USER GUIDE
RARE EARTH SOUNDHOLE PICKUPS
Quick Install
To temporarily install the pickup, loosen the clamps with a Phillips screwdriver.
Position the pickup in the soundhole, parallel to and as close to the end of the
fingerboard as possible. Gently re-tighten the clamps. For now, run the cable out
through the soundhole.
Precaution: Don’t let the pickup cable rest on your guitar’s finish for long
periods. The rubber jacket could interact with the finish and leave a
permanent mark.
If you travel with your guitar or store it for long periods with the pickup in place,
we strongly recommend that you have the endpin jack permanently installed in
the guitar. Installation instructions for professional installers are available from
Service & Support at www.fishman.com.
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Mounting Clamps
The jaws of the clamps are lined with natural cork, which will not interact with
the guitar’s finish. Use gentle pressure to tighten the clamps. Note that
over-tightening may perforate the guitar finish.
Power
The Rare Earth switches on when you plug in. To conserve the batteries, unplug
the endpin jack when not in use.
The batteries for the Rare Earth are conveniently mounted to the underside of
the pickup. You can expect over 240 hours (110 hours for Rare Earth Blend)
between battery changes. When the signal from the pickup starts to distort it is
time to change the batteries. See page 9.
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Pickup Voicing
The Rare Earth has been carefully voiced to reproduce a balanced string
response. If your guitar has very high action on the bass side or very low action
on the treble side, you may hear slight imbalance between the outside strings. In
these cases, raise the bass side of the pickup with a shim.
The Rare Earth is voiced specifically for bronze or phosphor bronze strings. If
nickel electric guitar strings are used with the Rare Earth, the lower wound strings
will overpower the higher plain strings.
Preamp
All Rare Earth models feature a miniature preamp, housed within the body of
the pickup. A low-noise circuit design preserves the pickup’s performance in any
audio environment. Plug the Rare Earth into an acoustic instrument amplifier, an
unbalanced input of a mixer or a direct box, without signal loss or degradation.
You may run cables up to 80' (25m) in length without audible signal loss.
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Pickup Types
Single Coil
This model is for those who prefer the brightness and character associated with a
single coil pickup. Note that this version, like all single coil pickups, is susceptible
to 50 – 60Hz hum. To minimize noise, keep the Rare Earth Single Coil away from
fluorescent lights, light dimmers, computer monitors and transformers.
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Humbucking
A “stacked coil” style, for musicians who demand brilliant acoustic tone with
quieter reproduction than a single coil pickup can offer. A volume control,
located on the bottom of the pickup, is easily accessible through the soundhole.
Move the wheel clockwise to increase volume. For the lowest noise performance,
keep the control at the highest setting.
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Pickup Types (continued)
Blend
The Rare Earth Blend marries our active humbucking pickup to a high quality,
internally mounted miniature microphone. These components couple seamlessly
for cohesive, three-dimensional amplified acoustic tone. The microphone is a
miniature electret type, with a hyper-cardioid response pattern. It easily adjusts
into position with a flexible gooseneck mount.
Adjust the balance between the
microphone and magnetic signals
with the small rotary blend control,
located underneath the pickup.
Move the wheel toward the treble
strings for more pickup, and
toward the bass strings for more
microphone.
8
Battery Replacement
Remove the pickup from the instrument and carefully pry out the batteries with a
small flat-head jeweler’s screwdriver. When you replace the batteries, observe the
correct polarity. Note that plus (+) and minus (-) polarity marks are molded into
the shell of the battery clip.
Battery Requirements
Two 1.5 Volt silver oxide:
Eveready #357
ANSI-WS15
1EC-SR44
Will also accept one 3-Volt lithium battery:
Duracell DL1/3N
Eveready 2L76
Varta CR 1/3N 6132
Union Carbide 2L76
Sanyo CR 1/3N
Others: K58L
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Rare Earth Blend Microphone Placement
Try experimenting with microphone placement until you find a position you like.
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
To begin, move the blend control toward the bass strings. A good starting
position is with the microphone capsule parallel to the soundboard. Point it
toward the edge of the soundhole to emphasize more bass. Once you find a
sound you like, blend in the pickup to taste.
Precaution: Do not bend or twist the gooseneck where it joins the
pickup housing.
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Stereo Operation
The Blend model can be modified so the microphone signal is added to the ring
output. Instructions for this modification are available from Service & Support at
www.fishman.com.
Once the Rare Earth Blend is wired for stereo, the thumb-wheel will not affect
the level of the microphone at the ring output, but it will continue to mix mic and
pickup at the tip output. Move the thumb-wheel toward the treble side for all
pickup to the tip.
For stereo operaton, use a TRS cable or a stereo “Y” cable. If you plug in a mono
cable, you may hear distortion from the mic.
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Suggestions for Stereo Operation
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Specifications
All Models:
Output Impedance 1k Ohm
Recommended Minimum Load Impedance 10k Ohm
Supply Voltage 3.0 – 3.6V
Single Coil:
Maximum Output Level 0dBu RMS
Output Noise Level <-93dBu RMS, A-weighted
Current Consumption 0.5mA
Battery Life >240 hours
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Humbucking
Maximum Output Level -3dBu RMS
Output Noise Level <-98dBu RMS, A-weighted
Current Consumption 0.5mA
Battery Life >240 hours
Rare Earth Blend
Maximum Output Level -6dBu RMS
Output Noise Level <-98dBu RMS, A-weighted
Current Consumption 1.1mA
Battery Life >110 hours
The information and specifications in this manual subject to change without notice.
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www.fishman.com
513-000-036 Rev B 2-07
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