Seymour Duncan SA-3SC Woody Single-Coil Acoustic Soundhole Pickup - Maple

Most Liked Negative Review

Sounds Great, But Hums a Little

If I were rating purely on sound, I'd give this pickup a full 5 stars. But there is a significant amount of hum if you're not sitting EXACTLY in a particular position in relation to your amp; then the hum goes away completely. I have another acoustic with active pickup (bult-in, came installed). I don't have a hum problem with that guitar, regardless of how much I move around, regardless of the position of the pickup in relation to the amp. I'm a believer in Seymour Duncan's products, and want to give him the benefit of the doubt, so I've ordered the HC version to see if this might alleviate the hum issue; I'm expecting it probably will, and I'll just return the SC version for a refund from Guitar Center. Not having a volume control on the unit is a bit limiting, but TONE is the main thing, and the tone is BEAUTIFUL! I can always get a volume pedal, or make sure to have amp PA controls within arm's reach. I don't know what kind of strumming some of the reviewers do, but I didn't find the cord to be in the way. AT ALL. It trails away, downward and out of the way; maybe they're not installing it correctly? That's the only thing I can think of. One reviewer commented that it wasn't loud enough without a pre-amp, again I don't see the problem, if plugged into a guitar amp or PA 1/4" phone out; both of those have a VOLUME control. What seems like a possibly bigger issue in certain settings is that since the pickup's in the soundhole, you can't install a soundhole plug, so at a certain volume, you're gonna hit a "ceiling" anyway regarding volume: you're gonna get feedback if your on-stage volume is too high. Just keep the monitor volume as much as possible, and crank it through the Mains. Bottom line: If you stay in one position and don't move around a lot, such as being seated (as a lot of acoustic players do) you probably won't find the hum objectionable, as you can position yourself to nullify that. If you tend to move around a lot while playing, you're gonna have a hum problem, noticeable especially during quieter passages. I'm hoping the hum-cancelling version will take care of that limitation. If it doesn't, I'll probably still go with a Seymour Duncan, and keep the SC ($10 less than HC). Cuz like I said, you can't beat the TONE! And tone is EVERYTHING.