10 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups
for October 2023

The K&K Pure Mini Acoustic Guitar Pickup is an affordable pickup system for steel string guitars. It uses three acoustic transducers mounted in a large double-ring enclosure. The pickups are activated with a 9-volt battery, and this system is pre-wired, so you don't need to solder any wires. The Pure Mini is designed to work with any instrument with a 3/4-inch endpin jack. The pickups are a full-range system, so you can use the Pure with a steel-string acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, or a bass. The Pure Mini has a 60dB of gain, and it's sensitive enough to pick up subdued guitar tones. The pickups are quiet enough to use in silent practice situations, and they include a volume knob and passive tone control. The pickups are battery powered, but you can also use an 18-volt power supply. The K&K Pure Mini Acoustic Guitar Pickup is an affordable, durable, and high-quality pickup system for steel string guitars.

The Donner DSS-6 passive guitar pickup is a stylish, well-made, and relatively affordable solution for adding acoustic-electric sound to your guitar. The pickup features a solid mahogany housing, which transmits acoustic vibrations effectively. The pickup's volume, tone, and pickup level controls are placed on top of the pickup, which allow you to adjust them without removing it from your guitar. The pickup's humbucker design produces a nice, balanced tone, and the volume, tone, and pickup level controls allow you to tailor the sound to your guitar and your playing style. The pickup's soundhole mount makes it easy to install, and the installation process isn't complicated. The only drawback is that the pickup picks up a fair amount of feedback, so you'll need to use an amp to get a balanced sound.

The Donner DSS-12 Sound Seeker Guitar Pickup ($99.95) is reasonably priced and a good pickup for acoustic guitars. It works great with both electric and acoustic instruments, and it's easy to install. The pickup can be positioned anywhere on the instrument, and it comes with 12 adjustable saddles. The pickup's midrange is clear and bright and the bass is tight and clear, with a decent amount of punch. The mids, lows, and highs feel balanced, and the sound is natural-sounding and does not require a lot of EQ tweaking. The pickup's output is a little on the weak side (it can pick up a fair amount of noise when plugged into an amp), but it's adequate for acoustic instruments, and it's loud enough for live playing. The pickup is unobtrusive, and it has no batteries or power cords, so it's easy and convenient to use.

The AMUMU SP30 Woody magnetic soundhole pickup is an improvement over our previous pick, the Deily. While Deily's single coil pickup was better than many, it suffered from some issues, including brightness, lack of string balance, and noise. The AMUMU pickup is quieter, has a more balanced sound, and is easier to use. In our tests, the pickup was also slightly quieter than the Deily, though there's a big difference between 10dB and 10dB. The AMUMU pickup is easy to install, and it uses only one screw (the Deily uses two). The pickup is compact, and it does not protrude very far from the guitar's body, so it doesn't interfere with your playing. The pickup also has an adjustable volume knob, so you can adjust the volume as you play. The pickup's sound quality is decent, but it's a little brighter and less balanced than our previous pick. The AMUMU pickup is also louder, so it's best suited for acoustic guitars with a deeper body. The pickup includes an AC power adapter, but the speaker cable is not included. The AMUMU pickup is a good pickup, but only for those who intend to use it for steel-string acoustic guitars.

The Donner Acoustic Guitar Pickup (DSS-3) is one of the best-sounding acoustic guitar pickups we've tested. Its high-clarity sound is clean and balanced, and its detailed response not only captures the nuances of the guitar's sound, but brings out the detail in the strings as well. The pickup's 3V output is suitable for both active and passive guitar amplifiers, and the DSS-3 is easy to connect: Just plug it into a 3.5mm audio jack, and plug the pickup into your instrument's jack. The pickup's built-in pad and padded foam cover protect it from the elements, and it's small enough to fit on almost any guitar or ukulele. The DSS-3's volume control is handy, too, and it's very easy to use. The only drawback is that you'll still need to wire up the pickup's output to your favorite amplifier, and if you're using an active amp, you'll need to buy a matching preamp.

The Journey Instruments EP001K passive piezo pickup is excellent (and very reasonably priced) for amplifying the sound of a travel guitar. It's simple to install (it's held in place by a rubber band), it works great, and it's durable. The pickup's frequency range covers most of the range of an acoustic guitar, and its three ceramic pickup elements are excellently balanced (they each produce sound at a slightly different frequency, which helps cancel out unwanted noise). The pickup is passive, so it requires no power source, but Journey Instruments sells a power adapter and a 6-foot cable that makes it easy to hook up to an electric amp or pedalboard. The pickup's cable is long enough that you can position it close to the bridge of the guitar, which helps eliminate unwanted noise from strings and body. We also like that Journey Instruments offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you're not entirely satisfied with the pickup, you can return it for a full refund.

The KNA AP-1 is a portable, surface-mount piezo pickup for acoustic instruments. The device attaches to a guitar or other acoustic instrument using a non-abrasive adhesive putty, and it has a 1/4''-to-1/8'' input jack for connecting to an amplifier or other acoustic instrument. The pickup uses contact rather than electromagnetic technology, and it delivers the sound unaltered. The KNA AP-1 has high sensitivity, so it's well-suited to acoustic guitars, and it's loud enough to provide a baseline sound. The pickup provides plenty of output, and it's loud enough to be heard over other instruments and in a loud venue. The pickup has a relatively flat frequency response, and the included dot of adhesive putty helps secure it in place. Overall, the KNA AP-1 is a great choice for anyone who wants to add a piezo pickup to an acoustic instrument.

Our pick for the best value, the pickups are easy to install, and they deliver a natural sound. The pickups are shielded, so they'll work great with recording gear, and the included cable is detachable, so you can plug in directly or mount the pickups closer to your guitar. The pickups are louder than the Fishman, and they don't sound quite as warm, but they produce a clear, crisp tone. The pickups are easy to install, and they come with a helpful instructional manual, but you'll need a screwdriver to attach them. The pickups are louder and clearer than the Fishman, but the sound isn't quite as warm. The pickups are a little more expensive than the Fishman, but they'll last longer than either the Fishman or the Martin.

The KNA Pickups NG-2 pickup for the acoustic guitar is a well-designed, versatile pickup that makes it easy to take your guitar anywhere. Its small size, 3' (1 m) lead cable, and detachable design make it perfect for travel, and the built-in volume control makes it ideal for use onstage (the onboard volume knob is small enough to fit comfortably under most guitar straps). The NG-2's high-quality piezo pickup delivers natural sound without interference from other instruments, and its detachable lead cable makes it easy to plug directly into your guitar's 1/4'' input jack. The pickup's small size and detachable lead are its best features, though, since the pickup's cord is long enough to reach most guitar amps and cabs, and its small size makes it easy to stow in a gig bag or guitar case. The pickup's volume control is also easy to use, and it's located right above the pickup, so it's easy to adjust while you're playing. The NG-2's built-in volume control is also useful if you're using the pickup in a multi-guitar setup, because it makes it easy to control the volume of one pickup without confusing the other pickups.