just fine, with the Treble cranked up the on the amp

Well with the accoustic strings on the Les Paul, I knew it would work because I have one of those De'Armond sound-hole pickups for accoustic guitar. They're no different to an electric guitar pickup, and therefore make an accoustic sound much the same as an electric

So after thinking that through I realised my experiment of putting Acc strings on the LP was somewhat pointless. When I first put them on I thought it sounded different but after a while I realised there is absolutely no reason why it should

However putting Nylon strings on the self-made "OSLP" was a great success

[Bizman62]

8 minutes ago, Crusader said:

So after thinking that through I realised my experiment of putting Acc strings on the LP was somewhat pointless.

I've been using electric strings on all of my acoustics as well. That allows me to bend the G more easily and I only need one type of strings for spares. Agreed, phosphor bronze may sound different to steel, then again my playing style involves quite a lot of palm muting the lower strings so the difference may not be that big.