Barcus Berry Piezo Transducer (1455-3)

I replaced the under saddle on a tenor uke with this. I had to make a new bone saddle which I compensated as much as the thickness of the saddle allowed, and the unamplified sound was improved greatly because the under saddle pickup was a braided wire covered with vinyl insulation which muffled the vibrations from the saddle to the top. I wired the barcus berry to the existing onboard pre amp (tricky soldering) and to me it sounds more natural with less feed back than the original pickup. I tried it without the preamp and it was a little weak maybe due to the ukes smaller size and nylon strings creating less vibrations than a steel stringed guitar would. I had already had to replace the ukes original plastic female input (it failed in less than a year) and so I used the one that I had already installed (it was through the side of the uke) and not the end pin one that came with the pickup.

Just ordered my 2nd one of these. First one went in a Martin D-41. Had it professionally installed in Nashville by a long-time luthier there. He matched it to a Baggs preamp with a simple volume wheel in the bass edge of the sound hole. Simply awesome result. Yes, the pickup is somewhat "microphonic" in that it picks up string squeak and any time/way you touch the top of the guitar, but I play with no pick and a lot of my technique involves various dynamics where I want the pickup to react to what I am doing to the strings and the top. So, for my style, the Insider is perfect! Gonna put the 2nd one in a D-18 and pair it with a Sunrise and preamp them both through a Sunrise SB-2. I'll provide an update when that project complete and tested out.

I have purchased two of these over the past year.They are easy to install. The rear peg or strap pin is removed and you drill the hole to 1/2 inches.Remove or loosen the strings enough to reach your hand inside and pull the input jack connector through the drilled hole.Place a washer and nut on the jack and gently tighten until snug.Remove the tape from the back of the transducer and place it in position, underneath the bridge.It is very easy to use and works well for small gigs. Just plug in and use the amp controls or your PA system.Best used in low to moderate volumes.Economical and Barcus Berry has been making pickups for many years.A very good choice if you dont want to spend a lot, but want professional sound quality.

I received this item and was so pleasantly surprised it was labeled "Made In The USA" - this was a big plus because I like to buy made in the USA merchandise. I installed mine in an old Applause roundback guitar. I mounted the pickup under the saddle using the double-stick tape already on the pickup. The only issue I had was that the output jack is the kind you can attach a strap to. The pickup has two wires, but the jack has 3 solder tabs. I read the instructions and feel the manufacturer should add a small diagram for soldering. For me this wasn't an issue since I used a Switchcraft 1/4" phone jack. I love the sound and quality and would recommend this pickup for anyone who needs high quality at a good price.

I installed Barcus-Berry pickups in two of my guitars in the late 80's and they weren't great for amplification but they remain a great option for recording. In fact I recorded with one just weeks ago when the Fishman under saddle unit on the same guitar had a dead battery. So my plan was to hot rod a Martin DM with all three of my favorite acoustic pickup systems. However these new models of Barcus-Berry pickups aren't as good; low volume and muddled. They might do better than the old versions when amplified but for the recording purpose I looked for they are a miss.

Had it installed by a luthier on a Martin Backpacker. He had to place it below the strap nut, like a Les Paul. You'll want to use a 90 degree cable on the guitar end. It works well although it does pick up alot of 'string sounds' (like sliding the pick on the wound strings) but I LOVE being able to amp my travel guitar. I've used it with Line 6 150 watt, a Line 6 75 watt, and a Pignose (yes you CAN carry a Backpacker and a Pignose on a Harley! )

I installed this pickup and am not happy with the result. As one other reviewer wrote, there are 3 pins on the fas-jac, but only 2 wires to solder from the pickup and the instructions don't provide guidance. So I soldered the wires as best I could tell from product images and tried it. At first I got no sound when going direct to my amp. I was able to get sound if using a pre-amp. The product information claims you don't need a pre-amp.I don't have a problem using a pre-amp, but within 2 minutes of using the guitar, really bad buzzing started, and got worse if I touched the instrument cable at all (where the plug goes into the fas-jac). I know the cable is fine, I've used it with other guitars without any problem. I'm thinking either I installed it wrong, or have a bad jack.I've emailed and called the barcus berry and they have not responded. When you email them, there is a return message saying they don't check the email very often. When I called I got transferred a couple times, then abruptly put on someones voice mail. Not friendly customer service.....

Good quality and shipped very quickly. Installed easily. Only negative is it also amplifies all sounds such as when your fingers rub the top of the guitar when you are playing. I am going to change to an under saddle pickup.