Micro sillet piezo SHADOW SH1900 pour guitare classique

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B0002PSB5Y
2.0 out of 5 stars Only tried it at the store - did not like it., December 22, 2007
By guitarist from Seattle (Seattle WA) - See all my reviews
Went to the local store in Seattle and tried it as it was already installed on a guitar - did not like it.

I'm a classical guitarist and I know how difficult it is to amplify nylon strings, so I tried this one too and the sound was coming out thin, distorted and not rich. The idea itself is great - small, easy to install and take apart, picks up the vibration of every string, looks pretty neat, etc.
But the quality of sound coming out was simply not acceptable. I tweaked with the acoustic amp (good one by the way) still, it was not a matter of EQ-ing.

May be in the future this system will advance, meanwhile I still think:
1) microphone is still best sound.
2) K&K system is probably the next thing to consider for amplifying nylon strings.
3) microphone is still best.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Electar/Acoustic+30/10/1
I'm playing a c.1995 David Daily Handmade Classical guitar and a 1999 Tacoma Archtop through this. I'm using the Shadow sh-1900 piezo saddle pickup on the Daily and the result is suprisingly good. After a bit of tweaking(removing a lot of the treble and mid frequency's) I got a very useable tone.

http://www.shadow-electronics.com/viewart.html?id=131&search=1

SH 1900 - The Uncomplicated

Especially in a classical guitar you do not want to drill any holes for pickup installation. The hole under the bridge is maybe acceptable but most of the classical guitars do not have an endpin there is no hole which could be extended – you have to drill it newly and the inhibition threshold is big.

In such a case you could of course go for Shadow’s SH NFX-AC but the easiest and way to install a pickup very quick is the SH 1900 . You just take out the bridge saddle and replace it with the pickup. Because the system contains the output socket and a volume control the installation process is already finished by now. If you know how to do it, you do not even have to loosen the strings. Take a piece of round wood with the correct diameter, place it underneath the strings and roll it from the soundhole towards the saddle. This will push the strings so you can take out the bridge saddle. Important: This trick does not work with steel string guitars!

The SH 1900 has been on the market for many years and is one of the most popular methods to amplify a classical guitar. The pickup’s technology is based on Piezo crystals and has no preamp included; the system is completely passive. On the one side this makes everything easy but on the other hand you need an optimal sound an amplifier with an accordingly constructed input which acoustic amp offer for example. You can hear the sound’s source of Piezo crystals; especially the trebles have this Piezo-typical sound. But all in all the complete sound is full and lush which is for a passive system surprisingly good.

Published in: guitar 11-2006 (article by: Jürgen Richter)