Anthem low output or defective piezo

[enZopolis]

So I recently purchased the Anthem directly from Larrivee and had it installed on my 000-60 at my local Guitar Center. First of all, I'm a little disappointed on the output level of it, connecting other guitars to the same amp, I almost have to turn up the volume or gain at max for the Anthem just to get the same level as others at a quarter of the levels. I have read at many of these forums that the Anthem is a very low output pickup. With that being said I still have trouble getting the best sound with tweaking the mix knob and the mic adjustment gain. I have a Fender Paramount guitar with built in pickup and when I plug that into my source you can hear each individual string being plucked, I even tap on the bridge or the string slightly where each one is and you can hear the piezo picking up the tap. When I tap on my Larrivee with the Anthem I get that feedback but only with the two E strings and B. The A, D, and G strings almost have no responses. You can hear those strings being strung but I am assuming the microphone is picking that up.
Did I receive a bad pickup? Should the undersaddle piezo be moved around? There is a black marking at the end of it, should it up facing up or down? And it doesn't seem like the tech that installed it drill an extra hole to feed it back in slightly, its just sitting under the saddle.
Here is a little sound test to give you guys a better understanding. https://voca.ro/15lbJZ4FEO2m

[Caleb_Elling]

Hey enZopolis,
Thanks for posting.

It doesn't sound like you have a bad pickup, but it does sound like the installation wasn't done properly. If the middle strings are quiet, then the saddle likely isn't making good contact with the pickup all the way across. This can occur if the bottom of the saddle isn't completely flat, or if the saddle fit in the slot is too tight. Since the undersaddle pickup carries the majority of the signal, and balance issue like that will also make the overall output of the system lower than it would normally be.

I would suggest taking the guitar back to the installer to have the saddle and fit examined. If they have a halfway-decent tech, they should be able to iron out the issue pretty quickly.

I hope this helps.

[enZopolis]

Hey enZopolis,
Thanks for posting.

It doesn't sound like you have a bad pickup, but it does sound like the installation wasn't done properly. If the middle strings are quiet, then the saddle likely isn't making good contact with the pickup all the way across. This can occur if the bottom of the saddle isn't completely flat, or if the saddle fit in the slot is too tight. Since the undersaddle pickup carries the majority of the signal, and balance issue like that will also make the overall output of the system lower than it would normally be.

I would suggest taking the guitar back to the installer to have the saddle and fit examined. If they have a halfway-decent tech, they should be able to iron out the issue pretty quickly.

I hope this helps.

thanks, the tech installed light strings on my guitar for my setup, and i dont like lights and just put on mediums, i did look at the saddle and placed it flat on some glass and it does look very flat and flush. i will try to use the saddle from another guitar to see if it makes a difference. the pickup cable looks the same throughout the whole cable, will it make a difference if i drilled a second hole on the opposite side of the saddle and fed it through more to use a different part of the cable? or am i suppose to use just the end of it?

[Caleb_Elling]

The pickup should be fine as long as it is covering the whole slot bottom. The second hole just helps to keep the pickup from moving around if you ever take the saddle off.

If you have another saddle to try, I think it would tell us a lot. It sounds like the installation is pretty solid, so the saddle itself is one of the only things left to consider.

[enZopolis]

The pickup should be fine as long as it is covering the whole slot bottom. The second hole just helps to keep the pickup from moving around if you ever take the saddle off.

If you have another saddle to try, I think it would tell us a lot. It sounds like the installation is pretty solid, so the saddle itself is one of the only things left to consider.

hey Caleb, so it seems like it is the pick up itself. Now it sounds like its distortion and buzzing. What another gentlemen just posted about the same issue. Although mine doesnt have an issue with turning the phaser on and off, it will get distorted after a couple of minutes of playing. I made a recording so you can hear whats going on. I used two guitars, my Larrivee with the Anthem installed and a Fender with its own installed pickup. Apologize for the length of the clip but I really wanted to get a sample of it. It has a fresh battery and the indicator is showing its full. It is not the cable as well because in the recording I use the same cable on both guitars. https://voca.ro/1QxP6WSZFPoA