I
NSTALLATION
For optimum pickup performance:
1.
Fit the base of the bridge
precisely
to the top of the instrument.
2.
Note that the tops of the height adjustment wheels are specially beveled
(See Fig.1). Make sure that the beveled sides face up toward the top of
the bridge.
3.
The adjustment wheels must be at least one turn (thread) up from the
top of the base.
4.
DO NOT attempt to combine the Fishman Archtop Pickup and your gui-
tar's magnetic pickups passively with a single mono jack. Doing so will
kill the performance of the piezo pickup. Instead, see “WIRING
OPTIONS” #3.
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W
IRING
O
PTIONS
We suggest routing the pickup wire in one of the following ways:
1. SUPPLIED EXTERNAL JACK
a. Remove the shielding cap from the jack and thread the pickup wire through it.
b. Solder the signal wire from the pickup to the tip connection on the
jack.
c. Solder the shield from the pickup to the ground tab on the jack.
Replace and tighten shielding cap.
d. Install the jack as shown in figure 2. If the instrument has a metal tail-
piece, attach the supplied ground wire to it. If the instrument has a
wooden tailpiece, attach the ground wire to the ball ends of the strings.
2. ENDPIN JACK
An E-Z mount endpin jack manufactured exclusively for Fishman by
Switchcraft is available. A 15/32" hole must be drilled through the end-
block and butt plate. If the instrument has a wooden tailpiece, attach the
ground wire to the ball ends of the strings.
3. STEREO WIRING IN CONJUNCTION WITH MAGNETIC PICKUPS.
The Fishman Archtop pickup and magnetic pickup(s) can be routed
through a stereo jack, fed through a stereo cable and mixed together via
the Fishman Blender system.
P
LUGGING
I
N
Due to the nature of passive pickups, the type of cable you use and the input you plug
into will affect the quality of your sound.
INSTRUMENT CABLE
Cable lengths over 10 feet (before preamp) will cause audible high frequency loss. Use
a high quality, low capacitance shielded cable. This will insure minimal tone coloration
and hum. Using fully shielded metal plugs will also help eliminate hum.
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KINDS OF AUDIO INPUTS
Because of the lack of standardization for high impedance audio inputs, special atten-
tion should be paid to what you are plugging into:
The ARCHTOP PICKUP will sound best when plugged directly into an input with a 10
M
Ω
impedance. At 10 M
Ω
, the full frequency response of the instrument is reproduced.
The ARCHTOP PICKUP can also be plugged into inputs as low as 1 M
Ω
with adequate
results. At 1 M
Ω
, the bass frequencies will be slightly rolled off.
PREAMPS
We strongly recommend using a 10 M
Ω
, impedance matching, buffered preamp in con-
junction with the pickup. A matching preamp will:
1. Realize the full frequency response potential of the pickup.
2. Permit long cable runs (after the preamp) without signal deterioration.
3. Allow precise volume and tone shaping with dedicated EQ.
4. Insure compatibility with virtually any instrument level audio input available.
Fishman Transducers manufactures a complete line of compatible preamps, all with 10
M
Ω
inputs:
POWERJACK - Miniature Endpin Preamp
GII & BII - Outboard Acoustic Instrument Preamp
AGP-2 - Onboard Instrument Preamp
PRO-EQ II - 4 Band Acoustic Instrument Preamp
PRO-EQ PLATINUM - Outboard Acoustic Instrument Preamp / EQ / D.I.
DUAL PARAMETRIC D.I. - Fully Parametric Two Band Preamp / D.I.
ACOUSTIC / BASS BLENDER - 2 Channel Pickup / Mic Preamp
POCKET BLENDER - 2 Channel Pickup/Mic Preamp
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AMPLIFIERS
Most musical instrument amplifiers (at least 1 M
Ω
input impedance) will yield useable
results. Acoustic instrument amplifiers (such as the Fishman Acoustic Performer Pro) have a 10
M
Ω
Piezo input; ideally matching the pickup.
DIRECT BOXES
You can plug the ARCHTOP PICKUP into an "active" direct box ( 1 - 10 M
Ω
input ) with
very good results. Using a passive direct box will sound weak and thin.
P A / RECORDING CONSOLES
Professional PA and recording consoles have a much lower input impedance than what
is acceptable for the ARCHTOP PICKUP; you will need an impedance matching preamp.
Plugging a passive piezo pickup into a mixer without an impedance matching preamp will
sound harsh and thin.
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TOP
FIG.1: ADJUSTER WHEEL
BEVEL
FIG. 1
FIG. 2
