Wow... Nothing beats a Microphone, but that LR Baggs Anthem comes really close.

Solid review! One thing to add: when mix is set all the way to mic, it still uses the piezo for anything under 250 Hz. Cool idea that removes the piezo from its problem area (pingy highs), and removes the mic from its problem area (low-end feedback). If you want ALL mic, the Lyric system does that. Different mic, though.

Sounds wonderful. As a big K&K user, I find myself impressed by what L.R. is doing, and often recommend their stuff.

That was the most comprehensive cover of the Anthem Tru mic I have found so far on KZread. THANK YOU! Most of them just play their guitar and don't A-B them with any kind of comparison. Again, thank you! I've been looking at the Lyric but now and questioning. Thank you again, again and keep up the good work!

Probably one of the most honest and comprehensive reviews I've watched, thank you👍

okay, i know this was made 5 years ago but thanks so much for this video. comprehensive run through but direct and to the point. not to mention you just convinced me to pull the trigger on the anthem. much appreciated

I'm so sorry to blow up the thread. I just love Anthem so much. Good techs can use an existing 9V battery compartment from the stock pickup (like Taylor's, for instance) and wire it to work with the Anthem. In addition the hole needing to be drilled in the tail block is just the industry standard 1/2", so like you said it won't need a hole drilled if there's an existing pickup. Finally, there is another hole in the guitar because they have to drill a tiny hole in the saddle slot to put the transducer through. It is worth mentioning because some may choose not to do this in an heirloom instrument.

Dude! This is exactly the video I was hoping to find. Thanks so much!

I completely agree with your concept of chosing the right guitar before thinking of a preamp system. Very well done review, Thank you.

THANK YOU for mentioning the mic gain screw and the need to set it up right when you get the guitar.

@jonglaubitz4021

4 жыл бұрын

YUP...very important...because guitars vary in box shape and size...bye.

I’m blown away. I just bought a D35 1993 and wanted to find some pickups. First video I click, happens to have D35 and Elixir strings.... thank you!

Thanks so much Brian! I love your videos brother, keep working for His glory! I just bought a Breedlove Concertina Tiger's Eye Myrtlewood with the Anthem in it and WOW. I'm completely blown away by it. Its hands down the most natural sounding pick-up system I've ever heard in an acoustic.

I recently put the Anthem in my Epiphone acoustic. Two things I've learned trying to install it myself: 1. Pay close attention to how level your saddle is. My saddle wasn't making contact with the bridge plate on the high E string side, which resulted in the low sounds overpowering the treble. If this happens to you, patiently sand and check your saddle with a straight edge. Trial and error, you'll eventually get it. 2. When removing my old factory piezo, I found the stock saddle was a custom size matched to the old pickup. That made replacing the saddle quite tricky to fit right, requiring some shimming. This would be a problem for any under saddle replacement, not the fault of the Anthem in particular, but it's something I wish I had known ahead of time.

great review on of my favorite KZread channel

Thanks so much, I've been struggling with what to do for my DV-4 Guild, you've helped so much. You're Martin's sound amazing!!

Thanks for the review. I just ordered an Anthem pickup for my 1973 Martin D28 - should be here next week and getting it professionally installed so can't wait to hear how it sounds when I go to open mics.

@rickylakemusic

3 ай бұрын

hey wayne! how'd that anthem work out?

Okay great demonstration. I am a worship leader too and I couldn't agree with you more concerning the frustration of having really great sounding guitars with substandard pick up systems. I've tried a lot of them and I'm finally at the point to where I am going to sell one of my guitars just to get this pick up and have it professionally installed. Great job on explaining the nuances of this pickup system, thank you so much.

@ezer0923

6 жыл бұрын

Frank Huizar If you may, please post a reply vid so we can see the results.

Thanks for the input. Great video and great information because I am about to buy a guitar that has the choice of the anthem and another one and you have sold me. Again thank you. And blessings as you lead worship.

Excellent review. Thanks so much for posting!

Thanks for this review and demo. The Baggs system is the most natural sounding pickup I've ever heard!

Excellent review! I played solely acoustic for decades, but have recently come around to amplification after buying a Martin D-28 in which the shop had installed an Anthem. I didn’t even own an amp until last month, when I acquired a vintage (1992) Trace Acoustic TA50R setup. The Anthem, plus that amp, are a fantastic combo. Naturally the D-28 sounds phenomenal all by itself, but adding the Anthem and the amp provides brilliant sound along with capturing the complexities of the acoustic sound… string and pick noise, etc. I love it. I’m active with a few local jam groups, and it really helps to be heard while surrounded by other instruments. Thanks for posting!

Excellent A-B comparisons. Great quality, great presentation. Thank you! I continue to believe the LR Baggs Anthem is the absolute best pickup solution on the market today. Certainly not for the those on a tight budget, but as usual quality comes at a price.

@sheridanhenson2886

5 жыл бұрын

Go for the Anthem SL which is a simple volume knob with the perfect mic/pickup blend already pre-set.

This is the best review video I've seen on the LR Baggs Anthem. You did mention widening the jack, but you forgot the fact that you have to drill underneath the saddle through the body at both ends and sand the saddle down slightly for the piezo installation. I'm sure it's probably already been mentioned. Thanks for the great LR Baggs Anthem review.

Great review! I have a Martin DC28E with the Fishman Aura VT Enhance system and replaced it with the L.R. Baggs Anthem. I couldn't be happier that I did that. I did keep the battery compartment from the Fishman and don't have to worry about the Velcro bag. I want to mention that the Aura VT Enhance system only lasts 20 hours on a 9 volt and the Baggs lasts 170. I play live professionally 6- 10 times a week and I can't brag on the Baggs Anthem enough!

@HalfAcreFarms

4 жыл бұрын

rowbocaster was it hard to remove the old system? I just bought a Martin 000-10E with the Fishman MX-T system in it and I need to remove it to put in LR Baggs . I do wish I could keep the tuner part of MX-T system . Any ideas ?

I'm not a worship guy, but I really appreciate this video! Thanks for your work!

Amazing review, very useful 💙

You had me convinced at 6 minutes in! Off to order!

Great review! I love and use the Anthem.

I just love your D35 so much! I want to own one one day!

@worshiptutorials

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Sheridan! Between the CEO-7 and the McPherson Carbon Fiber acoustic, this D-35 doesn’t get a lot of love these days. I need to play it more.

Great review! Covered everything

This pickup is so great ! ! omg

Great review, very informative. I agree 100% mic sounds amazing.

Great video buddy. Very helpful. Appreciate this!

Well done for such a well reasoned and presented review. You should do more! PS I have had numerous guitars all with the Anthem and now still play some 6 of them all to great effect. For me the main issue has been attenuating the mic by means of the tiny screw (a bit fiddly)

thank you so much for making this video, super helpful!

Thank you for these videos 🙏

I'm a great fan of LR Baggs. I have Mandolin and Banjo pickups, plus an Element and now an Anthem SL. Somehow, LR Baggs have figured how to capture the acoustic vibe of the instruments and they all sound excellent, (well my cheap banjo sound like my cheap banjo, you know, "silk purse - sow's ear!"). Actually the cheaper Element, which is just an undersaddle piezo, sounds really good in my Northwood, (a local, great, guitar luthier). For sure the Anthem SL, (in my Larrivee), sounds really great and gives you a little more variety with the mic adjustment. But that Element sounds great too, and if money's an issue - or just simplicity, no need to fiddle with mic adjustments - I have no reservations recommending it.

Anthem all the way! Great video Bud!!

Great sounding guitars! I just upgraded from an Ibanez to a new Taylor and when you said in that comment that it will pick up Anything I can attest to that! My Taylor will pick up my voice if I talk into the sound hole while plugged in! Great video!

hey , a very nice channel may god bless u because a very few people do this and I hope I can study from your tutorials ,but the thing is I joined a guitar class a few yrs back but I dropped out because they insisted that if u have no guitar u can't do anything and I didn't buy a guitar due to some financial problems . I love your channel and keep on doing the great work

loved the 100% Piazo on the smaller Martin 👌

excelent review. I will use it I think. Thank you

I have the anthem in my d-35 also. I play in church so the mellow balanced sound you can get from it is great but can also get a bright sound if needed. Like the battery check also. Wish my other pickup systems had this.

God bless you for this review. Thank you mate in your explanations 👍🏼

Great video mate

Totally agreed with you that the most annoying is when I change the battery, and I do really love Taylor battery slot at endpin jack. So LR Baggs should think about it.

AMAZING MAN!!

Wow! I'm ordering one now

I love the mic/piezo mix. My ears conditioned to the piezo quack and actually enjoy it. The mic adds a special something to that though.

I was able to attach the jack assembly to my existing stock jack and battery housing on my cheap Martin (SL version), worked great! no need to drill out the back if you have a compatible battery housing that screws into the side, instead of having that annoying battery bag everything works like stock. Also 3 Sigma audio IRs come with packs designed specifically for the Anthem and Anthem SL separately. I made a two minute video describing it.

I have just installed the anthem in my Martin d 35. I also have a hd 28 with a fishman ellipse in it. I like the anthem best. Both sound great but the fishman has a flimsy mic plus the volume control is very touchy and no battery level indication. The anthem mic is permanent mount on the bridge plate. I love the anthem.

The best and most comprehensive review on the net! Well done. Questions: how do you have the mic gain trimpot set? And do you ever use the phase button? Does it work for eliminating feedback?

@sheridanhenson2886

5 жыл бұрын

There's no great way to measure where the mic gain pot is set--you just want to isolate your guitar in your ears dry and flat with the mic faded in and play with it (they give you the tool). It's a set and forget. I have never had to use the phase on my Anthems because I've literally not once had feedback.

Hey this was great! Thank you!

Thank you for this. I'm deciding between a K&K Pure Mini and this for my Santa Cruz OM...I'm now leaning very heavily towards the LR Baggs.

@skyemoz6559

4 жыл бұрын

Carlo M. Or baggs is great. The techs at Lr baggs use the SL anthem. It is set up using mostly mic with piezo for the bass

I put the anthem pick up on my guitar thanks to you!!

@worshiptutorials

7 жыл бұрын

Awesome! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)

Very helpful video, thank you.

Best review on KZread

Very helpful - thanks

For anyone reading this and wanting an Anthem but not having the $300, the Anthem SL which is $199 and a pre-setting of the mic blended all the way in with the piezo. You lose the phase switch and battery checker, but you shouldn't have feedback with proper gain stage, EQ, and monitor placement. If you change your battery when you change your strings you should never have a problem.

Thanks for the great video! I’ve always liked the Baggs systems, but I can’t bring myself to do that to my Martin. It looks like I’ll be sticking a pickup in the sound hole when I need it. Thanks again! Best wishes - Tim

Thank you so much for doing this review/comparison! I've been researching for a while in regards to which pickup I should put in my Martin 00L-17. (which is very similar to the CEO-7) This absolutely made up my mind, except I'm going to go with the Anthem SL instead as I don't need the blend control. The 00 sounds near identical through the Anthem vs the Mic. Beautiful guitars by the way!

@worshiptutorials

7 жыл бұрын

Matthew Muniz thanks! Anthem all the way :)

@LoneTinaja

5 ай бұрын

@@worshiptutorials Thanks for the very informative review. You said that you turn the control all the way to the microphone because you hate the sound of the piezo. Considering your preference, wouldn't it be better if you had a pickup system that was 100% microphone without even having a piezo? Now that it is 2024 do you know of a great pickup that has a great microphone and no piezo at all? If you do, please tell me what it is.

@worshiptutorials

5 ай бұрын

When you are in full mic mode, the piezo on the anthem system only handles very low frequencies (well below 100 Hz). The mic is amplifying the rest of the EQ spectrum. It helps with feedback.

do you find that the LR Baggs pickup will bleed more than the under saddle ?

Very nice and informative video!! And great sounds as well. May I ask about which eq corrections (freqs, Qs, gains) and which compressor settings did You use on the dread? Moreover, did You find a change in unamplified sound due to the piezo element and (especially) the bulky pre attached to the top? Thanks a lot. Keep up the great work

Hi, thanks for the video (I know I'm a little late!). Would the Anthem work well with different pa systems (I'm thinking open mics) without any tweaking? I just want to plug in and play into what ever PA system is available and get a decent sound. I hate piezo pick ups too. Lovely guitars btw. Thanks.

The Anthem SL is 100 less bucks and probably has what we really need. We can buy a tuner and most of the time we'd use the 50/50 or 65/35 setting. SOME piezo is really better than no piezo with the Anthem. And best of all, it doesn't "mute" the top like the full Anthem does.

I’m sold!!

Great video. Thanks for sharing the info. I've been looking for a better pickup system for years. Very pleased to know that you are a worship leader. I've been a Christian for years. Oh yea, I subscribed to your channel immediately. Thanks again brother. Take care and God Bless.

True dat, good stuff and I couldn't agree more.

Great review, thanks! Have you tried Cole Clark guitars? Their pickup/mic combos are the only ones I've heard which rival the anthem.

Thank you for this. I have a lovely Guild special run F30 & had a piezo only (Headway) pickup fitted after a year or two of ownership. I have a great AER amp. BUT - i am always dissatisfied with the sound when plugged in - it’s quite dull/flat & I usually try to dial up the treble and mids - without much luck. The guitar is beautifully bright & dynamic naturally. I’m thinking i need more than a piezo. Any advice please?

Great advise about purchasing a guitar... wish I had research how to buy a guitar more than what to buy.

@scottbecker3485

3 жыл бұрын

Try a Yamaha FG820 in Natural - loving it, and really a great price!

Had an Epiphone J15 with Anthem installed. Run through Bose L1. Sounded ok but was missing something. Just bought a 1971 Yamaha FG150 red label. Having the Anthem removed from Epi and installed in Yam. The 2 guitars are as different as night and day accousticly. Cant wait to hear it plugged in.

I found a taylor 810 with no pickup system . Love at first strum . Its now mine

I 100% agree about the piezo, and I realized I really didn't want a piezo pickup so I just got the Lyric. It's $100 less than the Anthem, and you just get the mic. It sounds amazing.

@stateofblitz

4 жыл бұрын

That's what I'm thinking. Have you had any feedback issues with the Lyric?

I have one in my J200 and Martin dcpa1, simply the best

Great demo! The LR Baggs Anthem system is a fabulous upgrade to put in an acoustic I had a CEO-7 that developed issues with binding separation at the waist on both the top and bottom and then the bass side of the bridge started to lift. I took it to a luthier who was able to fix these problems. Are you experiencing any issues like this with your CEO-7?

@LukeHoward1801

Жыл бұрын

I have a CEO-7 where I am fortunate that this is not happening. My HD-28 has had these issues tho. Apparently it's related to regulatory agencies requiring Martin to use weaker glue starting in 2015-16.

On a serious note I agree - I prefer a mic in front of my Martin d-18 pointed at the bridge. Never thought on really blending other inside mics but I have recorded a Martin lx1e and a mic but thought the sound was terrible, the two signals, fishman and the studio mic sounded two different from each other to ever blend. I need to learn more!

Great demo! I really like my Anthem in my old Yamaha. I have a ceo7 and Gibson songwriter but want to add another Martin. Probably gonna be a om28 or hd28 with factory Anthem. BTW I got off Elixir strings after trying Martin Lifespan 2.0. I use Music Nomad deodorant cleaner thing and they last longer and sound way better.

Thank you Brian.

Awesome Pickup

I like the K&K pure mini setup the best. You can use a DI box and get them sorted out just so. Plus, they have no effect on acoustic tone. Next, for a grab-and-go setup that doesn't need a DI box or anything except a plug to the PA, I like the Baggs Anthem system. The one downside is that the Anthem setup does affect your acoustic tone a little bit, plus folks get pretty nervous about having a battery inside a fine guitar.

@coronawade3

Жыл бұрын

I’m getting an anthem out on a 00028 and I’m pretty nervous about it. How bad will it affect the acoustic sound and will it ruin the guitar?

I've got the anthem in my Martin D15 and it's fantastic!! I also have a Taylor 524ce with the ES2 pup, a Maton 12 string with the AP5 pro pup and they both sound average compared to the Martin Anthem combo. Thumbs up for the great review, your video was one of the vids that helped me make the decision with confidence.👍👍

@1ch1goStRawBerry

5 жыл бұрын

Kieran T do you Find it to be lower output?

@11KT11

5 жыл бұрын

Yes Jullian it is compared to the Taylor but I just turned up the channel a little more on my pa. also the battery lasts way longer on the anthem because of this, I used to change the battery on the Taylor every 3 - 4 gigs...the high output on it wasn't worth it. I love the Anthem.

@1ch1goStRawBerry

5 жыл бұрын

so its not a big difference in volume?

Do you find the mic installed on the bridge plate affects the acoustic sound of the guitars? I tried an LR Baggs Lyric once and I found that the guitar’s acoustic sound had been compromised quite a bit.

Very nice, I'm going with an anthem SL. What gauge/brand strings on the Martin Dread? Sounds great

Thank you so much for this review. You answered a lot of my questions in this video. I just bought a D-28, but I have to wait for another month, because I wanted to have the L.R. Baggs Anthem in it (they told me I should do it, they said it's the best system at the moment). I was wondering about two things. 1: Does it affect the natural tone of the guitar (you already answered it). 2: Do you notice the difference in weight, or a weird balance? Strange question maybe, but still, I'm curious. Thanks!

Did it change the way your guitars sound unplugged?

I'm sold

Hey really nice work on the vid. I currently have a KK Pure Mini in my live acoustic guitar. Ton of feedback issues at high volume for gigs. So then I have back everything down which totally takes out the great tone. So I have been looking for an alternative. Do u have any issues with feedback with your band or at high volume? Thank you.

Great sound. Since you use 100% mic on the Anthem, is that any different from using and Lyric?

Great video. Thx for sharing

@worshiptutorials

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Philip!

Great review. I want to put a LR Baggs M-80 on a Martin 000-17 black smoke (without eletronics), do you recommend that? Best regards from Brazil.

@sheridanhenson2886

5 жыл бұрын

I LOVE Baggs so much I'm on a first name basis with their tech support and have installed multiple Baggs systems in my gear. I recommend the M1 Active over the M80. The M80 was great when it came out, but the M1 is far superior tonally and in regards to percussive attack on the soundboard (Yep! It can pick that up!).

Glad to see that Martin is now offering LR Baggs with battery at the heel (plug in jack). Good move Martin.

What about the K n k pure mini it’s a passive system no battery needed compared to this Anthem LR Bags?

@patrickgroll2046

5 жыл бұрын

I think the K&K setup is the best. But it's passive and you need a DI box

I like the roll off on the super lows the pickup has.

I have the anthem and found I need turn the gain up 3/4 of way whether using AER60 amp or LR Baggs venue. I never had feedback either.

Great review! I like k&k and Lr baggs. But I do not like the Idea of putting metal under the sadel. I like the Bone to have good contact with the ebony. So I went for the Lr baggs lyric. That’s just an microphone and it sounds awesome.. best I’ve heard

excellent job! thx

IMOHO, the "be all end all" guitar is a McPherson 3.5 with Englemann/Indian Rosewood. Mine is an early model with the custom lr baggs that came with it. The guitar has so much but I do think there is some room for improvement in the pickup, so I am considering the Anthem. I am wondering how this system might work with the offset soundhole. Also, I use the provided hole cover which eliminates feedback and I wonder how that might work. Ever hear of anyone putting the Anthem in a McPherson? Thx

Parabens pelo Review sensacional, realmente o desconforto e a troca da bateria, mas e o melhor captador para violão atualmente ....

I have a 76 D35. Thinking about getting one of those mic systems.