My D-40 Sound hole too small for pickup?

krugjr

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Big surprise.....went to my local store today to get some ideas for electronics in my 2010 D-40 BG.....I like D-TAR dual source in my F50-R and I've read good things about DiMarzio and LR Baggs.....the store only stocks Martin and LR Baggs pickups, so I thought I'd give the Baggs M1A sound hole pickup a try (no M80s in stock).....my buddy said he'd throw it in my D-40 and I could try it out through my Bose for a few days.....came back a couple minutes later and said my sound hole was too small....kind of surprised me, thought my D-40 would probably have a "standard" size sound hole, but I guess not.....I didn't write down any measurements, but my Guild sound hole was 1/4" smaller than the Martins.....it's my only guitar without electronics, so if anyone has any advice on my situation, I'm all ears! thanks, gang...
 

Br1ck

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Lots of K & K mini love out there. I have a Lyric but that entails a battery on board.
 

krugjr

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while pickup suggestions are appreciated, my basic question is about the size of the sound hole.....is it just the D-40, or all Guilds.....do the "in hole" pickups fit in any of them, or is the only option the pickups mounted in body, under saddle, under bridge, etc....? I just assumed Guilds, Taylors, Martins and Gibsons all had about the same size sound hole.....I'm always leaning new stuff about acoustics.....
 

SFIV1967

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Br1ck

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I have a Stella with a very small soundhole. The Lawrence pickup works, but is the least acoustic sounding, but that is what I was going for for a greasy blues slide tone. If you have the measurement, most manufacturers will have what soundhole pickups will fit in the technical specs.
 

krugjr

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thanks Ralf and Br1ck.....yeah, I've seen those measurements on the specs of PUPs, just didn't pay any attention...now I will.....kinda thought I'd hear back from "several" Guild owners with their experience with sound hole pickups, and what fit and didn't fit, etc.....I'll probably end up with an "in the body" PUP anyway, but it would have been nice to get the free trial through my Bose.....to see what that D-40 would sound like amplified, and maybe save a couple hundred bucks.....
 

adorshki

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thanks Ralf and Br1ck.....yeah, I've seen those measurements on the specs of PUPs, just didn't pay any attention...now I will.....kinda thought I'd hear back from "several" Guild owners with their experience with sound hole pickups, and what fit and didn't fit, etc.....
Maybe surprisingly enough, I can only recall one discussion about soundhole size, how it actually varied by fractions in different models and at different times, but I don't think anything was ever said about pickups in that one.
You'd think a subject like that could generate pages of posts.
Maybe now it will.
 

krugjr

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Al.....for as popular as LR Baggs is, and then to find out one of their top selling in hole PUPs doesn't even fit in my D-40 was a little surprising.....that one wasn't my top choice anyway, but I was going with what my store sells.....now it will be easier to buy what I want on line and pay them to install it....without feeling too guilty about shopping on line.....know what I mean?
 

GuildFS4612CE

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Sound hole size varies considerably...first version of Songbird has a smaller soundhole than average...'67 F212 I used to have had a smaller soundhole as well...at that time there were a limited number of soundhole PUP options available and the Dean Markley worked with the application of a file to the lower half of the wood base to allow it to be slipped into the soundhole.

There are quite a few options now, including some that have far more adjustability than others...measure your soundhole carefully and then contact the mfr to see what the minimum size diameter the unit will fit into if the info is not online.
 

krugjr

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thanks, GuildFS4612CE, (boy, that's a long name)...good advice!
 

SFIV1967

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boy, that's a long name
Well, just a guitar...a Guild FS46-12CE...

guild-1-1.jpg


Ralf
 

krugjr

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ah ha......guess we Guild rookies (only a few months....but purchased 4 already) show how much we don't know once in a while huh....LOL ..thanks for heads up, Ralf!
 

adorshki

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ah ha......guess we Guild rookies (only a few months....but purchased 4 already) show how much we don't know once in a while huh....LOL ..thanks for heads up, Ralf!
And watch out when Jane pokes ya in the ribs.
Sometimes she uses that guitar instead of her elbow.
 

krugjr

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thanks, Richard.....for a heavy rhythm player like me, D-TAR does have a lot to offer!
 

mavuser

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my luthier somehow got the LR Baggs M1 passive in the soundhole of my F-20 (and out as well). then he probably stuck pins in a voodoo doll with my name on it after I left! The F-20 definetly has a smaller soundhole than other Guilds, this came up in a pickguard thread a while back. I wound up having my luthier make another F-20 pickguard based on mine, for another forum member. i tried putting a Fishman rare earth pickup in the same guitar (myself), couldnt get it done.
 

Razz

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When I bought mine the store recomended
D-TAR Multi-Source. I opted not to buy it so I can't comment on how it works.
 

krugjr

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Razz.....the D-TAR multi source is in my F50-R, and it's sweet.....that guitar was my first Guild and I figured it would be my main "unplugged" guitar cuz of the big, full, balanced sound with beautiful bass for my rhythm style of playing.....thinking, for plugging in to my Bose L1, I would find the right pickup for my D-40, or go with my Taylor with the ES2 electronics.....but the D-TAR is so nice, I'm considering making the F50-R my "plug in" guitar instead.....complete turn around from what I figured when I got it.....go figure! a big part of the D-TAR is the 2 9V batteries...you can drive the rhythm very heavy and not run out of head room.....what did you end up putting in yours for electronics? what's your guitar?
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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I have used a Dean Markley sound hole pickup in my JF-30-12 and D-55.
The pickup is very forgiving as to sound hole size but it lacks almost everything that I want in sound for a pickup.
 
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