Anthem SL output level

[jpfeifer]

Hi Everyone,

I just had a new Anthem SL pickup installed into my Martin J40. I brought it home to try it out.
The pickup sounds great, very natural, I love the tone. However, I noticed that the signal level is quite low as compared to my other guitars with active pickups. When plugged straight into a Roland AC33 acoustic guitar amp and I have to turn the amp volume up to nearly max level to get a decent volume. Is it typical to use a separate pre-amp with this pickup to get a usable signal level? It seems to need quite bit of level boost. Is this normal or is it a sign of a weak battery or bad installation? The tone seems really good, just the overall level is really low.

Thanks for any tips.

-Jim

[Caleb_Elling]

Hey Jim,
The Anthem series' systems do have a lower output level compared to other systems, particularly, active undersaddle systems. The level of each system will also vary depending on the guitar that it is installed in.

You definitely shouldn't need an additional preamp or gain stage to get the SL up to a performance level. It will likely just need to turn up the input level (input gain or volume) of whatever you plug into.

[jpfeifer]

Thanks Caleb, I appreciate the response. Thanks for confirming the output level difference, I just wanted to make sure that my pickup was installed properly. The tone of the Anthem SL pickup is superb, much better bass response than my other guitar with a factory-installed Fishman pickup. I'm considering getting the new LR Baggs Align Session Acoustic pedals to deal with the level difference. This looks like a great pedal that I could use for my other acoustic guitars also.

[Caleb_Elling]

The Align Session is fantastic! I highly recommend it.

[jpfeifer]

How would the Align Session pedal compare to the LR Baggs Session Acoustic DI pedal? It seems to have the same signal processing but a few other features.
I'm wondering if I should opt for that instead?

-JIm

[Caleb_Elling]

If you don't have a DI already, the extra features are really nice! The Align Session was designed to better interface with existing gear/pedals. The Notch and High-Pass on the DI are really handy for less-ideal gigging situations.