A magnet in a pickup is common, but this pickup’s magnet does something a bit different.
RatingsPros:Volume control on unit. Mod-free install. Easy swapping between multiple instruments by purchasing extra bases. Cons: Can be thin sounding. Some may have to adjust playing position/style to accommodate the sensor. Street: $69 Cling On Pickup clingon.co | Tones: Ease of Use: Build/Design: Value: |
It’s safe to assume not all acoustic players are open to the idea of sticking anything on a guitar’s soundboard with adhesive or tape, but soundboard transducers have to attach somehow. If they don’t have contact, they can’t transmit a guitar top’s vibrations.
Elite Guitar’s Cling On incorporates a magnet, which eliminates the need for tape or adhesive on top. You instead apply a wee bit of supplied putty to a small base and position it under your soundboard, and then mount the sensor using magnetic energy. After a little position tweaking, I settled on a spot a couple inches behind the bridge and off-center towards the bass side. And hey, my once-pickup-free Larrivée is now amplified. Care should be taken to steer clear of feedback (it wanted to howl), but I didn’t experience any issues beyond the ordinary for this kind of pickup. I was provided a somewhat crisp and boxy sound that had clarity, but didn’t project a whole lot of warmth. A preamp with a good EQ would likely aid in mellowing things out.
One expects a mic affixed on a soundboard to light up a guitar’s top, and the Cling On does. You’ll appreciate the Cling On’s ability to project slaps and taps, if that plays a role in your repertoire, and blending with another pickup or mic could make for an interesting two-source combo. Animated/aggressive players, however, should be aware how microphonic the pickup is, and use care with their approach to avoid inadvertently swiping the sensor off their guitars.
The pickup works on banjos, ukuleles, cajons, and other acoustic instruments with accessible flat soundboards.
Fullerton, CA (June 1, 2018) -- The Cling On Pickup is a compact and elegant passive piezo pickup with a patented ultra-quick and easy magnetic attachment. It requires absolutely no modification, nor any lengthy installation. The detachable portable cable and a built-in volume control are valuable extra features. Designed primarily for acoustic and classical guitars, the Cling On Pickup works equally well on banjos, ukulele‘s, cajons and other acoustic instruments with accessible flat soundboards.
Features:
- Ultra quick and easy magnetic attachment. The patented magnetic design allows the pickup to securely attach and detach to the instrument in a fraction of a second. No cumbersome or messy installations necessary.
- No instrument modification required - There is no need to drill or modify your instrument in any way. There are no permanently attached, glued or screwed-on parts. The Cling On Pickup is “plug and play” ready right out of the box.
- Natural & balanced sound - The constant magnetic pressure on the soundboard, contributes to more accurate transfer of the vibrations from the soundboard to the pickup. The result is a very natural and balanced sound with high signal output. No pre-amp is required.
- Discreet placement of magnetic base – Each pickup comes with a very small and very light magnetic base that is attached underneath the soundboard on the inside of the guitar via tacky putty. This ONE-TIME non-permanent discreet installation prepares the instrument for the pickup. It's removable, reusable and can be easily re-positioned.
- Find the "sweet spot" of your instrument every time. Once the best location on the soundboard is found, the magnetic base stays in place ready for the pickup to dock at the same place every time. There is no more guessing where the sweet spot of your instrument is.
- Built-in volume control – Unobtrusive thumb wheel volume knob design gives the performer control of the sound level at all times.
The Cling On Pickup can be purchased for $69.99 at www.clingon.co and select music stores.
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Cling On Tuner
Each tuner comes with a mini magnetic base that can be attached anywhere on the instrument.
Fullerton, CA (March 22, 2017) -- Digital clip tuners have been on the market for quite a while, but not much has changed since they were invented. Coming in all sorts of shapes and sizes they have one thing in common: a bulky clip that in most cases is bigger than the tuner itself. Clipped onto the head stock, they are obtrusive, an eye sore during performances, and pain to transport because they need to be removed when placing the instrument in its gig bag or case.
The magnetic Cling On Tuner solves these problems. It makes tuning quick, easy and fun. Equipped with a very small yet super-powerful rare-earth magnet, it will cling on to any metal including tuning machines, tuning gears, metal plates, and even metal strap pins. Each tuner also comes with a mini magnetic base that can be attached anywhere on the instrument, giving you the freedom to place the tuner anywhere you want. Unlike bulkier conventional clip-on designs, this patented tuner can be placed discreetly and conveniently behind the headstock of any guitar, ukulele, mandolin, or banjo. It folds compactly when not in use and can stay on the instrument when packing it in its case or gig bag. The magnetic Cling On Tuner demonstrates the perfect balance between outstanding functionality and elegant design.
Key Advantages:
- Compact – because there is no bulky clip, the overall size of this tuner is about half the size of a traditional clip tuner. Still, it has one of the largest and brightest 2-color LCD displays.
- Convenient – Folds compactly when not in use so you can leave it on the instrument. It is very quick and easy to attach and detach.
- Discreet – if placed behind the head stock of most fretted instruments, it will be completely hidden out of sight.
- Fun to use – magnets are fun and that encourages students to use it to tune their instruments more often.
- Versatile – The Cling On Tuner can be placed virtually anywhere on the instrument where the user may find it convenient. It is not limited just to the headstock.
- Ultra-fast and accurate – It is +/- 1 cent accurate with under 20ms response time.
The Cling On Tuner is available in two colors – Titanium Grey and Lava Red. Listed at $34.99 they are currently on sale for $19.99.
Watch the company's video demo:
For more information:
Cling On Tuner