Godin Acousticaster - pickups failing

[rsacher]

I have a Godin 12 string Acousticaster which sometimes is fully ok... and all of a sudden shows a "grumbling noise" like rolling thunder...
Also I noticed, the D-string is considerably less loud than the others...

Replaced batteries, cable...

I just got the guitar... several years it has not been played

Is there a replacement pickup and preamp for my model ?

[Caleb_Elling]

Hi rsacher,
Thanks for posting!

The LB12 pickup that was used in that guitar is still available, but the preamp has been out of production for quite a while.

I would recommend having a local guitar tech look at the guitar. They should be able to determine if the grumbling noise is coming from something as simple as the output jack, or if the issue is more severe. In any case, the pickup can be replaced with a new one if the balance issue cannot be corrected.

[rsacher]

Thank you!
I had all wiring resoldered but the problem persists - rolling thunder, coming and going

Could this be a failing capacitor in the preamp? It is a PEQ - 11
Can this be repaired?
Are there any specs regarding what kind of capacitors were used?

Balance issue is on G-string... not D as previosly noted...
In another post I read to glue a tape under that position...? Should I try this?
What does it do? Increase pressure on that spot in the piezo...?

rumbling noise still occasionally occurs. But not as frequent..... strange...can caps recover if they are played? That guitar was not played for years..

[Caleb_Elling]

If we can reproduce the issue, we should be able to repair it. We really don;t have many parts left from when those preamps were made, but it might be worth a try. If you email me at [email protected], we can go over options for potential repairs.

For the pickup, you can try tape under the quiet string. It may help. If it doesn't, then it's possible that the sensor for that string is starting to die. If that happened, the pickup would need to be replaced with a new LB12.

[rsacher]

Thanks again for your patience and replies!!

Is it possible to test the pickup without the preamp? - I want to know, if it could be the pickup which is responsible for both, crackling and failing note
De-solder the pickup and .. input to a normal guitar amp...? Or does it need anything else...
Just to narrow down the problem

[Caleb_Elling]

You can solder the pickup directly to the output jack and run the guitar into an external preamp. That would be a great way to test the pickup.

[rsacher]

Thank you - that will help a lot!

[rsacher]

If the PEQ11 is out of production for that long time....
would it be possible to get the schematics, to build one? This of course would be far easier than to try to recreate schematics from an old one...

[Caleb_Elling]

If the PEQ11 is out of production for that long time....
would it be possible to get the schematics, to build one?

Unfortunately, all LR Baggs schematics are proprietary and unavailable for distribution. So I am unable to send out any schematics, even for older product, due to company policy.

[rsacher]

Yes, I thought so.... any chance, you got just an empty board lying around somewhere - I would try to identify the parts and solder them on it.. ?

[Caleb_Elling]

We are completely out of PCBs for that system. We used the remaining ones we had to build replacement preamps, which we have since sold out of.

[Kevin Mask]

Hello, although it's an old thread I'll try to join up without opening a new one since I have a similar problem, I also have an old Godin Acousticaster from early 90s, and in my case the low E string is way louder than all the others which are perfectly balanced, any idea what it could be and if there's any possible cheap remedy? thanks in advance.

[Caleb_Elling]

Hello, although it's an old thread I'll try to join up without opening a new one since I have a similar problem, I also have an old Godin Acousticaster from early 90s, and in my case the low E string is way louder than all the others which are perfectly balanced, any idea what it could be and if there's any possible cheap remedy? thanks in advance.

The good news is that a balance issue should be related to the saddle/pickup, which is still made. There are things you can do to balance out the pickup if the saddle or saddle slot is at fault. The easiest thing to try is to put a small piece of electrical tape underneath the brass portion of the saddle, under the quiet string. If that doesn't bring up the level of that string, it could be that the low-E sensor is starting to die. If that was the case, the whole saddle/pickup may need to be replaced.

[rwattling]

I'm trying to avoid opening a new thread on this as well. I have a Godin Acousticaster nylon string guitar, and the output has stopped. I've replaced the stereo jack and checked the two 9v batteries. So now I'm trying assess or replace the pre-amp. What are my options at this point?

Thanks

[Caleb_Elling]

I'm trying to avoid opening a new thread on this as well. I have a Godin Acousticaster nylon string guitar, and the output has stopped. I've replaced the stereo jack and checked the two 9v batteries. So now I'm trying assess or replace the pre-amp. What are my options at this point?

Thanks

Now that the Acousticaster preamp is no longer available there are essentially two options to keep the guitar going.

The first option is to install the LB Endpin Preamp in place of the Acousticaster preamp. The LB Pre comes with a thumbwheel volume control, but that can be retrofitted with a traditional pot. Some installers have made new plates to cover the original control cavity and then installed volume and tone pots into that.

The second option is to simply wire the LB6 pickup directly to the output jack in order to be used with an external preamp. This method doesn't allow for any controls on the guitar, but no batteries are required on the guitar either.

I hope this helps. If you have any more questions about either option, let me know.