Solid review! One thing to add: when mix is set all the way to mic, it still uses the piezo for anything under 250 Hz. Cool idea that removes the piezo from its problem area (pingy highs), and removes the mic from its problem area (low-end feedback). If you want ALL mic, the Lyric system does that. Different mic, though.
I'm so sorry to blow up the thread. I just love Anthem so much. Good techs can use an existing 9V battery compartment from the stock pickup (like Taylor's, for instance) and wire it to work with the Anthem. In addition the hole needing to be drilled in the tail block is just the industry standard 1/2", so like you said it won't need a hole drilled if there's an existing pickup. Finally, there is another hole in the guitar because they have to drill a tiny hole in the saddle slot to put the transducer through. It is worth mentioning because some may choose not to do this in an heirloom instrument.
I recently put the Anthem in my Epiphone acoustic. Two things I've learned trying to install it myself: 1. Pay close attention to how level your saddle is. My saddle wasn't making contact with the bridge plate on the high E string side, which resulted in the low sounds overpowering the treble. If this happens to you, patiently sand and check your saddle with a straight edge. Trial and error, you'll eventually get it. 2. When removing my old factory piezo, I found the stock saddle was a custom size matched to the old pickup. That made replacing the saddle quite tricky to fit right, requiring some shimming. This would be a problem for any under saddle replacement, not the fault of the Anthem in particular, but it's something I wish I had known ahead of time.
That was the most comprehensive cover of the Anthem Tru mic I have found so far on UA-cam. THANK YOU! Most of them just play their guitar and don't A-B them with any kind of comparison. Again, thank you! I've been looking at the Lyric but now and questioning. Thank you again, again and keep up the good work!
Thanks so much Brian! I love your videos brother, keep working for His glory! I just bought a Breedlove Concertina Tiger's Eye Myrtlewood with the Anthem in it and WOW. I'm completely blown away by it. Its hands down the most natural sounding pick-up system I've ever heard in an acoustic.
okay, i know this was made 5 years ago but thanks so much for this video. comprehensive run through but direct and to the point. not to mention you just convinced me to pull the trigger on the anthem. much appreciated
Excellent review! I played solely acoustic for decades, but have recently come around to amplification after buying a Martin D-28 in which the shop had installed an Anthem. I didn’t even own an amp until last month, when I acquired a vintage (1992) Trace Acoustic TA50R setup. The Anthem, plus that amp, are a fantastic combo. Naturally the D-28 sounds phenomenal all by itself, but adding the Anthem and the amp provides brilliant sound along with capturing the complexities of the acoustic sound… string and pick noise, etc. I love it. I’m active with a few local jam groups, and it really helps to be heard while surrounded by other instruments. Thanks for posting!
For anyone reading this and wanting an Anthem but not having the $300, the Anthem SL which is $199 and a pre-setting of the mic blended all the way in with the piezo. You lose the phase switch and battery checker, but you shouldn't have feedback with proper gain stage, EQ, and monitor placement. If you change your battery when you change your strings you should never have a problem.
Thanks for the review. I just ordered an Anthem pickup for my 1973 Martin D28 - should be here next week and getting it professionally installed so can't wait to hear how it sounds when I go to open mics.
Okay great demonstration. I am a worship leader too and I couldn't agree with you more concerning the frustration of having really great sounding guitars with substandard pick up systems. I've tried a lot of them and I'm finally at the point to where I am going to sell one of my guitars just to get this pick up and have it professionally installed. Great job on explaining the nuances of this pickup system, thank you so much.
Excellent A-B comparisons. Great quality, great presentation. Thank you! I continue to believe the LR Baggs Anthem is the absolute best pickup solution on the market today. Certainly not for the those on a tight budget, but as usual quality comes at a price.
I'm a great fan of LR Baggs. I have Mandolin and Banjo pickups, plus an Element and now an Anthem SL. Somehow, LR Baggs have figured how to capture the acoustic vibe of the instruments and they all sound excellent, (well my cheap banjo sound like my cheap banjo, you know, "silk purse - sow's ear!"). Actually the cheaper Element, which is just an undersaddle piezo, sounds really good in my Northwood, (a local, great, guitar luthier). For sure the Anthem SL, (in my Larrivee), sounds really great and gives you a little more variety with the mic adjustment. But that Element sounds great too, and if money's an issue - or just simplicity, no need to fiddle with mic adjustments - I have no reservations recommending it.
This is the best review video I've seen on the LR Baggs Anthem. You did mention widening the jack, but you forgot the fact that you have to drill underneath the saddle through the body at both ends and sand the saddle down slightly for the piezo installation. I'm sure it's probably already been mentioned. Thanks for the great LR Baggs Anthem review.
Great review! I have a Martin DC28E with the Fishman Aura VT Enhance system and replaced it with the L.R. Baggs Anthem. I couldn't be happier that I did that. I did keep the battery compartment from the Fishman and don't have to worry about the Velcro bag. I want to mention that the Aura VT Enhance system only lasts 20 hours on a 9 volt and the Baggs lasts 170. I play live professionally 6- 10 times a week and I can't brag on the Baggs Anthem enough!
rowbocaster was it hard to remove the old system? I just bought a Martin 000-10E with the Fishman MX-T system in it and I need to remove it to put in LR Baggs . I do wish I could keep the tuner part of MX-T system . Any ideas ?
I have a cheap Yamaha with the Anthem installed in it. Every time other guitar players hear it, they can't believe it's a cheap guitar. I'm a firm believer in this pickup.
Just for sayin I believe with the Anthem "100% mic" is mic fully opened but still with piezo, so it is already 50/50 while when you call it 50/50 it is actually 25/75
The Anthem SL is 100 less bucks and probably has what we really need. We can buy a tuner and most of the time we'd use the 50/50 or 65/35 setting. SOME piezo is really better than no piezo with the Anthem. And best of all, it doesn't "mute" the top like the full Anthem does.
hey , a very nice channel may god bless u because a very few people do this and I hope I can study from your tutorials ,but the thing is I joined a guitar class a few yrs back but I dropped out because they insisted that if u have no guitar u can't do anything and I didn't buy a guitar due to some financial problems . I love your channel and keep on doing the great work
Had an Epiphone J15 with Anthem installed. Run through Bose L1. Sounded ok but was missing something. Just bought a 1971 Yamaha FG150 red label. Having the Anthem removed from Epi and installed in Yam. The 2 guitars are as different as night and day accousticly. Cant wait to hear it plugged in.
The best and most comprehensive review on the net! Well done. Questions: how do you have the mic gain trimpot set? And do you ever use the phase button? Does it work for eliminating feedback?
There's no great way to measure where the mic gain pot is set--you just want to isolate your guitar in your ears dry and flat with the mic faded in and play with it (they give you the tool). It's a set and forget. I have never had to use the phase on my Anthems because I've literally not once had feedback.
I 100% agree about the piezo, and I realized I really didn't want a piezo pickup so I just got the Lyric. It's $100 less than the Anthem, and you just get the mic. It sounds amazing.
Thanks for the input. Great video and great information because I am about to buy a guitar that has the choice of the anthem and another one and you have sold me. Again thank you. And blessings as you lead worship.
Well done for such a well reasoned and presented review. You should do more! PS I have had numerous guitars all with the Anthem and now still play some 6 of them all to great effect. For me the main issue has been attenuating the mic by means of the tiny screw (a bit fiddly)
Great sounding guitars! I just upgraded from an Ibanez to a new Taylor and when you said in that comment that it will pick up Anything I can attest to that! My Taylor will pick up my voice if I talk into the sound hole while plugged in! Great video!
Totally agreed with you that the most annoying is when I change the battery, and I do really love Taylor battery slot at endpin jack. So LR Baggs should think about it.
I was able to attach the jack assembly to my existing stock jack and battery housing on my cheap Martin (SL version), worked great! no need to drill out the back if you have a compatible battery housing that screws into the side, instead of having that annoying battery bag everything works like stock. Also 3 Sigma audio IRs come with packs designed specifically for the Anthem and Anthem SL separately. I made a two minute video describing it.
Great video. Thanks for sharing the info. I've been looking for a better pickup system for years. Very pleased to know that you are a worship leader. I've been a Christian for years. Oh yea, I subscribed to your channel immediately. Thanks again brother. Take care and God Bless.
Thank you so much for doing this review/comparison! I've been researching for a while in regards to which pickup I should put in my Martin 00L-17. (which is very similar to the CEO-7) This absolutely made up my mind, except I'm going to go with the Anthem SL instead as I don't need the blend control. The 00 sounds near identical through the Anthem vs the Mic. Beautiful guitars by the way!
@@worshiptutorials Thanks for the very informative review. You said that you turn the control all the way to the microphone because you hate the sound of the piezo. Considering your preference, wouldn't it be better if you had a pickup system that was 100% microphone without even having a piezo? Now that it is 2024 do you know of a great pickup that has a great microphone and no piezo at all? If you do, please tell me what it is.
When you are in full mic mode, the piezo on the anthem system only handles very low frequencies (well below 100 Hz). The mic is amplifying the rest of the EQ spectrum. It helps with feedback.
Installing this pickup system was the easiest thing Ive ever done. Everything is plug & play. My Taylor has never sounded better; Even string volume, rich low end (which I was lacking), find that sweet spot in the blend and it sounds amazing. I made my own tail piece and it works perfectly.
I have the anthem in my d-35 also. I play in church so the mellow balanced sound you can get from it is great but can also get a bright sound if needed. Like the battery check also. Wish my other pickup systems had this.
The techs at Lr Baggs all use the Anthem SL. $100 less and it’s set up with the mic full on blend with piezo for the bass notes. Most people tend to go for the mic
Great demo! I really like my Anthem in my old Yamaha. I have a ceo7 and Gibson songwriter but want to add another Martin. Probably gonna be a om28 or hd28 with factory Anthem. BTW I got off Elixir strings after trying Martin Lifespan 2.0. I use Music Nomad deodorant cleaner thing and they last longer and sound way better.
Thanks for the great video! I’ve always liked the Baggs systems, but I can’t bring myself to do that to my Martin. It looks like I’ll be sticking a pickup in the sound hole when I need it. Thanks again! Best wishes - Tim
Very nice and informative video!! And great sounds as well. May I ask about which eq corrections (freqs, Qs, gains) and which compressor settings did You use on the dread? Moreover, did You find a change in unamplified sound due to the piezo element and (especially) the bulky pre attached to the top? Thanks a lot. Keep up the great work
That answers my question, because yes, the anthem is not cheap. So I found an LR Baggs Lyric for half the price and that’s what I’m going with. I agree, I hate the piezo sound, I’ve had Fishman systems with the gooseneck mic and piezo and always ran the mic anyways.
On a serious note I agree - I prefer a mic in front of my Martin d-18 pointed at the bridge. Never thought on really blending other inside mics but I have recorded a Martin lx1e and a mic but thought the sound was terrible, the two signals, fishman and the studio mic sounded two different from each other to ever blend. I need to learn more!
Amazing review. I have a Martin D41 and I’m looking for a pickup. You may have sold me. I also lead worship. How much did it cost to install this? God Bless brother!
I like the K&K pure mini setup the best. You can use a DI box and get them sorted out just so. Plus, they have no effect on acoustic tone. Next, for a grab-and-go setup that doesn't need a DI box or anything except a plug to the PA, I like the Baggs Anthem system. The one downside is that the Anthem setup does affect your acoustic tone a little bit, plus folks get pretty nervous about having a battery inside a fine guitar.
I've got the anthem in my Martin D15 and it's fantastic!! I also have a Taylor 524ce with the ES2 pup, a Maton 12 string with the AP5 pro pup and they both sound average compared to the Martin Anthem combo. Thumbs up for the great review, your video was one of the vids that helped me make the decision with confidence.👍👍
Yes Jullian it is compared to the Taylor but I just turned up the channel a little more on my pa. also the battery lasts way longer on the anthem because of this, I used to change the battery on the Taylor every 3 - 4 gigs...the high output on it wasn't worth it. I love the Anthem.
I know it's an old video, but if you'd turn that mic away from the soundhole just a tad it'd get you a much less muddy sound. Point it at right about where the neck and body meet. I wasn't quite watching when you started playing and my very first initial thought was "That mic sounds terrible." But that's why. Way too much air hitting it all at once.
Thank you for this highly informational video. I just got a Cort Gold Series D8 LB square-shouldered dreadnought; I have 4 other acoustic guitars (Epiphone Masterbilts with the eSonic Pre-Amp system installed). The Cort guitar has no factory pick-up system built-in which I like. So, I am trying to decide what pick-up system I am going to install. I know I want an LR Baggs. I just don't know which one. I think, I am convinced now that I should get the $300 LR Baggs Anthem. Thanks again for what you do. Stay safe!
I have just installed the anthem in my Martin d 35. I also have a hd 28 with a fishman ellipse in it. I like the anthem best. Both sound great but the fishman has a flimsy mic plus the volume control is very touchy and no battery level indication. The anthem mic is permanent mount on the bridge plate. I love the anthem.
Hey really nice work on the vid. I currently have a KK Pure Mini in my live acoustic guitar. Ton of feedback issues at high volume for gigs. So then I have back everything down which totally takes out the great tone. So I have been looking for an alternative. Do u have any issues with feedback with your band or at high volume? Thank you.
I just bought a guitar with this system already installed..I was a little concerned about the difficulty of changing the battery, but I guess it's nothing too complicated..you mentioned the sound systems on the Taylor guitars and I've never been crazy about them..and the battery compartments often develop a weird buzzing sound..
Hey pal, how do you find the guitar sounds in your ears with 100% mic? I hate the piezzo sound myself, especially in my ears when I have no ambience or guitar sound outside of my ears. If I'm 100% ears, all I hear is that twangy kinda plugged in sound and I hate it. I want a more natural sounding tone in my ears. I'm thinking the Anthem will solve that issue?
Thank you so much for this review. You answered a lot of my questions in this video. I just bought a D-28, but I have to wait for another month, because I wanted to have the L.R. Baggs Anthem in it (they told me I should do it, they said it's the best system at the moment). I was wondering about two things. 1: Does it affect the natural tone of the guitar (you already answered it). 2: Do you notice the difference in weight, or a weird balance? Strange question maybe, but still, I'm curious. Thanks!
Great review! The Anthem seems to represent the dreadnaught pretty well, but in the 00 style sound is pretty different. (At least listening through my iPad speakers). I own the Anthem in a Larrivee OM , the Anthem SL in a Larrivee Dreadnaught, and the LR Baggs Lyric in an old Takamine that I didnt want to drill a hole in the top. My favorite combo so far is the D-50 and the Anthem SL. I play weekly in the worship band at my church and dont have any problems with feedback. Great pickup! I wont buy anything else on the market right now. Thanks for all the great videos!
Thanks Daniel! I have one other acoustic (an older Takamine) that I've debated putting an Anthem in as well - but I just don't play it as much at all since these Martins I have are such better guitars.
hey daniel! I have a epiphone masterbilt with a lr baggs anthem SL, i'm thinking on change the pickup and pick the regular anthem. what do you think? is that a good or bad idea? worth or it wont improve my sound?
Icaro Moreira I think it depends on if you are want to use to element (Under saddle transducer) more or are you happy with the sound of the SL. The way I understand it is that the full version of the Anthem just lets you mix in more of the Element pickup and less of the mic. If you like the more natural microphone sound and don't really have a need to mix in more of the element pickup then I would say just stick with the SL. If you want more tonal options and a battery meter then take the leap and get the full version of the Anthem. In my opinion, getting the full Anthem wont make your guitar sound more natural. It will just give you more variety. Hope this helps!
thank you for helping me, bro. i like the soundo of SL for sure, but i have problems with feedback sometimes and need that notchfilter. i'm brazilian...living in brazil, and here everything is too expensive, i have to save and spend a lot of money to change it. So...i dont like the element, worth spend a lot of money only for the notch/batterycheck/ beauty of full anthem ? haha thank you again!
Icaro Moreira My pleasure, bro! You could always try dialing back the mic sensitivity and see if that helps the feedback issue. You can find instructions on how to do that at lrbaggs.com. Hope you get it worked! God Bless!
Hi, thanks for the video (I know I'm a little late!). Would the Anthem work well with different pa systems (I'm thinking open mics) without any tweaking? I just want to plug in and play into what ever PA system is available and get a decent sound. I hate piezo pick ups too. Lovely guitars btw. Thanks.
Question, if you always run the Anthem all the way up in the mic setting, why don't you just get that LR Baggs Lyric? That's what the Anthem is, the Lyric and the Element.
Baggs makes the best pickups! I like my M1A for some stuff. The K&K like a UST tend to have a brittle or quacky sound. Takamine has the cooltube system and that sounds pretty great but you have to have that big hole cut into the side of your guitar for the preamp and at the end of the day its more expensive and more intrusive then the anthem. My guess is gonna be that, it would be closer to the 50/50 anthem and that the anthem at 100% mic blows it away. Your guitars sound incredible, thanks for sharing!
Buy a Takamine Pro series 4 and above to get the CoolTube... they sound great! I have added a soundboard transducer that I blend 50/50 with the CoolTube.... awesome.
@@jed1166 I do the acoustic percussive loop thing, so I was thinking of adding a soundboard transducer. Do you have to do anything special? Or just buy and install a k&k and plug it into the cooltube preamp?
@@0713mas Takamine has one that plugs right into the CoolTube... the CoolTube has separate volume controls for both Palathetic and soundboard transducer. If I play solo, I go palathetic at 50%, and transducer 100%... great “woody” sound with enough low end. If playing in a band, (sax, electric violin, drums), just reverse it to cut through. Usual CoolTube setting is 70% tube and 30% solid state,(fully adjustable tube input from 0-100%)...
Hi, i did not get how you set up the Anthem mix between piezzo and build in micro in this video ? Your recomndation with phase and notch set up ? Thank you
It's something of a trade secret that the Anthem is not quite as good as the original dual source - for some reason the Anthem has the smallest hint of quack and the squeezed tone of a very-good piezo pickup (however much mic is blended). I was astonished to discover this on every video suggesting it's LR Baggs' best pickup and here we have another example. Want proof? - Check out Union Station and if not playing in front of a mic...you'll see it's the dual source raising its head in the sound hole of Ron Block's Bourgeois )Yet even with the dual source you need: a valve Di (the valves mimic the very, very tiny delay of the soundboard movement , an excellent PA engineer who understands how an acoustic is supposed to sound, IEMs or skilfully positioned wedges and...exceptional technique...(your rake angle matters, your right and left hand positioning and speed matter, your plectrum-material and thickness matters, your left hand speed matters, the strike point matters a lot - 25mm nearer or further away from the bridge changes your tone a lot (just listen)...etc etc especially if you have an unorthodox technique. However I do agree with this lovely chap that a mic is the only way to capture the sound of your guitar if it must be amplified. After 35 years' of playing and recording as a session musician I'm convinced not everyone can actually hear the very slight cut you get on your tone just after the string attack with the Anthem - incredibly...even LR Baggs' own promo has exactly the tone pinch you can hear here. Apologies - this is good but there are better systems...even if you put an Anthem thru' something like a Grace Felix you'd have great difficulty getting rid of the very-slight attack-quack of the Anthem. I'm not sure what LR Baggs' have done but the Anthem just isn't quite right. I'd agree that feedback problems can be eliminated though - get your gain down to the absolute minimum!!! Gain colours your sound. I've used the Dual Source at 5-6000 seaters with no feedback too - wedges need to be positioned very carefully; almost pointing slightly behind you but IEMs help. Just a guess but I'm going to say this guy favours phosphor bronze whereas, surprisingly, the real tone-guys use 80/20s (let the argument commence). Phosphor bronze strings have a little more fizz which helps if you play without correctly-filed and polished nails - or a lazy plectrum hand - because you need help in keeping your tone bright. This is because without nails you get microscopic muting at the attack point and if you relax the pick too much...a similar kind of issue. I find the real battle is keeping the tone 'woody'...take a look at most acoustic-pros and the Bass is boosted and the mids and top are cut (often the highs are cut below 5 - as an average!) - exactly the opposite of most amateur players - indeed the guitars in this video seem to have the Bass cut? Try this: set up with a mute and keep adjusting your sound until another EXACT copy (or extremely close) seems to appear - it's called 'find-your-twin' this is how you'll discover the Anthem can't quite do it...I'm not sure why but I think there's a flaw in the system. QED (ps The Lord doesn't like Taylors or Lowdens...he's strictly a vintage-Martin Guy)
Great review! I like k&k and Lr baggs. But I do not like the Idea of putting metal under the sadel. I like the Bone to have good contact with the ebony. So I went for the Lr baggs lyric. That’s just an microphone and it sounds awesome.. best I’ve heard
I realize you made this video a long time ago and things have changed, but if you only wanted to use the mic component of the anthem, wouldn't it be better to just use an in-sound-hole mic with a lot less installation infrastructure?
What type of Elixer's? I use the Polyweb brand even though Guitar Center guys tell me to go with the Nanowebs all the time!!! Why I do not know??? What's your take? That I would like to know. Great video, too! God Bless Ya...!!!
Solid review! One thing to add: when mix is set all the way to mic, it still uses the piezo for anything under 250 Hz. Cool idea that removes the piezo from its problem area (pingy highs), and removes the mic from its problem area (low-end feedback). If you want ALL mic, the Lyric system does that. Different mic, though.
Wow... Nothing beats a Microphone, but that LR Baggs Anthem comes really close.
I'm so sorry to blow up the thread. I just love Anthem so much. Good techs can use an existing 9V battery compartment from the stock pickup (like Taylor's, for instance) and wire it to work with the Anthem. In addition the hole needing to be drilled in the tail block is just the industry standard 1/2", so like you said it won't need a hole drilled if there's an existing pickup. Finally, there is another hole in the guitar because they have to drill a tiny hole in the saddle slot to put the transducer through. It is worth mentioning because some may choose not to do this in an heirloom instrument.
I recently put the Anthem in my Epiphone acoustic. Two things I've learned trying to install it myself: 1. Pay close attention to how level your saddle is. My saddle wasn't making contact with the bridge plate on the high E string side, which resulted in the low sounds overpowering the treble. If this happens to you, patiently sand and check your saddle with a straight edge. Trial and error, you'll eventually get it. 2. When removing my old factory piezo, I found the stock saddle was a custom size matched to the old pickup. That made replacing the saddle quite tricky to fit right, requiring some shimming. This would be a problem for any under saddle replacement, not the fault of the Anthem in particular, but it's something I wish I had known ahead of time.
Sounds wonderful. As a big K&K user, I find myself impressed by what L.R. is doing, and often recommend their stuff.
That was the most comprehensive cover of the Anthem Tru mic I have found so far on UA-cam. THANK YOU! Most of them just play their guitar and don't A-B them with any kind of comparison. Again, thank you! I've been looking at the Lyric but now and questioning. Thank you again, again and keep up the good work!
Probably one of the most honest and comprehensive reviews I've watched, thank you👍
I completely agree with your concept of chosing the right guitar before thinking of a preamp system. Very well done review, Thank you.
I’m blown away. I just bought a D35 1993 and wanted to find some pickups. First video I click, happens to have D35 and Elixir strings.... thank you!
Thanks so much Brian! I love your videos brother, keep working for His glory! I just bought a Breedlove Concertina Tiger's Eye Myrtlewood with the Anthem in it and WOW. I'm completely blown away by it. Its hands down the most natural sounding pick-up system I've ever heard in an acoustic.
okay, i know this was made 5 years ago but thanks so much for this video. comprehensive run through but direct and to the point. not to mention you just convinced me to pull the trigger on the anthem. much appreciated
THANK YOU for mentioning the mic gain screw and the need to set it up right when you get the guitar.
YUP...very important...because guitars vary in box shape and size...bye.
Excellent review! I played solely acoustic for decades, but have recently come around to amplification after buying a Martin D-28 in which the shop had installed an Anthem. I didn’t even own an amp until last month, when I acquired a vintage (1992) Trace Acoustic TA50R setup. The Anthem, plus that amp, are a fantastic combo. Naturally the D-28 sounds phenomenal all by itself, but adding the Anthem and the amp provides brilliant sound along with capturing the complexities of the acoustic sound… string and pick noise, etc. I love it. I’m active with a few local jam groups, and it really helps to be heard while surrounded by other instruments. Thanks for posting!
For anyone reading this and wanting an Anthem but not having the $300, the Anthem SL which is $199 and a pre-setting of the mic blended all the way in with the piezo. You lose the phase switch and battery checker, but you shouldn't have feedback with proper gain stage, EQ, and monitor placement. If you change your battery when you change your strings you should never have a problem.
Thanks for the review. I just ordered an Anthem pickup for my 1973 Martin D28 - should be here next week and getting it professionally installed so can't wait to hear how it sounds when I go to open mics.
hey wayne! how'd that anthem work out?
Okay great demonstration. I am a worship leader too and I couldn't agree with you more concerning the frustration of having really great sounding guitars with substandard pick up systems. I've tried a lot of them and I'm finally at the point to where I am going to sell one of my guitars just to get this pick up and have it professionally installed. Great job on explaining the nuances of this pickup system, thank you so much.
Frank Huizar If you may, please post a reply vid so we can see the results.
Excellent A-B comparisons. Great quality, great presentation. Thank you! I continue to believe the LR Baggs Anthem is the absolute best pickup solution on the market today. Certainly not for the those on a tight budget, but as usual quality comes at a price.
Go for the Anthem SL which is a simple volume knob with the perfect mic/pickup blend already pre-set.
I'm a great fan of LR Baggs. I have Mandolin and Banjo pickups, plus an Element and now an Anthem SL. Somehow, LR Baggs have figured how to capture the acoustic vibe of the instruments and they all sound excellent, (well my cheap banjo sound like my cheap banjo, you know, "silk purse - sow's ear!").
Actually the cheaper Element, which is just an undersaddle piezo, sounds really good in my Northwood, (a local, great, guitar luthier). For sure the Anthem SL, (in my Larrivee), sounds really great and gives you a little more variety with the mic adjustment. But that Element sounds great too, and if money's an issue - or just simplicity, no need to fiddle with mic adjustments - I have no reservations recommending it.
This is the best review video I've seen on the LR Baggs Anthem. You did mention widening the jack, but you forgot the fact that you have to drill underneath the saddle through the body at both ends and sand the saddle down slightly for the piezo installation. I'm sure it's probably already been mentioned. Thanks for the great LR Baggs Anthem review.
Thanks for this review and demo. The Baggs system is the most natural sounding pickup I've ever heard!
Great review! I have a Martin DC28E with the Fishman Aura VT Enhance system and replaced it with the L.R. Baggs Anthem. I couldn't be happier that I did that. I did keep the battery compartment from the Fishman and don't have to worry about the Velcro bag. I want to mention that the Aura VT Enhance system only lasts 20 hours on a 9 volt and the Baggs lasts 170. I play live professionally 6- 10 times a week and I can't brag on the Baggs Anthem enough!
rowbocaster was it hard to remove the old system? I just bought a Martin 000-10E with the Fishman MX-T system in it and I need to remove it to put in LR Baggs . I do wish I could keep the tuner part of MX-T system . Any ideas ?
Thanks so much, I've been struggling with what to do for my DV-4 Guild, you've helped so much. You're Martin's sound amazing!!
I have a cheap Yamaha with the Anthem installed in it. Every time other guitar players hear it, they can't believe it's a cheap guitar. I'm a firm believer in this pickup.
@THE ACOUSTIC CAGE FG700S
I'm doing the same thing. Yamaha fs820 with lr baggs anthem. Just got the pickups delivered..
Wonder if I should just add a Mic system to my yammy's existing pickup so I don't have to rip out all the existing electronics?
Pickup cost more than the guitar, which is fine, there's no point in putting a cheap pick system in any guitar. Good job.
I've got a cpx-5yn. Best neck I've ever played and I'm watching this review looking for a new preamp.
Dude! This is exactly the video I was hoping to find. Thanks so much!
Just for sayin I believe with the Anthem "100% mic" is mic fully opened but still with piezo, so it is already 50/50 while when you call it 50/50 it is actually 25/75
That’s an important point.
great review on of my favorite UA-cam channel
The Anthem SL is 100 less bucks and probably has what we really need. We can buy a tuner and most of the time we'd use the 50/50 or 65/35 setting. SOME piezo is really better than no piezo with the Anthem. And best of all, it doesn't "mute" the top like the full Anthem does.
hey , a very nice channel may god bless u because a very few people do this and I hope I can study from your tutorials ,but the thing is I joined a guitar class a few yrs back but I dropped out because they insisted that if u have no guitar u can't do anything and I didn't buy a guitar due to some financial problems . I love your channel and keep on doing the great work
Had an Epiphone J15 with Anthem installed.
Run through Bose L1.
Sounded ok but was missing something.
Just bought a 1971 Yamaha FG150 red label.
Having the Anthem removed from Epi and installed in Yam.
The 2 guitars are as different as night and day accousticly.
Cant wait to hear it plugged in.
The best and most comprehensive review on the net! Well done. Questions: how do you have the mic gain trimpot set? And do you ever use the phase button? Does it work for eliminating feedback?
There's no great way to measure where the mic gain pot is set--you just want to isolate your guitar in your ears dry and flat with the mic faded in and play with it (they give you the tool). It's a set and forget. I have never had to use the phase on my Anthems because I've literally not once had feedback.
I 100% agree about the piezo, and I realized I really didn't want a piezo pickup so I just got the Lyric. It's $100 less than the Anthem, and you just get the mic. It sounds amazing.
That's what I'm thinking. Have you had any feedback issues with the Lyric?
Thanks for the input. Great video and great information because I am about to buy a guitar that has the choice of the anthem and another one and you have sold me. Again thank you. And blessings as you lead worship.
You had me convinced at 6 minutes in! Off to order!
Well done for such a well reasoned and presented review. You should do more! PS I have had numerous guitars all with the Anthem and now still play some 6 of them all to great effect. For me the main issue has been attenuating the mic by means of the tiny screw (a bit fiddly)
Anthem all the way! Great video Bud!!
Great sounding guitars! I just upgraded from an Ibanez to a new Taylor and when you said in that comment that it will pick up Anything I can attest to that! My Taylor will pick up my voice if I talk into the sound hole while plugged in! Great video!
to be fair you can adjust the tone of the Anthm so you are able to get a lot more bright if wanted
I'm not a worship guy, but I really appreciate this video! Thanks for your work!
Totally agreed with you that the most annoying is when I change the battery, and I do really love Taylor battery slot at endpin jack. So LR Baggs should think about it.
I was able to attach the jack assembly to my existing stock jack and battery housing on my cheap Martin (SL version), worked great! no need to drill out the back if you have a compatible battery housing that screws into the side, instead of having that annoying battery bag everything works like stock. Also 3 Sigma audio IRs come with packs designed specifically for the Anthem and Anthem SL separately. I made a two minute video describing it.
That mic needed more high pass. It was really woofy. At least on my speakers. Anthem sounded great on both! Great mid range and clarity! 😊
Great video. Thanks for sharing the info. I've been looking for a better pickup system for years. Very pleased to know that you are a worship leader. I've been a Christian for years. Oh yea, I subscribed to your channel immediately. Thanks again brother. Take care and God Bless.
Great review, very informative. I agree 100% mic sounds amazing.
Thank you for this. I'm deciding between a K&K Pure Mini and this for my Santa Cruz OM...I'm now leaning very heavily towards the LR Baggs.
Carlo M. Or baggs is great. The techs at Lr baggs use the SL anthem. It is set up using mostly mic with piezo for the bass
I love the mic/piezo mix. My ears conditioned to the piezo quack and actually enjoy it. The mic adds a special something to that though.
Thank you so much for doing this review/comparison! I've been researching for a while in regards to which pickup I should put in my Martin 00L-17. (which is very similar to the CEO-7) This absolutely made up my mind, except I'm going to go with the Anthem SL instead as I don't need the blend control. The 00 sounds near identical through the Anthem vs the Mic.
Beautiful guitars by the way!
Matthew Muniz thanks! Anthem all the way :)
@@worshiptutorials Thanks for the very informative review. You said that you turn the control all the way to the microphone because you hate the sound of the piezo. Considering your preference, wouldn't it be better if you had a pickup system that was 100% microphone without even having a piezo? Now that it is 2024 do you know of a great pickup that has a great microphone and no piezo at all? If you do, please tell me what it is.
When you are in full mic mode, the piezo on the anthem system only handles very low frequencies (well below 100 Hz). The mic is amplifying the rest of the EQ spectrum. It helps with feedback.
There a Brazilian brand that’s crazy men? It uses two mic and a piezo. You should try and compare both.
The brand is “Harmonik microphones Gt 02
This pickup is so great ! ! omg
I like the roll off on the super lows the pickup has.
Installing this pickup system was the easiest thing Ive ever done. Everything is plug & play. My Taylor has never sounded better; Even string volume, rich low end (which I was lacking), find that sweet spot in the blend and it sounds amazing. I made my own tail piece and it works perfectly.
I just love your D35 so much! I want to own one one day!
Thanks Sheridan! Between the CEO-7 and the McPherson Carbon Fiber acoustic, this D-35 doesn’t get a lot of love these days. I need to play it more.
Glad to see that Martin is now offering LR Baggs with battery at the heel (plug in jack). Good move Martin.
I have the anthem in my d-35 also. I play in church so the mellow balanced sound you can get from it is great but can also get a bright sound if needed. Like the battery check also. Wish my other pickup systems had this.
Great video buddy. Very helpful. Appreciate this!
Great video mate
Amazing review, very useful 💙
The techs at Lr Baggs all use the Anthem SL. $100 less and it’s set up with the mic full on blend with piezo for the bass notes. Most people tend to go for the mic
Just got the SL 👍🏼
Enjoy it. It’s a great on
Great demo! I really like my Anthem in my old Yamaha. I have a ceo7 and Gibson songwriter but want to add another Martin. Probably gonna be a om28 or hd28 with factory Anthem. BTW I got off Elixir strings after trying Martin Lifespan 2.0. I use Music Nomad deodorant cleaner thing and they last longer and sound way better.
Thanks for the great video! I’ve always liked the Baggs systems, but I can’t bring myself to do that to my Martin. It looks like I’ll be sticking a pickup in the sound hole when I need it. Thanks again!
Best wishes - Tim
Very nice and informative video!! And great sounds as well. May I ask about which eq corrections (freqs, Qs, gains) and which compressor settings did You use on the dread? Moreover, did You find a change in unamplified sound due to the piezo element and (especially) the bulky pre attached to the top? Thanks a lot. Keep up the great work
Thank you for these videos 🙏
That answers my question, because yes, the anthem is not cheap. So I found an LR Baggs Lyric for half the price and that’s what I’m going with. I agree, I hate the piezo sound, I’ve had Fishman systems with the gooseneck mic and piezo and always ran the mic anyways.
Curious if your preference has changed from 7yrs ago
I still like the Anthem over the Baggs duet
Great review! Covered everything
On a serious note I agree - I prefer a mic in front of my Martin d-18 pointed at the bridge.
Never thought on really blending other inside mics but I have recorded a Martin lx1e and a mic but thought the sound was terrible, the two signals, fishman and the studio mic sounded two different from each other to ever blend.
I need to learn more!
Amazing review. I have a Martin D41 and I’m looking for a pickup. You may have sold me. I also lead worship. How much did it cost to install this? God Bless brother!
Excellent review. Thanks so much for posting!
I like the K&K pure mini setup the best. You can use a DI box and get them sorted out just so. Plus, they have no effect on acoustic tone. Next, for a grab-and-go setup that doesn't need a DI box or anything except a plug to the PA, I like the Baggs Anthem system. The one downside is that the Anthem setup does affect your acoustic tone a little bit, plus folks get pretty nervous about having a battery inside a fine guitar.
I’m getting an anthem out on a 00028 and I’m pretty nervous about it. How bad will it affect the acoustic sound and will it ruin the guitar?
I've got the anthem in my Martin D15 and it's fantastic!! I also have a Taylor 524ce with the ES2 pup, a Maton 12 string with the AP5 pro pup and they both sound average compared to the Martin Anthem combo. Thumbs up for the great review, your video was one of the vids that helped me make the decision with confidence.👍👍
Kieran T do you Find it to be lower output?
Yes Jullian it is compared to the Taylor but I just turned up the channel a little more on my pa. also the battery lasts way longer on the anthem because of this, I used to change the battery on the Taylor every 3 - 4 gigs...the high output on it wasn't worth it. I love the Anthem.
so its not a big difference in volume?
Great review, thanks! Have you tried Cole Clark guitars? Their pickup/mic combos are the only ones I've heard which rival the anthem.
I know it's an old video, but if you'd turn that mic away from the soundhole just a tad it'd get you a much less muddy sound. Point it at right about where the neck and body meet.
I wasn't quite watching when you started playing and my very first initial thought was "That mic sounds terrible." But that's why. Way too much air hitting it all at once.
Thank you for this highly informational video. I just got a Cort Gold Series D8 LB square-shouldered dreadnought; I have 4 other acoustic guitars (Epiphone Masterbilts with the eSonic Pre-Amp system installed). The Cort guitar has no factory pick-up system built-in which I like. So, I am trying to decide what pick-up system I am going to install. I know I want an LR Baggs. I just don't know which one. I think, I am convinced now that I should get the $300 LR Baggs Anthem. Thanks again for what you do. Stay safe!
Check out the Baggs Lyric...
@@skwrttj Thanks! I had already installed the Anthem. I’m so pleased with the results that I bought another one.
I have a 76 D35. Thinking about getting one of those mic systems.
thank you so much for making this video, super helpful!
excelent review. I will use it I think. Thank you
I have just installed the anthem in my Martin d 35. I also have a hd 28 with a fishman ellipse in it. I like the anthem best. Both sound great but the fishman has a flimsy mic plus the volume control is very touchy and no battery level indication. The anthem mic is permanent mount on the bridge plate. I love the anthem.
I put the anthem pick up on my guitar thanks to you!!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)
loved the 100% Piazo on the smaller Martin 👌
Great review! I love and use the Anthem.
Great advise about purchasing a guitar... wish I had research how to buy a guitar more than what to buy.
Try a Yamaha FG820 in Natural - loving it, and really a great price!
Hey really nice work on the vid. I currently have a KK Pure Mini in my live acoustic guitar. Ton of feedback issues at high volume for gigs. So then I have back everything down which totally takes out the great tone. So I have been looking for an alternative. Do u have any issues with feedback with your band or at high volume? Thank you.
I just bought a guitar with this system already installed..I was a little concerned about the difficulty of changing the battery, but I guess it's nothing too complicated..you mentioned the sound systems on the Taylor guitars and I've never been crazy about them..and the battery compartments often develop a weird buzzing sound..
Best review on UA-cam
Hey Brian - is the Anthem still your preferred pickup or have you moved on to the LR Baggs Lyric?
I was hoping he would answer this. 😩
Hey pal, how do you find the guitar sounds in your ears with 100% mic? I hate the piezzo sound myself, especially in my ears when I have no ambience or guitar sound outside of my ears. If I'm 100% ears, all I hear is that twangy kinda plugged in sound and I hate it. I want a more natural sounding tone in my ears. I'm thinking the Anthem will solve that issue?
Thank you so much for this review. You answered a lot of my questions in this video. I just bought a D-28, but I have to wait for another month, because I wanted to have the L.R. Baggs Anthem in it (they told me I should do it, they said it's the best system at the moment).
I was wondering about two things. 1: Does it affect the natural tone of the guitar (you already answered it). 2: Do you notice the difference in weight, or a weird balance?
Strange question maybe, but still, I'm curious.
Thanks!
Great review! The Anthem seems to represent the dreadnaught pretty well, but in the 00 style sound is pretty different. (At least listening through my iPad speakers). I own the Anthem in a Larrivee OM , the Anthem SL in a Larrivee Dreadnaught, and the LR Baggs Lyric in an old Takamine that I didnt want to drill a hole in the top. My favorite combo so far is the D-50 and the Anthem SL. I play weekly in the worship band at my church and dont have any problems with feedback. Great pickup! I wont buy anything else on the market right now. Thanks for all the great videos!
Thanks Daniel! I have one other acoustic (an older Takamine) that I've debated putting an Anthem in as well - but I just don't play it as much at all since these Martins I have are such better guitars.
hey daniel! I have a epiphone masterbilt with a lr baggs anthem SL, i'm thinking on change the pickup and pick the regular anthem. what do you think? is that a good or bad idea? worth or it wont improve my sound?
Icaro Moreira I think it depends on if you are want to use to element (Under saddle transducer) more or are you happy with the sound of the SL. The way I understand it is that the full version of the Anthem just lets you mix in more of the Element pickup and less of the mic. If you like the more natural microphone sound and don't really have a need to mix in more of the element pickup then I would say just stick with the SL. If you want more tonal options and a battery meter then take the leap and get the full version of the Anthem. In my opinion, getting the full Anthem wont make your guitar sound more natural. It will just give you more variety. Hope this helps!
thank you for helping me, bro. i like the soundo of SL for sure, but i have problems with feedback sometimes and need that notchfilter. i'm brazilian...living in brazil, and here everything is too expensive, i have to save and spend a lot of money to change it. So...i dont like the element, worth spend a lot of money only for the notch/batterycheck/ beauty of full anthem ? haha thank you again!
Icaro Moreira My pleasure, bro! You could always try dialing back the mic sensitivity and see if that helps the feedback issue. You can find instructions on how to do that at lrbaggs.com. Hope you get it worked! God Bless!
God bless you for this review. Thank you mate in your explanations 👍🏼
Hi, thanks for the video (I know I'm a little late!). Would the Anthem work well with different pa systems (I'm thinking open mics) without any tweaking? I just want to plug in and play into what ever PA system is available and get a decent sound. I hate piezo pick ups too. Lovely guitars btw. Thanks.
Question, if you always run the Anthem all the way up in the mic setting, why don't you just get that LR Baggs Lyric? That's what the Anthem is, the Lyric and the Element.
That was my question as well... Why a duck?
Baggs makes the best pickups! I like my M1A for some stuff.
The K&K like a UST tend to have a brittle or quacky sound. Takamine has the cooltube system and that sounds pretty great but you have to have that big hole cut into the side of your guitar for the preamp and at the end of the day its more expensive and more intrusive then the anthem. My guess is gonna be that, it would be closer to the 50/50 anthem and that the anthem at 100% mic blows it away. Your guitars sound incredible, thanks for sharing!
Buy a Takamine Pro series 4 and above to get the CoolTube... they sound great! I have added a soundboard transducer that I blend 50/50 with the CoolTube.... awesome.
@@jed1166 I do the acoustic percussive loop thing, so I was thinking of adding a soundboard transducer. Do you have to do anything special? Or just buy and install a k&k and plug it into the cooltube preamp?
@@0713mas Takamine has one that plugs right into the CoolTube... the CoolTube has separate volume controls for both Palathetic and soundboard transducer. If I play solo, I go palathetic at 50%, and transducer 100%... great “woody” sound with enough low end. If playing in a band, (sax, electric violin, drums), just reverse it to cut through. Usual CoolTube setting is 70% tube and 30% solid state,(fully adjustable tube input from 0-100%)...
@@jed1166 That's killer! Ty so much
Hi, i did not get how you set up the Anthem mix between piezzo and build in micro in this video ? Your recomndation with phase and notch set up ? Thank you
It's something of a trade secret that the Anthem is not quite as good as the original dual source - for some reason the Anthem has the smallest hint of quack and the squeezed tone of a very-good piezo pickup (however much mic is blended). I was astonished to discover this on every video suggesting it's LR Baggs' best pickup and here we have another example. Want proof? - Check out Union Station and if not playing in front of a mic...you'll see it's the dual source raising its head in the sound hole of Ron Block's Bourgeois )Yet even with the dual source you need: a valve Di (the valves mimic the very, very tiny delay of the soundboard movement , an excellent PA engineer who understands how an acoustic is supposed to sound, IEMs or skilfully positioned wedges and...exceptional technique...(your rake angle matters, your right and left hand positioning and speed matter, your plectrum-material and thickness matters, your left hand speed matters, the strike point matters a lot - 25mm nearer or further away from the bridge changes your tone a lot (just listen)...etc etc especially if you have an unorthodox technique. However I do agree with this lovely chap that a mic is the only way to capture the sound of your guitar if it must be amplified.
After 35 years' of playing and recording as a session musician I'm convinced not everyone can actually hear the very slight cut you get on your tone just after the string attack with the Anthem - incredibly...even LR Baggs' own promo has exactly the tone pinch you can hear here. Apologies - this is good but there are better systems...even if you put an Anthem thru' something like a Grace Felix you'd have great difficulty getting rid of the very-slight attack-quack of the Anthem. I'm not sure what LR Baggs' have done but the Anthem just isn't quite right. I'd agree that feedback problems can be eliminated though - get your gain down to the absolute minimum!!! Gain colours your sound. I've used the Dual Source at 5-6000 seaters with no feedback too - wedges need to be positioned very carefully; almost pointing slightly behind you but IEMs help. Just a guess but I'm going to say this guy favours phosphor bronze whereas, surprisingly, the real tone-guys use 80/20s (let the argument commence). Phosphor bronze strings have a little more fizz which helps if you play without correctly-filed and polished nails - or a lazy plectrum hand - because you need help in keeping your tone bright. This is because without nails you get microscopic muting at the attack point and if you relax the pick too much...a similar kind of issue.
I find the real battle is keeping the tone 'woody'...take a look at most acoustic-pros and the Bass is boosted and the mids and top are cut (often the highs are cut below 5 - as an average!) - exactly the opposite of most amateur players - indeed the guitars in this video seem to have the Bass cut? Try this: set up with a mute and keep adjusting your sound until another EXACT copy (or extremely close) seems to appear - it's called 'find-your-twin' this is how you'll discover the Anthem can't quite do it...I'm not sure why but I think there's a flaw in the system. QED (ps The Lord doesn't like Taylors or Lowdens...he's strictly a vintage-Martin Guy)
Both guitars I liked the mic better for strumming, and Anthem better for picking.
Great review! I like k&k and Lr baggs. But I do not like the Idea of putting metal under the sadel. I like the Bone to have good contact with the ebony. So I went for the Lr baggs lyric. That’s just an microphone and it sounds awesome.. best I’ve heard
Great sound. Since you use 100% mic on the Anthem, is that any different from using and Lyric?
I realize you made this video a long time ago and things have changed, but if you only wanted to use the mic component of the anthem, wouldn't it be better to just use an in-sound-hole mic with a lot less installation infrastructure?
True dat, good stuff and I couldn't agree more.
Very nice, I'm going with an anthem SL. What gauge/brand strings on the Martin Dread? Sounds great
What type of Elixer's? I use the Polyweb brand even though Guitar Center guys tell me to go with the Nanowebs all the time!!! Why I do not know??? What's your take? That I would like to know. Great video, too! God Bless Ya...!!!