In this weeks video, Topher demonstrates the differences between the Fishman and LR Baggs acoustic pickups. Be sure to leave a comment below with your favorite!
I want to like LR Bagg’s stuff. I really do! They have Great lows, a natural sounding midrange, but the highs are just super harsh and “fizzy” like they add harmonic saturation to the highs (but like too much). It’s a deal breaker for me personally, but I’m glad you dig it man!!
Apples and oranges. Fishman's lesser expensive Sonicore pickup (not a Matrix) and no microphone vs. Baggs premium pickup with the mic? Nice guitar and nice playing though.
Agreed. A fair comparison would be the Anthem vs something like the Prefix pro blend or Matrix Infinity blend. I don’t know man. The Baggs sounds harsh in the top end. I’ve had that problem with all the guitars I’ve had a Anthem installed. Just my opinion.
Dude, LR Baggs should endorse you and pay your for selling Anthem pickups all across the world. That sounds killer in that little guitar. Excellent video! Great playing.
You should consider making this video again, but with each one EQ’d to suit their individual dynamics. I use the LR Baggs Anthem with my Taylor T5 in ADDITION to the onboard preamp and 5-way switch. I know how this system should sound, and this representation did not do the LR Baggs justice. It sounded woody, but very tinny and harsh. I play through a Fishman Platinum DI > TC Helicon Playacoustic > into my mixer with everything at about two o clock, and it sounds full, and has a good low end. For those saying the pickup sounded bad, try a different video and compare. You’ll see that the sound here did not do it justice.
I see why you like the LR Baggs better. It sounds more close to a natural acoustic sound. It’s much brighter and more lively and the bass sounds are more articulate. The Fishman sounds compressed and lacks expression. Thanks for the review!
@@maraviyoso8473 Not sure what you're listening on but I listened in my car and in headphones and the LR Baggs definitely had way more bass response. Made my rearview mirror rattle. Lol
Misleading - not a fair shootout. You're attempting to compare the basic Fishman Sonotone GT-1 undersaddle piezo that you get for $0 with this PRS guitar with the Baggs Anthem blended undersaddle piezo + internal microphone system with a suggested retail of $300. You should re-title this "Fishman Sonotone to Baggs Anthem UPGRADE". Or, if you want to do a reasonable shootout, record the Baggs Anthem, volume at halfway on the amp and the Anthem, blended 50/50, then trade out the Baggs system for the Fishman Matrix Infinity (similar price to Anthem) and record it with the same settings. As a CZcams video, I sorta doubt your audience will be able to tell any difference. Note: I don't have a dog in this fight, I'm just concerned that people are making misinformed decisions based on it.
The comparison is much appreciated, though isn't it a bit of an unfair comparison if the Fishman is only a piezo, and the LR Baggs is dual-source? A fairer comparison would be between the Fishman with either the gooseneck mic or the mic built into the soundhole preamp. As for the sonic impressions that come across in your video, the Baggs does have more body and punch, though the top end sounds a bit brittle and scratchy to my ears (probably coming from its mic). Frankly, I'd probably decide against both of the pickups demoed here. But..."I still haven't found what I'm looking for..." ;-) Maybe I'll end up with a Mi-Si Trio Air, but we shall see. Been everywhere on my Pickup Quest. Maybe LR Baggs or Fishman will come up with something even more convincing before I die.
Weird because I normally prefer the Anthem but in this case, the Fishman has a more pleasing sound. The Baggs sounds too middy and harsh. Maybe the mic blend is too high to the mic side?
To me it sounded like the output of the LR Bags was substantially louder than the Fishman. The Bags sounded much brighter than the fishman as others have noted. My problem is that I'm listening through my headphones plugged into my PC. I could listen through the computer speakers, or I could listen through my recording monitor speakers. The sound is different with each speaker system, and I'll bet none of them will sound like what you are hearing at your locatiion. I'm an old dude and my hearing is not very good (lots of high frequency hearing loss). I don't usually play my acoustics amplified any more, because I have yet to listen to a pickup system that doesn't color the natural sound in some way. Also, if I use a mic for amplification, the two acoustic amplifiers I have (A Marshall and a Beringer) each provide their own voicing. Both amps have lots of EQ control plus a good range of effects. I don't know, with all of those options, it's hard for my old ass to decide what a "best" sound is. There are an infinity of good sounds (to me) as well as an infinity of bad sounds (to me) through all of that processing. However, the natural sound of a Martin (D2832 & HD28-CE), or a Taylor (314-CE & 615CE) are the tones most suitable to me. When recording, I use a cheap condenser mic that used to come free with a PC keyboard. Those cheap mics always seem to deliver the sound I hear when I'm playing unplugged. (The only other mic's that I have are a beta sm58 and a sm57. Neither of which deliver a sound as natural as the cheeeeep condenser mic.) But what do I know, I'm just a dumbass old coal miner. (cough)
This is a tough question. People like different sounds and all people are not the same. I have an LR bags pick up system in my Martin D 18 and I just love it. After listening to this demonstration here, I like the warmer sounder of the fishman pick up at least for listening to this video. But I would never in my life swap out my LR bags out of my Martin D 18 ever never never. It’s a match made in heaven.
Exactly. Lot of overtones on that baggs. Maybe if you're just lightly strumming alone or fingerpicking that will work. Any amount of heavier strumming, the Fishman all the way. Fishman will give a smoother sound...and boxes like that :)
So I use the Anthem in my Taylor and Larrivee guitars and it's amazing. However, I bought the exact same PRS guitar with the Fishman and was able to get some very convincing tones using my HX Stomp and some acoustic impulse responses. The impulse responses really take that stock pickup to the next level. So rather than swapping out the pickup one does have the option of switching to an external pedal with an IR loadder.
No contest! Anyone wanting to buy this guitar should save the extra 100 bucks and buy the non-electric model P20 then put the LR Baggs Anthem in it. So glad to have found this video and the one where you discuss your likes and dislikes of this particular guitar. I am considering getting this guitar, so it is great to know I could get some nice depth out of this small-body guitar with the Anthem pup system. Thanks for putting up this comparison video! To be completely fair, it would be nice to know what settings you dialed in on the Anthem, and use the same volume settings on the guitars and the amp. I suspect the Anthem offers more gain in the first place bc it is a combination of bridge/mic where the Fishman has no mic. In general like most acoustic guitarists I don't particularly like the sound of piezo bridge pickups, but it is something that can be minimized when blending with the mic component of the Baggs system. You don't have that option with the Fishman system offered the P20E.
According to this shootout the LR Baggs definitely sounds like it gives a clearer and fuller image of the guitar. Any undesired sounds can probably be EQ'd out with a pedal or from FOH. Although i have no idea what settings each guitar was set to on the pickups in the video.
Wowwww! Thanks for the video. No comparison! I want to put a system in my Martin 000-18 and now my mid is made up and the guitar is about to become electrified!
Just turn the volume up on the Fishman , Both sound good but nothing beats a microphone for that good acoustic guitar sound say like the sure the SM-57 or any good mic. Keep picking.
In reality, in this video, the Fishman sounds better because the Anthem needs some serious tweaks, especially take off highs and put more lows and mids because it sounds really hollow. In fact, the Fishman would sound even better through a good DI, like the LR Baggs Para DI. As a former owner of the Anthem, I can say that one of the biggest mistakes many guitarists make with it is to blend the Anthem overwhelmingly toward the Tru-Mic, thinking that a "piezo" tone is a sin. What they're doing is to take off the meat of the tone. Yes, you can hear the wood more with it than with a piezo, but the mic part only picks up the highs. The lows are picked by the piezo and those frequencies are essential to a good tone.
You answered my question and very well btw. Looking at the OM 28e Martin with LR Baggs. Had a dreadnaught and am ready for something a little more comfortable.
The LR Baggs does sound more natural and less “direct in”. But I actually don’t think piezos sound as bad as everybody else does. I guess that’s because I’m an old fart that grew up watching MTV Unplugged in the 90s and that’s just how I expect acoustic guitars to sound. 😝. But they do cut through very well and are easy to EQ into a mix. Mics can be harder to work with. I am curious how the in-body microphone sounds when the sound hole is covered with a Screeching Halt feedback-busting cap. Would that make the mic sound bad?
Howdy Topher! I have a question for you personally. I own a Martin GPC-11E with the stock (or whatever you call it) Fishman pickups inside. The kind with the tuner built-in. I am curious how your guitar shop managed the conversion? I want to install an LR. Baggs Anthem but I want to do it myself :)
I have several guitars with the Anthem in them and they all sound fabulous. Not sure what happened here though. The Baggs sounds harsh and tinny and he Fishman won the comparison with a warmer less 'fake' sound. While am at bashing things, not liking that parlor guitar either.
I like both pickups l have them in different guitars they are very easy to work with and depends on the guitar find the pickup that works the best in the guitar you're playing l think they are both equal In quality l love them both depends on what guitar works best with which pickup
Although this shootout is not fair, I definitely would prefer the lr baggs. I've ordered myself this guitar. And before buying it, I've watched many reviews on it, and I didn't like the sound of Fishman, but I really loved the acoustic sound. So I've been thinking about changing the Fishman. Thank you for this video. Now I'm sure I'm right)
how did you hook up the LR Baggs to the original fishman battery box/output jack? It looks like you are using the same fishman battery box/input jack location.
Great video but completely disagree. Something about piezos that I love, they sound crisper, funkier, cleaner to me... The fishman every time. In fact I'm buying that guitar mainly because of that pickup sound.
Hi. Great work on the vid. I have the same guitar for gigging too. Put a kk pure mini in it. What has been ur experience with this system in a live setting? Any feedback problems from wedges etc.....
I have the Fishman Matrix in my Furch 23 and the Anthem in my Martin D35. The Fishman is much louder and gets a good tone straight outa the box. The Anthem in the Martin sounds somewhat harsh and nasal with more mic. I can dial out the nasalness with parametric EQ but I would have thought it should sound pretty natural with the controls set to the ‘middle’ .
Thank you for this!! Was just trying to demonstrate this very difference to my wife haha kept trying to switch back and forth between videos but this does the trick. Thanks again!
With an extra $300 for the Baggs plus the wait, hassle, expense of installation ($100) I I'll stay with the Fishman for now. I can't offer much feedback from your review because the two were set at such different volumes the skew was too much to judge anything. Baggs of course sounded better but at different volumes I can't be sure what's what. Perhaps I'll blend a room mike into my Boss amp to fill in for the internal mic. Thanks for lending your knowledge and honesty.
I didn't like LR.Baggs because everything sounded the same, as if it had a compressor on it. The Fishman is a bit quieter, but its sound is more natural and has more dynamics.
Wow, the difference was yuuuge. I have a guitar with the Fishman. I'm still getting used to the in-hole controls. My Takamine has knobs on the side of the body which are so much easier to use. I forget and get confused which way to turn the knobs and which knob is witch with the in-hole knobs I can't see.
Not a fair comparison at all. Cheapest Fishman Piezo pickup, to the most expensive Baggs pickup with added microphone. C'mon man... Anyway...the Baggs is more microphonic and louder. But, to me, it has more emphasis on bass and mids with a lot of overtones which tend to break up. The Fishman is smoother and more even across the spectrum...which would be great if your using something like an AURA or IR images that take the sound and does things with it. Much easier to process even and smooth sounds than ones with overtones. Basically the reason I like Gibson and Martin guitars over Taylors. Taylors are all jingly and overtoney. Which is nice for fingerpicking, but break up under strumming and if you're a heavy strummer, forgetaboutit! :)
I actually like the Fishman GT1 better, but the L.R. Baggs are closer to the just acoustic sound, just with much rounder and fuller bass, which is to my ears an odd combination with those schrill piercing highs. I do wonder now the guitar would sound with a SM57 blended in with the Fishman.
In order to present a fair comparison, you really need to normalize the volume levels so that each is the same. Our ears naturally prefer louder sounds. This is why radio stations are compressed all to hell, and why so many pop recordings are compressed beyond belief. So if one pickup is recorded (or mastered) louder than the other, it will sound "better" to most people in comparison. The LR Baggs was recorded SIGNIFICANTLY louder than the Fishman in your video, making it much more difficult to compare the actual sound of each. This will skew your results. Of COURSE everyone in the comments chooses the Baggs, but we can't know if it's the ACTUAL sound or simply the volume difference.
I'm sorry to say this, but I've played more than a 1000 gigs during the past 8 years with an L. R. Baggs Anthem in my Guild and it sounded WAY better than it does in this video. My suspicion is that you missed the little screw to fine tune the Anthem's overall response to the guitar's sonic qualities and your own preferences.
Hmmmmm I was considering this swap with my prs se a50e maple back and sides but I'm not so sure, thinking maybe the fishman enhance may be a better choice retaining the easy access battery port
LR Baggs brighter. I can take the brightness off if I want. I have had an M1 for 13 years and it has been in three guitars and LOVE them. My next acoustic will probably not have a built unpick up so I can install the M1-a little off topic but bla bla bla bla bla bla
It really is way better. Especially in a midrange sounding guitar. Wish I knew this. I would have bought the Prs without the pickup. Would of saved 100$
The only comparable Fishman really is the Matrix Infinity Mic Blend. Then you're comparing apples with apples. I have the Fishman Matrix Infinity Mic Blend in all of my acoustics. The ones that came with the LR Baggs Anthem I live with...! The LR Baggs to me looks like a hearing aid in a guitar. Not sure why they don't tone it down. 🤔 So many puns.. but I'll shut up now.
Awesome baggs although i found baggs way too bright, demanding some eq for being usable to my ears. Still is clearly better than fishman. I find none acoustic Guitar is perfect used alone, usually the best result comes from blending different ones
Your comparing LR Baggs best agaisnt one of Fishmans lower level pickups and even with that said the LR Baggs was not the clear winner. Neither sounded great. A top of the line Fishman would beat the LR Baggs.
I hate piezos. Which is why I hate fishmans. They're solomps are great but all their pickups are buzzy and squawky. I personally prefer the L.R. Baggs Lyric I'm surprised Fishman isn't making an effort to compete with baggs
fishman = 80s ovation sound. blech! baggs is much closer to real sound of the guitar. my preferred pickup. i just can’t believe PRS sells this guitar with a fishman option at all. yikes!
I want to like LR Bagg’s stuff. I really do! They have Great lows, a natural sounding midrange, but the highs are just super harsh and “fizzy” like they add harmonic saturation to the highs (but like too much). It’s a deal breaker for me personally, but I’m glad you dig it man!!
Agreed! LR Baggs pickups always seem to have a in built EQ curve that sounds nice, but it doesn't work for me.
You can dial in more microphone to balance that, yes, bridge only is very trebly.
I agree too
i like the mellower sound of fishman baggs is a little bit bright and brittle to me
Huge difference is sound quality with the LR Bags system. I agree with you 💯 the Fishman sounds good but no where close to the other!
Apples and oranges. Fishman's lesser expensive Sonicore pickup (not a Matrix) and no microphone vs. Baggs premium pickup with the mic? Nice guitar and nice playing though.
I was thinking that too they need to be identical pickups in style to compare. I do think the Baggs is best but the fishman is right there.
Agreed. A fair comparison would be the Anthem vs something like the Prefix pro blend or Matrix Infinity blend. I don’t know man. The Baggs sounds harsh in the top end. I’ve had that problem with all the guitars I’ve had a Anthem installed. Just my opinion.
Dude, LR Baggs should endorse you and pay your for selling Anthem pickups all across the world. That sounds killer in that little guitar. Excellent video! Great playing.
You should consider making this video again, but with each one EQ’d to suit their individual dynamics.
I use the LR Baggs Anthem with my Taylor T5 in ADDITION to the onboard preamp and 5-way switch.
I know how this system should sound, and this representation did not do the LR Baggs justice.
It sounded woody, but very tinny and harsh.
I play through a Fishman Platinum DI > TC Helicon Playacoustic > into my mixer with everything at about two o clock, and it sounds full, and has a good low end.
For those saying the pickup sounded bad, try a different video and compare.
You’ll see that the sound here did not do it justice.
Didn't really see much wrong with the Fishman...really a matter of taste
I see why you like the LR Baggs better. It sounds more close to a natural acoustic sound. It’s much brighter and more lively and the bass sounds are more articulate. The Fishman sounds compressed and lacks expression. Thanks for the review!
The bass sounds? The LR Baggs, here, removes almost all of the low frequencies
@@maraviyoso8473 Not sure what you're listening on but I listened in my car and in headphones and the LR Baggs definitely had way more bass response. Made my rearview mirror rattle. Lol
Misleading - not a fair shootout. You're attempting to compare the basic Fishman Sonotone GT-1 undersaddle piezo that you get for $0 with this PRS guitar with the Baggs Anthem blended undersaddle piezo + internal microphone system with a suggested retail of $300. You should re-title this "Fishman Sonotone to Baggs Anthem UPGRADE". Or, if you want to do a reasonable shootout, record the Baggs Anthem, volume at halfway on the amp and the Anthem, blended 50/50, then trade out the Baggs system for the Fishman Matrix Infinity (similar price to Anthem) and record it with the same settings. As a CZcams video, I sorta doubt your audience will be able to tell any difference. Note: I don't have a dog in this fight, I'm just concerned that people are making misinformed decisions based on it.
The comparison is much appreciated, though isn't it a bit of an unfair comparison if the Fishman is only a piezo, and the LR Baggs is dual-source? A fairer comparison would be between the Fishman with either the gooseneck mic or the mic built into the soundhole preamp. As for the sonic impressions that come across in your video, the Baggs does have more body and punch, though the top end sounds a bit brittle and scratchy to my ears (probably coming from its mic). Frankly, I'd probably decide against both of the pickups demoed here. But..."I still haven't found what I'm looking for..." ;-) Maybe I'll end up with a Mi-Si Trio Air, but we shall see. Been everywhere on my Pickup Quest. Maybe LR Baggs or Fishman will come up with something even more convincing before I die.
Agreed with your opening comment
Fish man all the way, Baggs was just to bright in an already bright guitar due to it's size
Weird because I normally prefer the Anthem but in this case, the Fishman has a more pleasing sound. The Baggs sounds too middy and harsh. Maybe the mic blend is too high to the mic side?
You're crazy man. The anthem is much better in this vídeo.
To me it sounded like the output of the LR Bags was substantially louder than the Fishman. The Bags sounded much brighter than the fishman as others have noted. My problem is that I'm listening through my headphones plugged into my PC. I could listen through the computer speakers, or I could listen through my recording monitor speakers. The sound is different with each speaker system, and I'll bet none of them will sound like what you are hearing at your locatiion. I'm an old dude and my hearing is not very good (lots of high frequency hearing loss). I don't usually play my acoustics amplified any more, because I have yet to listen to a pickup system that doesn't color the natural sound in some way. Also, if I use a mic for amplification, the two acoustic amplifiers I have (A Marshall and a Beringer) each provide their own voicing. Both amps have lots of EQ control plus a good range of effects. I don't know, with all of those options, it's hard for my old ass to decide what a "best" sound is. There are an infinity of good sounds (to me) as well as an infinity of bad sounds (to me) through all of that processing. However, the natural sound of a Martin (D2832 & HD28-CE), or a Taylor (314-CE & 615CE) are the tones most suitable to me. When recording, I use a cheap condenser mic that used to come free with a PC keyboard. Those cheap mics always seem to deliver the sound I hear when I'm playing unplugged. (The only other mic's that I have are a beta sm58 and a sm57. Neither of which deliver a sound as natural as the cheeeeep condenser mic.) But what do I know, I'm just a dumbass old coal miner. (cough)
This is a tough question. People like different sounds and all people are not the same. I have an LR bags pick up system in my Martin D 18 and I just love it.
After listening to this demonstration here, I like the warmer sounder of the fishman pick up at least for listening to this video. But I would never in my life swap out my LR bags out of my Martin D 18 ever never never. It’s a match made in heaven.
lr baggs is for sound like have air, or like microphone infront of your guitar, fishman is good for pedals without overtones or howling on pedals
Exactly. Lot of overtones on that baggs. Maybe if you're just lightly strumming alone or fingerpicking that will work. Any amount of heavier strumming, the Fishman all the way. Fishman will give a smoother sound...and boxes like that :)
So I use the Anthem in my Taylor and Larrivee guitars and it's amazing. However, I bought the exact same PRS guitar with the Fishman and was able to get some very convincing tones using my HX Stomp and some acoustic impulse responses. The impulse responses really take that stock pickup to the next level. So rather than swapping out the pickup one does have the option of switching to an external pedal with an IR loadder.
Hey where did you get those acoustic irs? I have an headrush mx5 for my acoustic board and haven't been able to find out how to use acoustic irs yet.
@@casey17w I can't remember. I think it was off of one of the worship vendors.
No contest! Anyone wanting to buy this guitar should save the extra 100 bucks and buy the non-electric model P20 then put the LR Baggs Anthem in it. So glad to have found this video and the one where you discuss your likes and dislikes of this particular guitar. I am considering getting this guitar, so it is great to know I could get some nice depth out of this small-body guitar with the Anthem pup system. Thanks for putting up this comparison video!
To be completely fair, it would be nice to know what settings you dialed in on the Anthem, and use the same volume settings on the guitars and the amp. I suspect the Anthem offers more gain in the first place bc it is a combination of bridge/mic where the Fishman has no mic. In general like most acoustic guitarists I don't particularly like the sound of piezo bridge pickups, but it is something that can be minimized when blending with the mic component of the Baggs system. You don't have that option with the Fishman system offered the P20E.
According to this shootout the LR Baggs definitely sounds like it gives a clearer and fuller image of the guitar. Any undesired sounds can probably be EQ'd out with a pedal or from FOH. Although i have no idea what settings each guitar was set to on the pickups in the video.
Wowwww! Thanks for the video. No comparison! I want to put a system in my Martin 000-18 and now my mid is made up and the guitar is about to become electrified!
"Clear winner here" -- I agree with you, 100%
Just turn the volume up on the Fishman , Both sound good but nothing beats a microphone for that good acoustic guitar sound say like the sure the SM-57 or any good mic. Keep picking.
Put the Fishman thru an Aura and then compare.
Just found your video you just sold me LR Baggs for sure.
In reality, in this video, the Fishman sounds better because the Anthem needs some serious tweaks, especially take off highs and put more lows and mids because it sounds really hollow. In fact, the Fishman would sound even better through a good DI, like the LR Baggs Para DI.
As a former owner of the Anthem, I can say that one of the biggest mistakes many guitarists make with it is to blend the Anthem overwhelmingly toward the Tru-Mic, thinking that a "piezo" tone is a sin. What they're doing is to take off the meat of the tone. Yes, you can hear the wood more with it than with a piezo, but the mic part only picks up the highs. The lows are picked by the piezo and those frequencies are essential to a good tone.
You answered my question and very well btw. Looking at the OM 28e Martin with LR Baggs. Had a dreadnaught and am ready for something a little more comfortable.
Agree. I swap all existing for LR Baggs Anthem.
The LR Baggs does sound more natural and less “direct in”. But I actually don’t think piezos sound as bad as everybody else does. I guess that’s because I’m an old fart that grew up watching MTV Unplugged in the 90s and that’s just how I expect acoustic guitars to sound. 😝. But they do cut through very well and are easy to EQ into a mix. Mics can be harder to work with. I am curious how the in-body microphone sounds when the sound hole is covered with a Screeching Halt feedback-busting cap. Would that make the mic sound bad?
Howdy Topher!
I have a question for you personally. I own a Martin GPC-11E with the stock (or whatever you call it) Fishman pickups inside. The kind with the tuner built-in. I am curious how your guitar shop managed the conversion? I want to install an LR. Baggs Anthem but I want to do it myself :)
Thanks, man! And enjoyed your guitar playing, too!
I’ve had a guitar with an LR Baggs Lyric, I loved it and always recommend it. Next acoustic is going to get it installed too.
thanks for the video. LR Bags sounds more alive, more punchy. Good playing too ;)
I have several guitars with the Anthem in them and they all sound fabulous. Not sure what happened here though. The Baggs sounds harsh and tinny and he Fishman won the comparison with a warmer less 'fake' sound. While am at bashing things, not liking that parlor guitar either.
Yup. in this comparison, if all else is equal, then ya the L.R. Baggs for the win
Great video! Btw, how did you swap the pickups?
I like both pickups l have them in different guitars they are very easy to work with and depends on the guitar find the pickup that works the best in the guitar you're playing l think they are both equal In quality l love them both depends on what guitar works best with which pickup
I think the fishman is nice and warm
It is essential to listen to this with headphones. The LR Baggs is far better.
Although this shootout is not fair, I definitely would prefer the lr baggs. I've ordered myself this guitar. And before buying it, I've watched many reviews on it, and I didn't like the sound of Fishman, but I really loved the acoustic sound. So I've been thinking about changing the Fishman. Thank you for this video. Now I'm sure I'm right)
Not fair, as someone said. To me, everything's fine )))
how did you hook up the LR Baggs to the original fishman battery box/output jack? It looks like you are using the same fishman battery box/input jack location.
Which LR Baggs is installed the full Anthem or the Anthem SL. It looks like the SL but not sure
Great video but completely disagree. Something about piezos that I love, they sound crisper, funkier, cleaner to me... The fishman every time. In fact I'm buying that guitar mainly because of that pickup sound.
Hi. Great work on the vid. I have the same guitar for gigging too. Put a kk pure mini in it. What has been ur experience with this system in a live setting? Any feedback problems from wedges etc.....
I have the Fishman Matrix in my Furch 23 and the Anthem in my Martin D35.
The Fishman is much louder and gets a good tone straight outa the box.
The Anthem in the Martin sounds somewhat harsh and nasal with more mic. I can dial out the nasalness with parametric EQ but I would have thought it should sound pretty natural with the controls set to the ‘middle’ .
Thank you for this!! Was just trying to demonstrate this very difference to my wife haha kept trying to switch back and forth between videos but this does the trick. Thanks again!
So did your wife let you spring for the Baggs?? 😁
With an extra $300 for the Baggs plus the wait, hassle, expense of installation ($100) I I'll stay with the Fishman for now. I can't offer much feedback from your review because the two were set at such different volumes the skew was too much to judge anything. Baggs of course sounded better but at different volumes I can't be sure what's what. Perhaps I'll blend a room mike into my Boss amp to fill in for the internal mic. Thanks for lending your knowledge and honesty.
I noticed that too, they would need to be set at the same volume for a better comparison. Also, what about the blend feature? Where was it set?
Thanks I’ll stick with fishman
I didn't like LR.Baggs because everything sounded the same, as if it had a compressor on it. The Fishman is a bit quieter, but its sound is more natural and has more dynamics.
Wonderful video - you didn’t happen to do a “how-to” video of the swap did you???
Wow, the difference was yuuuge. I have a guitar with the Fishman. I'm still getting used to the in-hole controls. My Takamine has knobs on the side of the body which are so much easier to use. I forget and get confused which way to turn the knobs and which knob is witch with the in-hole knobs I can't see.
Apples to oranges - this is simply an upgrade from undersaddle to undersaddle/mic blend system
Not a fair comparison at all. Cheapest Fishman Piezo pickup, to the most expensive Baggs pickup with added microphone. C'mon man...
Anyway...the Baggs is more microphonic and louder. But, to me, it has more emphasis on bass and mids with a lot of overtones which tend to break up. The Fishman is smoother and more even across the spectrum...which would be great if your using something like an AURA or IR images that take the sound and does things with it. Much easier to process even and smooth sounds than ones with overtones. Basically the reason I like Gibson and Martin guitars over Taylors. Taylors are all jingly and overtoney. Which is nice for fingerpicking, but break up under strumming and if you're a heavy strummer, forgetaboutit! :)
Is that ALL mic on the anthem? or blended between the UST and mic? The baggs sounded pretty plinky to my ears.
Lr baggs more open then Fishman. Both I've been use with EPM preamp on my A&L guitar
I actually like the Fishman GT1 better, but the L.R. Baggs are closer to the just acoustic sound, just with much rounder and fuller bass, which is to my ears an odd combination with those schrill piercing highs.
I do wonder now the guitar would sound with a SM57 blended in with the Fishman.
In order to present a fair comparison, you really need to normalize the volume levels so that each is the same. Our ears naturally prefer louder sounds. This is why radio stations are compressed all to hell, and why so many pop recordings are compressed beyond belief. So if one pickup is recorded (or mastered) louder than the other, it will sound "better" to most people in comparison. The LR Baggs was recorded SIGNIFICANTLY louder than the Fishman in your video, making it much more difficult to compare the actual sound of each. This will skew your results. Of COURSE everyone in the comments chooses the Baggs, but we can't know if it's the ACTUAL sound or simply the volume difference.
The LR Baggs offers more low & mid Just a better sounding system
I'm sorry to say this, but I've played more than a 1000 gigs during the past 8 years with an L. R. Baggs Anthem in my Guild and it sounded WAY better than it does in this video. My suspicion is that you missed the little screw to fine tune the Anthem's overall response to the guitar's sonic qualities and your own preferences.
Hmmmmm I was considering this swap with my prs se a50e maple back and sides but I'm not so sure, thinking maybe the fishman enhance may be a better choice retaining the easy access battery port
which fishman is this? I'm looking for a comparison between matrix and anthem
The LR hurt my ears. Its like having the bass at 7, mid at 5, and high at 15..out of 10
LR Baggs brighter. I can take the brightness off if I want. I have had an M1 for 13 years and it has been in three guitars and LOVE them. My next acoustic will probably not have a built unpick up so I can install the M1-a little off topic but bla bla bla bla bla bla
Wow! What an improvement!
The Baggs sounded like you ran it through a tubescreamer.
was the baggs on the element only or blended?
I definitely hear more low end in the Baggs.
I think I like the fishman
I would like to try a guitar with that LR baggs PU
You’re right, the Anthem sounds much more natural.
It really is way better. Especially in a midrange sounding guitar. Wish I knew this. I would have bought the Prs without the pickup. Would of saved 100$
Great vid bro!
Agreed 👍
I wonder what they would have sounded like blended.
The only comparable Fishman really is the Matrix Infinity Mic Blend. Then you're comparing apples with apples. I have the Fishman Matrix Infinity Mic Blend in all of my acoustics. The ones that came with the LR Baggs Anthem I live with...! The LR Baggs to me looks like a hearing aid in a guitar. Not sure why they don't tone it down. 🤔 So many puns.. but I'll shut up now.
Agreed about the comparable systems. Which do you prefer - Infinity Mic Blend or Anthem?
I so agree on the baggs aesthetics...you nailed it with the "hearing aid in a guitar" comment. lol. I hate that look.
Awesome baggs
although i found baggs way too bright, demanding some eq for being usable to my ears. Still is clearly better than fishman. I find none acoustic Guitar is perfect used alone, usually the best result comes from blending different ones
Baggs sounded so much cleaner and crisper.
LR Baggs for the win!
LR Baggs it's the best
May I know what type of lr baggs is this?
LR Baggs Anthem
I think the Fishman wins.
Like the fisherman's better
The Baggs has some harsh frequencies that’ll need to be dialed out. But it’s better than the fish man for sure
Lr baggs sounds much better no comparison
The LR Braggs sounds Distorted
LR Baggs hands down. The Fishman sounds weak.
LR Baggs it
K AND k pure mini
Lr baggs anthem is way better I have that on my D28 martin
Your comparing LR Baggs best agaisnt one of Fishmans lower level pickups and even with that said the LR Baggs was not the clear winner. Neither sounded great. A top of the line Fishman would beat the LR Baggs.
lr baggs win ❤
u play great but teach us how..
The Fishman sounds more like a natural acoustic guitar. The LR Baggs makes the acoustic sound like an electric guitar.
LR Baggs by Far
I hate piezos. Which is why I hate fishmans. They're solomps are great but all their pickups are buzzy and squawky. I personally prefer the L.R. Baggs Lyric
I'm surprised Fishman isn't making an effort to compete with baggs
🐂💩
fishman = 80s ovation sound. blech! baggs is much closer to real sound of the guitar. my preferred pickup. i just can’t believe PRS sells this guitar with a fishman option at all. yikes!
PRS does that to keep cost down. The P20e is one of the more affordable Tonare models of PRS' acoustic guitar.
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