The sound is crisp and clean. I installed the Anthem pickup on an old Carvin acoustic mohagany guitar i gigg with. The install was intermediate level luther work. The two sided tape for the battery was inadequate and i upgraded the same. It's unfortunate that LR Baggs will not warrant the devise unless installed by a professional luther but my representative Jeremy at Sweetwater assured me they've got my back. Kudos to Sweetwater!

Been using fishman pickups for years in my martins, tired of the lack of sustain and quack. Couldn't get the right sound without heavy eq and extra pedals. This thing directly into the PA is amazing. Much more body less quack. A++++!

This is my 4th one to purchase. I have put them in every acoustic I own. Easy install if you even want to do it yourself.

I have had many acoustic electric guitars over the years but the Anthem has the best tone quality of anything I've owned ranging from several different Fishman pickup systems, to the Taylor ES1 and 2, to LR BAGGS. The LRB Anthem is by far the most realistic reproduction of the actual sound of the guitar yet. I installed in a Martin D28, and my band and I were taken aback by the clarity and projection. The LRBA is very controllable and allows you to very easily make fine adjustments to your tone and volume in the moment. I would describe the overall feel as crystal clear, well balanced and buttery. Honestly speaking I cant imaging getting any closer to perfect without actually being perfect!

Oh and the install is EASY. Just drill out the tailpin hole to fit the output jack and screw into place. Drill the tiny hole under the bridge for the piezo cable and slide into place, stick the microphonic pickup into position under the bridge, stick the controller into place with the preinstalled adhesive tape, plug in the pickups and battery connections to the controller, use the provided adhesive wire clips to route the cables along the bracing and go play. It took a grand total of about 15 minutes from the time I opened the box till I struck the first note.

I installed an Anthem system in a mini Taylor, but suggested they use glued under-the-bridge round piezos instead of the thin wire under saddle type like with the Anthem. (I have a set of K&Ks in my guitar) I installed a set of Journeys for an added $. The Journeys sound amazing! You can blend with the mic, but its not even comparable. I think they will end up blending to just the Journey pickups, and, I didn't have to shave down the saddle for the Anthem. Your welcome!

"I've been using LR Baggs gear for years — the Anthem pickup in my Taylor is top notch, and I've coupled that with the Session DI and Para DI. They've given me the most natural, reliable acoustic sound I've ever had on stage. Warm, clear, and consistent every time. Couldn't imagine playing without them. Also, you can't beat the customer service at LR Baggs." — Justin Merle

I found that the adjustment tool for the pickup's mic level control had been left in the box by my luthier and he eventually threw the box out, thinking all was well. I wanted to make some fine adjustments and had to write to LR Baggs about obtaining a replacement - they responded immediately (like I was some famous guy's tech!) and asked for my address to send me a free replacement

I have a (now ~20 years old) Taylor 810 that is still in pristine condition. I have played in a band for some time (full band with my PRS and Strat), but wanted to do some duo/solo work locally.

I read lots of reviews, played lots of guitars at music stores with various systems in them, and decided on the LR Baggs Anthem system for my baby ;).

I paid a Luthier to install it since I am totally and completely unprepared to bring any sharp objects near my guitar myself as a learning experience! It cost me an additional $ for the work, but it was money well spent as I didn't want to do the drilling I heard was needed to install the new jack in the strap hole.

Now on to the sound quality. Plugged into my Allen & Heath Zed 10 fx (I don't think I used the high Z input btw), the sound was not that impressive. I moved the mix between the pezio and mic to the best mix I could make it and was .... quite frankly a bit dissappointed.

Then I plugged it into my X32 Rack through a DI. I added a little PEQ, a tinge of compression, and a little plate reverb and .... MAGIC! OMG. It is flat out heavenly.

For further validation, I was playing with a seasoned duo guy who purchased the latests and greatest Martin acoustic electric with the new electronics in it and his entire premium acoustic processing gear. The Taylor 810 with the LR Baggs and the trivial channel processing I gave it still sounded better to my ears!

Recently, I setup a friends CQ12 mixer for home and party use. Brought my Taylor over to test it out with. Again, glorious!

So, my conclusion is that for dreadnaught guitars like the Taylor 810, the LR Baggs Anthem system is nothing short of world class. Easily among the best systems money can buy today.

Also, while not immune to feedback (not acoustic guitar is in a live environment), it gets surprisingly loud in a small space before any rumble feedback starts raising its head. Very nice.

Also, I heard reports that people thought that their acoustic sound was modified a little by the addition of the LR Baggs system. All I can say is that it is difficult for me to determine as I had new strings put on at the same time. What I can say is that when I play side by side with other pro level top-of-the-line acoustic guitars, my 810 still sounds the best to me ;). If there was any effect at all, it is insignificant IME.

The system isn't cheap. I paid a solid $ for the Anthem and another $ for the installation. Seems like a solid deal to add top shelf electrified acoustic sound to my vintage Taylor dreadnaught that is now selling used for $ (I paid about $ when I bought it 20 years ago). In that light, it is cheap.

I got the acoustic pickup but have not put it in yet but I know it's great because I've gotten several of these from you. Thank you Sweetwater and TJ!

I had this installed in my beautiful 1975 Alvarez-Yairi DY 74 and absolutely love it. The guitar sounds fat, clean and the thumb wheel for the choice of ranges between the piezo and mic are amazingly broad. You'll probably have to pay to get it installed but it's totally worth it. I bought this guitar brand new in 1974 and everything I tried on it across the years was actually terrible until I got the Baggs. Couldn't be happier that my old buddy sounds like this!

Easy install , sounds great . Nick is a great sales rep as usual.

This pickup was installed on my Martin D-41 and has an excellent balance of the guitar's natural sounds and electronic projection because of its duel saddle and bridge combination design. Over the years I've used passive and active under the bridge and saddle separate pickups and this one hits the sweet spot!

I love this pickup I have it installed on my Martin's OM and OOO. The quality of the sound is amazing, I use with an acoustic pre amp for piezo pickup.

The pickup sounds great, but I noticed that it sounded "Clicky" on the house system where I play. After consulting my owners manual, it seemed that I needed to adjust the mic level down slightly to remedy this. This adjustment is accomplished using a long tool that inserts into a small plastic adjustment dial on the pickup. I was not able to properly insert the tool into the dial and ended up breaking the tool. After reaching out to LR Baggs customer support (they were very helpful) they told me that the dial is very fragile and the tool was designed to fail before the dial as the dial was difficult to replace. They sent me another adjustment tool for free. After receiving the new tool, I attempted to adjust the mic level again and was still not able to adjust it. Again, I reached out to LR Baggs customer support and they said the dial was likely damaged and they would repair for free under warranty. I would just need to remove the pickup and send it to them and they would repair and send back to me for installation. The frustration is that I had the pickup professionally Installed, so it seems I need to take it back for removal and then again for another installation. This is a cumbersome and poor design on an otherwise wonderful acoustic guitar pickup.

Installed this in a Martin 000-16 SM . Perfect for what
I needed it for . Easily turn the volume up and down and it sounds great . As usual Nick is a great salesman

I bought this thinking that it would improve my sound at my live acoustic shows. It turns out my passive Fishman pickup was much louder and honestly just sounds better. This pickup has low output for something that requires a battery. I wasn't impressed with tone at all. It's expensive, and then you have the cost of installation. My advice is to move on from this. It really isn't worth the cost in my opinion, and there are cheaper/better alternatives on the market.

I've had to replace the main unit twice and the output jack 3 times. Also, if you play regularly, don't expect the stick on wire holders to last. Easy remedy, however, LR baggs has very poor customer service so it makes it a bittersweet product. I'm on my third input jack, second main unit and second piezo pickup because random popping started when barely moving the guitar. very similar to bad cable sound. I've replaced the input jack and tested system with a new cable every time I heard the popping to be sure I can isolate the problem. The input jack could be totally fine but just so that I caould be sure it was the LR Baggs system causing the issues I purchased their jack to be sure. Sad because I love the sound but I'm not sure I'll give it another chance as it's beginning to happen again.

I ordered this pickup in April 2018. I can't say that I've worked it to death but it has been used in a number of performances/gigs, not weekly. When I played my mother-in-laws funeral service, the minute I plugged into my new Henriksen Blue 10, I got sounds like "backfire", quick, crackle, pop. I got through the service and immediately tested my other guitars; archtop thorell and a Maton TE 2021 guitar. No issues, but my Collings with this pickup, issues. Took it to my luthier yesterday and through his system, it is as if there is a problem with grounding. We took it apart and all the wires, connections, connectors, are fine, but we still cannot locate the problem. I'm now in the position of having to replace the pickup, which I don't want to do but I have no choice, the expense is not easy either. anyone else with this problem? please text!

I upgraded from a Triple K passive pick up and a LR Baggs Para DI. The LR Baggs Anthem was a definite improvement as the amplified sound is very much like the acoustic sound of my Martin HD-28. The Anthem also provides essential controls for live situations. No feedback issues yet. However, an inversion button is provided should feedback occur. Lastly, the Anthem is easy on a 9 volt battery and the staged battery check lights are cool!

This is certainly one of the best sounding acoustic guitar pickups available. Not inexpensive but worth it if you are seeking a professional sound.

Worked well with my vintage Tama acoustic.Very easy to install....Just get on YouTube and a video will walk you step by step thru installation,just make sure to hook wires into the preamp in the right Jack's or it won't work.

A great option to blend the sound hole mic & saddle pickup or select one or the other. You can amplify the true sound of your acoustic guitar.

I have a Lagg acoustic with a cedar top that sounds amazing acoustically but the stock electronics never reproduced that sound no matter what I tried. Bought this, installed by a buddy, couldn't be more satisfied. I can even dial in better than it's natural tone. This is what I was looking for.

I've got these in all my acoustics and they sound GREAT LIVE

It's the only system that makes my acoustic sound like it really sounds.

I just bought a Martin D-18 and tried an I-BEAM pickup. . . just don't. Spend the money on an Anthem. If you can't afford the full anthem get the SL. . . the sound is SO MUCH BETTER. I installed the anthem this weekend and it sounds amazing. Couldn't be happier!

I have recently started playing to larger audiences more regularly and needed to start amplifying my vocals and guitar. My set-up was a 2012 Taylor 410CE with the ES1 and a Fishman Loudbox Mini. I have had many problems with the ES1 which I will not get into here, well just a little. When I plugged into the Loudbox Mini which works great the guitar sound was not great, that is all I will say about the ES1...and finally the pickup system died.

I took my Taylor into my favorite acoustic shop. They asked me a really good question, "Are you happy with the sound from the ES1?" Me, "Not really." They recommended various pick-up systems mostly LR Baggs. After some research I settled on the Anthem for two reasons:

1. LR Baggs pickup systems are well known and regarded.
2. Having a microphone and undersaddle options and being able to blend between them gives a performer the ability to find the right sound for the space and performance type. Eg solo performance vs an acoustic guitar mixed into a fuller ensemble sound.

I was amazed at what a difference the Anthem made with respect to my amplified sound. The lower end and the highs have a deeper and fuller sound. I didn't realize how good the amp could sound until I got this system. The battery life seems to be great on paper, will update once I've got the time needed to try it out.

Do note: Unless you are well versed in getting into the inside of your acoustic or any guitar for that matter you need to take it to a shop/luthier for installation.

Great sound and though it is expensive if you need the various options for mixing your sound it is worth every penny. If not there are many other great options by LR Baggs at other price points.

Had it professionally installed. Just not happy with the sound. Piezo is extremely dull and seems to mainly pick up the bass. The mic picks up the treble and is very, very bright. I,ve had it about a month and just keep trying different combinations and just can,t seem to find that magic that everyone is talking about. For the price, expected much more.

It's inside my 000-18 and I'm a Happy Player!

Wow!!! I expected there would be an improvement in my acoustic sound but the Anthem really exceeded my expectations!! This PU replaced the original equipment on my Epiphone Masterbilt and I am very impressed with the natural and clear sound now. Thanks to Brad for recommending this system!! Love working with Sweetwater and am looking forward to
future purchases.

Keep an open mind here. When you've heard better, it's easy to discern what's good. Conversely when you haven't, something you haven't heard yet may sound best to you.

I have played live on several gigs with both the Anthem and the Lyric.

Here's where I'm going to knock it: The mic is stupendously awful. It's good that in the Anthem option, you can blend it with the transducer. I play it with only about 10% of the mic turned on, to give just a slight top end to it and remove the quackiness of the transducer. At first I had the Lyric only, which was not even worth $100 in my opinion. (The presence control on the Lyric is beyond terrible, and should be a tone control instead. Luckily that is removed in the Anthem product and the set screw has a different function.)

This is also a good time to point out that the proprietary tool needed for that inset adjustment set screw is just bad engineering. A tiny thumb knob would have been far better, or at least adjustable with a philips-head screwdriver. Unreal.

Back to the mic, it is a feedback beast. If you plan to run it mic-only (or mostly mic) it LOVES the 520Hz range and you must have a feedback buster in order to play anywhere within 10 feet of a speaker. That is also senseless as you will have to carve out the feedback buster to accommodate the pickup control panel in the soundhole. It would be great if this had a built-in hard notch around that range in the mic circuit, not mention a hard rolloff over say 12K. Just really lackluster engineering on that mic. More thought needs to be put into the entire package.

Do not expect to loop live with just the mic, or mostly mic. The mic will pick up your vocals through the guitar, along with feedback. It's not acceptable to hear loud, weird muffled muted vocals and "whoooom" feedback in a live loop. It renders your looping useless for the night.

The transducer only option is not that great either. It does lack the top end clarity that the mic provides. People tend to say "Oh you can only do so much with a transducer and you get quack no matter what" which is absolutely false. B-Band used to make a terrific UST that had a modified transducer material that they called an "electret" which was phenomenally better than all of LR Baggs products, but alas they are long defunct now. (Perhaps LR Baggs could get in touch and resurrect the hardware and re-brand it.)

It also would not kill them to put labels on all their switches and dials. It's 2023. The standard user may have no idea what in and out of phase is. I've always said if you're too cheap to put labels on your own controls, don't sell them commercially.

While you can get a decent sound out of it, expect to tweak it and leave it alone forever. It's quite a balancing act and you can forget being able to tweak it on the fly. You must be very intimate with this and expect to spend a couple hours tweaking this before you play live with it, then realistically expect issues that you will have to dial out later.

Best plugged in acoustic sound you can get.

I would suspect, and hope, that I'd be struggling with boomie, bass feedback from the mic. But instead, the mic picks up the high tones - the scratches and squeaks as your fingers move along the frets. It would be best to add the "wood" tones to the mix via the mic inside the guitar. But this system doesn't do that.

And I would suspect, and hope, that the piezo would pick up the crisp, clear high tones from the "steel" strings tone. But instead, the piezo provides a dull, muffled tone, one you'd hear if you turned a tone knob to zero.

This pickup system is designed exactly backwards from what it should be. It's a real shame that they missed the mark so perfectly. We're all familiar with the "steel" tones that piezos provide, and how the "wood" tones can be missing with an under saddle piezo. And the boomie feedback from a mic inside the guitar. A proper mic inside the guitar could add the "wood" tones missing with the piezo and complete the sound beautifully. Especially if you could balance the two.

But this system, as I've said, is absolutely backwards. The piezo is mute, dull, bassie, muffled. And the mic is overly crisp - completely missing the "wood" tones possible with a mic.

I pulled this system out of my 1987 Takamine G330 today and re-installed the simple Fishman. The difference is remarkable. I regret buying the LR Baggs, advise you to think carefully before you buy and install it, and will never again use this backwards-designed system.

My opinion only. But this is my experience with this pickup system.

Hands down, no hesitation… this is the best pickup for acoustic guitar. Ive owned all the major ones, and never been satisfied. This pickup wow'ed me. Sounded good right after it was installed. Took it to a gig 4 hours later, and played that guitar all night. If you want something reproduces the sound of your guitar on a live stage. This is it. It's not tricky to install, but if you have never cut a bridge, or are nervous about drilling, get a luthier to do it. I cant imagine anyone not being happy with this pickup.

The Lrbags anthem is perfect. 4th on I have. One had an issue with the mic. Lrbags replaced it even before I sent the defective one to them. They sent it out on the day I spoke with them. Sweet water has been great ,timely shipping and very thoughtful safe packing for my new guitar as well

Great product, Great service!
Thank you,
Vesper Guitars

I never write reviews, but I just had to for this. If you want the best sounding pickup for on-stage (I'm not talking studio) then buy this now. This is the best sounding plugged in sound you can have, period
I put this in an older Taylor 414 with Es1.3 system (the first one with 9v battery). The sound is night and day, it's like 1000x's better.
Also put one in a brand new Taylor 614, custom ordered with no pickup system. The sound is unbelievably amazing!!
I did a test while looking at new high end acoustics, and actually plugged about 10 high end Taylor/Yamaha/Gibson/Takamine (sorry no Martins) directly into a portable zoom recorder (so the actual sound of the pickup). Sounds varied from decent to bad.
The sound of the Baggs in the 414 is fabulous. The sound of the Baggs in the 614 is otherworldly.
I got this over the Anthem SL because of the battery light (an absolute necessity) and the ability to custom blend the pickup for different circumstances (the seat spot is go all the way to the mic and then roll the knob back one finger's worth).
I only wish I would have done this sooner.
Great deal from Sweetwater too.
By the way these will absolutely work in the new Taylors with V-Bracing. Just make some 1/8" shims (same size/shape as the stickers)

If you're on the fence about installing one of these, I want to tell you - don't be! My amp tone now sounds just like my unplugged tone. I used this to replace an Element VTC in a Gibson J45. The install was fairly simple; just take your time and really make sure you have everything where you want it.
One common concern with these is that the preamp will affect your unplugged tone. I just want to say that this has not been the case for me in any noticeable way. Definitely recommend this system!

Wow, just amazing! I've had this installed professionally in a American made 2002 Big Baby Taylor. I personally think those California Big Baby's are better, I believe more pride was taken in them 20 years ago. Anyway, it was my understanding that an expert should install this so I had the Luthier in my local area do it. I've read reports of white noise, the preamp disengaging, and other problems but I think if you pay a little extra to have it done, then it would be worth it. It's sounds amazing, I've played through 3 different PA's in a two week time period and this thing is warm and crisp no matter what. That tone is unmistakable
LR baggs. I have a venue DI plus a align series reverb and those make it even better. 2 out of 3 times I've just went direct through the PA though. I can't say it enough, amazing tone, no feedback, crisp clarity of notes and did I say the tone? The TONE! On a Big Baby? I know, I thought I was crazy too, but..the tone man.

This pickup is fantastic and is the best sounding acoustic pickup I've ever heard or used. After fighting that awful Taylor system I pulled it and replaced it with this. Brought my Taylor 514 to life. Run through a LR Baggs Venue- its fantastic amplified sound. Even recently, the FOH guy commented that my Taylor is the warmest sounding and least EQ-effort needing guitar they run. All that gross piezo stuff is gone- just do it!

I have several acoustics that came with pups pre-installed. I also have 3 now that had this L R Baggs Anthem installed both locally and by Sweetwater. I'm the kind of guy that seldom hammers a nail. In any case, the Anthems all sound the best by a pretty wide measure. I put one on a $350 guitar and another on a $4000 guitar. Performs amazing in both.

This pickup system has the most natural and versatile sound. I have installed three of them in three very different acoustic guitars. All are great.

I recently was on the hunt for my forever acoustic. I am mainly an electric player but as I get older I am appreciating the acoustic and want to start a duo. So I have a Taylor 214ce at home and its OK but not great. I tried every Taylor I could get my hands on and even purchased one from SW but it just wasn't doing it for me so I ended up with a Martin D35 that needed a pickup system. I bought this and had it professionally installed. I doubt it will ever replace a decent mic but in live situations it not very practical. This is about as good as one can expect and with the blend and phase options it is relatively easy to get a good sound. The most important thing is it sounds like an acoustic guitar, not a metallic representation of it with no soul (sorry Taylor).

I am very happy with this and the luthier I took it to (top notch) said he only puts these in his guitars. That says something.

Best acoustic pickup every made.I put one in 73' Guild acoustic .Now I'm planning on putting it in my Taylor 914CE!

I simply couldn't believe the sound quality I was getting after installing the Anthem and plugging it into my Bose L1. I didn't have to tweak the mic control at all, barely fiddled with the blend and it sounded like there was a studio condenser sitting in front of my Martin StreetMaster. No issues with feedback either, and I was moving all around in front of the speakers. Even if I rotate the blend all the way to the undersaddle pickup I barely hear any of that characteristic DI'ed guitar buzz. With it even slightly blended with the mic it disappears entirely.

The only thing I could compare it to is the Expression pickup system in my Taylor 814ce, and it sounds even better than that.

I will say I was a bit nervous about the installation process (particularly sanding down the saddle to compensate for the new pickup under it. A trick that worked for me was to take a mechanical pencil and mark where the saddle is sitting against the guitar before you remove it. And then drill the hole for the pickup and install it (making sure to tape at least 1-2" of the excess inside the guitar against the body). Then I laid some 320 grit sandpaper on a table and rubbed the bottom of the saddle against it, trying to keep it as straight as possible, sanding a little bit at a time and putting it in the guitar to check where the line I marked earlier was at. This way I was able to get the line exactly where it was before and thus preserve my action and intonation. It ended up being a lot more straightforward than I thought.

Cannot recommend enough!

Great pickup and stands up to the hype!

This pickup really translates what your guitar sounds like. If you don't like how this pickup sounds then you don't like how your guitar sounds. Pickup was easy enough to drop in my J45. The J45 has a LR Baggs Element in it so everything was drilled out and ready to go for me. The mic is really forgiving with placement so just drop it in the recommended location and you're good. On the first strum I was really happy with this pick up. l

I have this Anthem in a J45 and the Anthem SL in a D18.

I personally like the SL more because it's set and forget. The control panel is smaller and less likely to fall out when I'm checking the guitar on flights. The full size Anthem's control panel is smaller than it looks in photos though. The SL works with a cross over between the two mics (250h and below is the piezo and above 250h is the mic). It' s a perfect blend that minimizes the likelihood of feedback and eliminates phase issues.

On the full size Anthem the pickups are full range with the frequencies and you can blend them. Sounds amazing. You'll need to use the phase button when blending the pickups. Pick whichever of the two polarity positions that has the most bass and you're in phase. I use the Anthem a lot when playing out. The full size anthem has a way to check the battery health. The SL does not. Being able to check this adds so much peace of mind. I will say though. I went over a year (with heavy playing) without changing my battery on my SL. I changed it to be safe after a year but the battery was still good.

Both pickups are awesome but if i had to do it again I'd stick with the SL. It's kind of like a SM57 and a SM7b. You can't go wrong with either, they sound a little different (but in the same camp), one has more options and anyone listening will enjoy how it sounds.

I'll keep this short - I've tried most major pickups and virtually every major brand. Some have sounded really really good over the years, but I never had one that actually felt and sounded truly natural. The Anthem does that. Had one pro installed in a Breedlove Revival dreadnaught, to replace another older Baggs system, and wow. The tone and balance is like nothing I've ever used before, even great pickups I've used in the past. Most pups today sound "fine" or even "really good," but this is on a different level. Sounds great banging away on it or fingerpicking. And you can tweak the balance between pickup and mic on the fly. And even if you go all piezo and no mic, there's still none of the dreaded "quack." I run it through a JHS Pulp n Peel compressor (a secret that every acoustic player needs to know!), Boss RV-5 for slight verb, and a BBE Acoustimax Preamp for some EQ and it's just great.

One thing though - you want to make sure a great luthier puts it in. The Anthem isn't fragile or picky or anything, but just get someone to do it who knows how to place the mic etc. That kind of thing. I was so blown away, I ordered 2 more for a Taylor 12 string and an Avalon acoustic. Out of all the brands and options, this one just really really works and sounds amazing. You will not regret it. Is it pricey? Well, sort of. 299 is a good amount, but when you need to amplify your guitar (that for some of y'all costs 5-15X the cost of the Anthem!) why try to save a hundred bucks or so? Well worth the investment. Thanks Baggs! And thanks Roq for being the best SW rep!

I had an LR Baggs Dual Source system installed in my J65M Martin. I really liked it but since it was 20 years old and technology has advanced so much I felt it was time for an update.

First the improvements are significant and the Tru-Mic is the most impressive. Location of the mic was key with the Dual Source system but the Tru-Mic mounts right on the bridge plate. No need to move the mic around looking for the best location inside the guitar. And it does a great job picking up the spectrum of sounds. Next is the battery level indicator which was sorely missing on the old system. I'd change batteries long before they needed to be replaced out of fear of it dying while on a gig but no more. The preamp and controls mount on the edge of the sound hole and aren't as unsightly as the old externally mounted remote control.

My luthier installed it and yesterday I was able to spend the time to dial in the sound. And there is a significant improvement in the overall sound output. The old system mic would easily feedback but the new one only fed back when cranked beyond a normal setting. My jumbo bodied guitar had a huge bottom end boom with the old system that was tricky to tame. Not so with the Anthem. Yes there was boominess but it was easily dialed back when I set things up.

All in all a great system that I highly recommend.

I have played acoustic for many many years and have tried all major brands and models. Take that FWIW, but I've been a Baggs fan for quite some time now, and have had 5-6 of the M80 and M1a pickups, the Dual Source (and have had 2 K&K and several Fishmans and several other brands as well over the years), but these are my first Anthem pups. I have them in a 6 string dreadnought and a 12-string Taylor Grand Auditorium, and I'll just say what's been said so often - this is the best pickup I've ever used whether strumming hard or fingerpicking. It just sounds natural, and full-bodies and never "thin" or quacky. Very very impressed. Are there cheaper options? Sure. But I think 299 is a steal for great tone. Trust me (and many others) this is the right choice.

I bought the Anthem pickup for an older Martin D35 I have. It's made a major improvement in sound from the piezo pickup that it replaced. The Anthem incorporates a piezo along with an internal microphone and gives you onboard blending adjustment between the two along with outgoing signal volume control. I love the microphone sound and the ability to blend in or out the piezo if needed. The other feature worth having is the battery strength indicator built into the preamp control taking out any guess work of your current battery charge. No regrets.

This has been a great piece of equipment so far.

My 1974 D-55 Bluegrass Special sounded amazing from the day I pulled it out of the box, but I've long searched for the right pickup. The Anthem is incredible and gives a whole lot of power to fingerpicking. This is not a fingerpicking guitar, but it is my style and I love the sound. The Anthem makes it project like a fingerstyle instrument. Wonderful.

I bought this a few years ago and put it in my Martin 000-15M Stagemaster. I couldn't even tell you how happy I am with the sound I get out of this guitar and pickup combo. It is rich, has a lot of depth to the tone that I get out of it and also still very clear and precise. I've always preferred Martin guitars because of the full rounded and deep tone that you hear when playing them unplugged. I'd never been able to replicate that until I got this pickup. It allows me to hear and get what I want to hear out of my guitar without having to EQ the mess out of it. It is well worth the price as far as I'm concerned.

Quick caveat: I didn't purchase from Sweetwater.

I had the Anthem Tru Mic installedin my Breedlove C20SM ten years ago, when it was a new to the market product.The Breedlove is a great sounding guitar.

I was amazed at the plugged-in sound. The sound of my guitar, only louder.

The blend control enables you to get the sound you need depending on circumstance.

On a lively open mic/jam stage, I dial in more of the undersaddle Element. This provides a bit more snap and low end.

I have had a bit of feedback a couple times. Adding more of the piezo and the using the phase button tames it. This was a lively acoustic jam - pretty loud.

I agree that the Anthem has a fairly low output. I've used a LR Baggs Venue (not mine) with good results with a bit of volume boost.

My method now is to plug into my Fishman Loudbox Mini and run the XLR out into the PA.

This gives me amazing acoustic sound as I can blend in more of the Tru Mic.

I get compliments on my guitar sound all the time. One night an older lady approached me. She said, "I'm not a musician, but your guitar sounds wonderful."

I highly recommend the Anthem Tru Mic. It's by far the best acoustic pickup system I've heard.

Sounds great just as all of the other reviews stated. I replaced a Baggs Element VTC on a Custom J45 so the drilling was already done. The piezo on the Anthem is far superior to the Element (circa 2015), blend in the mic and it has a wonderful sound. It gets a little lost in upper register single note lines, but I don't do a lot of that in my acoustic sets.

I previously added a K&K Mini wired to the stereo Element jack and mixed the two in Radial Mix-Blender - it was better then the Element alone but was not great and also feedback prone. Because I had to razor blade the Mini out, it was a little extra work. Otherwise dropping in the Anthem was easy.

I'm about to install the Anthem system on my third acoustic build. It's done a great job on the first two. Installation is a breeze and the clarity and balance with the microphone and piezo pickup create a solid representation of the sound my guitars.

I'm primarily an electric player, but I have an American made Breedlove C25R/CRH (cedar top, rosewood back and sides w/ebony fretboard) which is a great guitar and the only acoustic I own. But I was never happy with the stock LR Bags peizo pickup in the guitar. Just did not sound natural. My worship pastor has a couple Martin's and a Gibson J-25, and all of them have the Anthem in them. And I was always impressed with their sound.

After doing the research, I called a luthier for his opinion and estimate for installation. He stated he was not that impressed with the Anthem, and the unit was a bit difficult to install. He liked the K&K mini. I opted to go with my impression on the guitars I had heard. After a quote of 2 hours bench time, I decided to tackle the install myself and purchased the unit. Since my guitar already had the hole drilled, the install was pretty straight forward. Just needed a long dowel to line up the end unit into the jack hole. Took me about 1.5 hours and happy with myself that I chose to do it.

The unit is a huge improvement over the stock LR Baggs. First strum and I knew I had made the right decision. Very natural sounding, and sound great with some ambient sounds with it. Also, my dog Bailey approves!( see photo)

Pros: Balanced, natural sound; easy install; non-intrusive look to your guitar.
Cons: Pricey, hence one star removed; not sure I would install in a $400 guitar, unless you plan to keep it the rest of your life.

Not much more I can say.... but that it sounds amazing in my Martin. Touring with it now :)

I was very nervous about installing a pick up in my Martin. I did my research snd ordered from Sweetwater. I could have purchased this pick up from many suppliers but the personal service I received from Sweetwater was 2nd to none. I won't buy from anyone else. Personal care is everything.
Many thanks to Patrick, he is a musician and understands my needs. These folks WANT your business and don't take you for granted.

Recently ordered the Anthem from Sweetwater for my Eastman E20OM. I like many can't stand the sound of most pickups but the Anthem gets really close to making me love the sound of my guitar plugged in. This is an install that I probably wouldn't do yourself. I took it to my luthier and he installed it for me. Sweetwater as always provided the highest notch service of any company in the biz!

Take it from a guy who ended up installing the LR Baggs Element, the SL, then two full Anthems in the same guitar, you might want to know a few things about this pickup system before buying.

First, Installing was easy enough, but here's what you need to know. Because of the tru-mic system and the advertised low feedback this system has, it comes at the cost of having very low gain. My normal pre amp at the sound board is 25db for my other acoustic. With this system it's at 52db+… That's a big deal! I found that running gain that hot added unwanted hissing noise in my signal path (around 6khz). It also made the tru-mic ultra-sensitive to pick up every bump or rub that touched the guitar. To check if this was just me. I installed two full Anthem systems, the SL, and the Element. I found that the SL and Full Anthem systems run at the same low-gain signal. Thankfully, I have a solution. I have a Helix pedalboard so I could throw two preamps, gate, and eq pedals to get this sorted out. But, If I didn't have a Helix, this would be a deal breaker. LR Baggs, if your reading this, come out with the Anthem High Gain Edition I'd gladly risk feedback for more gain! During my testing I did find the LR Baggs Element has a higher gain and fixes the problem, but it's not a tru-mic. After talking with them. they seem to know the limits of their system and that it isn't for every person's context. During this process, (about four weeks!) the guys at LR Baggs and Sweetwater tech support were great. Nothing but praise for all the help despite my woes. Ok, now that's behind us, why do I still have one of these Anthem systems in my guitar?

Simple…the sound. I basically have it mixed to about 95% true-mic on my guitar (McPherson Sabel). It reproduces a very accurate mic'd guitar sound. One of my other acoustic players on my team said, "man, that sounds like your guitar." That's a big deal, because plugged-in acoustic guitars don't usually sound the same as an unplugged guitar. I don't have any "quack" effect (harsh metallic sound when you pluck a string). Just beautiful natural fullbody tone.

Now, there is an under-saddle pickup. It's a piezo, it quacks, but you're not getting an Anthem system for this one. It's all about that tru-mic (thus 95%). I suppose if your in a band situation or playing with other musicians and need a little more pop through the mix, you can add a little more under-saddle (I haven't found the need though). The controls are easy to use and I appreciate the battery indicator for peace of mind too. The whole system feels very light. Lighter than the battery that powers it.

If you install this system yourself I recommend doing a good job securing all the wiring in the guitar via the mounting clips that come with. I initially experienced some unwanted pops.and odd sounds in my signal path because of some loose wires rattling around. It's fixed now, but something to mention.

Overall, I love this pickup for the authentic mic'd guitar tone, but hate the fact that the low-gain issue forced me to work for it. Maybe, your situation and context is different and it will work perfectly for you, but as the title stated here are my honest thoughts and I hope this will help you make a better informed buying decision.

On my first build, I installed the Fishman Ellipse system, with a gooseneck microphone. While I liked the sound with the system, I decided to try the LR Baggs Anthem system on my second guitar, a 12-string. I liked the idea of having a microphone setup to capture the sound from the body cavity, as opposed to right under the strings, with the Fishman system. I couldn't be happier and am installing the LR Baggs system once again, on my third guitar. It's he system beautifully captures the full sound of the 12-string.

Best for Sound Realism of ones instrument.

I installed the Anthem into my 45 year old Alvarez 12 string. The Anthem has brought new life to this long term companion. This is the best modification I have made in years.... Being able to balance the levels of each pickup is more than helpful. Paired with a Para DI box takes it to perfect.

When I bought my newest addition - a CORT Gold D8 in Lightburst - to my silently growing unknown-to-my-wife guitar collection (12 and counting), I was pleased to know that it did not come with a factory-installed pickup. For years, I have been wanting to get one of the LR Baggs Anthems. So, I wasted no time in ordering one online, of course from Sweetwater. Dave Brow, my long-time and trusted Sales Engineer promptly gave me a follow-up call. Now, I know all about LR Baggs' policy regarding DIY Installation. So, I spent a considerable amount of time reading the manual and watching YouTube videos. And made the decision, that I will do the installation myself.

I wouldn't call the installation super easy. I would not call it hard either. I'm not a real musician. I'm actually a healthcare professional. But, I like doing stuff myself. So, I did it, It actually took me the entire day because I took my sweet time (no pun intended). It was raining anyway. With the Pandemic, it was best to just stay home and do something. When it was all over, my Cort D8 never sounded so good! To be honest I have not made any fine adjustment on the Tru Mic level because the Anthem already sounded great out of the box. But, I will still definitely try to tweak it as soon as I learn how it works. The reason for this is, the Anthem system has 2 sources of amplification - the Tru-Mic (under-the-bridge microphone) and the Element (under-saddle piezo pick-up). And adjusting the Anthem's Tru-Mic's level relative to the Element under-saddle pick-up level according to the manual, is vital to the sound of the Anthem system.

But for now, I'm just happy that my inexpensive little-known all-solid wood acoustic guitar sounds like a super expensive premium guitar costing several thousands more. I am so pleased with it and enjoyed the experience of installing it, that I immediately bought another LR Baggs Anthem from my local music store.

I bought this for my brand new 000- 15 SM Martin and just received a phone call from my luthier that the control unit would not fit between the braces of this particular guitar. Bummer. Called Matt at Sweetwater an ordered an alternative, a Fishman, and had it direct shipped to the tech. Matt at Sweetwater is the best guy to deal with! That's why I use Sweetwater. !

Had a question about mounting the Anthem preamp piece onto my guitar and Caleb was extremely responsive and clear with his advice. He also sent me additional adhesive pieces very promptly. This excellent support is the earmark of a well run company that stands behind its products and deserves my business. Thanks so much Caleb!

I ask a great guitar tech i know about the anthem system and bought it on his recommendation.
The sound is incredible. The one reservation I had was the mounting tape for the control and mic. My freind said he had had used this type of tape and it lasted for years. Mine lasted about as long as it took to restring and tune. Pretty bummed out about this.

I had Sweetwater put this in my Martin Streetmaster and it actually sounds better than some of my other guitars. I would buy it again for a guitar if I needed pickup system. It's amazing!

This is not cheap, but it's worth it. I have one on my Gibson SJ200, and just installed this on my old D-18. I can plug directly into my digital recorder and it sounds amazing because it's a condenser mic right inside the body of the guitar (and a blended pickup if needed). I imagine if you're in a pinch you could plug right into a PA system and it would sound pretty great. Also, it's really easy to install if you already have a piezo pickup hole under the nut and a hole for the jack (I wouldn't try drilling those myself). You need patience and precision, but if I can do it anyone can. (Note that L.R. Baggs discourages people like me from doing things like this, and my warranty is officially void.)

It's prettier than a sound hole pickup, but does require drilling holes in your guitar. My old Martin already had those holes, so this was a huge improvement over the cheap nut piezo I found it with.

Had a local guitar shop install it, and my Martin HD28 just sounds great. Mixed in very easily into the mix at church (had a friend play it)...I never heard an acoustic sound so good. We took out a lot of effects, dramatic eq and processing we had to use for other acoustics. We just let the pickup do it's thing with minimal EQ and standard compression (to cover soft picking to heavier strumming) and light reverb. Didn't have feedback issues either. It's nearly perfect.

It's as close as you are going to get to a studio mic in front of your guitar. They adjust between the mic and the under saddle pickup plus a volume control, and really don't seem to use up battery very fast. Highly recommend

I researched various acoustic pickup systems for quite some time, and there are a lot of brands available. Based on many factors, I narrowed the field to LR Baggs and Fishman. I chose LR Baggs Anthem based on satisfaction ratings, appearance of the final installation and the ability to fine tune the microphone. Also, both brands would be easy to repair or replace, and are readily available. The installation was not very difficult, but does require some patience. After removing the strings, 1) ream the endpin hole to 1/2" for the amp jack and install the jack, 2) mark the height of the saddle in the bridge, 3) drill the 1/8" hole under the bridge and install the piezo, 4) sand the saddle to the marked height and re-install, and 6) install the microphone under the bridge. The remaining steps are easier. Organize the wires with the wire keepers (in the battery bag), and install the battery bag. Plug the four wires (jack, piezo, microphone and battery) into the control unit, and install the control unit adjacent to the soundhole. After you restring and tune the guitar, plug the guitar into an amplifier and tune the microphone. Recommendation: be careful and patient modifying the bone saddle. The final product is great!

Very happy with it . The under saddle and mic blend switch really gives the great tone on my 50 year old Martin. I run it through my PA and mixer. With no effects it sounds acoustic. If I could only add 1 pedal it would be a reverb, it warms it up really nice for finger picking

I carefully considered Fishman and LR Baggs systems for my guitars. They are both high quality products, but I chose the Anthem because of the final appearance. Both products provided great sound. Initial adjustments are simple and the controls are intuitive. Great product! The comparable Fishman had too many parts and a rather complicated installation.

I rarely give something 5 stars, but this is deserving. I installed this in a Martin CEO4, which has crazy good overtones and sustain. This system really brings that out when amplified. If you happen to install it in the same guitar you have to shave the bracing down inside the sound hole to make the controls fit properly, but not too difficult. Changing the battery on this requires removing some strings, which is the only minor criticism I have, but given the sound, it's worth it. The next guitar I buy I will probably look for a non electrified model just so I can install this system in it. I have a couple of Taylors with the expression and fishman pickups..a Rainsong with the element in it. This Anthem is noticeably better than all of them.

I had been enormously disappointed with the Expression system in my 114ce since I purchased in new in 2007- and finally I decided to do something about it. After purchasing an Expression Plug kit... I had the Expression ripped out and the Anthem installed in its place- and I have absolutely no regrets! Finally, I can plug in my acoustic and not have to worry about band aiding with pedals or outboard preamps!

It feels good to have the natural warmth and clarity that my guitar possesses amplified through a sound system. The mic / piezo blend is an incredible tone sculpting tool, and I am never looking back.

I have a 2006 Taylor 414 CE. I always thought the Expression system 1 sounded a bit springy and harsh and didn't convey the guitar's true acoustic voice. Finally the jack became noisy and replacements aren't an option. That meant replacing it with the ES2 or another brand. I went for the LR Baggs Anthem system. Wow, no regrets. Sounds just great for an onboard system. Natural, sweetness, and I can crank it. Installation was pretty easy if you're willing to take a drill to your guitar. The most time-consuming piece was machining a part to fill the space occupied by the battery/endpin jack assembly. I used 1/8" aluminum, but a thicker piece of wood would work, too. It just has to be strong enough to support the new endpin jack and strap lug. Which means pretty strong. Taylor retrofits are probably more difficult than most because they CNC mill the large openings in the tailblock to accomodate the ES components. But if you're willing to do what's necessary, you'll be rewarded with a well designed, beautiful-sounding blended system.

Love this pickup! I have put it in two of my guitars and the sound that you get from this dual pickup really translates the voice of your guitar better than anything else out there.

Captures an hd 25 as best as possible. Able to dial in great mix of microphone and piezo.

I put the LR Baggs Anthem in my 2013 Santa Cruz OG...really brings out the natural sound, and records nicely. I’m going to replace Martin thin line in my Martin OOO with an Anthem as well.

I have to say I am very impressed with the LR Baggs Anthem system. For the longest time I had been using the Element alone in my Taylor 412K with pretty darn good results. I think it's the best under saddle pu I've heard, but all under saddle pu's don't quite get it by themselves IMHO. With the addition of the Baggs mic in the Anthem system, and the ability to blend the mic and the Element together, I am very happy with the sound of my guitar live. It's more "acoustic sounding" than ever before. Nice work LR Baggs! Sweetwater as usual was right on point in all aspects of my purchase too! Nice work!

I haven't installed my Baggs yet, just an overall review of sweetwater. I've purchased quite a bit in a short time starting with my PRS, then a Les Paul, Bias FX 2 and a number of other things and the customer service is great, very helpful especially after the purchase!

The LR Baggs Anthem active pickup system is hands down worth every red cent!!! The under saddle pickup along with the Tru-Mic under Bridge Microphone allows you to dial in your Guitar"s natural tone perfectly, I was actually able to install this myself as the design and ease of use is very simple. I love the battery life button that allows you to see how long your 9 Volt has before needing replaced. I find the perfect blend for my Guild D-55 is 70% Tru Mic with 30% under saddle element. My wife was even blown away with how good I sounded plugged in. I did have to lower my saddle down 0.32" to adjust for the element height but overall I couldn"t be anymore happier with the simple but highly effective design and overall sound quality of the Anthem system! Do yourself a favor and buy this as you will not regret it!!!

Recently had Baggs Anthem P/U's installed in a Martin D42 & Larrivee Jumbo.
- What nice additions! Highly recommend.
- Improved the sound of already terrific sounding guitars: clear & warm. Just what I hoped for.
- And gave me more control over my sound... lets me control the blend between mic vs the UST (& why I added them).

Very happy. Will be adding the Anthem to my main stage guitar - a McPherson MG4.5. Note: I wanted to try it first in my other guitars before doing so. The Anthem passed the test with flying colors.

L our bags and come pick up is incredible! Just played my first gig with my new LR bags anthem pick up. Under saddle and microphone. Amazing tonal clarity. Extremely easy to dial in the sound I want. Output is a little low, but not a big deal. Just turn up the channel a little. I"m not even using a preamp or equalizer outboard. Just equalizer on my turbosound 300 PA.
Very clean acoustic sound. Even better than when I used the elements under saddle pick up. Light tapping on the top of the guitar creates an amazing cajon sound. Sounds like a quality cajon with piano strings for the snare. Could not be happier.

LR Baggs Anthem pickup has been out a number of years. I have used LR Baggs products in the past with great success. The Anthem follows suit. I love the ability to blend between a piezo and the mic. I installed it in a Yairi and it sound great. Would have given it a 5 but I haven't seen anything perfect so I give it a 4.5. I think you will like it.

I did a lot of searching and research on acoustic pickups. The higher end units give a more natural tone, but still allow some feedback. The anthem allows higher volume and output without the feedback. I had this professionally installed in my Collings CJSB and am running it through a Felix preamp by Grace Design. Both units are sold at Sweetwater and are awesome and natural sounding (studio quality). I have been a long time Sweetwater customer. I just got a new guitar and Mike Godlove overnighted the unit and comped me a cool Sweetwater t-shirt for my birthday. These guys are the best in service and they back everything they sell (2yrs), unlike anybody else!

I purchased this pickup to install in my newly acquired D28. I could have bought the HD28, but there was something about the sound that I just didn't like compared to the D28. (I'm super weird about my acoustic tones.)

After I got it installed, plugged it in, and just couldn't believe what I was hearing. I heard videos, but they for some reason just don't do this pickup justice. I think personally it depends on where the mic is installed, and in what guitar, but in the grand scheme of things, it's amazing! I'm dabbling in Martin's after being a long time Gibson fan, and while that's a song for another time, this pickup might make it's way into my songwriter.

Buy this pickup. Ignore Fishman, the Lyric, get the Anthem. You'll be glad you did.

I recently purchased a Martin HD28e with the Baggs Anthem already factory installed. I was very impressed by the sound quality; better than any other acoustic pickups I've heard. I ran it through a Baggs PADI box and into a Baggs Acoustic Reference amp. (since discontinued) and am so pleased with the sound and clarity. I purchased this Martin guitar from Dave Snow at Sweetwater - first class sales engineer and top notch service! Also, it was money well spent, having the pickup pre-installed by professionals; the price point wasn't much more than the exact same guitar without the electronics installed.

I am floored by how great this pickup system sounds! I have an old Angelica dreadnaught that was my father"s from the 70"s. Growing up, I used to feel like the strings were so high off the neck, but when I actually started playing I had the action lowered and it played really well. It"s been through many sing-alongs a in high school, college and beyond. I always loved the natural sound it projected and wanted to be able to amplify it. Of course, being in college meant I was on a budget and had a pickup installed. Unfortunately, it wasn"t the best sounding and did not translate the guitar"s tone accurately. Fast forward some years later, and I"ve modded enough instruments to confidently tackle installing it myself, I am not disappointed. This pickup system beautifully captures the tone and nuance I love about this guitar.

For the good news: Sweetwater Tech Support was great! I spoke with Dakota. He was very professional, knowledgeable, and so quick to find me a Certified Martin Guitar Tech in Brookfield, CT (closest one to my home in Rhinebeck NY, which is 60 miles one-way).

So, yesterday (10/11/18), my wife and I drove to "Connecticut Guitar and Strings" owned and operated by Luthier, Barry Lipman. What a great guy! Anyway, both my wife and I were very impressed with Barry. He was so friendly, professional, and it was an absolute honor (and leaning experience) as we watched him skillfully troubleshoot the loud "popping-and-cracking" sounds coming from the pickup system of my new "Martin D-28 Sunburst" guitar.

Anyway, after a short time, Barry showed me what was causing those loud popping-and-crackling sounds: The culprit was the "Microphone" part of the "LR Baggs Anthem Pickup" system. It was amazing thing to see -- watching him remove the microphone from the pickup system using his specialized stainless tools -- actually, he reminded me of a highly skilled surgeon.

So, now, I am waiting for an email from Barry Lippman soon as the LR Baggs company sends him either a new "Microphone" or an entirely new LR Baggs Anthem Pickup system.

Truly capable of translating the full sound of the D35, even when set to completely omit the soundhole mic.

I've tried just about every "high end" acoustic guitar pickup and/or onboard mic over the years, and for me, the Baggs Anthem beats them all. The DPA 4099 mic is spectacular, but the issues (ie, feedback) render it too difficult to use in a band situation. The Trance Audio Amulet stereo system is likewise spectacular, but the difficulty in installation and the proprietary cable requirements are negatives. The Anthem system is in the same league, but the ease of installation and minimal feedback concerns (thus far I haven't been able to get it to feedback) move it to the top of the class, at considerably less cost.

And as always, the service at Sweetwater cannot be beat.

I just had Sweetwater install this pickup in my new Martin HD-28. They did great. I love this pickup and am highly impressed with the almost perfect reflection of the tone. I really like the mix with mostly mic with some element piezo added in to give it some fullness. This will be used to play worship in my church- thanks to LR Baggs and Sweetwater for the great product!

I needed to find a solution to electrify my composite Journey guitar for use when flying to gigs.
I am very particular about my sound and the existing electronics weren't cutting it for me.
So after much research I decided to try the Anthem by LR Baggs.
There were a few challenges installing this in the Journey based on the state of the interior of this guitar...lets just say for the record, there was considerable sanding to be done and lots of black graphite dust was created.
After the install was complete I plugged it in with high hopes but ready to be disappointed...
But, I was not disappointed at all....in fact it sounded much better than I had anticipated.
I have a couple Pro Takamine's that have set the bar very high for plugged in acoustic excellence but this solution sounded very good. Thats the reason for the 4.5 and not a 5. I would put the Takamine electronics in all my acoustics if it was possible. But short of that, so far, the LR Baggs is a strong second.

Bought the Anthem to replace the ES pickkup system in my Taylor 324. I have been wanting to do this ever since I got the guitar almost 2 years ago… it is well worth it! The ES system always had this harsh metallic sound to it, and while I liked it better than a standard piezo, I still wasn't crazy about it. In comes the Anthem. I have only had it in for about a week and have only been able to really play it through any kind of sound system once but WOW! I is amazing the difference! It simply sounds like my guitar only louder! I would recommend anyone to use this pickup system! Even the Element piezo sounds good by itself! Way more natural sounding than my Taylor 310 with the old Fishman piezo! Absolutely love it!

If you're retrofitting your guitar with a permanent pickup/microphone solution, then I really don't even understand why the lyric is an option. The lyric feeds back when playing with a band. Period. The anthem does not, and sounds much better. Period. Spend the extra $100 and get the best there is for your acoustic. Unless you're experienced, do yourself a favor and pay to have a reputable luthier do the installation. Total cost will be around $400 for a turn key solution that fixes all the problems you've ever had playing live ... forever.

I’ve had many acoustics over the years with a miriad of pickups. Done we’re lre installed and done I added. The anthem us easily the best sounding I’ve had yet. I will be installing this pickup on another acoustic soon!!!

I had changed out the original blender system in my Taylor three times in 15 years. Decided it was time to try something different. This LR Baggs Anthem system makes my guitar sound as good, if not better than when I bought it. It sounds amazing though our sound system at church. Can't speak to the durability yet but the sound so far is more than I hoped for.

The guitar pickup works really well. I look forward to using all of the different features that it has.

I've been on the acoustic amplification journey for a couple of years now. Tried K&K mini, LR Baggs M80, and now the Anthem SL in my old Taylor 414. I have to say that for me, this is clearly the best of the lot for delivering a true and responsive amplified tone at decent volume.

All other solutions I have tried have required pretty radical EQ (Fishman Platinum Pro + MXR 10-band EQ) to get into a zone I could live with. Even then, I was not very satisfied. Always a struggle, rarely walked away from a performance truly happy.

Then, in goes the Anthem and suddenly I enjoy playing my acoustic amplified. The sound is natural, responsive and easy to dial in. It still has some of the artifacts being an acoustic pickup -- you can hear some of the piezo aspects of the sound as well as some crispy artifacts of the mic -- but the blend of the two creates something that's very close to natural and is a pleasure to play with just a little EQ optimization. No question that this is the best I have tried so far.

This is quite simply, the best acoustic guitar pick-up I have ever used! It is as close as you can get to putting a studio microphone in front of the sound hole. Very responsive and true!

I really had to think about this before committing because I did not want to screw up my Martin 00028EC guitar. Thankfully, that did not happen. The blending of the mic and pickup sound great! I am totally sold on this! Ironically, I still have my outboard Fishman Graphic EQ that really compliments this pickup!! Who knew? I highly recommend this pickup!

This is clearly the best acoustic amplification solution I have played and it is because it is a mic. I hate piezo tone. Installed myself in a respectable sounding jumbo I use for live gigs. First, feedback rejection is excellent. I was shocked at how good as this is my biggest complaint about using acoustic instruments in a band situation. Overall tone is more realistic as the mic obviously picks up the characteristics missed by a piezo. I finally like using the guitar live as it comes across more naturally and can maintain adequate and consistent volume. A regular mic on a stand is an unreasonable solution for band situations and has all kinds of other issues as well. Since the mic is fixed to the guitar there is a more constant signal as well as less delay, and no physical obstacles as well. In ear monitors make this solution bulletproof.

I own a Gibson J200. It came with the Fishman Aura pickup in it. I was never happy with the plugged in sound. I usually played unplugged so it didn't concern me a lot. That is, until it started humming badly. So I looked into replacement pickups and ran across the Anthem. Installed it. plugged it in and WOW. It actually sounds like a acoustic guitar!!!! If your thinking about the Anthem, you will not be sorry if you buy it, you'll only be sorry if you don't.

Tried numerous pickups and this by far is my favorite (play in church band). Great sound, no feedback issues so far, and I really like the control features at my easy disposal. I have 2 of these pickups installed, one in a Martin dread and another in a Taylor dread and both sound really good. Definitely would recommend. And alway top-notch service from Mike at Sweetwater!!

I got my first Anthem 2 years ago, installed it in my Alvarez Yairi. As soon as I plugged it in I fell in love. I liked it enough to put one in all of my acoustics. If you're looking for the perfect acoustic pickup, this is it.

I'm glad I consulted with my sales rep on this one (Andy Miller). I intended to go with the Lyric system initially but Andy said it was well worth the additional expense for how much better the duel source would sound in this little guitar. Wow! And the fitment is uncanny. The only issue I ran into is cosmetic, as the GS Mini does not have the traditional end pin (strap button). Once you remove the factory installed pin/plate you are left with a countersunk, bare wood ring around the jack. This can be remedied with a bit of ingenuity. Again, the sound was surprising for such a small bodied guitar. I would highly recommend this pickup!

I use the LR Baggs on my Martin HD35 and it reproduces the natural sounds of the guitar exactly the way it should! Great product. It's worth the price! Don't skimp on a lesser product that you will not be happy with.

if you own an acoustic guitar and you play live, you should absolutely, 100%, without a doubt be using the anthem system. It is hands down the best pickup system I've ever used. And I have tried a lot. I've spent a long time and a lot of money looking for that "perfect reproduced tone" out of my live acoustic. My days of searching are over.

I've used several types of acoustic guitar pickups. I've used a Taylor 814ce with the Expression System, a Guild OM with an LR Baggs M1A, a 714 Taylor with the older Fishman system, and now the Anthem in my Gibson J45. This pickup system really makes your guitar sound full, rich, and crisp. There are a lot of blending options (between the Tru Mic and the Element Undersaddle), and the battery level indicator is a very nice touch. I can't tell you how many good batteries I have gotten rid of worried that a battery would die on stage. If you are looking for a great sounding pickup, and don't mind paying someone to install it, the Anthem is a great option!

Sounds great sustain is amazing

I would give it 5 stars but it's not quite unplugged. However, it is definitely not a plugged in sound. I am extremely picky about acoustic tone. It was the best purchase as a musician I ever made! It works best accompanied by an eq. Other than that, it's a wow factor....

After having used several different types and brands of acoustic guitar pickups, I installed the Anthem system in my Martin D 35.
This system is designed in such a manner that makes it relatively easy to install. After making all of the necessary adjustments I became quite pleased with the sound Coming out from the PA.
I have heard this guitar through some very high end ribbon mics, and the Anthem system is the closest to that sound so far. Finally, there is "Truth to the Tone" in an acoustic guitar pickup system. Home run LR Baggs!

I have a 1974 Guild D 55 which I bought new in Houston TX that year. It has always had an amazing deep tone with crystal highs......I had a Barcus Berry in it all these years and only used it rarely as most of my playing was electric at this point. A return to an acoustic format brought out the need for an update to the electronics. Most newer units just didn't have the sound of this old beauty but I didn't want to mutilate her with woodworking. After much research I chanced the Anthem. WOW! I can turn the unit off, strum and then do it again with the unit on and bang; duplicate. You can of course vary the sound greatly with simple adjustments of the wheel. Strong lows , clear highs and great feedback control. What else is there? Maybe; even levels across the neck? Enough! If this doesn't do it for you, nothing will. Be your own judge. Some of the best money you'll ever spend. A product that does what it's billed to do! JP

Very clear and true sounding as advertised. The installation was easily completed into my first guitar build. There are no issues what-so-ever that I have discovered. I would not hesitate to recommend this pick-up.

ONLY BUY THIS if you want your guitar to sound exactly like it does live through any type of sound system.

This thing is awesome! Lots of tone options. The sound you love from your acoustic, louder!

Very good pickup. Installed in a 1993 Taylor 810. Excellent response to finger picking and aggressive strumming. No feedback. Not too difficult to install if you are accustomed to doing your own work. Do need to take a little off the bridge but that is easy. Highly recommend. Not a under saddle piezo sound. The microphone really gives a good ability to blend the true voice of the guitar.

I already have one of these in my Huss & Dalton DS and have loved the way it helps my acoustic guitar sounds like...an acoustic guitar with all the richness of its tone and timbre.

So I was confident when I added this to my Guild 12-string a couple of weeks ago...but the proof was in the pudding at the soundcheck at a festival last weekend when I plugged in and strummed my first chord...the jaws of the other musicians literally dropped and their eyes bugged out with the rich warmth of the tone, and I just felt wrapped in it! Very satisfied

If you need to plug in your acoustic for live purposes, buy this. It turned my buddy's 1942 Gibson L-00 from a great studio guitar with an awful live sound with it's K&K mini, to the best acoustic I've ever heard live. With the blend control he can get the exact tone he needs, and you never have to worry about batteries dying in the middle of a set with the LED indicators.
Again, if you need to plug in your acoustic, BUY THIS PICKUP.

I just had Sweetwater install an Anthem into my Martin D-18 . The ease of use with volume and mix control right at the perfect access spot. The Phase Inversion is a handy option, depending on where you use your guitar. The Mic control is excellent with virtually no feed-back problems and great control over handling noise. Overall this is a great pick-up.

I have an Alvarez Yairi DY-84. I installed a Martin Thinline right after I got it in 2005. I started playing music semi-professionally this past year. I read reviews and this pickup always popped up and reviews were great, I had it professionally installed and wow the sound that my acoustic had plugged in was just amazing. My next guitar, an Alvarez DY-38 will get the same pickup soon.

I recently had a Breedlove Custom guitar built for me. I was asked if I wanted the Anthem Tru-Voice system. I did not know what it was so I said no and went with the M1 passive soundhole pickup. I have used 4 such pickups in prior purchases, so I thought it was the best. For some reason, that match was not a good one for me. Never like the tone and touch sounds were loud as string sounds. What I wanted was the Taylor ES system in my Breedlove... but NO WAY JOSE! Then I caught wind of the collaboration between Breedlove and LR Baggs in the design of a NEW PICKUP SYSTEM. I the new Breedloves, this is a factory set blend version of this system. The new Breedlove Voice system is built on the work of Baggs & Breedlove to master acoustic sound for live performance.
THEY DID IT!!! You can now get studio quality miked sound at any volume without feedback. Gotta tell you this is a really bright, lively, full spectrum sound. You can turn the volume up and play extremely soft and get the tone you get acoustically but louder. I saw a review where someone said they thought this was the new leader... No 1. Then the said, second place is no longer in the rear view mirror. Let me tell you, my Taylor 814ce acoustic sound is almost the same as the Breedlove. Plugged in... Breedlove with Anthem sounds natural, 814 sounds a bit metalic. Never noticed that until now. If you like the ES, you'll be blown away by this pickup.
IT IS THAT GOOD!

Awesome product and...service. Thanks again guys.

This thing measures up to the hype. I really took a risk getting this based on some reviews online, especially at this price point. I'm really glad I did. I had this put in my 97 Taylor 420 to replace the fishman matrix pickup I had in it. This thing actually makes my guitar sound like a guitar! I'm playing in a full band at church where we normally run at about 90-94 db and I have had no problems with noise or feedback. My friend heard this and then played his Taylor with the expression system and ordered the Anthem the next day!

I was skeptical, but I'm glad I took the plunge. That is all...

I upgraded my Guild F50R jumbo guitar from the factory-installed Fishman Matrix pickup to the LR Baggs Anthem, and I'm 99% satisfied with my decision. The sound is so much more natural than the previous pickup - I'm really happy with that aspect. The reason that I dinged it a half-star is because of the following considerations:
- First, unless you are *very* comfortable with working on guitars, you are going to need to have a professional install this. For me, this added a significant additional cost to the decision to upgrade.
- Second, though the sound is much more pure coming out of the Anthem pickup than my old Matrix, the signal is waaaaay weaker. I use an acoustic guitar preamp when playing live, and with my old pickup, I had to have the preamp gain way down at 1 or 2 or else I could overpower with my signal. With the Anthem, regardless of whether it's on the mic setting or transducer setting, I have to set the preamp gain to about 75% of max just to get a comparable output level. In the end, if you have a good preamp this isn't an issue, but if you're used to having a strong signal without a good preamp, you may need to consider getting a preamp along with this pickup.

All in all though, I'm very pleased with the sound and I don't regret my decision.

Working at a decent sized church we've had dozens of guitars come through, from professional musicians with their own bus, to the mid-week-fill-in-guy who knows four chords. So long story short I've heard a ton of guitars through our system. Our worship leader has owned five or six guitars since I've been here, Taylor, Martin, Takamine, Ibanez, but she's settled on a Baden A-Style Mahogany with a cedar top that had just the right amount of warmth and projection, it's really a great sounding guitar. At $1800 it came with the "newset and greatest" Fishman Aura-Ellipse on board a couple years ago, and at the time i thought it sounded great. I will say it took quite a while, and lots of adjustments to get the sound we wanted but in the end it sounded really good. So Baden goes out of business, and last year I find a used one identical to the one our worship leader plays for $600, I bought it knowing how good it sounds and how much of a steal that was for what they used to sell for. I finally got around to putting a pickup in it because it didn't come with one, and I went with the Anthem.

IT"S NOT EVEN CLOSE...

This is the best sounding pickup I've ever heard and second place isn't even visible in the distance. I set it up (mic gain) at home and then took it to Church this morning, set the EQ flat, plugged into a basic Radial DI with no adjustment, and was absolutely blown away. It really is unbelievable, especially when comparing the Fishman Aura-Ellipse and The Baggs Anthem side by side in the same exact guitar. The Anthem sounds so much better straight out of the Box, and I cranked the montiors to check for feedback... nothing (if the phase is set right) . If funds weren't an issue I'd rip that Fishman out and replace it with an Anthem TODAY, on an $1800 guitar!!! Every professional musician I know who's heard it says the same thing, including the custom guitar builder I had put it in, it's really unbelivable, it sounds just like your guitar.

If your in the market, buy it, it will blow you away.

Had this professionally installed into a D-28CW. It captures so much detail I have to be careful how I move my arm. I love the spacious and airy quality I get from this bass-heavy box. I keep the adjustment nearly pegged to the microphone setting, and haven't run into feedback issues with a PA or my small amp.

This sounds much better than an under-saddle element on its own, including a good pickup of percussion taps on the body. If you want less of that, you can dial up more of the under-saddle element.

I am running this through a Venue DI. Initially I was running the mids down a bit but now I'm liking the sound more flat. I do find that this pickup produces less signal than my others (like the Fishman in my Cargo); I use the DI to boost the signal before it goes to the desk.

If you find your sound is odd, definitely switch the phase (easy to do between songs). It makes a big difference in some circumstances.

Great natural sounding pickup and mic combination! Easy to install.