Hi guys, just want to know something:
Will the installation of a pickup on an acoustic guitar — that is originally not an electro-acoustic — affect its sound?

Long Story:
I was at a guitar shop and fell in love with one of the acoustic guitars, but it had no pickup, which is a must. Then the guy said that installing a pickup won't affect the sound. But I went to another guitar shop and the owner said that installing pickup on a guitar that originally doesn't have one, will affect the sound no matter how good the guitar tech is. The difference in tone may or may not be that big, but there will be a difference, he said.

Slightly Off-topic Background:
I'm a bit of a beginner and this would be my first purchase of a guitar. But I've been playing my bro's guitars for a few months now, and would like something that will be able to last, with solid top. Budget is below RM2000. I've tested the guitars in a lot of shops, and have found that the sound I'm looking for is in the Canadian guitar brand — Godin. I like one from Norman and Seagull each, but sadly, they don't have a pickup and other guitars (though good) don't give me the feeling like Godin's guitars.

This post has been edited by kotobuki: Dec 15 2014, 10:30 PM

i thought the main sound is produce by the soundhole, which are affected by other factors; wood, etc...

maybe the pickup is more towards post-processing.

Yep. The 2nd guy's reasoning was cause the techs need to make a hole on the body, thus the sound difference.

The only holes required to install a pickup onto a guitar are the endpin jack hole and the onboard preamp. Honestly, I don't think there would be any/much difference to the tone of the guitar because these holes are on the sides of the guitar which contributes very little to the tone of the guitar. Well, if you still insist it changes the tone of the guitar then having a cutaway guitar would affect the tone more drastically as a chunk of wood is "missing" from the guitar.

The least invasive pickup that can be installed is a soundboard transducer or a magnetic pickup as it only requires an endpin jack. And the EQs have to be done through an outboard preamp.

Hope this helps.

Buy a guitar that u like the sound most. Install a pickup later.

A lot of good pickup out there make no or minial effect to ur guitar tone. Especially k&k and LRBaggs.

A pickup will definitely affect the sound to some extend but maybe not that much if the pickup is well installed.

Hi, I also interested with this topic. I bought a game to learn guitar. I only have acoustic guitar, the game need to plug in to pc. So it ask for install pickup to play. Any pickup is easily install? Please advise and provide the product link.

Oh I see. Thank you for all the replies.
I checked with another person, and he too said the same thing like the 2nd guy. But yeah, I guess I will keep in mind the pickups that require less changes to the guitar's body.

Thank you again!