K&K Mandolin Twin Internal

I formerly installed a bridge pickup with a side clamp holding the 1/4" jack. It was so unstable that I had to use cable ties to keep in from slipping off. The volume was too low as well. In reading the great reviews, I decided that the K&K Twin Internal Mandolin pickup system was the way to go. Let's just say that I bet on the right horse! The installation requires drilling out the end pin jack hole, which was the most tedious and damage prone operation. I recommend starting with a small bit and drilling in as many multiple stages as possible with cobalt tool steel drills. I began with a 1/16 and staged to 3/16th, 1/4th, 5/16th, 3/8th, 7/16th, 15/32 and then 1/2". Take the time to vacuum the inside afterwards. The very detailed instructions mention super glue, which is very necessary, but not included. I recommend Gorilla Glue gel super glue. After assembly and restringing (try Elixir light mandolin strings!), the sound quality is amazing! Any brush or tap on the soundboard will come through as well, so be advised. The volume is very high, but not quacky or raspy for a passive system and you will want to use a preamp with an equalizer to cut the highs, or just an Equalizer pedal. I highly recommend this system!

I initially tried the Myers Grip with 3" Gooseneck only to experience feedback. While those pickups (it's actually a mic) sound very good and natural, feedback is something that may be an issue for some folks. When using the Myers in a setting where the user needs to be loud, there is a limit to the volume before feedback starts.If you are in need of a pickup system that allows the user to get loud, and sound very natural, the K&K is the one to get. I purchased the K&K Mandolin Twin Internal for my application and it ROCKS!Additionally, I purchased the LR Baggs GigPro pre-amp and I use that to shape the sound of the K&K in my mandolin. It has Bass, Treble, Trim and a Volume knob, which is very helpful when going straight into the PA via D.I. box.I also use a Marshall AS50D acoustic amp, which could replace the pre-amp, but the Volume knob on the pre-amp is very helpful when playing on stage during live settings.I do want to stress that the tone of the K&K is very good. When using the Myers pickup (mic), I would put the mic inside the F-hole on the mando, but it seemed to amplify the hollowness of the instrument, which in turn ended up resulting in feedback when attempting to reach my desired volume level. Additionally, I could not seem to find the 'sweet spot' position for the Myer's -- either I would get strong bass tones, which left the high side lacking, or I would get a very thin bass sound when moving the mic around.With the K&K, that does not occur. The sound of the K&K is very natural and projects the bass and treble sides perfectly. I have noticed that with other types of acoustic guitar pickups, you might get a good bass sound, but the treble strings are very weak. Not with the K&K tho!This dual, internal pickup is awesome!

My wife's Washburn mandolin sounds GREAT when it's not plugged in. We went with the best when it was time to put a pick up in it (we thought) and bought an LR Braggs Radius Mandolin Pick up. We've battled feed back problems and overbearing upper end tones for several years. Even put a preamp and notch filter on her pedal board.Nothing helped.....So, a friend of mine asked around and a bunch of professional mandolin guys all said the same thing "Get a K & K"... so we did.Boom. WAY more natural sound and she gets a LOT more volume out of her amp with no feedback issues. The tone is a huge improvement. We don't have video or any recordings of the new pickup but you can hear the old one if you look up "The Captain Ledge Band" on youtube or steam some music from spotify.Thank you for the great product K & K!

It took more time to install new strings than it did to install the pickups using only an electric drill, a step drill to enlarge the hole in the metal, and a 12mm drill bit!The instructions are easy to follow, an I did use some super glue gel!

I have tried to previous popular pick ups on the market. The first, the LR Baggs Radius, was to microphonic and picked up every noise and hand movement on the mandolin neck. I just couldn’t live with the noise of my fingers fretting the strings. Thump, thump, thump. I then tried the very popular Myers Feather pick up. It sounded great, and the customer support can’t be beat, but I could not stop the feedback even at low levels from my Marshall AS50D.This pick up is a little microphonic and does pick up some noise from the body of the instrument, but not as much as the Baggs. It’s also mounted internally, which means I don’t have to mess with it all the time like the Myers.No pickup is perfect but this is the best of the three most popular for live performances.

I love this pickup! WOW! I have been playing mandolin on and off for the last 10 years. Every time I needed to play on stage I would have to mic it with a Shure SM57 or something of the like. I NEVER liked doing this because it was really awkward to have to be in one place. I would move a little and throw the mix off. Though a mic can sound really good I was never happy with the setup and in turn just didn't play too much.I recently bought a Kentucky KM-750 and had this pickup put in it.I got it back last night and plugged it in the morning when I played at church. I was really surprised by how natural it sounded! It was woody and clear. It sounded like the instrument and not like an electric mandolin.I highly recommend this!

I was having an F4-style mandolin built for me by Howard Morris in Oregon and had the K&K Mandolin Twin Internal sent directly to him for installation during the build. The pickup arrived promptly and the installation went as planned. When I received the mandolin (which was amazing in itself), I tested the pickup out and it sounds very natural. I played it through a PA system at an open mic last night and it sounded great and plenty loud without a preamp. I've used other K&K pickups on various instruments in the past and have always been impressed. The Mandolin Twin is no exception - great product!

works good