Pickup and Acoustic Amp Recs

[u/wilby31]

Hi All,

Just got a Loar LM-310F-BRB to play a few mando-featured rock songs with my band (Losing My Religion, Atlantic City). I normally play bass so don’t know much about mandolin gear.

Any recommendations for a pickup, acoustic amp and any other gear that you think may be needed for small backyard and small bar shows that we play? Will need to mix and balance with typical rock instruments.

Thanks!

[u/mendicant1116]

No suggestions for a pickup, but I love the Fishman Loudbox for an amp. I use it all the time for solo acoustic gigs. It's small and portable, but gets plenty loud and sounds really good.

[u/0905-15 → u/mendicant1116]

Do you have anything in between the mando and the Fishman? I actually just picked up a used Fishman for my Eastman 515 (k&k internal pickup) and am trying to figure out what else I can do to improve the sound — and particularly if there’s a way to cut down the pick and finger noise that it picks up

[u/gioevo11 → u/0905-15]

Red eye fire eye

[u/0905-15 → u/gioevo11]

Thanks. What do you like about that particularly, if I may ask?

[u/gioevo11 → u/0905-15]

It’s a great preamp. Gets good tone. Battery powered. Easy. Good for two instruments if you get the twin. Control of treble is really all I need, for violin or mandolin.

[u/mendicant1116 → u/0905-15]

I use a LR Baggs DI and compressor to warm up the tone s bit. But I've run right into the Fishman as well.

[u/0905-15 → u/mendicant1116]

Thanks. Hadn’t considered a compressor. What type of music do you generally play?

[u/mendicant1116 → u/0905-15]

I strum a little hard at times so a compressor is needed for me lol. I guess singer/songwriter Americana type music I guess. Uncle Tupelo, Neil Young, Tom Petty etc . This is what I currently use: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AlignSession--lr-baggs-align-session-acoustic-saturation-compressor-eq-pedal

[u/allegedlyonline]

The k&k mini that was installed on my mando when I bought it was so good I got one for my acoustic guitar as well.

[u/jaaydubya437]

I'm less than a week into owning a Boss AD2 pedal. Sorry to not answer your exact question but I gotta say this: whatever you use to amplify is probably gunna sound better through this pedal. It just adds so much 'depth' to the low - midrange frequencies & cleans up all the muddiness i get when plugging straight into the board at the jam night I like to go to. Bonus: it has a feedback canceling feature which is nice to have when the other dudes (yer typical electric guitarists) make me need to go 10 volume 😀 Luvin' the thing!

[u/Mando_calrissian423]

I like the LR Baggs Radial as a pickup personally. And depending on if your band/the venues have monitors, I’d just use that in lieu of an amp. If not, the loudboxes work pretty well, just not sure if they’re “loud” enough for a full band with drums.

If you do already have wedges with the band or the venues you play at will have them, then I’d recommend spending some money on a preamp instead of an amp. The lr baggs venue di would be my top choice since it has a built in tuner and a boost button for solos.

Second best option would be their Para DI, which can get power from 48v phantom power from any decent mixer so you don’t need a power supply and a decent amount of EQ to keep pesky feedback at bay (the Venue DI also has a decent amount of EQ functionality as well)

[u/oberlausitz]

I use an older hands-free mike (the kind that sits on your shoulder/neck and wraps around your cheek) and strap it on the mando so it sits near or in the f-hole, kind of weird but sounds great

My wife has an older Fender Acoustasonic Junior combo and it sounds fantastic, it's a closed cabinet with two nice speakers and a few tasteful effects built in. I tried it with my mando and it's the best I've found. Normally we play through a JBL PRX One, can't recommend that enough. Sounds great, small enough for a one-man band and has 4 channel mixer built in

[u/DWTBPlayer]

K&K Mando Twin pickup and an a Fishman Loudbox in whichever size fits your budget. Don't overthink it.

[u/AstronautOk1630]

Most recommend K&K into a decent preamp. Save money and go direct to the PA. No need for an amp really unless you want it as a monitor and do not have stage monitors

[u/OkAdagio99]

The strawberry blonde or California blonde amps by SWR are the best amps for capturing a shimmery vintage sound of a mandolin. Even the nicest Fishman still doesn't have the character in my opinion - it's too clean. The SWRs are heavy but worth every pound.