Pickup for acoustic/classical guitar

Greetings, audio bretheren. Can someone recommend a really nice retrofit pickup for an acoustic/classical guitar? I'm not looking to drill any holes, so I don't mind exposed wires, etc. Thanks,

Paul

little late on this but you might look @ options http://www.kksound.com/pureclassic.html

The newer (new to me as I started with D'Armond mag pickups) thin film transducers are an improvement, to my ears, over tradition mag and piezo p/u's.  I own four systems (with various configurations of tone volume control, pre-amps, etc.) from K&K and am satisfied (by and large) with all of them.  I modified a damaged Ovation (not my favorite guitar design) as, among other things, a nine string and used the 4 tab classic pick up.  I do not typically use it to record but it for some specific things it works well live.

While I tend to glue the tabs it is possible to install them with no permanent mods to guitar at all.  The banjo output jack will fit through an end pin (if guitar has one) hole and while ugly and awkward the wires can be draped through the sound hole as a compromise.

I used a lot of different systems and generally speaking still prefer to mic guitars . . . after that a combo k&K plus internal mic with external preamp that permits blend, etc.  but I've been satisfied with the K&Ks for the things I've used them for

good luck

I've also heard very good things about K&K.  I just saw your thread and thought I'd share a couple of interesting links.

http://www.tapastring.com/vintagejack.htm
http://www.fingerpick.com/pickups.htm


Thanks.

I am primarily an acoustic guitarist, and have been on the quest for good live amplified tone for the past 20+ years. There are a variety of systems out there, and although there have been some good advances in technology and design, achieving a good tone remains equal parts science/art/voodoo.

For steel string guitar, I prefer to use a dual source system, the K&K mini soundboard transducer and a Fishman magnetic sound hole pickup. Each source is sent to a dedicated preamp/EQ/compressor chain. The signal is then summed to mono and a reverb/delay is added to taste for breadth and width, as the performance and space dictates. In some rooms it is also possible to add a small  dia. condensor into the mix, to give a little more "air" and dynamic control.

The above approach has proven to give me the best overall fidelity and control.