GHS Acoustic Soundhole Microphone

Looking for an alternative to the standard acoustic pickup, I bought this. Since the alteration to the guitar is essentially the same as other pickups, what did I have to lose? I installed it, did a little research and experimenting on placement, and I love this thing! True acoustic sound with no feedback. For the price you will not find a better solution!

For many years I have used this internal mic to give me versatility and authentic sound in my old Gibson long-neck banjo. I tried other devices but none really sounded like a banjo. A big plus was that I've never had a hassle with a sound man. No matter what kind of direct or snake or input he offered me it worked right the first time. Even with a plain old guitar chord. I have installed this model in many of my own instruments and for friends and students. Remember, it's a mic, so expect to use normal good sense to avoid feedback. It's not a humbucker. Having said that the sensitivity is fine so feedback has never been a problem.

This is an excellent pickup, I have it on a 12 stringed Susuki and it is by far the best sound I have had from any pickup on this guitar over many years. Great value and well worth the wait.

A good friend purchased a Voyage Air guitar for gigs that require air travel. She needed electronics installed for the stage and came to me for help (I had done a guitar for her previously). With the folding neck and loss of string tension, pickup options for this guitar were limited. We finally settled on the GHS Acoustic Soundhole mic and I agreed to install it for her.

One drawback to this unit is that the battery location requires the device be removed to change the battery, so I decided to relocate the holder to the the guitar side near the soundhole. The battery holder that comes with it is so stiff, inserting the battery is very difficult, so I substituted a holder with a spring that holds securely, but is easier to reinstall the battery.

The installation was not difficult, even with relocating the battery holder. The sound produced was outstanding, very pure. When my friend got her guitar home, she said this inexpensive travel guitar might even sound better amplified than her Taylor with factory electronics. She is very pleased with the results, and since she has to play it on stage, her opinion is more important than mine.

As with any microphone pickup, feedback is a concern, and a soundhole cover seems a good idea. She's using a makeshift one until she can find one to fit the non-standard size hole on her guitar.

However, I'm impressed enough that I plan to order one of these from Stew-Mac for a guitar I plan to make in a couple months (from a kit).

Note that there are apparently two models of the GHS Soundhole Mic and this is the internal mount version. This model seems to be somewhat rare these days and I found Stew-Mac to be the best of the few sources I could find for it.

works well. This is in a Martin 000-18 (70's) and a B-25 Gibson (60's) and works well in both. I installed to get away from piezo quack. Through my Fender Princeton reverb (modified for line out) I can dial in great acoustic sound. Here's the cool part - chords are chords, but leads are clean (no lead/rhythm switch needed). It's like you have a sound man angel running the compressor for you - for free.

I bought two of these guys to put in a 70s Epiphone 12 string and a 70's Daion acoustic. The Epi took the drill method pretty easy. I messed with mic placement a little bit and achieved a nice sound in a about 10 minutes. Played a blues gig that night with good results. I'll rewire and reposition the battery sometime in the future but did'nt have time at install.

Nice sound that didn't quack at all. I put the second GFS on the shelf because I couldn't pull the trigger on drilling on the Daion I bought with my paper route money way back in the day. That's not a fault of the GFS mic but just nervous nostalgia on my part. Looking at a cool parlor guitar, maybe I'll put it in that one.

Bought this to put in an LAG 12 string. It fits very neatly but due to the length of the goose neck I think it will need some kind of clip at the sound hole to stop it moving about. The battery will be a pain to change but I am going to look at soldering a remote battery carrier in just under the soundhole somewhere to save any trouble there. I have positioned the mic just about under the the top E strings at the rear of the sound hole and it sounds superb, I play it through a Roland cube amp on the mic setting and it is as clean and crisp as anyone could wish for.

Excellent little mic at a reasonable price, UK buyers please note I got stung £10 duty at customs but hey someone has pay for the champagne.

The threaded shaft measured .476" in diameter with my calipers. The instructions recommend using a 15/32" bit. I don't have an Endpin Jack Reamer (4323) but am considering getting one.

All the bad reviews on all the other sites of this product it seems is because they do forget the fact that it's a microphone and not a pickup and needs to be treated and reviewed as such and does not sound like the acoustic electric guitars that so many have come accustomed to hearing these days. This mic, while not the absolute best out there is excellent for the price and reproduces the sound so much more accurately than any other 'pickup' system out there. So unless under saddle or piezo sound is what your after this is the one for your budget. I found it perfect for my 30 year old Yamaha CJ818 where all other pickups made it sound way to electric. Once you find the sweet spot you are golden. Just my 3 cents worth.

Gift for the father-in-law. Easier to install than a contact pickup, and sounds at least as good (better, f-in-law says). Endpin jack works great, but it was a little tricky getting the internal nuts properly adjusted. The only real negative I have is the battery. The included battery was essentially DOA (no big deal), and the clip would not take a standard AA battery w/o modification. Battery placement is also problematic--when this one is dead, will have to remove entire unit to replace the battery. Still, no regrets thus far. Would not hesitate to recommend this unit where appropriate.