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Our pickups are made from a high tech polymer film originally developed for NASA and the US Navy. It shows great linearity over the entire audio spectrum and when properly installed, is one of the most transparent sounding transducers on the market. The outer wrap is a special metalized Kevlar cloth that is thin, fully conductive, 100% shielded and protects the sensor from damage.
Take a look at our ‘products’ page and follow the appropriate link next to your instrument. This section will provide you with instrument specific details and basic mounting and installation instructions. If you have a unique instrument or one that is unlisted please contact us for recommendations.
We recommend using a preamp with all of our pickups. Although many other manufacturers claim their products do not need a preamp, use of a preamp in most cases greatly improves product performance. The primary purpose of a preamp is impedance matching. The output impedance of our pickups is around 1 megohm and to realize the full low frequency spectrum of the output, it is advisable to plug it into a high impedance input. One megohm at the very least. Five to ten is most ideal.
Another reason for using a preamp is to increase the output level. Many amplifiers and mixing consoles are designed for stronger signals, or ones that are already preamped upstream. Though preamps are ideally not supposed to color the sound when all the levels are set to their ‘flat’ position, they all have different types of coloration and should be auditioned to make the best choice. Please contact us if you have questions about compatibility with preamps from other manufacturers.
This is somewhat subjective, but consensus seems to be that anything newer than 1970 could have been purchased from the factory with an endpin jack installed. If the instrument is older than that and is in collectible condition, other alternatives such as our ‘Vintage Systems‘ are available. Properly installed, endpin jacks do not pose any risk to the structure or tone of an instrument, and they are to date, the most solid and reliable system for plugging in.
Yes. We have not encountered any offboard gear that is incompatible with our pickups. It is important to preamp our pickup upstream of any other electronics though. Once the signal is preamped, you can plug into foot pedals, loopers, effects etc. with no signal loss or degradation.
Yes, but this usually requires preamping the signals prior to mixing them together. Our output jacks are stereo ready and the signals can be routed to the tip and ring of the output jack if you prefer to keep the signals separate.
Cable quality has everything to do with the tonal end result! When the pickup signal is not preamped upstream of the cable, the signal is susceptible to degradation from the inefficiencies of the cable. We have done a lot of research in this area and have found the best cables are fully shielded, have low capacitance and need to be durable. When the pickups are run passively, good cables can be used without problems, but some A/B testing should be done to hear what a particular cable is doing to the signal. Pickup the World recommends Planet Waves Cables as a good, affordable, readily available option.
Yes! We encourage experimentation and our customers have used them on everything from pots and pans, to furniture, typewriters and bizarre musical inventions. Just be gentle with them as the wire is thin and the sensor IS delicate. Please don’t get your pickups wet or expose them to extreme heat or harsh chemicals!
No, this could cause a short circuit in the output. PUTW custom manufactures all sorts of shapes and sizes of pickups for every conceivable application. If it appears a different size would be more appropriate for you, contact us to see if we can exchange it for a different model.
Yes. We do this quite regularly for people and really enjoy the process of solving unique sensing challenges. The turn around time for custom orders is usually around 2 weeks.
Yes, we wholesale directly to music stores and luthiers without needing to jump through hoops or lengthy application processes. We have no minimum order requirements and welcome any and all reputable retail outlets.
We try to assist educational programs in any way we can and are happy to discuss instrument needs and budgets.
Most all of our business comes from word of mouth referrals or from people hearing musicians performing with our products. Whether we can offer an artist discount or not largely depends on the degree of talent and exposure an artist can provide.
We do not pay any of our endorsers, nor do we have binding contracts that specify that they only use our products. These professional relationships are very important to us, and we do everything possible to maintain the highest levels of respect and integrity towards our customers and business associates.
Pickup the World’s products and promotional materials are produced in the NW corner of Connecticut by a dedicated staff of musicians. We strive to make sure all of our products are produced with ethically sourced components and we do our best to be environmentally friendly .
If you find your amplified tone unsatisfactory, please visit our troubleshooting pages or contact us for installation support. 99% of the time unsatisfactory tone is caused by a faulty installation or external gear and is easily resolvable.
We encourage everyone to make informed purchase decisions. There are a number of great websites and many online resources that can help point you in the right direction when looking for amplification systems. Check out various forums and listen to the sound samples on Doug Young’s Acoustic Pickup Comparison Page.
If you have somehow purchased one of our products in error or would like to make an exchange, you may contact us within ten days of purchase for return authorization for your unused product. Returns without prior authorization are not accepted. Products purchased through third party retailers are subject to their return policies.
Do not for any reason solder, cut, iron, wash, fold or puncture the film. This will void your warranty. If you would prefer a different size element, please contact PUTW as we make numerous shape and sizes for special applications.
If the pickup is mounted externally, be confident in the integrity of the finish before mounting either the pickup or the jack adhesively. It is always best to mount the jack / clips to a tailpiece or other hardware when possible.
Pickup the World guarantees all of its products to be defects in materials and workmanship for one year under normal use. If your product is out of our standard warranty period we will be happy to upgrade your product to current specs for a discounted fee. Please contact us for options.
Pickup the World or any of its affiliates will not be held liable for damage to instruments, objects or finishes. Please use common sense and discretion during the pickup installation. The adhesives used in our tapes are chemically friendly with most all finishes, but can cause chips to come off if the finish is delicate or has fine cracks. Please use your discretion and contact PUTW for alternative mountings if finish damage is a possible concern.
PUTW will not share your personal information with anyone under any circumstances. :)
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