Whether you’re looking to conjure crisp clarity or crunchy character from your steel-string, these 10 soundhole pickups cover a range of sounds and prices.
LR BAGGS M1 Active
This active pickup promises 1,000 hours of playing time on a single battery. Its built-in volume control, gold-plated 1/8" jack, and adjustable pole pieces offer flexibility and high-quality feedback-resistant sound.
$229 street
lrbaggs.com
EMG ACS
With a custom-designed internal preamp and adjustable pole pieces, this pickup is built to deliver clarity with a low noise floor and a broad frequency response.
$159 street
emgpickups.com
DEARMOND Tone Boss
This passive humbucker includes an onboard volume control and adjustable pole pieces, and comes in black, cream, and tortoiseshell trim options.
$89 street
dearmondpickups.com
RECORDING KING Gold Foil Soundhole Pickup
For lo-fi, old-school sounds, it doesn’t get any simpler—or more affordable—than this.
$49 street
recordingking.com
CURTIS NOVAK DA-1200 Soundhole
This customized copy of the iconic DeArmond soundhole pickups comes in three coil options—vintage, hot, and GT. It’s available with either 250k or 500k volume pots, and can be configured with various cable options.
$359 street
curtisnovak.com
FISHMAN RareEarth
Available in both humbucking and single-coil models, this low-current active neodymium pickup runs for up to 240 hours on a set of batteries.
$219 street
fishman.com
SEYMOUR DUNCAN Woody HC
With a custom maple, walnut, or black-stain housing, these double-potted humbuckers deliver an elegant look.
$79 street
seymourduncan.com
MOJOTONE Quiet Coil NC-1
This active option is voiced to mimic the sound of a condenser mic and promises over 500 hours on a pair of lithium batteries.
$199 street
mojotone.com
BARTOLINI 3AV Acoustic Guitar Soundhole Pickup
Designed to be installed on a soundhole’s bridge side, this stacked-coil hum-canceling pickup features ceramic magnets and B-string mass compensation.
$136 street
bartolini.net
KNA HP-1A
This active neodymium humbucker features a mahogany-capped birch housing and comes with a 1/8" to 1/4" cable.
$119 street
knapickups.com
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Shubb C8b Partial Capo for Drop-D Tuning - Brass
The C8 covers five of the six strings, leaving either the low E or high E string open, depending on how it's positioned.
- Standard setup: Placed on the 2nd fret while leaving the low E string open, it simulates Drop D-style sounds—except you're still in standard tuning (key of E). You get that big, droning bass feel without retuning.
- Reverse setup: Flipping the capo allows the high E string to ring, giving you shimmering drones and new melodic options across familiar chord shapes.
- A flexible tool that lets you simulate alternate tunings and create rich sonic textures—all while keeping your guitar in standard tuning.
Shubb C7b Partial Capo for DADGAD Tuning - Brass
The C7 covers three of the six strings—either D, G, and B or A, D, and G—depending on how it's flipped.
- Typical setup (D, G, B): Creates an open A chord shape at the 2nd fret without needing your fingers. This frees you up for new voicings and droning notes in the key of A.
- Reversed setup (A, D, G): Gets you close to a DADGAD-style tuning vibe, but still keeps you in standard tuning—great for modal, spacious textures often found in folk or cinematic guitar parts.
Use it alone or stack it with the C8 for wild, layered effects and truly out-of-the-box inspiration.
