What is the Best Acoustic Pickup? Taylor ES2 vs. Fishman Matrix VT vs. LR Baggs Anthem (No Talking)
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2022
- What is the Best Acoustic Pickup? Taylor ES2 vs. Fishman Matrix VT vs. LR Baggs Anthem (No Talking)
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Hey guys, here is a demo of 3 pickups installed in my Taylor 214ce Deluxe guitar. I’ll put the timestamps below! There is no EQ or compression on these tracks. The first pickup in this demo is the pickup that came pre-installed in the Taylor, Taylor's proprietary Taylor ES2 System. The second pickup is the Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (Volume/Tone) pickup. For this pickup I had the Tone wheel turned all the way towards the neck (so the EQ was Flat). The third pickup in this demo is the LR Baggs Anthem Full version. For the test I had the microphone portion of the pickup turned off, so you're only hearing the undersaddle pickup of the Anthem.
For this demo, I start off by strumming chords, then fingerpicking, then soloing/playing chords.
Let me know which pickup you like best in the comments!
Hey all, here are the Timestamps to make it easy to compare pickups. Please Sub to my channel for more like this!
Strumming
0:05 - Taylor ES2 Pickup (comes pre-installed with guitar)
0:52 - Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (volume/tone) pickup
1:38 - LR Baggs Anthem Full version pickup
Fingerpicking
2:26 - Taylor ES2 Pickup (comes pre-installed with guitar)
2:56 - Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (volume/tone) pickup
3:20 - LR Baggs Anthem Full version pickup
Soloing / Strumming
3:48 - Taylor ES2 Pickup (comes pre-installed with guitar)
4:38 - Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (volume/tone) pickup
5:24 - LR Baggs Anthem Full version pickup
Bonus Strumming
6:18 - Taylor ES2 Pickup (comes pre-installed with guitar)
7:08 - Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (volume/tone) pickup
8:11 - LR Baggs Anthem Full version pickup
Like what you hear? Get these pickups for yourself!
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LR Baggs Anthem Acoustic Pickup System:
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Fishman Matrix VT Acoustic Pickup System:
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Elixir Strings Nanoweb 80/20 Bronze with Nanoweb Coating Acoustic Guitar Strings - .012-.053 Light:
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Hey all, here are the Timestamps to make it easy to compare pickups. Please Sub to my channel for more like this!
Strumming
0:05 - Taylor ES2 Pickup (comes pre-installed with guitar)
0:52 - Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (volume/tone) pickup
1:38 - LR Baggs Anthem Full version pickup
Fingerpicking
2:26 - Taylor ES2 Pickup (comes pre-installed with guitar)
2:56 - Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (volume/tone) pickup
3:20 - LR Baggs Anthem Full version pickup
Soloing / Strumming
3:48 - Taylor ES2 Pickup (comes pre-installed with guitar)
4:38 - Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (volume/tone) pickup
5:24 - LR Baggs Anthem Full version pickup
Bonus Strumming
6:18 - Taylor ES2 Pickup (comes pre-installed with guitar)
7:08 - Fishman Matrix Infinity VT (volume/tone) pickup
8:11 - LR Baggs Anthem Full version pickup
ES 2 it sounded the best. This is exactly the sound I am looking for. Sharp and clear, one that will shine through in the mix. That's why I bought the GS mini e koa plus.
Great comparisons! The only thing missing for me would have been a baseline mic'd "no pickup" sample. Thanks again for doing this.
My pleasure and good call, will do that if I do a similar video in the future!
Thanks for doing this. The ES2 can initially sound a little mushy and distant. Comparatively, the Fishman initially sounds like a blanket was lifted. But over time, the Fishman sounds less pleasant than the ES2 to me. It has an unnatural buzzy, boing-y quality typical of under saddle piezos. The Anthem strikes a good middle ground. But I feel like the ES2 sounds the least “direct in” and most natural to me.
I am glad i saw this comparison. It is obvious to me the ps2 has a more natural tone and i think many are prejudiced because they probably own the ll baggs model. The Fishman just doesn't match up well at all with either imo. Very glad i saw this because i am ordering a new acoustic electric tomorrow, but until now was leaning away from the Taylor with es2. I heard the Baggs system installed in an old Martin and up until now i was going to buy a new Martin and go with the Baggs. I already have several guitars with the Fishman system, but lately they all seem a little flat. Was being blinded by reviews and not actually sitting down and hearing some real comparisons. I think many people get confused with loudness and not tone. I will use my Taylor for home and studio practice and if i play out somewhere i will just plug it in for the volume. Thanks for a revealing (to me anyway) comparison. Subbing now.
It is possible to use the Taylor side saddle pickup, which is better than any under-saddle pickup, with the Anthem preamp and mic. It simply substitutes for the under saddle piezo the Anthem comes with.
Great comparison. My ears like the ES-2. The others sound muffled. But my ears are 70 years old, so I appreciate a bright sound that cuts through my mix, so to speak.
Glad you enjoyed! Taylor seems to like using it in all their guitars too!
Great comparison thank you. It would be fab if you did a vid on how you installed each one?
Thank you, I had a luthier install the pickups!
Thanks for creating this video. It’s a huge help as I am not a fan of the ES and I was considering the LR Baggs. Did you install it yourself or would you recommend taking it to a luthier? Does the ES need to come completely out?
my pleasure, there weren't enough videos directly comparing some of the leading acoustic pickups on the market..I went to a luthier to have them install the pickups! To my knowledge the whole ES pickup comes out and the volume/tone knobs on your guitar become useless as the pickups tested here are all adjusted from inside the guitar body
I enjoyed your playing and am appreciate you putting this video up. I have a new GTe Urban Ash and love the Taylor playability and the size/portability comapred to deardnoughts. However, the ES2 is such a weak link. I'm surprised Taylor hasn't changed to Fishman or offer more non-electric versions.
my pleasure, Phillip. I watched tons of videos before I decided on the LR Baggs Anthem. I recently got this guitar and wanted to try a different pickup and so I got the Fishman Matrix Infinity. While it sounds decent plugged into a computer, I didn't like how it sounded through my PA and that's where I do most of my work. I made the video to hopefully compare some of the best pickups on the market right now! Taylor should really up their pickup game or use a 3rd party pickup
They used to have the Fishman Prefix Plus system in their guitars and it was fantastic. I hate the Expression System with a passion.
@@paulgtarist that's a great system. seems they wanted to use their in-house electronics for a fraction of the cost of using a third party pickup
The LR Baggs Anthem has an under saddle pickup and an internal mic. There's a dial to choose 100% of either, or varying mixtures of the two. Instructions say to start with 100% under saddle, then turn the dial to bring in the mic, and stop when the quack goes away. (I HATE the piezo quack) I have two guitars with the Anthem installed. Best I've ever used. I have another with a K&K and it's pretty good too. (But string balance is off a bit) I have heard and read SO many bad things about the Taylor ES system that I'll never take the chance.
I really enjoy the undersaddle sound of the LR Baggs Anthem. One of the best starting points for plugging into a PA I've heard
Great video. I wish you would have 1. Shared what bass and treble settings were on the ES2, and 2. tested the baggs with mic at least to 50%.(why would anyone buy one and not use the mic?). I appreciate your efforts and it is still a great comparison video. Thanks
Thanks! The ES2 was all set at 12 o clock. I should have tested out mic blend on the Anthem, agreed
Tks for putting it together but to my ears seems the ES2 had a lower output comparing to the other contenders, I also realized it was eq'ed flat, wouldn't make a difference if you had increase the gain/volume on the ES2?
To my experience is a matter of know your gear and know the kind of tone/sound you are after. ES2 was made with fidelity in mind where under sadle PU were made with consistency in mind
Thanks for this video. Good comparison. I have become increasingly frustrated my with ES2. I have it in a 414ce which has the new V bracing design. Mine seems so harsh and tinny at times. When i first got it I was getting some very annoying high frequency component when i played the open G. The dealer installed new board, worked on bridge, not 100% sure what they all did, but it helped. The high frequency seems to be gone, but I'm still not happy for what this guitar cost me. Do you feel the LR Baggs opens up more when you add the mic component? I'm thinking about installing one of these systems. Thanks again!
My pleasure...there weren't enough videos comparing pickups in acoustics and I have 2 Taylor guitars that I have since refitted with LR Baggs Anthem pickups. I really disliked the ES2 system which had horrible upper mids and didn't sound like an acoustic. All of my acoustics now have the LR Baggs Anthem Full with the tone wheel mainly directed towards the Undersaddle pickup. I only blend in the microphone if I'm doing percussion on the guitar. The undersaddle sound is the best amplified acoustic sound I've heard from 30 pickups I've listened to. Some close contenders are the Fishman Prefix Plus which would carve a big hole in the side of your guitar and another good pickup is the Fishman Matrix Infinify Aura Blend which is a less intrusive installation...heard both of those in Gibson acoustics live and they sounded very natural...highly recommend the LR Baggs Anthem
@@MichaelAlso Thanks for the detailed response. Looks like I know what I am buying myself for Christmas :)
yes, lr baggs is by far the best! But...I think many criticize the taylor ES2 because they don't know how to equalize it, they don't use it properly. The ES2 indeed requires some adjustments and does well after adequate adjustments.
For me it doesn't make sense buying an expensive guitar to then finding out it's a real pain to make it sound good
@@ajimza not wrong... Taylor expression system is not the best sound you can find on the market. But it is still better than low budget electro acoustic guitars.
I've just spent a lot of time adjusting the es2 on my taylor. It's incredibly versatile
Glad ya like it!
And it's super fiddly to be honest ^^ I just got my first Taylor to replace my gigging guitar and it's super cool that it can be adjusted but it's also a pain in the butt to really get the best possible tone out of the system. It took me many hours over the past 3 days... But now I'm super happy with the result and it sounds so many times more like an acoustic guitar than my last two under saddle pick up guitars. It's a GS mini btw so it's tiny. But it sounds so good.
@@marctestarossa congrats!
Fishman for finger picking. Anthem second for strumming. ES 2 sounds very natural but lacks low end. All 3 are Good. Depends on the application of music your playing.
the takamine cool tube blended with the takamine triax
When installing an Anthem system can you use the Taylor ES2 piezo bridge pickup in place of the Element under-saddle piezo? The Taylor piezo should theoretically be better as it is a side saddle. I understand both pickups use the same mini jack. This would make a great video particularly if there was a should comparison.
unsure- had a professional luthier install mine, would be a better question for a luthier!
@@MichaelAlso All you have to do us unplug the Element Piezo from the Anthem and plug in the Taylor ES2. Does not require a luthier. You can also reuse the Taylor battery pack and jack with an Anthem. No one has done a sound comparison of the two with the Anthem preamp. ua-cam.com/video/s47Z4CqhSAw/v-deo.html also ua-cam.com/video/dAu8OQanvxM/v-deo.html
Wich between the three has better .. output signal?
1) Anthem 2) Matrix VT 3) ES2
that's my order too!
It is possible to use the Taylor side saddle pickup, which is better than the under saddle piezo the Anthem comes with, by just substituting it for the including piezo in your installation of the Anthem. The plugs are the same. The sound quality is better and installation is easier.
The Fishman Quacktrix.
The secret to the es2 is to keep all the levels around 30% let the power amp do the rest. After many hours of using this is the best sound I can get. Qsc k12 speakers
Interesting! Thanks for letting us know how you run your setup! I have videos of me playing the ES2 and the Anthem live thru Behringer Eurolives and Yamaha DBR12s. My ears like the Anthem
what year is that guitar?
I think I like the Fishman best followed by the LR Baggs. Very close between these 2. The Taylor just doesn’t do it for me. It sounds like one of those magnetic sound hole pickups.
nice choice! not a fan of the Taylor electronics myself!
I don't think very many people realize how adjustable the Taylor ES2 actually is and they play it stock settings from the factory. You can adjust three saddle pickups for sensitivity of the three pairs of strings to your liking. Taylor doesn't even make much of a message about it but it certainly makes sense to me to set it the way you like. Most players don't even adjust the heights of their electric guitar pickups either and it makes a big difference.
I think comparison videos need to stop showing how these pickups sound at their flatest and worst and examine them when setup properly and with the best tones we can come up with. I know it wouldn't be "scientific" but it would be a real world use example.
Once you adjust the hex screws on the Taylor ES2, you will find it is the most natural sounding and gives you more headroom to play louder without feedback from the three. But then again, it boils down to one’s preference.
Did you set all the pickups on a flat Equalization?
Yes
💙😊💙🎵🎶🎸
The LR Baggs is the best followed closely by the Fishman Matrix Infinity VT. The Taylor ES 2 comes in a distant 3rd.
I thought the Fishman sounded too quacky.
I guess people associate quacky with a good amplified acoustic guitar tone. It sounds like a plastic toy guitar and honestly even with the improvements made lately it is still hard to capture the sound of an acoustic guitar. I have a Taylor and use the ES2 and I find it quite usable but still not what I want to hear. I still find I have to adjust my playing to play the pickup system.
ua-cam.com/video/mGjh4j5JfwI/v-deo.html
I use this video to show the EQ showing the Hz at 100hz.
When looking at the offerings of Acoustic guitar pickups there must be allowance for the OEM price point as related to manufacturing cost. My break down on the price point tells me that the manufacturing cost on most is about $8. The Taylor is an exception, it is clear that they are attempting to provide something better, but there are a lot of people who find the sound undesirable regardless.
I have it from a source who was directly exposed to the manufacturing issues. The ES1 was causing problems in final assembly. A fluid in the top sensors was coming out and the magnet inside was vibrating.
The foreman is the patent holder of the ES 2, John Hosler, and I assume it was designed to correct the issue. Personally, I am not a fan of the 3 holes in the bridge and question its long term durability under load.
There is a drop-in replacement that corrects the overly bright sound of the ES2. In looking at this video I want to point out that the frequency graph shows a bump at around 100hz. This is by design. Its their attempt to provide bass response and by our calculations the gain is about 35 DB.
I am co owner of Go Acoustic Audio. goacousticaudio.com We did not get into this business to serve only Taylor sound. It was my need for High vol stage sound for my own guitars that drove me to find a solution. mcgillguitars.com
I have been known for high Vol. stage guitars for 25 years.
The #1 issue for us was feedback resistance. The second was string balance. The touch sensitivity and dynamics followed beautifully, allowing players to not be altering attack to avoid pickup tonality from over taking their performance.
I offer 3 videos here. one is a Taylor. which is last.
first is one of Nashville's most celebrated guitarists, Jack Pearson is playing a 00 Alvarez model. He could not play slide on an amplified acoustic before using our system. please excuse the cell phone distortion. the system is louder without feedback or distortion.
ua-cam.com/video/i71taytLxks/v-deo.htmlsi=dfr96X9sZe1s6jwM
Next is a National finger style champion at Winfield, Shane Adkins. Please do not presume this was staged. It was shot in a hotel room and Shane had never played the system before. They shot him to capture his reaction in real time.
ua-cam.com/video/II9SNQ0bu7U/v-deo.htmlsi=lWZVyPmqkELGq0hC
Lastly is Roger Hudson. This is a Taylor 314 and is recorded direct through a Neve mike pre into a mixing console. There is an internal mike in our system. The EQ was set flat. We recorded one system, changed it out, and re recorded the other for a comparison between the ES 2 and our replacement, which is a direct fit preamp, featuring 6 individual vol pots for each string, in the same guitar. To control feed back we use individual string amplification and engineer the strings separately before summing into the singular output signal.
ua-cam.com/video/lowOyyPtm2E/v-deo.htmlsi=dD639ROeZ9UQ6vP9
That first Taylor video where the guy is adjusting the 3 pole system is interesting, but that system isn't available on my Taylor 214 from 2009. I have played hundreds of live gigs and have used the ES2 vs. the Anthem in the same guitar and the Anthem sounds 200% better than the ES2 in my opinion. The ES2 system needs much more EQ and sounds much lower quality than most 3rd party pickups. Your Go Acoustic pickup system sounds great. Nice work!
Does fishmen matrix infinity vt Hum in loud volume in live band ??
I don't know. I did not like the sound of the Fishman Matrix Inifinity through my PA, so I replaced it with the LR Baggs Anthem which required less EQ and sounds great with a band, no issues.
If it quacks like a duck it's a Fishman!
Which one do you prefer best?
my pick is the LR Baggs Anthem for the way it sounds when I play Live and when I Livestream. It has the best starting sound with the least amount of harsh upper mid overtones. What's your pick?
of these the ES2 sounds the best to me. the others sound muffled. Fishman sounds like low strings are rubber. Baggs has way too much low rumble which in a loud band situation will be a feedback head ache.
Surprisingly the Baggs Anthem needs the least amount of EQ to cut thru a live mix and has the least amount of harsh frequencies IMHO. I've tried them all live for years and have had the Anthem for 3 years now!
ES2
is that es2 the older version or the newer version?
the ES2 is the factory installed pickup from Taylor and is the first pickup you hear in this video. The guitar is from the past year or so
Baggs has a HiFi duet
Stock ES2 sounds better when you compare them all dry and lazy, but each will sound totally different when throwing in a bunch of the necessary processing.
However replacing the system on a Taylor is a waste, the ES2 is something that makes Taylors unique compared to alternatives and it sounds more organic than any undersaddle (with that said an undersaddle with tons of processing definitely has its thing)
Sure you can EQ everything to sound great. The purpose of this video was to show what each pickup sounds like on its own with no processing. A better starting point means less EQ when you're being mixed by a different sound person in each venue
@@MichaelAlso And I think that's a flawed way to use any pickup. I'm very against the common way of just plugging into DI live and whatever happens happens and granted I developed my approach for acoustics from being an electric player and a mix engineer.
In general I do indeed use a pedalboard for acoustics, which has the same kinda processing I'd use for mixing, and I think more should do it.
Not having your own live rig (even a basic multieffect) is a giant mistake, you won't go to a gig with just your cable with an electric, so why do that with an acoustic?
@@Mr.Goldbar I have a preamp that I normally plug into live, but people who are searching for / interested in these pickups most likely want to hear what the guitar sounds into a Focusrite Scarlett, which pretty much 95% of all recording musicians own. Have a level playing field with fewer variables for a more direct comparison
@@MichaelAlso then... what can I say? they have a flawed way of looking at a pickup. Plus everyone who records himself needs to know the basics about EQ and compression, no excuse for that :)
I'm not saying you or anyone shouldn't also compare these systems direct, but I'm saying no pickup sounds the best it can when running dry, which fuels the misconception of various snobs that piezo pickups are bad.
I love undersaddle piezos but they definitely need that processing, compared to the ES2 under-bridge thing which is more organic and doesn't need as much
@@Mr.Goldbar i'm just doin a comparison here, sound is subjective. Hope you enjoy the ES2
acoustic pick up .. what’S the differ?? using good amp and turn on reverb that’S enough . if you make differences just standing mic on your front of guitar . anthem is just money exausting thing
each pickup has a different sound and it all depends on the sound you're going for..you can hear the differences with reverb added if you had these clips side by side...the reason I switched pickups twice was because there were overtones/harmonics on the Fishman Matrix Infinity in the upper midrange that I didn't love and would require an EQ pedal in addition to the EQ already on my mixing board...the Anthem sits better in my mix and is a better starting point that requires fewer EQ moves for me and other sound people
The ES2 sounds the clearest. The other two sound muddy.
Yes, the other two besides the ES2 sounds filtered and damped and less audible. All pickups should be set at flat equalization when tested, just to be fair...
I hava a gsmini ES-b pickup which sounds great when directly plugged-in flat into the multi-media speaker...
@@romeovelasco4151 there is no EQ added in post. Everything is flat
I don't get the negatives about the ES2. Maybe they need to not dime the pickup with the preamp volume and add in the gain with outboard gear. That's what I do. I run the Taylor's volume slight above half and use my Line 6 Helix to preamp it and process the sound and it's gorgeous with no quack.
@@jerbear1601 the ES2 has sounded very brittle and unclear thru most PA systems and speakers I've used
@@MichaelAlso Are you just plugging straight in? Are you using a preamp and EQ with it? I have no issues with the sound and in fact find it quite similar in technique to processing an electric. Get a decent level (Not necessarily all the way up) use the external preamp for the gain makeup and leave the tones in the centre unless needed for some tweaking. I don't get the dislike for this system at all and in fact like it way more than any other quacky pickup I've tried.
LR Baggs
Lr baggs and fishman sounds much better
I think so too! If you had to pick one, which would it be?
Under saddle pickups are dead. Taylor has introduced a paradigm shift. Soon the other companies will have to change.
which Taylor pickup are you talking about? the ES2 that's been around for 10+ years?
@@MichaelAlso Yeah the ES2 isn't all new but they are improving the preamps as they go, mine is 2022 and sounds awesome (with some processing to shape it). The thing about side mounting the bridge pickup in three sectors with user adjustability is a game changer. I tuned my pickups in about an hour or so and it was all smooth sailing after that. Does it sound like the raw guitar? Nope. Do I want it too? Not really.
@@jerbear1601You say that the Taylor piezo can be much improved by setting the sensitivity with the hexagonal key? I have a Taylor gs mini and koa plus just bought with these problems, very low volume and sustain...
@@Diego73P I'm not sure if your guitars have the ES2 system or not. There is another one they use. If you have the 3 hex keys on your bridge then you have the ES2. Simply turn them counter clockwise with the appropriate Allen wrench to pull them away and gently turn clockwise to bring them back until they get the balance between the 3 courses of strings. (Easy does it) After that if you don't have enough volume you will need a preamp setup and further shape the sound with EQ.
@@MichaelAlso The undersaddles have been around since when? The 80's? Time to move on to something new.
Fishman sounds awful and quacky as does the LR Baggs. ES2 for the win. Any of them need to be processed to sound good anyway. It's like an electric guitar pickup without anything behind it.
I totally agree! The ES2 sounded very clean, bright and clear. The Fishman and LR Baggs to my ears sounded, sounded a little muffled and smothered when strummed!