The compact AG6, equipped with it own volume control, is designed to fit inside the guitar's sound hole. Schertler produced a customized "left-handed" version of the pickup for guitarist Neil Fraser who used it in combination with the new S-MIC-M, a high-quality condenser microphone designed to add more warmth and harmonics to the AG6 sound.
"Jamie (Hickey), our sound engineer is always on the lookout to make us sound better ... so, when he suggested the AG6, I was immediately interested in what it could do for my acoustic guitar" says Fraser. "Originally, we only had the AG6, but after doing a bit of research, I saw there was a mic available to plug into the AG6. For me, this looked like the perfect combination - a good pickup and a mic to add some warmth and bottom end. The combination gives me a very natural sound - my Martin sounds like a Martin when played live; a member of the audience commented after a show that my guitar sounded 'beautiful' - that's all I want really. A couple of practical points also made me lean towards the AG6: Fitting the pickup into the sound hole is so quick and easy. Replacing the battery is a simple task too."
Fraser and lead singer/guitarist Stuart A. Staples used their new AG6 pickups on the 12-date tour of European venues that included the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Admiralspalast in Berlin and the Barbican in London. The band also performed an intimate acoustic show in a London art gallery and will head to France with the AG6 in early 2014 for a further acoustic show.
(Jim Evans)
