Lyric Placement in Composite Acoustics Cargo

[Cargo]

I'm wanting to try installing a Lyric in a new guitar since I've liked the Lyric sound in other guitars and the simple installation is really attractive. Has anyone installed a Lyric in a Composite Acoustics Cargo and have been happy with the sound? If so, where did you place the transducer. If not, has anyone used a different LR Baggs transducer and have been happy with that sound? Thanks much for your input.

[Caleb_Elling]

I've installed an Anthem SL in a Cargo before, and it sounded great using the "stock" mic placement under the saddle. So that's probably where I'd start with the Lyric as well. If that sounds overly boxy or honky, then I'd try the mic behind the bridge pins, closer to the tail side of the guitar.

Let us know how it goes if you go that route.

[Cargo]

Caleb - thanks very much for your input and experience with a Cargo install. Unless your experience makes you think the added bass clarity that the under saddle element provides is really important for this particular install, I'm thinking I'd like to try to keep it simple and start with just the Lyric. If that doesn't quite sound as desired, I can then try the Anthem SL. The Cargo came originally with an older version of the Baggs under saddle (I think), and it sounds pretty good out of the box. But I've had to do some tricky EQ work to create an EQ curve that I then downloaded into my Line6 HX Stomp to make that one sound more natural (I guess I did the harder manual way what your new Voiceprint DI now does easily and automatically). So but I've been wanting to try a Lyric based on others I've heard, as I think it may sound more natural from the start. I will say that some of the best sounding acoustics (to my ears) use the full Anthem, but that seems like a lot of space taken up in this really small-body guitar.

As for placement, it seems the only flat spot is in the "stock" position you mention, just inboard of the bridge pins on the neck side. And I might be able to bias that slightly toward the bass or treble side. On the other side of the pins, toward the tail side, the composite top isn't flat at all (I'd call it very wavy), and I think I read in your other Lyric placement comments on the forum that the transducer really needs to be on a flat surface to perform well. Is that correct?

All that said, I can easily reverse my thinking and start with the Anthem SL. It would just be nice to not have to modify the saddle! If I do start with the Anthem, am I correct that the controls are just volume and presence, but there is not any adjustment to allow me to adjust between all under saddle and all microphone? In other words, I won't be able to experiment and hear just the microphone side of the Anthem? At the end of the day, when I play plugged in, it is usually in a rather acoustic small group and the volume levels are not high at all. Regardless if which system I start with, having the microphone should be really helpful.

Your thoughts? Thanks again for your input.

[Cargo]

...and, though I have a Cargo with the stock piezo under saddle, this is a second one with no pickups that I've recently purchased. So I look forward to being able to compare the two when finished with the install.

[Caleb_Elling]

I personally prefer the SL over the Lyric, but my reason for bringing it up was to say that the mic should work in that guitar just fine. It was a number of years ago that I did the installation, so the details are foggy, but there should be a spot for the mic in there.

It is pretty important to get the mic on a flat surface, so that will be something to focus on.

As far as controls, the SL is preset so that the undersaddle only carries the bass, while the mic carries the mid and treble frequencies. You do have a Mic Level control to help fine-tune the mic response, but it's not a blend control in the way that the full Anthem has a blend control.

If you want to try the Lyric out, it should work just fine in that guitar.

[Cargo]

Thanks again for your good input and encouragement about the SL. As much as I like the Anthem's adjust-ability, its just too big for this small guitar, so that leaves the SL or just the Lyric. I'll decide soon and get one on order. And I'll try to let you know how it all turns out!