Excerpted from Strings Magazine, January 2000, No. 83

Picking a Violin Pickup

Ithaca pickup.

Violins have long been omitted from the front lines of most of America’s commercial music (country music excepted). Although the violin’s "longhair" reputation has changed to some degree in recent years, there is real difficulty in getting a sufficiently loud signal to the public-address system at live shows. The sound from drums and other performers’ instrument amplifiers can "leak" into the violin’s microphone and drown out its signal.

Research about amplification has traditionally gone into solid-body electric guitars, which use magnetic pickups (a type of transducer that converts sound vibrations traveling through a magnetic field into a small electric current). The tone of early violin pickups resembled hoarse steam engines or, more kindly, "sandpaper and honey," as Duncan MacLean says in his book Lone Star Swing.

The Barcus-Berry company pioneered improvements in violin pickups by introducing piezo transducers, which transform pressure differences in the element (caused by vibration of strings, bridge, or body) into electric current. These are the standard transducers for all acoustic stringed instruments. They can be quite sensitive to mysterious hums, ringing open strings, and any slight rustling or bumping of your violin. They amplify everything.

Historically, there has been a series of actual and perceived limitations of using these "contact pickups" (which touch the instrument, as opposed to a microphone placed near it) with violins. At one time the mere weight of the pickup element reduced the acoustic tone of the instrument, so no one wanted a permanently mounted device. This drawback has been largely eliminated with the advent of very lightweight transducers.

Then there was the goop needed to attach temporary pickups to the violin’s body. There are unsubstantiated, friend-of-a-friend horror stories of blemished finishes that make the rounds. That problem seems to have been definitively eliminated, fortunately, by "clean" goop and alternate ways of attaching the pickup (such as clamps or building it into a standard fitting).

Pickups never had the ability to deliver the variations of tone that subtle differences of bow speed and pressure can produce, and that is still a general problem. However, most gigs that require electric setups have such a high stage volume that such delicate effects are lost in the mayhem anyway.

Often a cheap, solidly built instrument works wonderfully well with a good pickup and amplifier. But a pickup that works beautifully with one instrument and amplifier may not be the best choice with a different combination. Most pickups also require peripheral equipment, such as a preamplifier and, less frequently, an equalizer, in addition to an amp that may be providing all your sound or, paired with a P.A. system, functioning only as a monitor or fill-in. These are all variables in the final sound. An equalizer is used to control the frequency spectrum of the instrument. Preamplifiers are necessary because most amplifiers are made for guitars with magnetic pickups, which require different impedance (the alternating-current [A.C.] equivalent of direct-current [D.C.] resistance) than piezo crystals. Preamps allow the crystals to deliver sufficient signal, thus matching impedance with the amplifier and avoiding loss of low frequencies. (That low-frequency loss was what produced the typical problem for the electric violinist of 20 years ago—tinny sound.) Both the preamp and the equalizer can help create equal signals from all strings. But if you are fortunate, with stage volume sufficiently controlled, a decent sound system, and a monitor in which to hear yourself, you may be able to plug directly into the P.A., eliminate the other gear, and still be audible.

If you’re going to be playing at very high volumes, you should consider buying a solid-body electric violin rather than just placing a pickup on your acoustic fiddle, in order to avoid whining feedback. However, you can alleviate feedback problems somewhat by stuffing your f-holes with foam rubber.

Currently, the best method of mounting a pickup is to fit a plug and jack to the side edge of the violin with the same type of clamp connection a chin rest uses. It does not interfere with the acoustic sound. Make sure you get ¼-inch plugs or at least XLR (three-prong, microphone-type) plugs, for security of connection between instrument and amplifier. The mini-size plug, which used to be standard, is more expensive to replace and more fragile. Unfortunately, there is usually additional cost with the ¼-inch, and some companies do not send it assembled, so some intelligent soldering may be necessary. But an extra $20 is well worth this so-called "Carpenter jack" (named for Fred Carpenter, a great fiddler now living in Nashville, who perfected it).

I have tested 11 violin pickups, dividing them into two groups: permanent, in-bridge types and detachable models. Some of the manufacturers mentioned also make viola, cello, bass, and five-string-violin models, although they are not covered here. I tested only those pickups meant for use with acoustic violins, not those made for solid-body instruments. In general, I found the permanent, in-bridge pickups to have the better overall responsiveness.

All the pickups sounded best when played through a P.A. system—which has more power than an instrument amplifier—and some of the pickups are recommended for use only with P.A.s. Others work fairly well with amps, of which there is a multitude of choices, although there have been no amplifiers intended specifically for use with acoustic bowed instruments (Zeta has just introduced one; see page 98). I did my tests through two high-end guitar amplifiers, both of which come with the highest recommendations. One was the SWR "Strawberry Blonde" 80-Watt, single-channel, ten-inch speaker-and-tweeter combo. It lists at $700. The other was the Trace Acoustic TA-100, which has the convenience of a high-quality built-in preamplifier for piezo pickups, dispensing with the need to carry one around. The list price of $2,100, for a model with four five-inch speakers and two channels, can be daunting, but the TA-100 does have some handy features. (Trace Acoustic also has a less-powerful version with two five-inch speakers, which retails for half the price.) It is smaller, though considerably heavier, than the SWR. The amplifiers I used can be connected to the P.A. and used as a monitor or as the only sound source to the audience.

Which of the following setups is best for you depends on what percentage of your work requires electronic reinforcement, how loud the rest of your group is, the kind of tone you are looking for, and your other equipment—instrument, amp, preamp, volume pedal, etc.—although in general, piezo pickups can be counted on to have a strong bow-attack sound. It should take a couple of hours of experimenting with whatever combination of pickup, amp or P.A., and any intervening electronics to hear the range and limitations of tone available and to learn what each dial does.

Most retailers offer substantial discounts on the list prices noted here.

PERMANENT PICKUPS

The in-bridge pickup from Ithaca Stringed Instruments uses two elements that are installed in a piece of wood shaped into the feet and lower portion of a bridge; another, purely wooden piece plugs into that, forming a complete bridge. The company sells replacements for the upper portion, should it warp or wear out, so you wouldn’t have to repurchase the expensive part of the setup. Other built-in bridge models require replacement of an entire unit should the bridge become unusable. This model features a good-quality wooden bridge that has a negligible effect on the acoustic sound. The system costs $250 ($350 with Ithaca preamp) and is as good as any I’ve tried; it had the best response of the lot to variable bow speed and pressure.

Barbera Transducer Systems’ pickup uses two transducer elements per string. Thus the assembly can be sensitive to vibrations in all dimensions. Although the pickup worked well without a preamp, I found that it sounded best when used with one. The test model was a "hybrid twin" maple bridge with detachable, adjustable feet in a range of heights (no carving required for setup). This allows easy switching from one violin to another. (A model with a miniature volume control integrated into a Thomastic tailpiece is also available).

The Barbera bridge is thicker than a traditional acoustic-violin bridge and thus is not meant for acoustic playing. The focus of this design is to optimize the amplified performance of an instrument. It can realize a bit of a saxophone timbre, which I happen to like in loud situations. Speed and pressure of the bow can change the sound quality. The price for basic system is $395 (including bridge, output jack assembly, and cord).

L.R. Baggs manufactures what is possibly the most popular acoustic built-in bridge, and a favorite of mine. Its single crystal is located below the center of the bridge. Tone is not sacrificed when played acoustically, and a realistic timbre is achievable. The cost is $175 with a Carpenter jack, $129 without. The Baggs preamp, though small, is packed with handy features that help you produce the tone you prefer, and costs $199.

Barcus-Berry is the granddaddy of bowed-instrument electronics. The 1320 Violin Pickup retails for $154 and, like the Baggs, comes with a single element, placed inside the bridge, but on the bass side. Theoretically, more elements mean truer tone; there’s just more sound information being delivered. At higher volumes, however, these differences are minimal. Barcus-Berry also makes a basic preamplifier, which is serviceable but not quite as clean-sounding as some, with fewer controls to modify the sound.

In Schatten Design’s model, the wire from the element comes out of the bottom of the bridge. This is a possible problem, as a kink in the wire can develop where it curves against the top of the violin. A slight design modification to make the wire come straight out the tailpiece side of the bridge (as with the other models tested) would alleviate this. However, this pickup is perfectly adequate and costs only $90 for the pickup, plus $30 for the violin jack assembly.

The Kurmann pickup comes installed in a special sound post. I was unable to get a test model and so cannot comment on its quality. It is pricey, retailing at about $500. It comes with a special end button through which the wiring is directed. I have heard that it delivers excellent tone but is not meant for loud-volume situations.

TEMPORARY PICKUPS

For temporary models, care must be taken to make a secure attachment. Those that use some sort of adhesive must be attached with just enough goop for a firm fit but not so much as to dull the signal. None of the following gave as hot a signal as the built-in models, but signal is not necessarily the most important quality. For low-volume gigs, the following can deliver very reasonable acoustic timbre. Most should work equally well with violas.

Schertler & Koley produces a transducer that is not a piezo crystal. Instead it employs electrodynamic principles: a small coil moves in a magnetic field (encased in a quarter-sized container) in response to sound vibrations. It acts like a contact microphone—sort of a cross between a pickup and a microphone. The recommended position is on the back of the violin, directly under the sound post, but some experimentation is obviously needed. The lightweight container is attached with sticky goop, but there was no residue when I removed it. It comes with a mini-size, three-prong plug, which is hard to replace, and a relatively heavy—for a plug—XLR connector that is the standard for mixers on P.A. systems. This connector will probably have to be supported on your belt; otherwise there might be too much weight on the connections. Because the pickup is specifically designed for a P.A., it does not need a preamp. It is pricey at $560, but it does deliver excellent tone; a preamp is available for $275 that enables use with an amplifier. (A permanent, bridge-embedded version is also available and costs $300.)

Barcus-Berry makes an easily mounted and removed version of its popular pickup. The 3100 model attaches onto the bass side of the bridge with a couple of small Phillips-head screws, so be sure to keep an appropriate screwdriver on hand. It offers a similar tone but less signal than the permanent model, so you have to jack up the amplifier more—a slight compromise of quality for convenience. The list price is $120.

Fishman Transducers’ model is a small, malleable, V-shaped piece of metal that contains the piezo element. It should fit snugly in the cutout of the bridge; usually one would mount it on the treble side but, again, you should experiment. Some bridge slots need to be filed a bit wider before the pickup will fit. There is a version that includes a combination of pickup and mini-condenser microphone. The very lightweight mic is attached on the bass side of the violin with the same chin rest–type connector as the pickup. It can be set in a variety of positions. A stereo wire delivers both pickup and microphone signals to a "blender" made by Fishman. The blender allows you to dial in the percentage of each sound (microphone or pickup) that you wish to go to the P.A. system. Although it didn’t provide the best sound with my setup, the Fishman is the favorite of many musicians; it lists for $129, or $165 with carpenter jack.

Bowtronics’ was the only electromagnetic pickup I tried. It requires metal (or at least metal-coated) strings to respond to the magnet and is fitted to the curvature of the fingerboard at the bridge end. Shims are included to help get the pickups spaced evenly between and below the strings. This fit is critical to the fidelity. This model theoretically is not removable, since the manufacturer recommends supergluing the pickup to the bottom edges underneath the fingerboard. The thought of this may horrify people with expensive violins. However, I set it up without glue and still got a clear, mellow tone, especially compared to the raspy, distorted sound of older magnetic pickups. So it is possible to quickly—and temporarily—assemble the Bowtronics pickup, which lists for $149. There was no bow sound evident, a clear distinction from piezo transducers.

Many thanks to Charles Magby of Charles Magby Fine Violins, Ltd. (310 Stepstone Hill Rd., Guilford, CT 06437) for his expert assistance and advice in setting up the pickups. Thanks also to violinists Tom Hagymasi, Cookie Segelstein, and Clark Huckaby for their assistance with the pickup tests.

—Stacy Phillips

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