Mid level electro acoustic guitars with good pickups for percussive playing

hassleham Frets: 694
23 Nov, 2024
I’m not an acoustic guitarist and not clued up on models/pickup systems so hoping to get some help on here!

I’m getting in to doing some acoustic duo looping stuff for a bit of fun with a friend but potentially will be looking for gigs in future, so i want a guitar which lets me get some decent kick, snare, tap sounds around the body. The cheapy electro acoustics that i’ve got don’t pick up enough of the body sound. 

I used to have another guitar which had a mic and pickup blend system which worked pretty well but im aware that the mic would pick up other sounds in a noisy gigging environment.

I know about the Jon Gomm ibanez signature which also has the mic blend feature but also another pickup that specially for percussive sounds, but this is too expensive really unless i can get one second hand.

So are there any similar guitars out there which will do a decent job of percussion sounds through a looper and cost less than £500 second hand?
Or is there a preamp/pickup system i could install? 

My backup plan is to just play electric guitar and use a sample pad for percussion..
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Soupman Frets: 269
23 Nov, 2024
LR Baggs m1a has a the normal string pickup plus another below to pick up body noise - it will pick up taps  knocks etc if this is what you want.
Around 180 quid though.


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ICBM Frets: 75721
23 Nov, 2024
This -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/405281376072

The key is that (going by the photos) it’s a Taylor with the first version of the Expression System electrics - this includes body sensors. The later Expression System doesn’t, but has three sensors mounted just behind the bridge saddle… if it has the three flat knobs on the upper bout but *not* the sensors behind the saddle, it’s an ES1.
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Tannin Frets: 6243
24 Nov, 2024
For this sort of playing, Cole Clark reigns supreme. Even the Americans - notorious for hating anything not wearing a US brand - like them. Look for something with a reasonably hard top: Blackwood, Camphor Laurel, Silver Quandong, Bunya, spruce at a pinch. Avoid the 1 Series and the Studio models (both now made in China, alas); the 3 Series is wonderful but rather expensive; what you want is a Thinline, a True Hybrid, or best of all a 2 Series. Matons also have an advanced pickup system and are popular for on-stage use by percussive (and other) players, but in this department, Cole Clark is the benchmark.

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/160716300299006-16515133--cole-clark-fl-2-ec-bunyablackwood-2301-42656
https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/170505310403001--cole-clark-an-2-ec-bunyablackwood
https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/160625299335006-16515138--cole-clark-an-2-ec-blackwood-blackwood-ccan2ec-blbl-ex
https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/210531369972025-13868375--cole-clark-thinline-tl-2-ec-blackwood-blackwood-humbuc

EDIT: I just saw the bit about costing less than 500. Oh well.
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