Midi Pickup For Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Got this to put on my acoustic/electric and my strat. I have been doing MIDI Guitar for over 20 years and the GK-3 pickup system design is the evolution of the species… It is compact and relatively easy to install if you take your time to read the installation guide and have patience, making sure you get the correct distances and pick-up to string tolerance. Most folks will be able to fit this on a guitar in about an hour or less, and get good results. It is important to follow the directions to insure that you get the best tracking response. I used the provided spacers with adhesive-tape to mount the pick-up because I do not want to drill into my guitars for permanent mounting. Roland provided enough sizes of spacers to get the pick-up to string tolerance just right, along with the radius adjustment and the included gauge, I was able to get a really nice set-up. Having years of experience with the Graph Tech Hexaphonic piezo pick-ups and Ghost MIDI pre-amp as well as the earlier versions of the GK MIDI pick-ups and the early Shadow pick-up system. The GK-3 does the job very well… The pre-amp/switching housing is nicely slim and the mounting system is excellent, unobtrusive, easy to install and does not permanently attach to the guitar. No worries about damaging the finish… (Speaking about the Acoustic set-up): After careful installation and matching to my AXON AX-100 system, the tracking is excellent… Pretty amazing to have MIDI tracking on an acoustic! Initially it seems that it produces less false triggers as compared to the Ghost pick-ups/Hexaphonic on a solid-body electric, which are excellent, but the GK-3 system tracking just seems to be a bit more solid, especially with 32nd notes on low-E… With the AX-100 I had to crank the individual string sensitivity levels up to get good string balance as compared to the Ghost/Hexaphonic pick-ups… (The GK-3 will not work for guitars using Silk & Steel or Nylon strings).Lynnwood guy

I use this through a Roland GR-33 (older version of GR-55) that goes to a synth amp and I also have a separate guitar signal from the same guitar that goes to my guitar amp. I can get amazing synth pad tones behind the guitar. Many people wonder if my band has a keyboard player because they can't figure out where the cool synth tones are coming from live. The GK3 opens up a world of possibilities to guitarists who are open to experimenting!neenernouche

I highly recommend the GK3 pickup for use in combination with the Roland GR55. It's an awesome interface for anyone who wants to use their guitar as a MIDI controller. Some problems with a coating on the pin connectors on the cable cause some strings to lose sensitivity, this can be remedied by using de-oxit and by inserting and reinserting both ends of the connector into GK3 a few times. Also the small cord coming up from the pickup is not attached very well and is in a location where your hand continually rides while playing, the small piece covering the cord will eventually work its self off breaking solder connections as a result. I have three guitars with GK3 pickups and one with a GK2. I have always enjoyed plugging straight into my amp with the GK3 pickup through the GR55 Roland guitar synthesizer. Morgan HardistyMORGAN

Got this to put on my acoustic/electric and my strat. I have been doing MIDI Guitar for over 20 years and the GK-3 pickup system design is the evolution of the species… It is compact and relatively easy to install if you take your time to read the installation guide and have patience, making sure you get the correct distances and pick-up to string tolerance. Most folks will be able to fit this on a guitar in about an hour or less, and get good results. It is important to follow the directions to insure that you get the best tracking response. I used the provided spacers with adhesive-tape to mount the pick-up because I do not want to drill into my guitars for permanent mounting. Roland provided enough sizes of spacers to get the pick-up to string tolerance just right, along with the radius adjustment and the included gauge, I was able to get a really nice set-up. Having years of experience with the Graph Tech Hexaphonic piezo pick-ups and Ghost MIDI pre-amp as well as the earlier versions of the GK MIDI pick-ups and the early Shadow pick-up system. The GK-3 does the job very well… The pre-amp/switching housing is nicely slim and the mounting system is excellent, unobtrusive, easy to install and does not permanently attach to the guitar. No worries about damaging the finish… (Speaking about the Acoustic set-up): After careful installation and matching to my AXON AX-100 system, the tracking is excellent… Pretty amazing to have MIDI tracking on an acoustic! Initially it seems that it produces less false triggers as compared to the Ghost pick-ups/Hexaphonic on a solid-body electric, which are excellent, but the GK-3 system tracking just seems to be a bit more solid, especially with 32nd notes on low-E… With the AX-100 I had to crank the individual string sensitivity levels up to get good string balance as compared to the Ghost/Hexaphonic pick-ups… (The GK-3 will not work for guitars using Silk & Steel or Nylon strings).Lynnwood guy

I use this through a Roland GR-33 (older version of GR-55) that goes to a synth amp and I also have a separate guitar signal from the same guitar that goes to my guitar amp. I can get amazing synth pad tones behind the guitar. Many people wonder if my band has a keyboard player because they can't figure out where the cool synth tones are coming from live. The GK3 opens up a world of possibilities to guitarists who are open to experimenting!neenernouche

I highly recommend the GK3 pickup for use in combination with the Roland GR55. It's an awesome interface for anyone who wants to use their guitar as a MIDI controller. Some problems with a coating on the pin connectors on the cable cause some strings to lose sensitivity, this can be remedied by using de-oxit and by inserting and reinserting both ends of the connector into GK3 a few times. Also the small cord coming up from the pickup is not attached very well and is in a location where your hand continually rides while playing, the small piece covering the cord will eventually work its self off breaking solder connections as a result. I have three guitars with GK3 pickups and one with a GK2. I have always enjoyed plugging straight into my amp with the GK3 pickup through the GR55 Roland guitar synthesizer. Morgan HardistyMORGAN

Overall: I had the system professionally installed in a Cordoba F7 Paco nylon string guitar and could not be happier. The crisp tone from the under saddle pick up is great and when I blend in the microphone I am to achieve a very realistic tone that’s easy on the listeners ears. I also use the Fishman Platinum Stage DI to shape my tone. When used together it’s a fantastic and rich clean sonic tone. Thanks Fishman & zZounds.Victor

I have experiences with various pickups, mostly the passive kind, that have left me wanting. The last kind, also a Fishman, had a rubber covering for the sound hole that interfered with my finger picking, and then having the cord dribble out from the front of the sound hold left something to be desired too. This unit, though on the pricey side, is just what the doctor ordered. Clear, crisp tone – sounds like your guitar! And you get to play to your heart's content with whether you want the pickups or the mic or both to capture that sound. I can tell you that you can probably spend the rest of your life seeking that "sweet spot" for the position of the condenser mic. Not that it's not there, just that I think you'd need a really really good set of ears to discern the difference.jefbu_1398

When you buy this system, they want you to have a tech install it, however, if you have a little knowledge about these systems and know how to handle a few basic tools, you can easily install it yourself! The sound quality is great, it will feedback thru the mic, so be careful when adjusting the mix and the volume, the Phase switch will get rid of most of this! Bought it for my Martin DST and sounds wonderful through my tube amps! With this system you will not need a dedicated acoustic amp!Orting

I received a Fleor M00074-4 wrapped in tin foil with 2 screws and 2 springs. If you do a search for this brand, you'll see nothing but good reviews. I replaced the original single humbucker in my Peavey Rockmaster with the Fleor. The Fleor is quieter than the original (silence—no hum at all!). Plus, all the poles are adjustable. Sounds really good and just as loud! I suspect Fleor probably makes pickups for the other major brands. At this price, it is worth experimenting. They say you could a lot of money for a bad sounding pickup, so I recommend you start with this one.inyotree

I bought this kit a little while back after trying unsuccessfully to mount an old external GK2 internally (don't ask). The kit was very easy to install, very little space needed internally and the set up was a breeze. I feel it is a little pricey but as kits go it is well put together and well documents. I've had it install for a year or so now. It works flawlessly. If you are tired of the external GK mounted on you guitar this is the way to go!JDX

I have this system in a Crafter 3000 and am purchasing another for a Yamaha LL. I like the sound produced and I like the phantom powering. No worries about flat or leaky batteries.snas3811

Despite seeing the one-star review on this item, I decided to try it. Big mistake. When plugging in the cord to power up the pickup, the light would come on when the cord was half-way in and then turn back off when the cord was fully in. So I returned it for another one, figuring I couldn't get two that were faulty, right? Wrong. Big mistake. The second unit did the exact same thing. Basically, this thing is junk in a box. Save your time and don't bother.Scott

Installation worked as advertised – not difficult and worked first time without further adjustments. Could use some high-quality instrument patches – had to buy them from Big Fish. Can do a fine quality impression of horn or string section for us keyboard non-experts, but need the sounds. I do not use the iPad app, just use it in DAW.Jamie

Im not crazy about it..It does track quickly. Secondly you dont have to bolt it in.. Thats the good, Im not to crazy about the sound libraries that come with it. Ive not found much that I can use. I can use it with my other midi packs…thats good. You do have to go into your DAW and clean up transients after recording.. I give it a C…Better than nothing! Fishman could do a little better, considering this thing costs over two hundred bucks..crairiver0

I bought this for recording because I don't play keys very well. I reached out to Fishman about a couple of questions to help set it up and they were really helpful. I wouldn't use this for live because it's very sensitive and the MIDI usually needs a little editing to do exactly what I wanted it to, but it really saves me a lot of work. I run Omnisphere from my guitar, mind blownMatt

I had great expectations of this and was very happy with the sounds (and excellent tracking) I initially got with the software. The latency was horrible though, and eventually I upgraded my computer (even changed to Mac platform as it did not work out at all on my Surface Pro). By the time I did this, the "legacy sounds" that were provided with the unit were phased out of support. Although I bought the unit early enough to still have the right to use them, they will no longer work and are completely unsupported. This makes the unit nearly worthless. The software they provide now is very poor, and to add to that it is very difficult to install and you have to jump through endless hoops to authorize it through third parties, having to load software package upon software package to authorize. There is no guarantee that those third parties will continue to support the software, either. The unit does not even come with basic GM sounds. The support from Fishman is hit or miss. Sometimes they will pick up the phone and sometimes they are inexplicably absent for weeks at a time. Email support is perhaps worse. I would recommend you avoid this product unless or until the company gets its act together and provides their own software (in addition to the basic FTP interface, which, BTW, does not support VSTs). Note: the FC-1 controller is not necessary. If you get a USB to MIDI adapter you will be all set, and you can control the patches with the switches on the unit or some other type of MIDI controller which really is the thing to do. Flipping through scores of sounds one by one by one is impractical. If you are already MIDI-literate and are willing to spend considerable additional sums on hardware and/or software to make this work, I'd say give it a try. But don't expect to jump into this from being an effects-literate guitar player without setting aside substantial time and money to make this in any way a practical part of your rig.Nicky T

This was easy to setup, and is well designed. It fit my guitar well, and wasn't hard to get working. The software on the other hand, was a huge hassle. The USB stick installer did NOT work, and I had to find all the software online, which was tricky. The website requires you to download all the software from the manufacturers website, which left me running around dozens of different websites, trying to find all the installers. I still don't know if I got them all, there was no way to tell what came with the dumb thing! Despite what they'd like you to believe, the midi packs included are very minor. It's just the typical assortment of synth sounds, like you'd get from any cheap keyboard or software synth. Mostly cartoonish and not useful. I thought it was going to come with a bunch of cool sounds. Nope. Once I got the software working, I gave it a try. While it was able to translate my playing to midi, relatively well, the tracking wasn't the best. If the pickup wasn't right near the strings, it would glitch out. Also, the velocity was way off, and varied widely. Furthermore, the fret position it detected was not accurate to what I was playing. Also, the pickup is curved slightly. My strings are flat, and not curved, so that didn't help. None of my guitars have curved strings, not sure why this is curved. This worked decently. I'd say it's worth a quarter of what they're selling it for. That's how much I'd say it's worth. The price is just too much for something that doesn't work well, and has poor quality software. You're better off buying a cheap tabletop keyboard controller that works than this half-functional toy.Alex C

This pick up really opens the door for bass players to add sonic layers to their sound. Great quality, easy installation and great soundCarlos Z

I installed this unit on a five string bass and use the GI20 MIDI convertor. Both are working great. I find the tracking and accuracy rate very good overall. I found the installation straight forward. The pickup comes with all the adapters necessary for most bass configurations. I will note that I had an initial tracking problem that was due to my rush to try the darn thing out. On the neck side of the pickup are two screws that allow you to adjust for varied string spacing. Make sure you take the time to align these. It greatly increases the accuracy of tracking. PS. Thank you Roland Support! they had me squared away in less than ten minutes.Mickey D.

I use this on my Highway 1 Strat that's been modded with replacement pickups and a Fishman Vintage Powerbridge. I'm satisfied, but wish the thing had a tone control – maybe a stacked pot would provide that feature. Pluses: 2-pin pc jumper for correcting phasing (no de/resoldering), volume trimmer pot. Minuses – had to drill jack cavity in guitar for rear clearance for the kit's instrument jack, and rout rear body for a 9-volt battery box to power the Powerchip…a lot of work if you don't have the tools and knowhow (I do). A slip with the drill or the router template, and your guitar's finish is badly marred (I went into this project figuring on refinishing, so that wasn't an issue for me). If I had it to do over, I'd get the Fishman 'offboard' pedal – you get more tone control, rocker pedal volume control, no battery box (and no battery drain if guitar is left plugged in). The Powerchip preamps the existing pickups (ugh…in my case, Lindy Fralin SP42's…the transistor preamp KILLS the tone) unless you use a stereo (TRS) jack to connect to the instrument. The Powerchip is NOT bypassed with a mono jack – only with a stereo jack. Quality stereo 'splitter' cables (stereo TRS 1/4" male phone jack split to two 1/4" mono female phone plugs) are hard to come by, but it works superbly IF the piezo is sent to a dedicated acoustic guitar amp (like I use).Safety Bill

Obviously pickup/sound preferences are subjective and gear dependent but I think this is definitely a standard for neck pickups.This is hands down my favorite one and I have had it in at least 5 guitars. It’s warm but not fuzzy, clear but not overly bright, and has sounded great under any level of gain. Great if you play multiple genres. I primarily play higher-gain styles and the Jazz is great for leads. If you think a ‘59 is too bright, this will do the trick.Alex

Seymour Duncan has been building and winding pickups for decades. I have his pickups in several guitars. He and his team pay such attention to detail regarding tonality and build quality. The Pearly Gates is no exception. It has an aggressive bite and forward snarl without losing the warmth accustomed to an Alnico 2 magnet. This makes the pickup extremely versatile. I recommend using the tone charts on his website using high quality speakers or headphones. Take your time and you can really hear the differences in each build. The Pearly Gates bridge pickup comes highly recommended and I will be adding the neck version to the same guitar. Dougdslgolf

I already have a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover in 17 inch archtop and thought I would try the 59 in my Epiphone joe Pass Pro as I wasn't 100% happy with the Probucker which was installed. Wiring was a problem as the Joe Pass has solderless socket pots and It seems impossible to buy the correct connectors. I managed to make the connections with metal clips from computer parts. The pickup is certainly better than the Ep[iPhone one. the base string tone is far clearer and more rounded. It is certainly an improvement but is somewhat similar in sound to the Epiphone. This probably down to the actual wooden tone of the guitar itself. It doesn't sound the same as the Seth Lover, but then again the 2 guitars are very different. The 17 inch Peerless is a carved top guitar and not limited. the 59 is still a very good pickup, but the choice of guitar makes a difference.Allan J.

I have been using these pickups, emg-sa , for over 20 years and I have yet to find another pickup that sound as good as emg pickups. I have tried other brands and I can get a good sound out of them but they are always missing something. Then I go back to emg's and they give me the sound other are missing. I hear from other musician's that an emg pickup sounds sterol and they are wrong. Not sterol at all. From sparkling clean sound to nice smooth over-drive to a jazzy sound….they will perform nicely. Most of all, they sound perfect in the studio and in live performances.Harry

I have an Ovation legend that came with a poor quality saddle pickup that was cutting out on me so i went cheap and got a Seymour Duncan woody humbucker that has a terrible ac buzz, so I decided to try the M1A. Installation was a snap and bang I was back in business. This thing sounds great with my radial pz delux preamp. It is very bright but also has a rich low end. I had to dial back the high mids a bit but it eq's really well. It is also very active and brings out some of the imperfections of my instrument i had not previously noticed due to the extreme clarity this pickup brings to the table. I also play a bit of percussion on the body of my guitar and this unit picks up the finger tapping on the sound board well (the Seymour Duncan did not). For the price this is a great pickup. My only real disappointment is that I cannot use my sans amp distortion anymore because the M1A is so active it squeals wildly with feedback when overdriven. Oh and I had to put a little piece of clear tape on the volume knob so I would stop bumping it down when playing aggressively.Rarefaction

I've always used a mic to record my acoustic guitar, but the ongoing search for new ways of recording and new tones led me to purchase and install the LR Baggs M1 Passive pickup. I'm glad I did. It sounds great and offers a new sound palette that has expanded both my recording and musical horizons. I'm using a Martin 000-18 and the pickup is running through a Great River Me1nv into an Apogee Duet interface. I tried plugging directly into the Duet, but the Great River had a more appealing sound and needed less gain than the Duet. The only flaw that I can find in the Baggs M1 is the temporary installation method which requires that the external cord cannot be removed without removing the entire pickup. I chose the temporary installation because I didn't want to drill holes into an expensive guitar. I assumed that while the pickup would stay in the sound hole, the jack/plug assembly would be accessible and that the cord could be removed. It turns out that I was wrong. You can't just unplug the chord. This means that every time you put the guitar back in it's case, you also have to pack ten feet of cord. It's not a huge issue, but you would think that the pickup would be designed with this in mind.d willis

I have the passive version. I use this with my 1978 Yamaha FG770s. It's the best sound I have ever gotten out of this guitar. Plays really nicely into the acoustic channel of my Boss Katana 50 (Mk 1). I can get the tones I need just by using the amps Bass, Mid and Treble and get full range from full-bodied finger-picking to bright top percussion. I liked that I could do a test install with an external cable before committing to a permanent install.kcd1961

Overall: I absolutely LOVE this pickup.I'm an old school classic rocker who started playing in the 70's so the ultra gain sound of groups like Pantera isn't my bag at all.Now, having said that I love a seriously saturated crunch tone, something like "brown on steroids" and this pickup delivers that.It's fat, dynamic and sounds great through my Marshall DSL and my Randall RG1003H.It was designed to slam a tube amp and slam it it does. Sustain for days.If you like the sound of Randy Rhoads' polka-dot V, well he had this pickup in the bridge (Dimarzio PAF in neck). Think 'Mr. Crowley' & 'Suicide Solution'… Oh, and some guy named Ace Frehley, whoever that is, swore by this pickup.I have this pickup in two guitars, a Les Paul and a Tele, and I'm about to install one in my newly acquired Jackson Dinky.Mark

I was referred to this pickup by DiMarzio. In 2000, I bought a Gibson LesPaul Classic, stock ceramic 496 and 500 pups. I played through a Mesa Rectifier at the time. The combination didn't work, to my ear. Overpowered. Sounded like the guitar was out of tune even though it wasn't. I had DiMarzios in my Ibanez, so I called them (got a real person, first try) and explained the issue. The tech recommended Air Zone (bridge) and Air Norton (neck), to retain the 'meat' but back off on the pressure that made the sound harsh, going into an already hi-gain amp. WORLD of difference. I may experiment with the bridge pup, but that Air Norton has never left. Most notable feature, is that you can almost get the same squealing and chiming harmonics as you can with whatever you have in the bridge. Far more freedom to experiment with neck soloing using an Air Norton, in my opinion.Doogiemeistermeisterdoogie

This pickup sounds great. I put it in my Squier Bullet Strat because the stock pickups were terrible. It's in the neck position. I love the sound of it. I wanted a pickup that would give me the sound of The Smiths and it exceeded my expectations. It's very bright and chimey. I ordered it in black but for some reason unknown to me, it came in white. I wanted a specific color scheme for my guitar but was denied. I don't know why the lady who ordered it ignored my request. I was never given a reason why it came in the wrong color. Not receiving the pickup in the color that I asked and paid for is my only complaint about this pickup.Bryson

Need I say more? I mean the guitar actually has a book written about it! Much hotter than Fender standard strat pickups – something like 13,000 winds as opposed to most Strat pickups which typically have between 6000 – 7000 winds. I built a Black Strat to Gilmour specs and it sounds awesome in the bridge position. Really good value when you consider what Fender Custom Shop pickups cost. Put it in the bridge of your Strat. You won't regret it!customgolfsolutions

I think that spending $200 on pickups is unnecessary, but I know some prefer brands that cost that much or more. This set does all the right things for a strat sound in and does well with a lot of gain in my opinion. The bridge does sound like a single coil so if you want a thicker sound consider getting a replacement for it. People with a Fender strat that has the S-1 switching system take note that the reverse wound middle pickup in this set will have to be swapped for a regular wound pickup, but that can be done for the price of shipping it to Seymour Duncan for a regular wound middle. Overall I like it more than the Lindy Fralin Blues Special set that I had tried on another guitar in the past. Could have been the guitar though because I know those are popular pickups – just too expensive for me to consider buying again since I got a great deal on them used that time. SD's 21 day swap policy on their pickups makes it so you don't have to worry about not liking these pickups as well.solstace562

Overall: Excellent .I had their predecessors the classic stack w/alnico 2 magnets . These here have alnico 5 s .I ve played my friend axe with new plus series . Excellent . Great range n power w/ clarity .This is a must for Strat players esp in the studio . Get "em you ll be pleased . The best sounding pick up s I ever had . My originals are 22 yrs old .They re MY favs .Duncans foir Strats n Gibsons go for itDavid

I have this system in a Crafter 3000 and am purchasing another for a Yamaha LL. I like the sound produced and I like the phantom powering. No worries about flat or leaky batteries.snas3811