Fishman C-100 User Manual

C-100 Cello Pic

C-100 Cello Pic

Thank you for your purchase of a FISHMAN product. Please read these
instructions carefully. If you have any questions or problems, contact our

PRODUCT INFORMATION LINE at 978-988-9665.

The C-100 is a bridge mounted, piezo-ceramic pickup. It senses string
vibrations via a single piezo element, fastened to the instrument's wing
slot with a patented floating mount. The pickup is terminated with a
Switchcraft 1/4" jack that mounts to the tailpiece.

The C-100 installs in minutes, with only minor alterations required. Its
low mass minimizes any damping or muting that could affect the instru­ment's acoustic tone. The C-100 provides a natural, acoustic sound for
arco or pizz playing styles.

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PARTS LIST

• C-100 Cello Pickup

• Adhesive-backed Jack Mount

• Instrument Cable

Caution

As might be expected of a high performance, vibration-sensing

transducer, the FISHMAN C-100 should be handled with care,

particularly during installation. However, once installed as instructed

below, this device is well protected from abuse and should provide years

of trouble-free service.

PRELIMINARY

1. Remove all rosin deposits from the bridge of the instrument.

2. Examine the bridge closely to make sure that the wing slots are free of warps or

irregularities and that the slots present flat parallel faces.

Limited WW

Limited

The FISHMAN C-100 CELLO PICKUP is warranted to function for a period of One
(1) Year from the date of purchase. If the unit fails to function properly within the
warranty period, free repair and the option of replacement or refund in the event
that FISHMAN is unable to make repair are FISHMAN’s only obligations. This
warranty does not cover any consequential damages or damage to the unit due to
misuse, accident, or neglect. FISHMAN retains the right to make such
determination on the basis of factory inspection. Products returned to FISHMAN for
repair or replacement must be shipped in accordance with the Return Policy, as
follows. This warranty remains valid only if repairs are performed by FISHMAN.This
warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which
may vary from state to state.

RETURN POLICY

To return products to FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS, you must follow these steps...

1. Call FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS at 978-988-9199 for a Return Authorization
Number (“RAN”).

2. Enclose a copy of the original Bill of Sale as evidence of the date of purchase,
with the product in its original packaging and a protective carton or mailer.

3. FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS’ technicians will determine whether the item is
covered by warranty or if it instead has been damaged by improper customer
installation or other causes not related to defects in material or workmanship.

4. Warranty repairs or replacements will be sent automatically free of charge.

5. If FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS determines the item is not covered by warranty,

we will notify you of the repair or replacement cost and wait for your authorization
to proceed.

340-D Fordham Road Wilmington MA 01887 USA

FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS

Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]

www.fishman.com

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®

009-015-002 • 11-00

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Owner

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C-100 Cello Pickup

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C-100 Cello Pic

C-100 Cello Pic

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INSTALLATION

1. Measure the opening of the bass side wing slot on the bridge with a vernier

caliper. The opening should be between .060-.090" (1.5-2.3mm) for proper fit.
If the wing slot opening of the cello measures more than .090" (2.3mm), the leg

facing the pickup must be shimmed. For that purpose, we have provided a strip
of wooden shim material that can be easily cut with scissors, stacked and glued
to produce a shim of any required thickness.

2. Slide the transducer into

the bass wing slot as
shown. Make certain that
the sensing element is in
contact with the wing face
and that the spring (made
of tempered beryllium cop­per) is in contact with the
corresponding "leg" face of
the bridge.

NOTE: For best perfor-

mance, the ultimate wing
slot opening should be
.070" (1.8mm).

3. For permanent installation, use any appropriate wood adhesive to bond the shims

to the face of the bass side wing. As a result, the shims will be located between
the transducer’s sensing element and the bass side wing.

NOTE: The performance of the C-100 is affected by the amount of contact area

between its sensing element and the wing face of the bridge. Accordingly, the per­formance may be adversely affected if the wing face has been stylized or carved
in any way.

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C-100 Cello Pic

C-100 Cello Pic

4. Once the transducer is properly inserted into

the bridge, the next step is to mount the adhe­sive-backed jack mount to the back side of the
tailpiece. First, peel off the release film from
the holder and then press the holder firmly in
place below the fine tuning machines of the
tailpiece. Position the holder so that the jack,
when slipped into the holder, will be at a right
angle (90 degrees) to the tailpiece.

5. Insert the jack into the holder and snap

shut. Since the wire is somewhat micro­phonic, it should not be allowed to lie on
the face of the instrument.

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FINE TUNING

Once the C-100 is properly mounted, plug the instrument into an amplifier and play
at a low volume. Carefully shift the position of the C-100 within the slot and listen for
the best location.

NOTE: If installation is to be permanent, a small drop of cyanoacrylate adhesive on

the spring side (lower face) of the transducer can be used.

PLUGGING IN

Due to the nature of passive pickups, the type of cable you use and the input you plug into will affect
the quality of your sound.

INSTRUMENT CABLE

Cable lengths over 10 feet (before preamp) will cause audible high frequency loss. Use a high qual­ity, low capacitance shielded cable. This will insure minimal tone coloration and hum. Using fully
shielded metal plugs will also help eliminate hum.

KINDS OF AUDIO INPUTS

Because of the lack of standardization for high impedance audio inputs, special attention should be
paid to what you are plugging into:

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C-100 Cello Pic

C-100 Cello Pic

The C-100 will sound best when plugged directly into an input with a 10 Meg Ohm impedance.
At 10 Meg Ohm , the full frequency response of the instrument is reproduced. The C-100 can
also be plugged into inputs as low as 1 Meg Ohm with adequate results. At 1 Meg Ohm
bass frequencies will be slightly rolled off.

Preamps

We strongly recommend using a 10 MOhm, impedance matching, buffered preamp in conjunction
with the pickup.
A matching preamp will:

1. Realize the full frequency response potential of the pickup.

2. Permit long cable runs (after the preamp) without signal deterioration.

3. Allow precise volume and tone shaping with dedicated EQ.

4. Ensure compatibility with virtually any instrument level audio input available.

Fishman Transducers manufactures a complete line of compatible preamps,
all with 10 Meg Ohm inputs:

POWERJACK - Miniature Endpin Preamp
MODEL GII & BII - Outboard Acoustic Instrument Preamp
AGP-2 - Onboard Instrument Preamp
PRO-EQ II - 4 Band Acoustic Instrument Preamp
PRO-EQ PLATINUM - Outboard Acoustic Instrument Preamp / EQ / D.I.
DUAL PARAMETRIC D.I. - Fully Parametric Two Band Preamp / D.I.
ACOUSTIC / BASS BLENDER - 2 Channel Pickup / Mic Preamp
POCKET BLENDER - 2 Channel Pickup/Mic Preamp

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AMPLIFIERS

Most musical instrument amplifiers (at least 1 Meg Ohm input impedance) will yield useable
results. Acoustic instrument amplifiers (such as the Fishman Acoustic Performer Pro) have a 10
Meg Ohm Piezo input; ideally matching the pickup.

DIRECT BOXES

You can plug the C-100 into an "active" direct box (1-10 Meg Ohm input) with very good results.
Using a passive direct box will sound weak and thin.

P A / RECORDING CONSOLES

Professional PA and recording consoles have a much lower input impedance than what is accept­able for the C-100; you will need an impedance matching preamp. Plugging a passive piezo
pickup into a mixer without an impedance matching preamp will sound harsh and thin.

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