Hey guys, in this video we’re reviewing the Neewer under-saddle acoustic guitar pickup
and preamp unit.
This is a very inexpensive pickup that can be installed in an acoustic guitar.
It will make it into an acoustic-electric guitar so you can use it for recording or
live performances.
At the time of making this video, these pickup and preamp sets sell for around $15, and you
can check out the link in the video description to get one.
First let’s cover the installation for this pickup.
Especially at this kind of price range, I’m going to be assuming you’ll be doing the
installation yourself.
The installation for this pickup is fairly involved, and you’ll need to cut two holes
in the side of the guitar to fit the preamp and output in, and one through the bridge
to install the pickup.
It also requires sanding of the saddle down to the right height after you add the pickup
underneath.
After the guitar body is modified, the preamp just needs to be screwed into the body and
all connections are made with quick connectors.
If you want a more detailed explanation of the installation of this pickup, check out
our other video on that topic.
For the price, this pickup does exactly what it’s supposed to.
It provides a clean output without too much noise, and it has a nice acoustic tone to
it.
The volume between all the strings is level, but it’s important to make sure the bottom
of the saddle is perfectly flat when you sand it down.
As for the balance of the pickup and preamp, it doesn’t sound that natural compared to
some other one’s I’ve used.
Even with the equalizer set to boost the bass frequencies and cut the highs, this setup
is very bright and has basically no bottom end.
This can be fixed a little more during mixing with more EQ, but the EQ controls on the preamp
unit are not enough.
Let’s take a listen to this guitar with the EQ set flat in the preamp, and no modification
after recording.
Now here’s the guitar with the bass boosted and the highs rolled off.
One of the other cool features of this pickup and preamp set is the tuner.
The preamp unit on the top of the guitar has a bright blue screen with a chromatic tuner
you can use to tune your guitar.
There’s a power button to turn it on, which displays an electronic needle on the screen
with the note to show you if you’re sharp or flat.
There’s also a green light that turns on when in tune, and a sharp and flat red light
when out of pitch.
If you hold down the note button on the tuner, it switches between auto and manual mode.
Auto mode detects the note.
If you put it in manual mode, you press the note button quickly to switch between the
target notes.
I usually just end up keeping the tuner in auto mode.
The build quality of this pickup set is ok, but it not as good as some of the higher quality
units.
The preamp and tuner part is good, but the output jack feels weak and the housing is
made of plastic.
After it’s installed, it shouldn’t be much of an issue, but it is possible to crack
something while screwing it together.
I would definitely be careful with the output section, and I would expect it to break if
you hit the cable off something while connected to the output.
So this setup is by no means a professional pickup, but it is good for those who need
to occasionally plug in their acoustic guitar, or who like the convenience of a built in
tuner.
I wouldn’t install this in a high end guitar, but it’s great if you want to learn how
to do the installation on a cheaper practice guitar before working with a more expensive
instrument.
Thanks for checking out this video on the Neewer under-saddle acoustic guitar pickup.
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