Anthem SL - slot to narrow for UST?

[Lakewd]

I just installed the Anthem SL into my Lakewood D-10 from 1996.

The slot of the saddle seemed to be a little bit to narrow for UST element.
I had to "force" it in a bit using the saddle, the element definitely touches the sides of the slot and sits very tight.

Now I am not sure if the system works correctly.
- I have to put the mic gain all the way down to get an "acceptable" sound - otherwise I hear a lot of amplified body noises and a very harsh sound.
- The overall signal output level of the guitar seems to be low.

So my questions are:
1. If I fully turn down the mic gain - do I still get signal from the mic, or do I only hear the UST?
2. Might the tight fit of the UST lead to a lowered UST signal? This would explain why I have to turn the mic gain down?

Turning the mic gain down all the way I get an ok sound - but if this is just the UST, i could have saved the money for the mic

Thank you,
Stefan

[Caleb_Elling]

Hello Stefan,
The Anthem series of pickups does have a quieter output than most other active pickup systems. So that shouldn't be a problem. Also, the Element pickup that the SL uses is designed to fit in 3/32 size saddle slots, even if it's a tight fit. The mesh that surrounds and shields the pickup is designed to flex into the slot when needed.

The mic level will need to be adjusted completely differently from one guitar to the next, so it's not abnormal to have to turn the mic gain all the way up or all the way down to get a balanced signal.

If the Anthem SL sounds balanced in it's amplified signal, then everything should be working correctly.