LR Baggs Anthem Stage Pro

The Baggs Anthem systems combine the tried-and-true Baggs Element undersaddle pickup with a revolutionary new microphone. Anyone who has used an onboard mic knows that the inside of a guitar is not exactly the best place for a microphone. It gets woofy in there, and they tend to feed back quite a bit. But there's nothing like a mic for capturing the true acoustic tone of a guitar, so we keep putting mics in our instruments, even if it involves a few compromises in terms of volume, monitoring, etc. Enter the Anthem: It's unlike any mic you've had in your guitar before. It attaches to the bridgeplate, where you'd normally stick an Ibeam or a K&K Pure Mini. The mic is suspended just millimeters above the bridgeplate, so you capture the full acoustic tone of the guitar, with a heavy influence from the top, but with none of the woofiness that comes from sticking the mic right in the middle of the internal airspace. It really is an inventive approach, and the proof, as always, is in the pudding: The tone of this setup is fantastic, and we've had great results with it.

All Anthem systems pair the Anthem mic with the Element, to give you the cut, immediacy, and feedback resistance of an undersaddle. These systems come in several configurations—the standard/full version, the SL, and the onboard system listed here. The SL includes a soundhole-mounted volume control, but no blend controls. The standard version includes soundhole-mounted volume and blend controls as well as a phase switch. The onboard StagePro shown on this page adds even more features, including easy battery access, an onboard chromatic tuner, and a 2-band EQ. I'm not a big fan of cutting a hole in the side of a nice guitar, but if you don't mind the surgery on your instrument, this is a great stage rig to consider.









THTH, THAS: www.music-blvd.com $299
(M)