Anthem Soundhole Microphone/Undersaddle Acoustic Guitar Pickup Review

I'm impressed!

I had an LR Baggs Dual Source system installed in my J65M Martin. I really liked it but since it was 20 years old and technology has advanced so much I felt it was time for an update. First the improvements are significant and the Tru-Mic is the most impressive. Location of the mic was key with the Dual Source system but the Tru-Mic mounts right on the bridge plate. No need to… read more move the mic around looking for the best location inside the guitar. And it does a great job picking up the spectrum of sounds. Next is the battery level indicator which was sorely missing on the old system. I'd change batteries long before they needed to be replaced out of fear of it dying while on a gig but no more. The preamp and controls mount on the edge of the sound hole and aren't as unsightly as the old externally mounted remote control. My luthier installed it and yesterday I was able to spend the time to dial in the sound. And there is a significant improvement in the overall sound output. The old system mic would easily feedback but the new one only fed back when cranked beyond a normal setting. My jumbo bodied guitar had a huge bottom end boom with the old system that was tricky to tame. Not so with the Anthem. Yes there was boominess but it was easily dialed back when I set things up. All in all a great system that I highly recommend.

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Quality, clear sound amplification

On my first build, I installed the Fishman Ellipse system, with a gooseneck microphone. While I liked the sound with the system, I decided to try the LR Baggs Anthem system on my second guitar, a 12-string. I liked the idea of having a microphone setup to capture the sound from the body cavity, as opposed to right under the strings, with the Fishman system. I couldn't be happier… read more and am installing the LR Baggs system once again, on my third guitar. It's he system beautifully captures the full sound of the 12-string.

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Amazing tone and quality

I installed the Anthem into my 45 year old Alvarez 12 string. The Anthem has brought new life to this long term companion. This is the best modification I have made in years.... Being able to balance the levels of each pickup is more than helpful. Paired with a Para DI box takes it to perfect.

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My Cort D8 Never Sounded So Good!

When I bought my newest addition - a CORT Gold D8 in Lightburst - to my silently growing unknown-to-my-wife guitar collection (12 and counting), I was pleased to know that it did not come with a factory-installed pickup. For years, I have been wanting to get one of the LR Baggs Anthems. So, I wasted no time in ordering one online, of course from Sweetwater. Dave Brow, my long-time… read more and trusted Sales Engineer promptly gave me a follow-up call. Now, I know all about LR Baggs' policy regarding DIY Installation. So, I spent a considerable amount of time reading the manual and watching YouTube videos. And made the decision, that I will do the installation myself. I wouldn't call the installation super easy. I would not call it hard either. I'm not a real musician. I'm actually a healthcare professional. But, I like doing stuff myself. So, I did it, It actually took me the entire day because I took my sweet time (no pun intended). It was raining anyway. With the Pandemic, it was best to just stay home and do something. When it was all over, my Cort D8 never sounded so good! To be honest I have not made any fine adjustment on the Tru Mic level because the Anthem already sounded great out of the box. But, I will still definitely try to tweak it as soon as I learn how it works. The reason for this is, the Anthem system has 2 sources of amplification - the Tru-Mic (under-the-bridge microphone) and the Element (under-saddle piezo pick-up). And adjusting the Anthem's Tru-Mic's level relative to the Element under-saddle pick-up level according to the manual, is vital to the sound of the Anthem system. But for now, I'm just happy that my inexpensive little-known all-solid wood acoustic guitar sounds like a super expensive premium guitar costing several thousands more. I am so pleased with it and enjoyed the experience of installing it, that I immediately bought another LR Baggs Anthem from my local music store.

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Best mic/pickup solution I've tried

This is not cheap, but it's worth it. I have one on my Gibson SJ200, and just installed this on my old D-18. I can plug directly into my digital recorder and it sounds amazing because it's a condenser mic right inside the body of the guitar (and a blended pickup if needed). I imagine if you're in a pinch you could plug right into a PA system and it would sound pretty great. Also,… read more it's really easy to install if you already have a piezo pickup hole under the nut and a hole for the jack (I wouldn't try drilling those myself). You need patience and precision, but if I can do it anyone can. (Note that L.R. Baggs discourages people like me from doing things like this, and my warranty is officially void.) It's prettier than a sound hole pickup, but does require drilling holes in your guitar. My old Martin already had those holes, so this was a huge improvement over the cheap nut piezo I found it with.

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