Best Pickup For A Tenor Guitar

[MikeW]

What would be a good inexpensive pickup for a tenor guitar?

[dburtnett]

Good question Mike, I'm interested in what others say.

I have an old DeArmond soundhole pickup that works, but is a little "tubby"... and it's attachment has prongs that make me worry about wood damage.

I had my luthier try to install a K&K twinspot, but the bridgeplate on my Martin 0-18t was too small for it.

The Miniflex system is kind of intriguing, haven't tried it but am curious how it would work/sound in a tenor.

[djweiss]

Paul Lestock uses Kent Armstrong humbuckers that sound really good.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Hey TG! Do you come here often?

[EdSherry]

Depends on what instrument you have [flat-top, arch top, etc.] and what sound you want.

For a standard piezo/acoustic sound, I'm partial to the Pick Up The World or K&K pickups.

For a magnetic-type pickup, I have a couple of the old DeArmond tenor/mando pickups, but there are better newer pickups, and many of the smaller pickup makers will be happy to custom-make you a tenor pickup.

[mandroid]

Schertler is a good soundboard contact mic, 1 pickup goes on anything with a soundboard, and sounds good.
they come up used on the classifieds, occasionally,
no preamp needed so deduct the cost of buying that from $500 . SRP.

like a Microphone, dynamic type, just not on a stand.

[Ben Vierra]

The K&K Twin Spot (already mentioned) is very versatile, and also pretty easy to install. I have used it on a mandolin and an octave mandolin, using their clip-on preamp, and been very happy.

[John Flynn]

I'm surprised that the previous poster could not get a K&K twin spot in due to the size of the bridge plate. Those spots can go anywhere, they don't have to be on the bridge plate. I have a twin spot on my OM. The luthier just found two good placements on the inside of the top, outboard and aft of the bridge on either side. It works great.