I have K&K pickups on a metal biscuit and wood spider; the biscuit sounds fine, the spider doesn't. So...50/50 chance of good sound.

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Originally posted by wlgiii

I have K&K pickups on a metal biscuit and wood spider; the biscuit sounds fine, the spider doesn't. So...50/50 chance of good sound.

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Thanks, Wayne!

I have the same on my two reso guitars — a K&K SB on a wood squareneck spider and a K&K BB on a roundneck nickel/brass biscuit. I like 'em both.

But for the mandolin, I'm wondering about external pickups that attach with adhesive and come off easily. Maybe something from JJB? Lace? Been browsing. Thoughts appreciated.

Charlie, I'm strictly a dabbler when it comes to mandolin, and I have the typical wood body version, a "The Loar" brand from Recording King, a fairly nice mando for the money.

But I've never played it out anywhere in front of an audience so I don't have a pickup. And like regular acoustic guitar, the are quite a few choices available for a wood body mandolin. 

But like other resophonic instruments, and those with a metal body in particular, there isn't much out there. I have seen Sam Bush play a metal reso mandolin in the past but in googling what he might be using for a a pickup I came up empty. I think National has a Hot Plate mando pickup but it probably costs more than your Recording King. 

If I got really serious with my Loar I'd likely go with the Fishman Nashville mando pickup - but I probably won't ever get that serious. 

If I were to get semi-serious LR Baggs has one that intrigues me called Radius, and naturally it's designed for a wooden mandolin. Easy installation. No idea how it would work with a metal body reso mandolin but it would be worth a shot to get a hold of Baggs and see what they have to say. 

https://www.lrbaggs.com/acoustic-instrument-pickups/radius-mandolin-pickup?srsltid=AfmBOoqLBY8s40MJsCbFefD4lfWzr0nHmyqE-ke62oMFsBoByV35fgg_
 

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Originally posted by MarkinSonoma

Charlie, I'm strictly a dabbler when it comes to mandolin, and I have the typical wood body version, a "The Loar" brand from Recording King, a fairly nice mando for the money.

But I've never played it out anywhere in front of an audience so I don't have a pickup. And like regular acoustic guitar, the are quite a few choices available for a wood body mandolin. 

Yup. My old Gibson oval has a JJB. Just right for my purposes.

But like other resophonic instruments, and those with a metal body in particular, there isn't much out there.

No, indeed. Other than north-of-$2k Nationals and nearly-$2k Stuart Wailings, everone else seems to have gotten out of the business. Not enough of a market, I guess. The only one I could find online in the entire country was a new-old-stock gathering dust at Lark Street Music in New Jersey. I think Buzzy, the owner, was relieved to finally unload it.

I have seen Sam Bush play a metal reso mandolin in the past but in googling what he might be using for a a pickup I came up empty. I think National has a Hot Plate mando pickup but it probably costs more than your Recording King. 

If I got really serious with my Loar I'd likely go with the Fishman Nashville mando pickup - but I probably won't ever get that serious. 

If I were to get semi-serious LR Baggs has one that intrigues me called Radius, and naturally it's designed for a wooden mandolin. Easy installation. No idea how it would work with a metal body reso mandolin but it would be worth a shot to get a hold of Baggs and see what they have to say. 

First I've heard of it, so I just looked at that link, and it does look very reso-friendly. Mine is  a cheap-seat instrument, so it might make sense to get an appropriately peanut-gallery pickup. I've been doing some browsing, and at about $50, the JJB Prestige-220, with two stick-on transducers and a strap button clip, is appealing.

Those are the only two I've seen so far that would fit my purposes. Not rushing into anything, but it's good to know I have some choices when I do. Thanks, Mark!

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I don't think there's any room there, you'll probably need something internal or a mic like a Myers.