Thank you! Your descriptions are exactly what I was looking for… string separation and full tone. I have added two new guitars recently trying to replace my worn-out Gibson J-30 with its K&K mini pickup, an easy rig with amazing sound that I have used daily for 30 years. The keyword is trying. I added a Taylor Builder’s Edition 517 and had a K&K mini installed, and a Gibson J-45 125th Anniversary with the stock LR Baggs Element VTC. Both sound good unplugged but both suffer from unbalanced sounding mud at the low end as soon as they are plugged in. The EV30Ms PAs we use can sound amazing with the right inputs. The J-45 is terribly harsh in the B and E strings and then quickly drops into thin flat fog to the bottom end. The 517is loud and muddy but just disappears at the B and E strings. I think the tech that installed the K and K on the 517 misplaced the transducer covering the B and E strings, but fixing that still won’t give me the string separation I am looking to hear. And this is my first time with the LR Baggs Element VTC…maybe it just sounds harsh and I am trying to make a parrot swim. I am waiting for the retailers to get the LR Baggs HIFi into stock. I will put it into both guitars and cross my fingers. In the meantime the 30+ Y.O. Gibson J-30 still sounds better than either of the new ones and will have to hold up for a few more gigs.
Wow - what a fine contribution to musicians interested in the HiFi! Really appreciate the care you took with setting things up and presenting them coherently and concisely, and with the obvious acumen (and excellent ears) of a real-and-true performing musician. Gushing aside, you may have convinced me to try this pickup after all, rather than wait for their (probable?) later release of the same pickup together with a built-in mic. EQ indeed goes a long way, and having the simpler, lighter pickup might be beneficial over a dual-source variant.
Thank you. Give it a try. It's really easy to install and remove, so there's not a lot of downside to trying it other than a little bit of time and some money that you can likely recoup most of by selling it.
What a thorough and insightful review! I was on the fence having tried the K&K PM, JJB 330, endless USTs and soundhole (mag) pickups, as some of these were great sounding. Having said that, every pickup has limitations, and this one is no exception. However, for a person who really wants a dynamic pickup with great sounding top end, while retaining the best qualities of SBTs, this sounds like a great option. I love a pure, clean, and balanced sound and the HiFi seems to really deliver here. Thanks for the tips on EQ too. I just bought one of these.
Excellent video! I’ve had the Element for a few years and was on the fence about upgrading to the Anthem. Didn’t have a need for a mic but wasn’t satisfied with the tone of the Element. I was curious about the HiFi and your review sealed it for me. Thanks!
Great review, thanks! Wondering if it were between the Baggs Hi-Fi and the Trance Amulet, which one would you choose? I play all kinds of venues, full band with drums but also sill or duo in intimate listening rooms. Appreciate your thoughts. Cheers!
I have more experience in a wider variety of settings with the trance and so just based on that, I’m confident in recommending the trance. They are more similar than different, and have had nothing but positive experiences with the HiFi this far so I have no reason to not recommend it as well. I just haven’t used it as much. Not a very great answer for you, but I do believe both will work in just about any setting.
You talk about the desire for clarity on the low-end without overly boosting the high-end. I imagine a sonic maximizer pedal would be perfect for this. :)
@@redhatreview I've only used the Sonic Maximizer plug-in for recording, sadly I don't have the stomp pedal. But I must say, it REALLY opens up the tone. It doesn't really boost frequencies like EQs do, but it sort of separates the highs and lows so they don't work against each other. Does wonders for clarity. 👍🏻
For the recordings in this video, I was only using the EQ2, but live I do use both. I use the Source Audio to eq the pickup and then use the Fishman to eq for room / band configuration I am playing in. Since I have 3 different guitars with 3 different pickups that all benefit from different EQ and have different output signals, the EQ2 allows me to save a preset for each guitar that has the EQ to get the most out the pickup to my liking and be able to send the same signal strength out to the Fishman, and ultimately the PA. I usually end up making very subtle EQ adjustments on the Fishman because the EQ2 is doing most of the work.
Which pickup do you prefer between the Hi Fi and the Anthem (I saw you’ve done other anthem pickup demos so I’m hoping you have either a memory of each or maybe you have the hi fi installed in one guitar and the anthem in another?) and which pickup is more feedback resistant? Thanks for any info
They are quite different and both very feedback resistant. I think it really comes down to personal preference. What kinds of places do you play and what sort of sound are you wanting? The HiFi is a simpler, punchier, more cutting and direct sound (also quite pleasing), and the anthem is a bit softer and more airy and natural with the mic handling 100% of the tone above 250kHz. I don’t like the anthem with the element blended in much at all and thus am excited for the HiFi duet as it seems like it will be the best of both worlds. Time will tell.
I don’t have a lot of experience with the lyric, but I would say the lyric is more natural sounding and if it’s working for you in, just enjoy it. The HiFi is more feedback prone and more of a punchy/direct sound, but that doesn’t make it better or worse. Just different.
Anybody know if once comfortable with the LR Baggs HiFi you can remove the included tape and instead epoxy them down like man other pickups like K&K to get better marrage to the sound board (think it could be better vs. lossy through the included tape)?
I currently like and use 3 pickup systems. The HiFi and Anthem by LR Baggs and the Trance Audio Amulet. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but I’ve been able to get excellent results from each of them. What do you use? Are you looking to make a change? What context do you play in? I may be able to narrow down a recommendation for you. I am curious to try the HiFi duet when that comes out.
I’m pretty excited about the Hifi duet if it’ll ever get released. I like the anthem and the hifi but feel like both leave a little something missing. So hoping that duet system does the trick.
They are more similar than different. Someday I should do a proper comparison, but I have them in very different sounding guitars, so I’m not sure it’s a very good way to compare them. The HiFi sounds bigger/wider and I have it in a much smaller body guitar than the trance. The trance is more focused. Less low end, and probably less ultra high end. Not a proper answer for you, but those are some thoughts.
