B-Band Pickups • Shoreline Music

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B-Band Pickups come to us from Finland boasting a worldwide reputation for great tone and easy installation. And Shoreline is B-Band's #1 dealer for one very simple reason: We love these pickups (well, our money-back guarantee and free shipping don't hurt, either). They're used by pros worldwide, including Pierre Bensusan, Al DiMeola, Justin King, Larry Carlton, Tim Sparks and the California Guitar Trio. B-Band is the built-in pickup of choice in many major European guitars, including our own Lakewood, as well as a growing number of North American guitars, including CA, Legend and Larrivee.

One of the most attractive features of B-Band pickups is the easy setup: There's no soldering or wire stripping of any kind. B-Band's microphone, as well as its under-saddle and soundboard transducers, all use the same proprietary connector to plug easily into any B-Band preamp. This does mean that every B-Band pickup requires a B-Band preamp, but given how inexpensive these combos are, this ends up being a very attractive solution.

In the past, B-Band sold their pickups and preamps cafeteria style, but they now offer everything in ready-made packages, combining pickups and preamps all in the same box. That said, if you're looking for an individual pickup or preamp to complete or upgrade your existing system, give us a call, as we keep a nice supply of individual parts around, too.

These are the parts that make up the various B-Band packages:

AST - This is one of our best-selling pickups, and with good reason. The 14mm x 70mm version of B-Band's AST is a radical departure from their earlier designs, and the improvement is striking. We have found it to produce a remarkably natural tone, surpassing many of the best soundboard transducers in the business. And, like the PUTW #27, it is totally simple to install. It can stand on its own, or be paired with a UST or Condenser Mic. It is available in packages with every B-Band preamp. You can hear this pickup on our MP3 Page. You can also see a picture of an installed AST here.

UST - The B-Band UST regularly gets rave reviews for its remarkably warm, natural tone. Its honeycomb design gives it a very acoustic tone by minimizing the typical undersaddle quack. You can hear this pickup on our MP3 Page. Also, as with all other undersaddles we sell, B-Band USTs are available in wide or narrow varieties. For help determining the width of your saddle groove, visit our FAQ. This choice of wide or narrow pickup is reflected in the wide or narrow versions of most of the packages listed below. Available in packages with every B-Band preamp.

Condenser Mic -This is B-Band's internal microphone, with a built in bass roll-off (to minimize feedback). Available in a package with either the AST or UST and the A2. (photo)

A1 - The A1 is a standalone, single-input endpin preamp. Available in a package combination with the UST. (photo)

A1N - The A1N is similar to the standard A1, but it's tailored specifically to the AST instead of the UST, with a built-in EQ curve that allows for much higher gain before feedback.

A2 - The A2 is an endpin preamp similar to the B-Band A1 models, but with two inputs, stereo output, and onboard dip switches for minor EQ rolloff adjustments. Because the output of this preamp is stereo, it's best blended offboard with some sort of mixing preamp like the DTAR Solstice or similar. Available in packages with the AST and UST. (photo) (photo of complete system)

A2.2 - The A2.2 preamp (you can see a picture here) is virtually identical to the regular A2 preamp, but it uses a crossover circuit (the "XOM" design) to blend the best features of the AST and the UST. It adds soundhole-mounted blend and volume controls for easy, unobtrusive control over your onstage tone. I personally think these crossover mixes are B-Band's best pickup systems. When I've played with the A2.2, even when dialed completely toward the AST side of the blend, the tone is fattened up enough by the crossover that it sounds fantastic, noticeably better than the AST all by itself. It's also worth noting that while the standard A2's stereo output needs to be blended offboard, the A2.2 has a mono output so you can plug straight into a board or DI. Available in packages with the AST and UST.

A3.2 - The A3.2 is a side-mount preamp that takes a single-source B-Band pickup like the 1470 AST, and gives you 4 bands of onboard EQ and volume control. Unlike conventional "barn door" style side-mount preamps, the A3.2 and A4.2 preamps involve as little alteration to your guitar as possible--you only drill 5 small holes for the 5 control knobs. Also, these preamps will surely be popular among fans of Nigel Tufnel: All the B-Band preamps go up to 12 (it's 2 louder). Available in packages with the UST or AST. (high-res pic)

A4.2 - The A4.2 is B-Band's entry-level side-mount mixer. Using the same low-profile design as the A3.2, the A4.2 includes inputs for two B-Band pickup sources (the AST and UST), gain and mix controls, and a 3-band EQ. The A4.2 also uses the new XOM crossover circuitry to maximize the tone you get from both pickups. Also available with a woodgrain faceplate. (high-res pic)

A5 - The A5 is a single-source sidemount preamp, with slightly more robust features than the A3.2 (it also requires a full cutout of the side of the guitar). It features 4 bands of sliding EQ control and a master volume, plus the all-important phase switch, and--rare among onboard preamps--a parametric notch filter (you can control frequency and depth). Available in packages with the AST or UST. (high-res pic)

A6.2 - This is B-Band's top side-mount preamp, and it features the new XOM technology used in the A2.2 and A4.2. Not only does the A6 include 3 bands of EQ, a master volume, and a blending slider, but it also features the same parametric notch filter and phase switch as in the A5, and even separate gains for each of your two pickups. This is a lot of blending preamp packed into a couple of square inches, and its price makes the A6 even more attractive. Available in packages with the AST and UST. (high-res pic) (high-res pic of installed preamp)

A7, A8, A9, A10 - These are B-Band's newest retrofit preamps. Taking a page from the LR Baggs playbook, B-Band has designed these preamp and pickup systems as drop-in replacements for onboard Fishman factory electronics (they're just variations on the A2.2-A6.2 theme). These are not shipping yet, but should be within the next few months.

B-Band Pickup Systems	Description	Price*
A1 Package	Combines A1 preamp with UST	$109.99
A1-N Package	Combines A1N preamp with AST	$119.99
A2 Package (standard)	Combines A2 preamp with AST and UST	$209.99
A2 package (mic)	Combines A2 preamp with either AST+mic or UST+mic	$219.99
A2.2 Package	Combines A2.2 preamp with AST and UST	$199.99
A3.2 Package (UST)	Combines A3.2 preamp with UST	$129.99
A3.2 Package (AST)	Combines A3.2 preamp with AST	$139.99
A4.2 Package	Combines A4.2 preamp with AST and UST	$179.99
A5 Package	Combines A5 preamp with UST	$189.99
A6.2 Package	Combines A6.2 preamp with AST and UST	$229.99

*All B-Band pickup prices include free shipping anywhere in the US. CO residents add 7.4% sales tax. Please see our Shipping page for additional shipping information.

B-Band pickups