Electric guitar pickups are usually presented front and center, so you always have an idea of what kind of sound you’ll be getting. And even though most guitarists are familiar with the two different kinds of electric pickups (single-coil and humbuckers), there are tons of variations on each type, which we’ve explored in a couple of different articles.
Acoustic guitar pickups, however, are a completely different beast, as most use a piezo pickup. While both primary electric guitar pickups are magnetic, meaning they amplify the sound by creating a magnetic circuit between the pickup and the metal strings, piezo pickups are based on the vibration of the strings.
This makes sense, of course, as the sound of the acoustic is dependent upon those vibrations in relation to the body of the instrument -- and it’s the pickup’s job to recreate that. So instead of using magnets, the piezo pickup is typically made of polymers that create an electric charge that works in relation to the amount of pressure applied to them through string vibration.
Piezo Bridge Pickups
If you are looking at an acoustic-electric model guitar that comes from the factory, you likely won’t see any indication of a pickup. This is because the piezo pickup is hidden under the saddle of the bridge where they can pick up maximum vibration.
Typically all the wiring will be hidden inside the guitar for an instrument with a bridge pickup, with the 1/4” input also serving as a strap holder on the end of the guitar. This, of course, can vary depending on guitar brand and model.
As you can probably imagine, piezo pickups are not just used for acoustic guitars, but also for any stringed acoustic instruments, including upright basses, violins and cellos.
Sound Hole Pickups
You’ve probably also seen pickups inserted into the sound hole of acoustic guitars - these are often used in live and studio performances for guitars that did not come equipped with a bridge pickup. However, some acoustic players prefer these to the bridge pickup models.
Since these pickups are not in direct contact with the strings, they must be magnetic pickups, and come in both single-coil and humbucker models. Many companies manufacture both kinds, and just like with electric guitars, it’s really up to player preference as to which sounds better.
Sometimes you’ll see these types of pickups coupled with (and sometimes even made with) a sound hole cover. These covers help reduce the risk of feedback by magnetic pickups mentioned above. However, piezo pickups also can cause feedback because of how acoustic guitars are made, so sound hole covers often can come in handy with those pickups, as well.
Recording with Acoustic Guitar Pickups
Most of the time acoustic pickups are relegated to live use, as none can reproduce the natural sound of an acoustic guitar as well as using a great microphone on the instrument. However, as we mentioned in our article on how to record acoustic guitars , recording a direct input acoustic can be a great way to achieve a different acoustic sound, and may be just what your particular recording needs.
So, Why A Membership?
Let’s face it — trying to create professional mixes without the correct knowledge, tools, services, and network is like playing a concert with a broken instrument to an audience of no one.
That’s where the Sage Audio membership comes in — the membership gives you everything you need to create professional mixes consistently.
The membership is the secret to your success — it’s the difference between the 1,929,999,999 of poor-sounding mixes and the .00000002% of mixes that make people say 'WOW!"
There are 7 unique value-points included in your Sage Audio membership.
Let’s go over each one so you can decide if the membership is right for you.
1. Sage Audio University
- SAU Flagship Mixing Course: 23-video in-depth mixing course that reveals the little-known secrets of mixing and matches the needs of the new music industry.
- SAU Flagship Mastering Course: 19-video in-depth modern mastering course that dives into every nuance of making professional-sounding masters.
- SAU Pre-Mastering Course: Concise pre-mastering course that details the latest industry standards for preparing your mixes for mastering.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from budding mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout each course.
- Each SAU course includes Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website and social channels.
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2. Private 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio private 1-on-1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us for advanced mixing feedback, in-depth discussions, and customized guidance that's tailored to your specific needs.
- Unlimited private access to us for advanced mixing feedback, where we provide detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Unlimited private access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve every aspect of your mixes and masters.
- Customized guidance that’s tailored specifically to your needs.
- Fast communication so you can improve your skills quickly.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited professional mixing feedback directly from us so you can consistently improve your skills and create professional mixes.
- Mixing feedback is invaluable, and the Sage Audio membership gives you continual direct access to us for real-world feedback so you can improve every aspect of each of your mixes while you're in the process of mixing.
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4. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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5. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with additional real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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6. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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7. 800+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into categories so you can easily take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your skills at your own pace.
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