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I'm a great fan of K&K acoustic instrument pickups and preamps. Since 1984, K&K Sound has manufactured top-quality pickups, microphones, and preamps for a wide range of instruments, including acoustic guitar, archtop/jazz guitar, resonator guitar, upright/double bass, banjo, mandolin, saxophone, flute, piano, harp, violin, cello, accordion, harmonica, and more. K&K has won many awards for its products, and regularly receives favourable comments in the guitar forums and other media.
With the growing popularity of ukes I'm fitting or supplying lots of K&Ks. Ukes are braced in a number of different ways - ladder, modified X, fan, or sometimes not at all. So it's a good idea to check yours out before ordering. A bit of experimentation can be necessary to find the best location for transducers, but the K&Ks are pretty tolerant and always seem to deliver an accurate sound. The most popular models are listed below, together with some other options. K&K's high-gain transducers mean that pre-amps are not essential, though can be a good idea on a larger stage or to ensure the best matching with your amp or mixer. I am also happy to fit your pickups if you prefer to acquire them directly. Please feel free to contact me if you're looking for something special!  Back to K&K pickups and preamps
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Twin Spot Internal
Big Shot Internal Other Options |
Kala acacia concert and soprano ukes fitted with K&K Twin Spots |
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Twin Spot Internal
The Twin Spot Internal is a twin-head piezo transducer that is designed for internal mount in acoustic guitars and other instruments. The twin-head system has distinctive advantages towards the single-head transducer. The positioning at 2 spots results in a more balanced sound structure. This makes it a good option for ukes because each transducer can be mounted between a pair of strings - ideally under the line of the saddle or slightly forward of it. The frequency range is also broader than a single-transducer system. The small heads with only 1/2" diameters allow an unobtrusive installation. In addition, small areas at the instrument can be reached. The Twin Spot Internal comes with an endpin jack for internal mount. The jack can be mounted from the outside so no soldering is necessary. Technical Information: Pickup Head diameter: 1/2" Pickup Height: 1/32" Impedance: High ohmic Length of connection cables 1 ft. Jack: Shielded Endpin Jack (stereo type, connected mono) no soldering necessary
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Big Shot Internal
The Big Shot Internal is an internal-mount piezo pickup. Although designed for larger instruments, the extra strong output signal makes it a versatile choice for ukes, especially for instruments with relatively thick tops. The pickup head is attached with a special double-side adhesive film, which is UV resistant to ensure safe adhesion even after years of use. It is ultra-thin and enables the harmonic frequencies to completely pass through to the pickup disk. The frequency range is nearly linear with a slight peak in the upper midrange. This allows for great upfront sound transmission. Technical Information Pickup head diameter: 3/4" Height: 1/32" Impedance: High ohmic Length of connection cable: 1 ft. Jack: Stereo endpin jack for internal mount
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Other Options
As noted above, ukes come in a wide variety of sizes and construction methods. I'm happy to discuss specific requirements. Some other options are listed below. If you want an under-saddle system rather than an internal one, the best option is the LR Baggs Element VTC. This is a flexible transducer ribbon which will suit drop-in or cut-through saddle slots. It also has an unobtrusive volume and tone control which can be edge-mounted just inside the soundhole. It's an active system, with a Class A pre-amp built into the endpin jack assembly.The K&K FanTaStick under-saddle systems aren't so suitable as they have six individual transducers built into the ribbon, and are intended for steel-string or classical guitars. Another excellent option is the LR Baggs I-Beam Active or I-Beam Passive. This system is internally mounted underneath the line of the bridge saddle. The Active version includes a Class A preamp built into the endpin jack assembly. These tend to work best on the larger models or those with ladder or simple bracing, as you need a space at least 3" wide to fit them. |
