DIY Pickup Installation: Take Control of Your Guitar’s Sound with Our Systems
For many guitarists, upgrading their pickup system is a crucial step in improving their sound for live performances or recording. However, the typical process of pickup installation involves leaving your guitar with a shop, waiting several days (or even weeks), and paying hefty fees on top of the cost of the system itself. At Go Acoustic Audio, we’ve made it our mission to change that experience.
Our ES Replacement System and Sound Hole Mount System are designed for the DIY guitarist. With these systems, you don’t need to be a professional tech to make professional-level upgrades to your guitar. From detailed installation guides to outstanding customer support, we’ve created a process that allows guitarists to take control of their sound while saving time and money. Let’s explore how.
1. Step-by-Step Simplicity with Detailed Installation Guides
Installing a guitar pickup might sound like a job for an expert, but we’ve made sure that anyone can do it—whether you’ve modified a guitar before or not. Both the ES Replacement System and Sound Hole Mount System come with comprehensive installation guides that cover every step of the process.
Our guides don’t just rely on text instructions. They include:
Real guitar images showing exactly where each part should be installed.
3D models that offer high contrast, making it easier to see the detail of small parts like cable connectors, which might be difficult to capture with traditional photos.
Drawings and animated GIFs that explain complex procedures, like connecting components or adjusting potentiometers, in a visual way. These animations help users understand the range of motion of certain parts, such as the latches or volume control knobs.
Image showing the balancing mount used in the string balancing process on the Sound Hole Mount System.
Animation showing how to insert the Saddle-Pickup cables
In fact, many of our customers appreciate how intuitive the process is. “Anyway, the system installation is straightforward with clear instructions and the results exceed any pickup system I've ever heard. I cannot be happier with this product.” said one customer. “The provided installation kit and instructions were very thorough and easy to follow, DIY install is not difficult as long as you are able to work with your hands and take time to understand and follow the instructions,” said another.
If you’re still unsure about installing the system, we encourage you to read through the guide before purchasing to make sure you’re comfortable. But we’ve taken every possible step to make the process foolproof. For instance, the drill guide we provide ensures two holes in the bottom of the saddle slot can be drilled accurately and without fear of damaging your guitar.
For users concerned about working with small parts, we’ve even started including magnifying lenses to help make this part of the job easier.
And while you don’t need specialized tools for the majority of the process, we provide any specialized tools required with the product. This includes our Collet Nut Tool, which simplifies removing and installing collet nuts, and preamp mounting jigs, which allow you to balance the strings while the guitar is being played.
2. Time Savings: Complete Control Over the Timing
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of installing our system yourself is that you’re entirely in control of when the installation happens. For many guitarists, their instrument is a key part of their life, and the idea of leaving it with a shop for several days or even a week can be unsettling—especially for gigging musicians.
Most first-time installers find that it takes around 3-4 hours to complete the installation. But after a successful installation, most customers report that future installations are much faster. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the system, you can get the job done in less time than it would take to even drop off your guitar at a shop.
If you were to take your guitar to a shop for installation, you’d have to factor in their workload. Depending on how busy the shop is, the installation process could take anywhere from several days to over a week, and during that time, you won’t have access to your instrument. For many of our customers, this delay is not an option—especially if they need the guitar for upcoming performances.
By choosing a DIY installation, you maintain full control over the timing. You decide when to start, when to finish, and how quickly to complete the process.
3. Customization: The Most Control Over Your Sound
When it comes to pickup systems, it’s essential to have the right sound balance, especially when playing live. Many pickup systems, however, have a cumbersome and limited balancing process. With under-saddle pickups, string balancing requires filing down the saddle—an involved process that can affect the guitar’s action and intonation if not done correctly.
Even the Taylor ES2 system only allows you to adjust sensors in pairs, meaning you can’t fine-tune individual strings. As a result, balancing the strings becomes a process of compromise, and it can be difficult to get it exactly how you want.
With our systems, we’ve solved these problems. The ES Replacement System and Sound Hole Mount System include built-in volume controls for each string. Instead of dealing with saddle filing or sensor adjustment, you can simply turn a knob to adjust the volume of each string independently. This offers precise control over your sound, ensuring that your guitar is perfectly balanced across all strings.
This feature makes string balancing easier and more customizable than ever. If your sound needs a minor tweak for different environments or setups, you can adjust it on the spot—no need to take your guitar back to a tech.
In addition to string balancing, both systems offer mid-contour control. This gives you control over the mid-range frequencies, allowing you to tailor the tone of your guitar to your playing style. Few pickup systems provide this level of customization, and even fewer allow the guitarist to make these changes themselves without professional help.
4. Cost Comparison: DIY Means Savings
The financial benefits of installing our system yourself go beyond just saving on installation fees. Let’s take a closer look at the Sound Hole Mount System, which retails for $395. If you were to purchase a similar system, such as the L.R. Baggs Anthem, it would cost around $329, but the total cost, with installation at a shop, would be $410 to $580, depending on who performs the installation.
By installing our system yourself, you’re saving not only on the overall price but also avoiding the potential headaches of taking your guitar to a shop, scheduling appointments, and waiting days or weeks for it to be returned.
The ES Replacement System offers even more value. At $425, it’s the only direct replacement for the proprietary Taylor ES system, which has unique features like its battery box and mounting method. Installing a competitor system like the L.R. Baggs Anthem would require extra modifications, such as tapping into the original battery box, modifying the output jack, and filling the control and bridge holes left by the ES system. All these changes would add to the cost, and even after the modifications, the solution wouldn’t be as seamless as our ES Replacement System, which fits perfectly into the original locations.
In short, by choosing our DIY-friendly systems, you’re getting better performance, a more elegant solution, and significant savings compared to having a shop handle the installation of a competitor’s product.
5. Customer Support: You’re Never Alone
We understand that even with the most detailed instructions, some customers might feel more comfortable knowing that help is available if needed. That’s why we offer comprehensive customer support for anyone installing our systems.
Before shipping your order, we always call or email you to confirm your guitar model and ensure that the system you’ve chosen is the right fit. If you have any specific questions or concerns, we’re happy to address them at this stage. This pre-shipment consultation helps to ensure that everything goes smoothly, and if you’re unsure about any part of the installation process, we can provide guidance before the system even arrives.
One of our customers had this to say about the experience:
“Customer Support before the purchase and after the install was very responsive and took the time to be sure I was comfortable and confident with the installation.” Another customer said, “Talk about service, Paul McGill phoned me the day I ordered and we had a nice talk about the company and what I could expect installing the pickup. It arrived quickly and I installed it with no problem.”
We also offer phone and email support, as well as troubleshooting and maintenance guides on our website. Our chatbot can answer common questions, and if you get stuck during installation, we’re available to guide you through the process.
Conclusion: Why Wait? Take Control of Your Guitar’s Sound Today With the ES Replacement System and Sound Hole Mount System, you have the opportunity to not only improve the sound of your guitar but also gain control over every aspect of its installation and customization. You save time, money, and gain the satisfaction of knowing you can maintain your instrument on your own terms. Why leave something as important as your sound in someone else’s hands when you can take control today?
