Mandolin is a small stringed musical instrument that belongs to the lute family. It has been evolved from mandora and the evolution was seen in Italy and Germany in the 18th century. It is amongst the most melodious musical instruments and it is a beautiful addition to modern music.
Mandolin has a very soft and a melodious sound which is why it might go unnoticed in music. You will find mandolin’s sound mostly in bluegrass and classical music producing some of the most beautiful notes and sounds that are just a treat for your ears.
However, the mandolin is now also becoming a part of modern music playing together with guitars, drums, and other electrical instruments. In such mixes amplification of mandolin becomes necessary for it to be heard as a piece of distinct music in the mix.
So that means when you buy a mandolin you also need to buy a pickup for it. The pickup will help to amplify the sound of the mandolin. Now when you go to the market you will find many pickups but are they all good for you? Well, let’s see.
What are the Best Mandolin Pickups to Buy?
How to choose the best Mandolin pickup
So, you are in the market and the shopkeeper presents you with a bunch of pickups. You need to choose which one are you going to buy. How will you choose that? If you don’t know the answer don’t worry, we are here to tell you.
Well, one thing to know is that not all pickups are good for you. When you are buying a pickup, you need to set a few things and your budget would be on the top of the list. You will find mandolin pickups at different prices, you need to select the one that remains in your budget and is easy on the pocket.
Next thing you need to make sure is the quality of the pickup. Make sure that it is by a well-reputed company that is known for making quality and original stuff. Don’t go for cheaper and low-quality pickups, they might be looking okay but you don’t want to buy a new pickup every week.
It would exceed your budget. Buy a high-quality pickup once so that you don’t have to rush to the market every week to get a new one. You certainly don’t want to waste your money in a product that is not even reliable and durable. Invest in the right place.
Now how do you know which mandolin is of better quality? Well, don’t worry we got it covered too. To help you choose the best mandolin pickup we have made a list of all the best mandolin pickups that are available in the market. Depending on their specifications and qualities you can choose the one that best suits your requirements.
So, read the following list carefully if you want to have the best mandolin pickup and make some great music with it.
12 Best Mandolin Pickup Reviews and the Best Mandolin Pickup Brands
1) K&K Mandolin Twin Internal
K&K is a well-known brand popular for its pickups, microphones and other musical instruments. It has been providing with high-quality products since 1984, so that pretty much tells us that it has been delivering quality which is why it has sustained in the present tough coemption in the musical instruments industry.
The K&K mandolin twin interval is yet another high-quality sensor for a mandolin that has been produced by this company. It gives a natural and original sound to the mandolin and maintains the clarity of sound even at high pitches. It is pretty easy to mount internally or externally.
The mandolin sensor will reduce the effect of instability that is mostly associated with microphones and causes noise. It provides a clear and loud sound with absolutely no noise. This product is just too good for its price and you won’t have to buy a new sensor for some good amount of time. Just enjoy your music and forget about the sensor because it will be doing a great job.
2) Fishman M-100 Classic Series Mandolin Pickup
The Fishman M-200 and M-100 are not very different, there is just a slight difference between them, only that M-200 contains a ¼ inch output jack. Everything else is the same. It is also made up of a piezo-ceramic material which has been fixed into the ebony replacement bridge. It also perfects to be used for archtop mandolins, in fact, it has been made specifically for the archtop mandolins.
Then again you can use impedance matching preamp, but it remains optional, if you don’t want to use it no problem, it isn’t permanent. For M-100 mandolin pickup too, it is recommended that you ask some professional to install it for you because it is somewhat difficult to install and requires some important technique. This is also a great mandolin pickup which provides with good quality work and a crisp voice, so you should try it out. It’s quite impressive.
3) LR Baggs Mandolin Pickup with external Jack Mount
The big problem with microphones is that they never remain stable, which is why a general noise and interference remains in their sound which generally creates a bad impression and the sound of the instrument doesn’t remain clear. Now, the pickup has been specifically designed to deal with this problem. It emulates the sound of microphone canceling all the noise and interference leaving you with just a clear and crisp original sound of the instrument.
It is easy to install on the instrument; the mounting putty makes it pretty simple and easy. This mandolin pickup has a very unique and exceptional design which just shows the talent of its makers. It’s perfect to be mounted on musical instruments provides with high-quality work, produces clear and crisp sound and a lot of other benefits.
4) Luvay Acoustic Guitar Pickup, Piezo Contact Microphone Transducer
As you can see from its name, it is a multitasking product and the number of tasks it can perform is actually quite impressive. This device is pretty easy to use, there is a control knob with which you can control the volume. Moreover, you can easily install it on the sound hole of your device, it sticks pretty easily.
Now, this device is fit to be used with many musical instruments, including guitar, kalimba, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, etc. Whichever device it is used with enhances its sound and provides with a clear and crisp sound with no feedback problem.
The sound coming from the musical instrument is loud and clear. It is a small device which easily fits in your pocket, so you can carry it with you everywhere because where you play your instrument it should have the perfect sound.
We loved this product personally because it’s just easy to use, highly reliable and the sound that it produces makes you want to keep playing the instrument forever and ever. It’s so crisp, clear and of high quality. So how about if you give it a try?
5) Imelod Contact Microphone Piezo Pickup Mandolin
Okay, you are going to love this one. It is an amazing microphone pickup which works with the original sound of the musical instrument,which, of course, means that there will be no noise, no interference, and everything will run smooth and clear. None of the external sounds can mix with the original sound coming from the musical instrument.
All you need to do is to install it on your instrument and use it as you like it. It works best with a mandolin, acoustic guitar, ukulele, and a banjo. So, if you have any of these musical instruments, congratulations because you have found the perfect pick up too. It is easy to use, slips into your pocket and easy on the budget.
The design of this mandolin pickup has also been kept moderately simple and easy to use. You can carry it around with you and easily install it on your musical instrument whenever you like. Once you get to know it it’s pretty easy to do that.
6) Fishman M-300 Nashville Series Archtop Mandolin Pickup
Well, this series is not ready to stop yet, along with M-100 and M-200 we also have an M-300. The M-300 mandolin pickup has also been created for archtop mandolins and is only meant for that. It also has a ¼ inch output jack which will be used to install the pickup on the musical instrument.
This device has a very sleek design and along with that it also provides with an acoustic and crisp kind of sound. Like its other members of the series, it can also be paired up with an impedance matching preamp which will truly show you what M-300 pickup can do.
Of course, if you don’t want to use it you can skip it too. Since this mandolin pickup also belongs to the same M family, we recommend that you get it professionally installed on your mandolin.
7) Fishman M-200 Classic Series Professional Mandolin Pickup
Yet again one of our favorites, it is the famous M-200. Well if you are thinking why it is famous, you should know that Fishman M-200 mandolin pickup is famous because of its piezo-ceramic element which has been fixed into the ebony replacement bridge.
Now, this bridge makes sure that the sound being produced by the instrument is well listened and well played with a clear and high-quality sound. If you are into more jazz music and have an archtop mandolin then M-200 pickup is perfect for you because it has been specifically designed for the archtop mandolins.
It would be better if you get it installed by a professional since it is a bit complex to understand and mount on the right place. It has a ¼ inch output jack that is installed on one side of the musical instrument. If you use it with an impedance matching preamp, the sound from the musical instrument would be even more clear and good, but of course, you can do good without it too.
8) MANDOLIN CARPENTER JACK PICKUP with MICRO-GOOSE NECK by Myers Pickups
This pickup has the most modern and sleek design. It has a flexible gooseneck which is easy to use. It also has a carpenter jack mount that you can use to mount it to put it on your musical instrument. Myers pickups is a well reputed company known for making good quality and unique products. This jack pickup is just one of them.
The flexible gooseneck makes adjusting of the mandolin pickup easy and simple. One great thing about Carpenter mandolin pickup is that it can work with almost all musical instruments.
Although it best works with String Instrum, even if you have any other musical instrument like a guitar or a violin, anything that can produce some music with, you can use this mandolin pickup with it, it works just fine everywhere.
9) THE FEATHER” F-STYLE MANDOLIN PICKUP
Myers pickups have been well known for their high-quality products and exquisite work. They have been maintaining quality for a good number of years which is why they have remained a top brand in their field. And this time they have come up with an extremely lightweight, so much that is actually got the name feather.
However, its light size does not mean that it does not deliver the quality work, this lightweight mandolin pickup provides the richest and crisp sound just like all the other pickups mentioned in this list. It also easy to install, just take it out of the box, plug it in and start playing some good music.
It’s easy on the pocket doesn’t take much money. and the quality of sound that it provides makes it worth the money. The gooseneck is extremely flexible and super easy to use.
10) MANDOLIN PICKUP with MICRO-GOOSE NECK by Myers Pickups
Making it to the list of our favorite mandolin pickups is the micro gooseneck pickup which is a very versatile pickup. Our favorite thing about mandolin pickup is that you don’t need any complex installations, just take it out of the box, turn it on and that’s all, it’s ready to play some nice and fresh tunes.
This mandolin also has an active preamp that gives your instrument a fine and a crisp sound. It is also compatible with other musical instruments and by other instruments, we mean instruments like guitars and violins which can also take some good help with this micro gooseneck. The neck of micro goose neck mandolin pickup is highly flexible.
This pickup is of good quality and will remain durable for a good amount of time. It is available on a fairly good price and still remains to be the musicians favorite. It is worth a shot.
11) Schatten BM-1 PRO Passive Mandola Pickup
As the name of the pickup suggests it has volume control. It is a pretty simple pickup with no installation complexities. It easily installs on the current bridge of your mandolin, so you will not have to make any changes to your mandolin.
It isn’t as unnoticeable as some other mandolin pickups but still, it doesn’t look bad on your instrument. The Schatten BM-1 mandolin pickup will give your a very rich sound and will make your tunes sound much better and clearer. Because eventually what the audience hears is only what matters.
You can control its volume and it does not require any battery either. Schatten design is a good company which produces authentic and number one quality products. Their products are guaranteed to be of good quality and they also provide their own warranty with their products.
It may not have a very good design, but it works great and is perfect for your guitar and your music.
12) SUNYIN Transducer Acoustic Mini Pickup
This pickup has been made for your mandolin or guitar. It gives your instrument a clear, crisp and fuller voice. Each note can be heard distinctly. If you are into acoustic classical guitar music this mandolin pickup will be the best for you.
It is easy to install on your mandolin. It just needs to sit near the sound hole of your instrument, from there it will catch all the sounds and emulate them from all the noises and interference of external sounds leaving behind a clear and crisp sound.
It is a small device which means that it can stay with you all the time, its not very easily noticeable and so it wouldn’t look bad on your guitar which sometimes happens with the pickups.
Since it is a small device you can also move it around on your instrument and try to find the perfect place where you are getting the sound that you want. It is one of our favorite pickups that we have used so far.
Choosing the Best Pickups for Mandolin
So, the list of some of the best mandolin pickups available in the market ends here. All of these products are from well reputed and well-known companies. You can choose whichever mandolin suits you the best, keeping in mind your budget and your expertise level.