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L.R. Baggs Vio-NT Folklore Instrument Pickup
The L.R. Baggs Vio-NT is a violin pickup cast directly into a Superieur Despiau "Two Tree" maple bridge — the pickup and the bridge are one part, fitted as a bridge replacement. Bowed strings move the bridge left and right, and the transducer is placed near the heart of the bridge to respond to exactly that motion, which suppresses finger and body noise and keeps feedback down at stage volume. The NT version is supplied non-terminated, without a jack, so the installer can terminate it to suit the setup.
- Sensor cast into a Superieur Despiau "Two Tree" maple bridge
- Responds to the left-right motion of bowed strings for low finger and body noise
- Even string-to-string balance across all four strings
- Highly feedback-resistant at stage volume
- Non-terminated version — supplied without a jack
L.R. Baggs Vio-NT — Violin Bridge Pickup, Non-Terminated
Most violin pickups are stuck onto the instrument. This one becomes part of it. L.R. Baggs casts a featherweight sensor into an elite-quality maple bridge close to the heart — the area through which the energy of the bowed strings actually travels — and sells the result as a bridge replacement. Integrating the sensor into the bridge maximises energy transfer and sensitivity, and lets the transducer be tuned to the left-and-right motion that a bowed string produces, rather than the up-and-down motion a plucked string produces.
Why the Motion Matters
Because the transducer answers the bridge's side-to-side movement, it is comparatively deaf to the noises that make an amplified violin hard to work with: fingers on the fingerboard and resonance in the body. That selectivity is also what lowers the risk of feedback, so the instrument can be pushed to a usable stage volume while still capturing the full natural dynamics of the violin. It has become the go-to pickup for violinists who share a stage with drums and loud amplifiers.
Non-Terminated Version
The standard violin pickup ships with a Carpenter Jack. The Vio-NT is the non-terminated version: the bridge and its lead are supplied without a jack, so the luthier or technician can terminate the pickup to match an existing installation, a preferred jack, or a wireless setup. Note that the pickup is passive and has no preamp of its own.
Preamp and Impedance
A preamp is not strictly necessary with most acoustic instrument amplifiers, but whatever the violin is plugged into first must have an input impedance of at least 1 megohm — if the sound is thin and screechy, impedance is the first thing to check. The manufacturer recommends an L.R. Baggs preamp such as the Para Acoustic D.I. or the Venue D.I., feeding a full-range PA. Do not place passive volume or tone controls between the pickup and the preamp.
Specifications
- Type: Piezo pickup cast into a maple bridge — bridge replacement
- Instrument: 4-string violin
- Bridge: Superieur Despiau "Two Tree" maple
- Active/Passive: Passive — external preamp recommended, minimum 1 megohm input impedance
- Termination: Non-terminated — supplied without a jack
- Controls and power: None
Compatible with
Package Contents
Made in
USA
Documents
Instructions for use
Safety instructions
Please refer to the user manual for the specific safety instructions for this product.
