Thanks for this. I am one of those that doesn't like to start a project until I have figured out all the possible pitfalls and how to avoid or mitigate them. The level of detail you go into here is excellent!!
I note that Fishman has cutout templates on it's website for the various Fishman preamp models. I used the Presys Blen 301 template on mine and it worked perfectly! Just print with no scaling and check the measurements on the printed template just to make sure your printer didn't scale the print incorrectly. I measured a centre line down the side of the guitar, another vertically across the template, matched the two and taped it down on top of the masking tape I had already positioned on the side of the guitar to prevent scratches. Bob's yer uncle!
I'm happy to report I installed this pickup on a nylon string Yamaha C-80 guitar following the instructions in this video and everything works nice. Tuner, amplifier. No muted strings. Thank you.
Lo increible de UA-cam es esto!!! Cuando creía saber lo necesario para instalar mi fishman, veo este increíble video en medio del proceso y puedo incorporar otros procedimientos para mejorar la calidad de mi trabajo. No sabía los de amoldar el plastico con el agua caliente ni de regular el micro. Gracias amigo por tu valiosísimo aporte.
I finished installing mine today. It looks and sounds fantastic!!! I gave the guitar a good polishing, and new strings. The result is something I'm quite proud of. Thank you for making this video. It is far and away the best video I've seen on this subject, and it inspired me to get out of my "comfort zone", and try something new. 👍👍👍😃😃😃
Loved the notch filter graphic in the video. For most of my customers a verbal explanation, no matter how slow n clear you describe it to them, afterwards the majority have that 'WTF' look on their faces that same puzzled look they had at the end of their 1st class on quantum physics. So, thank you for that GCH Guitar Academy
To aid with the endpin jack installation I use a 1/4" patch cord with a smaller end and feed it through the endpin hole in the guitar. Then I plug it into the jack and am able to easily pull the whole assembly through the endpin hole
Really helpful advice. Regarding threading the jack socket from inside the guitar I came across an easy method. You poke a jack lead into the hole from the outside and feed the cable to the sound hole and out of it. Push the jack plug into the socket and pull the cable back through the sound hole and through the drilled hole; then hold the socket with pliers whilst removing the jack plug and thread the washers and nut into the thread being careful not to damage the thread with the pliers.
Great instruction. Thank you. Just ordered a cheap chinese knock off to install into a 2nd hand 12 string i just acquired. I'll do all my electrical checks before installing of course but I'll also be watching this again when it gets delivered and I'm ready to go.
Your spot on in that the faceplate is as flat as a pancake. I just built a Guitalele with a wide waist and I think it might fit to the Fishman's faceplate without molding the plate and will be my test bed. If not, well I'll perform the same adjustment on the plate. You would think Fishman would have considered this during the engineering process, but aside from this I seem to be very happy with the unit which is a step below yours by lacking microphone as an input but all else is as yours. Thanks for the instructions, review and heads up...
What I like the most about your way is that you really pay attention to the small but very important details, and your precision. At the end, however, it may be your particular preference to have done it such a way, but I think you screwed in the last piece of the post strap backwards. It's got a collar that's designed to come flush to the wood surface, concealing the outside washer and nut within it. The outer side of the post strap is bevelled like the bell of a cone and although it might seem like the guitar strap might twist out of it trust me it wont because the signal cable is plugged through the center preventing the strap from spilling out. I did mine collar side in, it looks much neater. But you may have your own reason. At any rate, this video is absolutely 5 stars to me. Congratulations and thanks a bunch!
Yes, you're right, 👍 and I do the standard method for other peoples guitars, but for my own guitars I don't do it that way, I even have extra nuts in my spares box so I can have a nut on both sides of the socket if I need it. The main reason is that I pull the lead back through between the guitar and strap so it's running off to the back and without the extra space the guitar gets damaged over time. If I'm not using a strap I have a special loop that bolts in between the strap button and the nut for cable management and that shouldn't rest against the body of the guitar for acoustic purposes. I guess if guitarists didn't customize their guitars to suit their needs the Gibson and Fender signature series wouldn't exist . . 😊
This was exactly all of the info i needed! THANK YOU! The flat mounting plate is ideal for the Irish Bouzouki and your disassembly instructions will be very handy as i have another preamp with removable cables so the plan is to scavenge those parts and maybe upgrade the mic element if needed. Cheers!
Thankyou so much for taking the time to make this. real easy to follow and understand. Everything somebody needed to know. I dont know if i am going to have the courage to take a saw to my guitar, but i will try.
I've realized now. Since the metal where you connected the starp at the jack entrance was upside down, the input was constantly cracking and causing problems. When I reversed the screw, the problem went away, thanks.
Yes, I forgot to mention that in the voiceover. I do that to put more space between the guitar and the strap to prevent scratches on the guitar, but it can cause a crackles with some makes of lead. It's easily reversed though 😊
What you call the bridge I would call the saddle. The bridge being the the wood piece glued to the body, with holes for the bridge pins. I appreciate the explanation and graphic of the NOTCH control. Thank you.
Big thank you for making the video, I have ordered the Guitar and the pre-amp I have also started your finger picking course,I am currently using a yamaha pacifica as I am a beginner and enjoying learning the guitar but I was thinking of getting an acoustic as I felt that I would like to have both but I didn't want to spend to much in this early stage of learning, I have a small workshop in the garden and this video has given me the confidence to have a go at upgrading a cheaper guitar, hopefully I will be able to achieve the great result that you have and maybe in a few years play the guitar half as good as you!,
You bought well with the Pacifica, I think it's a great guitar. Thank you for following the fingerpicking course . . I need to get down to it and make some more lessons for that course . . 😊😊
thank you! great video. I thought for sure you were going to say "then take a tea bag and steep it in the mug of hot water, grab some biscuits and take a break!" then get back to the matter at hand!
This video is immensely helpful. You have mentioned that it was possible to change the microphone in the previous versions. That is where I need help. The one I am having right now seems to be Fishman Presys 101, which does not have any in-built mic at all. But there is a slot on the back of the battery casing where a mic can be added. I need help in this regard. What kind of microphone should be chosen? How should the soldering be done onto the circuit of the preamp?
Sorry, I'm not familiar with particular preamp. But before doing anything are you completely sure it has a microphone input on it. I have just done a thorough search of the net and I can't find any reference to it. . . I might have missed something though.
@@guitar-academy It does not have microphone input on it. I was just wondering about the possibility of adding a mic on it through soldering on the circuit. I am pasting a link below where you can see some images of the preamp I am having. On the third image, the four small holes on the back of the battery-casing, gave me the impression that it might accommodate a microphone in that space. articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-804712723-sistema-pre-amplificador-fishman-presys-101-_JM
@@waleedafandy1131 Yes, but it won't be as easy as this job because there are some complications you need to think about. On any nylon strung guitar the end of the saddles are exposed and therefore it will be harder to hide the pickup and the wire end. You will also need to shape the preamp frame with hot water. I will fit one on a classical guitar eventually, but for the time being it would be worth you searching UA-cam to see if you think you can do it. . . just to be sure 😊
Thank you so much for this video, awesome tip to curve a little bit the edges of this preamp to look more professional. I am planning to install it on a classical Spanish guitar Alhambra C2, I will try to do it on my own thanks to your detailed video.
Very well done video - thank you! I subscribed. I have a couple Samick Greg Bennett acoustic/electric guitars that use various Fishman OEM preamps. One is the Fishman ClearWave 60, which is very similar to the Presys Blend, but without the microphone (has a Brilliance control in place of the blend). The tuner stopped working completely three days after I purchased it, unfortunately, and Samick sent me a ClearWave 10 as a replacement. The 10's Preamp dimensions are the same, but it has a separate battery box - and I'm not about to cut another hole in the guitar. So, I ordered a Presys Blend 301. My preamp mounting ring needs the same curvature as yours, so I'm almost sure I can just use the ring from the bad ClearWave 60, instead of going the route of using the boiling water method (which you demonstrate brilliantly!). By the way, the actual Samick guitars I have are really great sounding and play well - great bang for the buck. However, in the low to mid-priced models, they use the cheaper preamps, which don't have a great track record from the reliability standpoint. Thanks again for this!
I hope all goes well with your preamp replacement I think it should, and your idea with the mount I think will work as well. I have a Samick 5 string bass I bought in the 90s (I think) and it still looks and sounds great. 🙂🙂
Thanks, I have received an install for one of these from a friend and he wanted me to document how to do it for his dad, this has saved me ages 😀 great instructions but did have a great laugh over how UA-cam writes your captions , check out the mistakes it makes 😉
I see you did NOT follow the standard Chinese rules for precision manufacturing. You know the one. "Measure with micrometer, mark with chalk & cut with axe". Thank God for that. Im going to follow your lead as i see by the coments im not the only one. Thanks for posting. This was a good tutorial. Rock on Bro.
Consider trying out the sound-offset-spacers for acoustic guitar. I am very pleased wirh the outcome on my guitars (seagull s6 and godin multiac, also a PRS SE Custom 22
Thanks for the suggestion. For the time being I am making 'how to play' guitar lessons again, but I will consider a video one them when I return to technical lessons 😊
Beautifully detailed as usual. Thank you so much. Do you have any videos on mixing desk/amplifier suitable for ther beginers? I just had a glimpse of yours. :)
I have ordered all the tools seen here, and I'll be off to the races to electrify my wonderful $200 Yamaha guitar. I was wondering about what to use for a flat surface for sanding down the saddle, then I remembered that there's a place behind my home that slices marble for countertops and architectural work: I can just go back in the alley and pick up a fragment that they've thrown away.
@@guitar-academy Very good. The minute I posted my comment I walked back to the marble place and found a gorgeous slab of white rock, the size of a laptop. It's mine now! Loved the attention to detail in your video. I'm confident an old soldering-iron-and-C-compiler geek like me can do this, thanks to you.
@@guitar-academy I've watched the video a total of four or five times, and did the installation today. Everything went fine, I had everything I needed.... except an instrument cable to plug it in when I was done! Thanks again for the level of detail and care in the video. You were right, the cover for the preamp covers a multitude of woodworking sins, although with the rotary tool and precision files I was actually able to make it look pretty nice, ditto for the hole I drilled for the 1/4" end pin connector. The edges of the hole looked a bit ugly but the screw-on cap at the end covers all that up. I taped a sheet of sandpaper to my marble slab for cutting down the bridge. I might shave just a little bit more off of it soon, it seemed best to cut too little off, then check the action, which seems low enough for my taste. Can't wait to buy a cable and fire it up! Thank you! I would not have bitten off this project without your video as demonstration and confidence builder.
@@guitar-academy I wanted to give you a follow up. A month later, I have acquired a good quality guitar to USB analog to digital conversion device, and through Linux, learned to pipe the output from my Fishman (in my super cheap Yamaha) through basic digital effects, all on a Raspberry Pi Zero, and I just want to say, it sounds fantastic. Everything I wanted when I first purposed to become an electro acoustic player, that cheap little $20 Fishman is doing for me, and your video showed me the way. Maybe Chet Atkins would have put a different pickup in his guitar, but I am so not Chet Atkins. I would just say that anyone who gets an itch to follow the instructions in this video should gear up and do it. It is actually not too hard to do, if you are careful, and the result is amazing.
they should have also used a plug for pickup leads because preamps go bad so you wold not need toreroute another pickup wire. could solder it but more work
Is there not a favourable position for the instal because of the mic fixed to the device... I mean..putting it more more at the back of the guitar will give some more lower frequencies than installing it in the front of the guitar. Or are those differences minimal that it doesn't really matter where you put the fishman. Anyways...could not find abtter guide to instal and explanation of this fishman. Thanks for the upload.
That's the recommended position for the preamp and therefore I assume fishman have balanced it accordingly, it sounds that way anyway. The mic is slightly heavier on the bass then the pickup, but that means you can balance between the to signal sources to get a very good balance. I've done a video where I fit one with a flexible mic mount, but it doesn't sound as good as this one no matter what you do . . . ua-cam.com/video/frstd0tCSfA/v-deo.html
@@transforminggravity15626 It'll go will if it'll fit. Measure and measure again and check the directions of the curves in the guitar before doing anything, It your ovation doesn't already have a preamp it in, one might not fit because of the plastic bowl back
Decisions, decisions, decisions. After watching the other video, with the Prener pre-amp, I agree with you completely, it is an advantage to be able to switch out the mic or the piezo as needed, without replacing the entire pre-amp unit. I also like that the Prenar offers an XLR connection, in addition to the standard jack. However, the Fishman looks much more elegant when properly fitted. My Briarwood has a lovely black finish, which the fishman would complement nicely. By contrast, I fear the Prenar would rather resemble a Borg-implant, with its size, and blue LED display. My Briarwood has a rich, mellow sound when played unenhanced. Which alternative would you say offers the better sound quality overall??? 🤔🤔🤔
Personally out of the 2 the Fishman wins. Even though you are stuck with the mic, it does produce good sound. Another unexpected consideration that surprised me and I didn't mention in the videos because I hadn't tested the preamps for long enough is the battery life. The Fishman easily out performs the Prenar on battery life. I even started taking the battery out of the Prener because I thought it might be draining unplugged somehow. To give you an idea of what I think of the Fishman . . look at my latest guitar course and you'll see it's this guitar I used to make all the videos, because the battery life is so good and the recorded sound is so good. I hope this helps you. 😀😀
@@guitar-academy As someone with limited experience, I greet all information as helpful, particularly from someone who obviously knows what he's doing. I also tend toward the 301, however, I am apprehensive, as all the 301s available online appear to come from China, and are very cheap. There are a couple of quite disturbing videos here on UA-cam which address this. Is the 301 in your video also from China, and, if so, have you noticed any quality issues? Buzzing, humming, weak signal, or such? Again, thanks infinitely for making these videos, and for taking the time to answer my questions. 👍😃
Just ordered one of these. Fishman Presys Blend 301. Now.. what other things are nice? What about those oversize tuners? Bought a Aluminum bar to sand the bridge/nut. What else is essential? Time saving? Helpful? Fret files? Fret rocker? My fingers are soft as a baby, it's been years.
@@guitar-academy thanks to you. :) Love your slow, calm pacing. Not rocket science, but attention to detail. I had thought Luthiering quite out of my grasp.
An old video but is there any chance you have a link as to where you purchased this? I'm finding all kinds of sites from ebay, to wish, to walmart and aliexpress. All with varying prices ranging from 20$ to 150$ thank you and well done with the video. Very informative
Nice job! Question: If there isn't feedback, where should the Notch be set? Wherever sounds good I suppose is the answer but what if you don't want any frequencies cut unnaturally?
Very good question . . Yes, I know what you mean. It would be nice if it had a switch to disable it. I just turn it to the lower end and that seems to go beyond my hearing. 😃
Hello, Thank you for your video and sharing all the instalation steps. As many viewers mentioned is a really helpful video for this diy project 😁 You mentioned that you installed this preamp in 2 guitars, my question is how are they working after 1+ years now.?is still working good? I just ordered mine (32 euro) and due for China "quality" before I start any action, I would like to know what is your opinion after a longer time Thank you in advance for your answer. BR Simon
Thank you very much . . It is over 4 years ago now I installed the pickup in one of the guitars I did. I gave that guitar to a student who uses it as his main guitar. He put a rechargeable battery in it, but other than that it is as I left it and he loves the guitar and the preamp is still working perfectly to this day and he uses it lots (which is why he bought a rechargeable battery). My opinion is that I think these work really well and I love the fact that you can balance mic and pickup, because you can get the perfect sound. 😊
@@smuruduragon7769 The rip off ones are made in the same factory. They are just unofficial. They look and sound the same, so don't be worried. Since I found this out I've been reluctant to buy the real ones because they are charging a lot of money for the same thing . .
@@guitar-academy Thanks for replying. I was just worried because I thought it wouldn't last long. You see, I already have a guitar with a pickup. Its called Kadence A04. But recently the pickup stopped working, nd so i decided to buy a new one. I am just worried about its longevity. Please can you tell me if i should buy it or not (here's the link www.amazon.in/Honeytecs-Fishman-Presys-Acoustic-Equalizer/dp/B08KPTRQ42/ref=asc_df_B08KPTRQ42/?tag=googleshopdes-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=397009755814&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4855239872823063768&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=20454&hvtargid=pla-997946422504&psc=1&ext_vrnc=hi )
Fair warning to anyone purchasing one of these that you are most likely getting a counterfeit system. Fishman only sells the Presys Blend as an OEM preamp to guitar manufacturers.
@@SawyerRydzewski The Fishman Presys Blend is not sold by Fishman as a retail product. It is sold only to guitar manufacturers. Any units that you see for sale in standalone on Amazon or Ebay that weren't directly removed from a guitar are bootleg systems. I know because, well, I work there...
What an awesome and informative video. Just one question, what kind of processing (compression, reverb, etc) did you use for that final result? I've seen a thousand videos (with 3-5 thousand-dollar Taylor and Martin guitars and in such videos you often get that "packed-like" kind of sound). Thanks a lot!!
Looks great! Tha fact that it's all flat woud be great for me. Just one question, would the tuner work for an accoustic bass as well? Or does it only show the tunings for guitars? Sorry if it's a stupid quesion but I'm a complete novice
Well done very clear and concise video. I have same system which worked beautifully until recently when it over heated and one of the battery spring connections appears to have burnt out. Any idea of the possible cause.
Thank you . . . Your battery getting that hot can only have been caused by a short circuit somewhere. This can happen if you put the battery in the wrong way as a diode shorts the battery out to prevent the current getting to the important circuits, but any short circuit can cause this . . you were lucky it didn't damage the guitar. I have a video that might help you replace it ua-cam.com/video/p3JS_yejs0M/v-deo.html
I think so! My only thoughts would be that it will fit but it's a bit big . . I intend to do a video on fitting one in a classical guitar first, but I have to get hold of a suitable guitar for the job. . . (one that's ill but repairable) 😊
Que de magnifiques explications en une parfaite vidéo. Tous mes remerciements. Sinon puis- je vous demander quelle corde vous utilisez, car elles ont un son parfait . Très cordialement Isabelle
Hi, lovely video. Can you please tell me how much your Fisher pre amp cost? Coz the one same one i cheaply bought from ebay is not working at all. Thanks
Excellent detailed video. Thanks. I am using a passive sound board pickup , which sounds good, at present. I am fitting one of these for more natural sound from the mic and some on board control.BUT,I truly hate the sound of under saddle pickups. Could this pickup be glued to the soundboard,or maybe wire my existing pickup into the system. I would appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you . . . That's a good question, but unfortunately I don't know the answer. My best guess with gluing the pickup to the soundboard is that it would NOT work because it's designed to be compressed. However you could cut the pickup off the Fishman and wire an existing pickup in it's place. . . that would work. I am going to do that with one of these and a cigar box guitar using contact pickups glued to the soundboard, but until I've done it I don't know if it'll work. Saying that, if you are thinking of cutting the Fishman pickup off anyway you can try it glued first to see if it works . . .
@@guitar-academy Thanks. You have confirmed my suspicions. Re using my existing pickup. It is quite powerful as a passive unit,and wondered if it would be too loud with the pre-amp, but with the blend ,I guess I could roll it back anyway. When I try these things,I always test them on the outside of the soundboard first to find the best position, so I will try this with the Fishman pickup before committing to glueing it inside or cutting it off.
What if the product has no microphone included, When I bought in the store,...? Is it separated by the store to make them another price for the product,?
Hi . . Yes, there's 2 models, one with a mic and one without. The naming is confusing and they are easy to confuse, so you have to look carefully at them. The one with the mic is a '301 Blend' and it has a 'mic balance' knob instead of a 'brilliance' knob. I think the one with the mic is actually a Chinese knock off, but it sound as good as the original (I've tested them on several guitars).
Thanks for this. I am one of those that doesn't like to start a project until I have figured out all the possible pitfalls and how to avoid or mitigate them. The level of detail you go into here is excellent!!
Glad it was helpful! Thank you . . 😊
I think you do the sensible thing, to only enter into a job when you are sure you can finish it . .
I note that Fishman has cutout templates on it's website for the various Fishman preamp models. I used the Presys Blen 301 template on mine and it worked perfectly! Just print with no scaling and check the measurements on the printed template just to make sure your printer didn't scale the print incorrectly. I measured a centre line down the side of the guitar, another vertically across the template, matched the two and taped it down on top of the masking tape I had already positioned on the side of the guitar to prevent scratches. Bob's yer uncle!
Does it work if you have to curve the template to make a s shape?
Perfect job for lighting, voice narrative, explanation, preparation, the work and best of all is the testing when it is done. Great job!
Wow, thank you very much ! 🙂🙂🙂
I'm happy to report I installed this pickup on a nylon string Yamaha C-80 guitar following the instructions in this video and everything works nice. Tuner, amplifier. No muted strings. Thank you.
That's great . . 😊😊😊
Lo increible de UA-cam es esto!!! Cuando creía saber lo necesario para instalar mi fishman, veo este increíble video en medio del proceso y puedo incorporar otros procedimientos para mejorar la calidad de mi trabajo. No sabía los de amoldar el plastico con el agua caliente ni de regular el micro. Gracias amigo por tu valiosísimo aporte.
I finished installing mine today. It looks and sounds fantastic!!! I gave the guitar a good polishing, and new strings. The result is something I'm quite proud of.
Thank you for making this video. It is far and away the best video I've seen on this subject, and it inspired me to get out of my "comfort zone", and try something new. 👍👍👍😃😃😃
That's great . . Thank you very much . . 🙂🙂
Thank you so much for this Sir! I just followed this video exactly this evening and installed the same preamp. You made everything very clear!
Glad it helped! thank you very much 😊😃
Loved the notch filter graphic in the video. For most of my customers a verbal explanation, no matter how slow n clear you describe it to them, afterwards the majority have that 'WTF' look on their faces that same puzzled look they had at the end of their 1st class on quantum physics. So, thank you for that GCH Guitar Academy
Thank you very much . . I'm really glad it's helpful 😊😃
To aid with the endpin jack installation I use a 1/4" patch cord with a smaller end and feed it through the endpin hole in the guitar. Then I plug it into the jack and am able to easily pull the whole assembly through the endpin hole
Yes, I tend to use a piece of dowel rod because it's not flexible, especially when working on guitars with no sound hole like some Ovations. 🙂
Thank you for such a informed instruction. I will come back to this video when my Fishman preamp arrives.
Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊😃
Really helpful advice. Regarding threading the jack socket from inside the guitar I came across an easy method. You poke a jack lead into the hole from the outside and feed the cable to the sound hole and out of it. Push the jack plug into the socket and pull the cable back through the sound hole and through the drilled hole; then hold the socket with pliers whilst removing the jack plug and thread the washers and nut into the thread being careful not to damage the thread with the pliers.
Great tip! using a straightened out cloths hanger or thick wire to guide the jack socket into place is commonly done as well😊😃
I fitted one tonight using the jack lead method it takes seconds and isn't fiddly. You have to use a thin jack plug though.
@@j.j.1064 great stuff . . useful tip 😊
Great instruction. Thank you. Just ordered a cheap chinese knock off to install into a 2nd hand 12 string i just acquired. I'll do all my electrical checks before installing of course but I'll also be watching this again when it gets delivered and I'm ready to go.
That sounds like a great project . . I hope it all goes well for you 😊😃
Your spot on in that the faceplate is as flat as a pancake. I just built a Guitalele with a wide waist and I think it might fit to the Fishman's faceplate without molding the plate and will be my test bed. If not, well I'll perform the same adjustment on the plate.
You would think Fishman would have considered this during the engineering process, but aside from this I seem to be very happy with the unit which is a step below yours by lacking microphone as an input but all else is as yours.
Thanks for the instructions, review and heads up...
Thank you very much 😊 . . It is strange they aren't curved, or even offered with a choice of mounting plates 🤔
Excellent commentary and videoing, I am confident now to try it for myself.
That's great to hear . . thank you 😊😃
What I like the most about your way is that you really pay attention to the small but very important details, and your precision. At the end, however, it may be your particular preference to have done it such a way, but I think you screwed in the last piece of the post strap backwards. It's got a collar that's designed to come flush to the wood surface, concealing the outside washer and nut within it. The outer side of the post strap is bevelled like the bell of a cone and although it might seem like the guitar strap might twist out of it trust me it wont because the signal cable is plugged through the center preventing the strap from spilling out. I did mine collar side in, it looks much neater. But you may have your own reason. At any rate, this video is absolutely 5 stars to me. Congratulations and thanks a bunch!
Yes, you're right, 👍 and I do the standard method for other peoples guitars, but for my own guitars I don't do it that way, I even have extra nuts in my spares box so I can have a nut on both sides of the socket if I need it. The main reason is that I pull the lead back through between the guitar and strap so it's running off to the back and without the extra space the guitar gets damaged over time. If I'm not using a strap I have a special loop that bolts in between the strap button and the nut for cable management and that shouldn't rest against the body of the guitar for acoustic purposes.
I guess if guitarists didn't customize their guitars to suit their needs the Gibson and Fender signature series wouldn't exist . . 😊
What a great tutorial on how to install the Fishman! Thank you!
You're welcome! thank you very much 😊😀
This was exactly all of the info i needed! THANK YOU!
The flat mounting plate is ideal for the Irish Bouzouki and your disassembly instructions will be very handy as i have another preamp with removable cables so the plan is to scavenge those parts and maybe upgrade the mic element if needed.
Cheers!
Glad it was helpful! I hope your project goes well . . 😊😃
Thankyou so much for taking the time to make this. real easy to follow and understand. Everything somebody needed to know. I dont know if i am going to have the courage to take a saw to my guitar, but i will try.
Glad it was helpful! thank you . . 😊😃 Yes, taking a say to your guitar is scary 🤔
I've realized now. Since the metal where you connected the starp at the jack entrance was upside down, the input was constantly cracking and causing problems. When I reversed the screw, the problem went away, thanks.
Yes, I forgot to mention that in the voiceover. I do that to put more space between the guitar and the strap to prevent scratches on the guitar, but it can cause a crackles with some makes of lead. It's easily reversed though 😊
You are profesional instructor. Sacalabailar thanks You My friend
Thank you very much 👍😊
Very good method. You should use a small tri-square to ensure squareness of the rectangle.
Great tip!
Good Job! I'm glad that you explained the screw on the side, to adjust mic. volume. Some of them need adjusted badly, not many people know about it...
Thank you very much . . 🙂
What you call the bridge I would call the saddle. The bridge being the the wood piece glued to the body, with holes for the bridge pins. I appreciate the explanation and graphic of the NOTCH control. Thank you.
Yes, I did my training on violins and it's a habit to call the saddle a bridge . . thanks 🤔😊
Thanks! Your video helped me a lot on insalling my preamp. Incledible level of detail on this
That's great to hear . . thank you 😊
The best video tutorial for this kind of work.
thanks from Indonesia!
Thank you again . . from Wales . . 🙂
Big thank you for making the video, I have ordered the Guitar and the pre-amp I have also started your finger picking course,I am currently using a yamaha pacifica as I am a beginner and enjoying learning the guitar but I was thinking of getting an acoustic as I felt that I would like to have both but I didn't want to spend to much in this early stage of learning, I have a small workshop in the garden and this video has given me the confidence to have a go at upgrading a cheaper guitar, hopefully I will be able to achieve the great result that you have and maybe in a few years play the guitar half as good as you!,
You bought well with the Pacifica, I think it's a great guitar. Thank you for following the fingerpicking course . . I need to get down to it and make some more lessons for that course . . 😊😊
thank you! great video. I thought for sure you were going to say "then take a tea bag and steep it in the mug of hot water, grab some biscuits and take a break!" then get back to the matter at hand!
Great idea! I'll do that next time . . 😊😊
This video is immensely helpful. You have mentioned that it was possible to change the microphone in the previous versions. That is where I need help. The one I am having right now seems to be Fishman Presys 101, which does not have any in-built mic at all. But there is a slot on the back of the battery casing where a mic can be added. I need help in this regard. What kind of microphone should be chosen? How should the soldering be done onto the circuit of the preamp?
Sorry, I'm not familiar with particular preamp. But before doing anything are you completely sure it has a microphone input on it. I have just done a thorough search of the net and I can't find any reference to it. . . I might have missed something though.
@@guitar-academy It does not have microphone input on it. I was just wondering about the possibility of adding a mic on it through soldering on the circuit. I am pasting a link below where you can see some images of the preamp I am having. On the third image, the four small holes on the back of the battery-casing, gave me the impression that it might accommodate a microphone in that space.
articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-804712723-sistema-pre-amplificador-fishman-presys-101-_JM
I have to admit that, you did a huge work.
Really appreciated.
Thank you very much 😊
@@guitar-academy Can I install it on YAMAHA C40?!
@@waleedafandy1131 Yes, but it won't be as easy as this job because there are some complications you need to think about. On any nylon strung guitar the end of the saddles are exposed and therefore it will be harder to hide the pickup and the wire end. You will also need to shape the preamp frame with hot water.
I will fit one on a classical guitar eventually, but for the time being it would be worth you searching UA-cam to see if you think you can do it. . . just to be sure 😊
@@guitar-academy Thank you for your fast response, and please make the video ASAP about the classic guitar
@@waleedafandy1131 👍
Terrific instructional video! Thank you, sir, very much!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you 😊😃
Thank you very much....I needed this!
Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊😀
Thank you so much for this video, awesome tip to curve a little bit the edges of this preamp to look more professional. I am planning to install it on a classical Spanish guitar Alhambra C2, I will try to do it on my own thanks to your detailed video.
Glad it was helpful! thank you for watching and commenting 😊😃
Wow, outstanding video!
That's great to hear Cheers! 😊😀
Thanks for telling what the little dial' function is. Been searching at the web for a while now!
Happy to help! thank you 😊
Very well done video - thank you! I subscribed. I have a couple Samick Greg Bennett acoustic/electric guitars that use various Fishman OEM preamps. One is the Fishman ClearWave 60, which is very similar to the Presys Blend, but without the microphone (has a Brilliance control in place of the blend). The tuner stopped working completely three days after I purchased it, unfortunately, and Samick sent me a ClearWave 10 as a replacement. The 10's Preamp dimensions are the same, but it has a separate battery box - and I'm not about to cut another hole in the guitar. So, I ordered a Presys Blend 301. My preamp mounting ring needs the same curvature as yours, so I'm almost sure I can just use the ring from the bad ClearWave 60, instead of going the route of using the boiling water method (which you demonstrate brilliantly!). By the way, the actual Samick guitars I have are really great sounding and play well - great bang for the buck. However, in the low to mid-priced models, they use the cheaper preamps, which don't have a great track record from the reliability standpoint. Thanks again for this!
I hope all goes well with your preamp replacement I think it should, and your idea with the mount I think will work as well. I have a Samick 5 string bass I bought in the 90s (I think) and it still looks and sounds great. 🙂🙂
Excellent video. Very informative. Now to fit my own .
Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊😃
Thanks, I have received an install for one of these from a friend and he wanted me to document how to do it for his dad, this has saved me ages 😀 great instructions but did have a great laugh over how UA-cam writes your captions , check out the mistakes it makes 😉
Thank you . . I haven't looked at the captions, I check it out . . 😊😊
This was really great ! Thank you . I chanced doing it myself and you saved me a lot of headaches ! Cheers
Glad it helped! thank you 😊😃
Thank you sir, you are a gentleman and a scholar
You are very welcome, thank you 😊
Your video is very well done and I appreciate your attention to detail.👍🏼
Thank you very much . . 😊
I see you did NOT follow the standard Chinese rules for precision manufacturing. You know the one. "Measure with micrometer, mark with chalk & cut with axe". Thank God for that. Im going to follow your lead as i see by the coments im not the only one. Thanks for posting. This was a good tutorial. Rock on Bro.
That explains a lot with some Chinese guitars 😊
Thank you SO MUCH for this! I did exactly as you did and everything went perfectly :)
That's great . . . 😊
Excellent tutorial on installation! Thank you!
Thank you 😊 Glad it was helpful!
super helpful.. thank you for the explanations!!!
Thank you very much . . 😊😃
Excellent video! well done
Thank you very much! 😊😀
This was incredibly well done and helpful, thanks a lot!
Glad it was helpful! thank you . .. 🙂
Very informative and well presented, with all aspects fully covered. I hope you do make many more videos. (Somerset, England)
Thank you . . I have been writing new course books, but I will be making videos again soon . . 😊
Consider trying out the sound-offset-spacers for acoustic guitar. I am very pleased wirh the outcome on my guitars (seagull s6 and godin multiac, also a PRS SE Custom 22
Thanks for the suggestion. For the time being I am making 'how to play' guitar lessons again, but I will consider a video one them when I return to technical lessons 😊
Great video, I appreciate you and what you do.
I appreciate that! thank you very much 😊😊
A very useful tutorial, thank you indeed!
Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊
recently i buy a guitar with this preamp and I didnt anything about it, was very helpfull, thanks so much!
thank you . . 😊
Really good job making this video. Thanks
Glad you liked it! thank you 😊😊
*****I LOVE HOW THOROUGH THIS WAS! ENOUGH TO SUB!****
Thank you very much . . . 😊
That was a very detailed video, thank you
Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊
well done..just installed mine..THANKS! sure helped a lot!
Well done to you and a successful install . . . thank you for watching . . 🙂
Thanks for the video, I am planning on doing a preamp upgrade, I wanted to the dimensions of the preamp
You can download a template from the Fishman Website if you want to . . 😊
Beautifully detailed as usual. Thank you so much. Do you have any videos on mixing desk/amplifier suitable for ther beginers? I just had a glimpse of yours. :)
Thank you . . . No, not yet. But thanks for the suggestion I'll get a video on mixers done soon 😊😃
I have ordered all the tools seen here, and I'll be off to the races to electrify my wonderful $200 Yamaha guitar. I was wondering about what to use for a flat surface for sanding down the saddle, then I remembered that there's a place behind my home that slices marble for countertops and architectural work: I can just go back in the alley and pick up a fragment that they've thrown away.
I've got a piece like that and it works great . . Mine was a sample from a kitchen shop . . 😊
@@guitar-academy Very good. The minute I posted my comment I walked back to the marble place and found a gorgeous slab of white rock, the size of a laptop. It's mine now! Loved the attention to detail in your video. I'm confident an old soldering-iron-and-C-compiler geek like me can do this, thanks to you.
@@AlanCanon2222 😊
@@guitar-academy I've watched the video a total of four or five times, and did the installation today. Everything went fine, I had everything I needed.... except an instrument cable to plug it in when I was done! Thanks again for the level of detail and care in the video. You were right, the cover for the preamp covers a multitude of woodworking sins, although with the rotary tool and precision files I was actually able to make it look pretty nice, ditto for the hole I drilled for the 1/4" end pin connector. The edges of the hole looked a bit ugly but the screw-on cap at the end covers all that up. I taped a sheet of sandpaper to my marble slab for cutting down the bridge. I might shave just a little bit more off of it soon, it seemed best to cut too little off, then check the action, which seems low enough for my taste. Can't wait to buy a cable and fire it up! Thank you! I would not have bitten off this project without your video as demonstration and confidence builder.
@@guitar-academy I wanted to give you a follow up. A month later, I have acquired a good quality guitar to USB analog to digital conversion device, and through Linux, learned to pipe the output from my Fishman (in my super cheap Yamaha) through basic digital effects, all on a Raspberry Pi Zero, and I just want to say, it sounds fantastic. Everything I wanted when I first purposed to become an electro acoustic player, that cheap little $20 Fishman is doing for me, and your video showed me the way. Maybe Chet Atkins would have put a different pickup in his guitar, but I am so not Chet Atkins. I would just say that anyone who gets an itch to follow the instructions in this video should gear up and do it. It is actually not too hard to do, if you are careful, and the result is amazing.
they should have also used a plug for pickup leads because preamps go bad so you wold not need toreroute another pickup wire. could solder it but more work
Yes, I agree 😊
Very helpful!!
Glad it was helpful! thank you 😊😀
They look pretty good.
But they seen very expensive - more than my guitar!
Look for the copy on eBay they are a fraction of the price and just as good 😊
These rock I’ve bought 4 so far!
That shows the quality . .
I live in Canada, where did you buy yours?
Thank you for the tutorial.. will follow ur steps
You’re welcome 😊 I wish you every success . .
Is there not a favourable position for the instal because of the mic fixed to the device... I mean..putting it more more at the back of the guitar will give some more lower frequencies than installing it in the front of the guitar. Or are those differences minimal that it doesn't really matter where you put the fishman. Anyways...could not find abtter guide to instal and explanation of this fishman. Thanks for the upload.
That's the recommended position for the preamp and therefore I assume fishman have balanced it accordingly, it sounds that way anyway. The mic is slightly heavier on the bass then the pickup, but that means you can balance between the to signal sources to get a very good balance. I've done a video where I fit one with a flexible mic mount, but it doesn't sound as good as this one no matter what you do . . . ua-cam.com/video/frstd0tCSfA/v-deo.html
This is so helpful! THank you so much!
Thank you very much . . 😊
Great Job!! Thanks👍
Thank you too! 😊😀
Great review , best yet
Thank you . . .
Like a professional job,,well done mate
Ta very much . . . 😊😊
wonderfull job, thanks from Argentina!
Thank you very much! from Wales . . 🙂🙂🙂
Wow this is awesome thank you for all your advice I’m thinking purchasing one from my ovation 💯💯💯👏👏👏👏💯💯💯💯
Glad it was helpful! . . but before attempting anything on your ovation, make sure it'll fit . . if it's a roundback. 🙂
Thank you so much for all the wonderful advice hopefully it gets done properly write step-by-step
@@transforminggravity15626 It'll go will if it'll fit. Measure and measure again and check the directions of the curves in the guitar before doing anything, It your ovation doesn't already have a preamp it in, one might not fit because of the plastic bowl back
Decisions, decisions, decisions. After watching the other video, with the Prener pre-amp, I agree with you completely, it is an advantage to be able to switch out the mic or the piezo as needed, without replacing the entire pre-amp unit. I also like that the Prenar offers an XLR connection, in addition to the standard jack. However, the Fishman looks much more elegant when properly fitted. My Briarwood has a lovely black finish, which the fishman would complement nicely. By contrast, I fear the Prenar would rather resemble a Borg-implant, with its size, and blue LED display.
My Briarwood has a rich, mellow sound when played unenhanced. Which alternative would you say offers the better sound quality overall??? 🤔🤔🤔
Personally out of the 2 the Fishman wins. Even though you are stuck with the mic, it does produce good sound. Another unexpected consideration that surprised me and I didn't mention in the videos because I hadn't tested the preamps for long enough is the battery life. The Fishman easily out performs the Prenar on battery life. I even started taking the battery out of the Prener because I thought it might be draining unplugged somehow.
To give you an idea of what I think of the Fishman . . look at my latest guitar course and you'll see it's this guitar I used to make all the videos, because the battery life is so good and the recorded sound is so good. I hope this helps you. 😀😀
@@guitar-academy As someone with limited experience, I greet all information as helpful, particularly from someone who obviously knows what he's doing. I also tend toward the 301, however, I am apprehensive, as all the 301s available online appear to come from China, and are very cheap. There are a couple of quite disturbing videos here on UA-cam which address this. Is the 301 in your video also from China, and, if so, have you noticed any quality issues? Buzzing, humming, weak signal, or such? Again, thanks infinitely for making these videos, and for taking the time to answer my questions. 👍😃
Thanks from Rio grande do Sul. Brasil
wow, that's way more glamorous than North Wales . . LOL 😊
Thank you, Very Good explanation. You made me want to get this product.! Glenn.
Thank you . . . 😊
Excelente video , todas mis dudas despejadas , buen trabajo My friend !! Soy nuevo suscriptor !
Muchísimas gracias . . 😊👍
Excellent video. Very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you very much . . 🙂
Just ordered one of these. Fishman Presys Blend 301. Now.. what other things are nice? What about those oversize tuners? Bought a Aluminum bar to sand the bridge/nut. What else is essential? Time saving? Helpful? Fret files? Fret rocker? My fingers are soft as a baby, it's been years.
sounds to me like you're not far off building your own guitar . . 😊😊
@@guitar-academy thanks to you. :) Love your slow, calm pacing. Not rocket science, but attention to detail. I had thought Luthiering quite out of my grasp.
Sounds nice .. Great Playing. Great install. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you . . and thanks for watching 😊
Fantastic video!
Thank you . . . 😊
An old video but is there any chance you have a link as to where you purchased this? I'm finding all kinds of sites from ebay, to wish, to walmart and aliexpress. All with varying prices ranging from 20$ to 150$ thank you and well done with the video. Very informative
No, sorry. All I would do is search eBay . . 🤔
Nice job! Question: If there isn't feedback, where should the Notch be set? Wherever sounds good I suppose is the answer but what if you don't want any frequencies cut unnaturally?
Very good question . . Yes, I know what you mean. It would be nice if it had a switch to disable it. I just turn it to the lower end and that seems to go beyond my hearing. 😃
Hello,
Thank you for your video and sharing all the instalation steps.
As many viewers mentioned is a really helpful video for this diy project 😁
You mentioned that you installed this preamp in 2 guitars, my question is how are they working after 1+ years now.?is still working good?
I just ordered mine (32 euro) and due for China "quality" before I start any action, I would like to know what is your opinion after a longer time
Thank you in advance for your answer.
BR Simon
And it is still working fine which you installed in your guitars.? Are you pleased with the long time quality?
BR Simon
Thank you very much . . It is over 4 years ago now I installed the pickup in one of the guitars I did. I gave that guitar to a student who uses it as his main guitar. He put a rechargeable battery in it, but other than that it is as I left it and he loves the guitar and the preamp is still working perfectly to this day and he uses it lots (which is why he bought a rechargeable battery).
My opinion is that I think these work really well and I love the fact that you can balance mic and pickup, because you can get the perfect sound. 😊
I only watched this for tips on fitting the jack plug... useful eh!
oh well . . as long as the video helped . . 😊👍
Please can you tell me how much does it cost ?
You need to look from your own country . . just do a search for 'Fishman Blend 301' 😊
@@guitar-academy i was just scared because i didnt want to buy a rip off one. it costs about 40 to 50 $(usd) in amazon india . so is it a rip off?
@@smuruduragon7769 The rip off ones are made in the same factory. They are just unofficial. They look and sound the same, so don't be worried. Since I found this out I've been reluctant to buy the real ones because they are charging a lot of money for the same thing . .
@@guitar-academy Thanks for replying. I was just worried because I thought it wouldn't last long. You see, I already have a guitar with a pickup. Its called Kadence A04. But recently the pickup stopped working, nd so i decided to buy a new one. I am just worried about its longevity. Please can you tell me if i should buy it or not (here's the link www.amazon.in/Honeytecs-Fishman-Presys-Acoustic-Equalizer/dp/B08KPTRQ42/ref=asc_df_B08KPTRQ42/?tag=googleshopdes-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=397009755814&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4855239872823063768&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=20454&hvtargid=pla-997946422504&psc=1&ext_vrnc=hi )
Fair warning to anyone purchasing one of these that you are most likely getting a counterfeit system. Fishman only sells the Presys Blend as an OEM preamp to guitar manufacturers.
How do you know it's counterfeit?
@@SawyerRydzewski The Fishman Presys Blend is not sold by Fishman as a retail product. It is sold only to guitar manufacturers. Any units that you see for sale in standalone on Amazon or Ebay that weren't directly removed from a guitar are bootleg systems. I know because, well, I work there...
wow you do so good job man thanks your video!!!
Thank you very much . . . 😊
What an awesome and informative video. Just one question, what kind of processing (compression, reverb, etc) did you use for that final result? I've seen a thousand videos (with 3-5 thousand-dollar Taylor and Martin guitars and in such videos you often get that "packed-like" kind of sound). Thanks a lot!!
I had a little bit of reverb on. I wasn't suppose to have any effects on but it was my mixing desk effects I forgot were on. 🙂
@@guitar-academy Thanks a lot for your response. Once again, what a great sound you got there!
Looks great! Tha fact that it's all flat woud be great for me. Just one question, would the tuner work for an accoustic bass as well? Or does it only show the tunings for guitars? Sorry if it's a stupid quesion but I'm a complete novice
Good question, but one I can't answer. I've never tried one on a bass, but maybe someone else will know the answer . .
Well done very clear and concise video. I have same system which worked beautifully until recently when it over heated and one of the battery spring connections appears to have burnt out. Any idea of the possible cause.
Thank you . . . Your battery getting that hot can only have been caused by a short circuit somewhere. This can happen if you put the battery in the wrong way as a diode shorts the battery out to prevent the current getting to the important circuits, but any short circuit can cause this . . you were lucky it didn't damage the guitar. I have a video that might help you replace it ua-cam.com/video/p3JS_yejs0M/v-deo.html
Thanks for a good explanation.
Would Fishman 301 be suitable for a Classical Guitar?
I think so! My only thoughts would be that it will fit but it's a bit big . . I intend to do a video on fitting one in a classical guitar first, but I have to get hold of a suitable guitar for the job. . . (one that's ill but repairable) 😊
Great video, thanks.
You are welcome! thank you 😊
Que de magnifiques explications en une parfaite vidéo.
Tous mes remerciements.
Sinon puis- je vous demander quelle corde vous utilisez, car elles ont un son parfait .
Très cordialement
Isabelle
Je vous remercie. Les corde sont 'adagio 9-47 ultra lights' (google translate LOL)
super useful helpful beneficial amazing
Glad you think so! thank you very much 😊😃
Hi, lovely video. Can you please tell me how much your Fisher pre amp cost? Coz the one same one i cheaply bought from ebay is not working at all. Thanks
This was very cheap (£12 ish). It sounds to me like you've got a faulty one, 🙂
Excellent detailed video. Thanks. I am using a passive sound board pickup , which sounds good, at present. I am fitting one of these for more natural sound from the mic and some on board control.BUT,I truly hate the sound of under saddle pickups. Could this pickup be glued to the soundboard,or maybe wire my existing pickup into the system. I would appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you . . . That's a good question, but unfortunately I don't know the answer. My best guess with gluing the pickup to the soundboard is that it would NOT work because it's designed to be compressed. However you could cut the pickup off the Fishman and wire an existing pickup in it's place. . . that would work. I am going to do that with one of these and a cigar box guitar using contact pickups glued to the soundboard, but until I've done it I don't know if it'll work. Saying that, if you are thinking of cutting the Fishman pickup off anyway you can try it glued first to see if it works . . .
@@guitar-academy Thanks. You have confirmed my suspicions. Re using my existing pickup. It is quite powerful as a passive unit,and wondered if it would be too loud with the pre-amp, but with the blend ,I guess I could roll it back anyway. When I try these things,I always test them on the outside of the soundboard first to find the best position, so I will try this with the Fishman pickup before committing to glueing it inside or cutting it off.
@@duendedude2345 you are a wise man . . testing it is the best way . . 😊
Thanks for this🙏🙏🙏
My pleasure 😊 thank you
Very good vidéo and the sound is great .what the music you are playing at the end ? Thanks and sory for my english ,i'm french 😁👍
Thank you . . I made it up for the test. If I use famous music I loose any monetisation 😀
Awesome 👍
Thanks 🤗
Cool. Would a sound hole pickup work too? Like one of those removable ones???
Yes, it would work fine and they are easier to fit. 😊
Thanks for share this video..i'll restore my guitar with fishman too
Thank you . . I hope it goes well for you . . . 🙂
@@guitar-academyyes thsnks u
What if the product has no microphone included,
When I bought in the store,...?
Is it separated by the store to make them another price for the product,?
Hi . . Yes, there's 2 models, one with a mic and one without. The naming is confusing and they are easy to confuse, so you have to look carefully at them. The one with the mic is a '301 Blend' and it has a 'mic balance' knob instead of a 'brilliance' knob.
I think the one with the mic is actually a Chinese knock off, but it sound as good as the original (I've tested them on several guitars).