At some point most acoustic players want to plug in for a gig or a recording. A pickup is what lets your guitar feed an amp or a PA without a microphone parked in front of it.
The worry is usually the bill. Between the hardware and the labor, it’s hard to guess what the whole job will run before you walk into a shop.
This guide breaks the cost into two parts. We look at the price of soundhole, under-saddle, and internal mic systems, then the install fee on top.
A few smart choices can keep that total down. Let’s start with what a pickup installation actually costs.
How Much Is A Guitar Pickup Installation?
Rule of thumb - the cost of installation is about the same as the price of the acoustic guitar pickup.
Like any other product, some guitar pickups are more expensive than others. Likewise, some pickups are easy to install while others aren’t.
For example, installing an under-bridge or under-saddle pickup is almost always more expensive than installing a soundhole pickup.
The price of installation can vary, so it’s hard to give standard costs on this one.
Advantages Of Installing An Acoustic Guitar Pickup
- You can hear yourself better (practice more and get better!)
- More and better tonal variety (more chords and leads)
- More flexibility on stage, since you can route the signal to an amp or PA
- More dynamic range when you plug into a quality amp
- It’s a lot less expensive than buying a new acoustic electric guitar - you get a lot of guitar for little money
Types of Acoustic Guitar Pickups - Soundhole vs Under Saddle vs Internal Microphone
For me, I prefer soundhole pickups because they’re very easy to install and sound great. Also, if I want to keep my acoustic original but still use a pickup, I can easily remove it.
Soundhole Pickups
A soundhole pickup is one that attaches by inserting the sensor under the guitar strings inside the soundhole.
They’re the most economical and very easy to install yourself. They also sound great and give you great sound for the price point.
Soundhole pickups are the best way to go if you want to install a pickup yourself quickly and easily.
If you’re looking to purchase a soundhole pickup, I’d recommend the Fishman Neo-Buster. It’s one of the best soundhole pickups for the money.
Under Saddle Pickups
Under-saddle acoustic pickups are ones that go under the saddle, usually clipping to one or both of the bridge pins. They’re also called endpin pickups (the sensor slides into an endpin hole).
They’re the next cheapest and easiest to install yourself. They sound good and work well.
Under-saddle pickups are a great choice if you want your pickup to be hidden and still want good sound quality.
If you’re looking at getting one of these, I recommend the LR Baggs Element Active System. It has the best sound quality and value for the money.
It’s an active pickup so it needs a battery, but battery life is in the 1,000 hour range.
Internal Microphone Pickups
Internal microphone pickups are ones that have the electronics inside the body. They’re usually battery powered.
The acoustic sound is very good, but it’ll cost you a lot more to get one installed.
If you’re looking into getting one of these, I recommend the LR Baggs Anthem Active system that runs off a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. You need to recharge it about once or twice per year.
It has great sound quality and sounds amazing when paired with external monitors (like in church).
Should I Put A Pickup In My Acoustic Guitar?
There are many factors to consider when evaluating whether or not to use a pickup in your acoustic guitar. They include:
- Sound Quality - Acoustic guitars are designed with specific acoustic characteristics that are different from electric guitars, so when installing a pickup onto an acoustic guitar, it needs to be adapted appropriately.
- Versatility - The versatility of the pickup is another thing to think about. Are you thinking of using it for recording or live performance? How often will you be using it?
- How much are you willing to spend? - All the options are available in a range of price points. You can get one for under $100 to over $1,000. You can even get full setups with preamps, internal microphones, and built-in effects.
- How do you envision using the guitar? - Do you envision yourself using it as a practice guitar or for performance? Maybe you want to use it during recording or live performance.
- Is this an acoustic that’ll benefit from a pickup? - Acoustic guitars are typically designed without pickups because they’re used for pure acoustic playing situations.
Will I Need An Acoustic Guitar Amp?
Once you install the pickup, you’ll need an amplifier to produce the sound and natural tone. Again, there are lots of options.
You can buy a small amp and mic it directly, but it may be much louder than you’d like and can distort the sound. It may also be very difficult to control the volume as you increase the gain.
You can go with a small combo amplifier, which is loud enough, but it’ll need to be amplified further if you want professional quality recordings.
If you’re using your guitar for recording, get a large heavy-duty combo or an acoustic amp that’s loud enough for the job.
I’d recommend taking a look at our article on the best acoustic guitar amplifiers if you’re in the market for one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install an acoustic guitar pickup myself?
Yes, especially with a soundhole pickup, which simply clamps into the soundhole and needs no permanent modification or special tools. Doing it yourself removes the installation fee entirely, so your only cost is the pickup itself.
Under-saddle and internal microphone systems are more involved because they often require drilling an endpin jack and mounting a preamp, so many players have a guitar tech handle those installs.
How much does professional pickup installation cost?
Professional installation can run anywhere from free to several hundred dollars depending on the shop and the type of pickup. A good rule of thumb is that the install costs about the same as the pickup, so a simple soundhole install is cheap while a permanent under-saddle or internal mic system that requires drilling and a preamp mount will cost more in labor.
Which acoustic guitar pickup is cheapest to install?
Soundhole pickups are the cheapest to install, averaging around $100 for the hardware and often nothing to fit since you can clamp them in yourself. Under-saddle pickups average around $150 and a preamp with internal microphones can reach $250 to $500 or more, with higher labor costs because they usually require permanent modification to the guitar.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been thinking about installing a pickup in your acoustic guitar, I hope this article has helped. It’s a good idea to understand your options before you go ahead and get one installed.
You can get them installed for free or for a lot of money depending on who does the work and the type of system you choose.
Otherwise, you can also save some work and get yourself a good acoustic electric guitar instead.
