Fishman Resophonic Guitar Pickup INSTALLATION GUIDE

Resonator Guitar Pickup

®

®

This pickup fits single cone instruments with either spider-style or biscuit-style
bridge assemblies.

Warning!

Professional installation is recommended. Fishman Transducers, Inc.
will not be responsible for damage to instruments due to improper
installation.

Thank you for choosing the Fishman Resonator Guitar Pickup. It is our wish that you
are completely satisfied with this product. If you have any questions or comments,
we would like to hear from you. You may reach our customer service department at
[e-mail] or call 978-988-9665.

Wiring Options: visit www.fishman.com for updates to this manual.

A message from resonator guitar builder Paul Beard

The Fishman Resonator Guitar pickup is specifically designed for
the resonator guitar and is the culmination of three years
collaboration between Larry Fishman and myself.

Due to the unique complex audio waveform generated by the
resonator guitar, it is one of the most difficult acoustic
instruments to reproduce electronically in true fashion.

By utilizing enhanced state-of-the-art technology, along with
exclusive innovative design criteria, this pickup delivers true
resonator guitar sound along with maximum output.

I personally recommend this pickup for all my resonator guitars.

Plugging In

Passive Pickup

For clean, noiseless sound, use a high quality low capacitance instrument cable with
metal plugs. For consistent sound, we recommend an outboard acoustic instrument
preamp between the pickup and your amplifier or mixing console.

Active Pickup

For great sound, plug directly into any available audio input (instrument amplifier, DI,
mixing console, soundcard, etc.) and you're done. How easy is that?

Battery Installation for the Active Resophonic Pickup

You may locate the included battery clip on any flat surface inside the instrument.
Clean the area where you plan to mount the battery clip with denatured alcohol,
remove the release film from the sticky-back adhesive and firmly fasten the battery
clip inside the instrument. Battery life is approx. 11,000 hours. Under normal con­ditions the battery will last several years between changes.

An optional flush-mounted battery box with external access is also available.
(Fishman part #ACC-BAT-001)

A set of adhesive backed clips has been provided to secure the pickup wire and bat­tery leads inside the guitar. Remove the plastic film from the back of each clip to
expose the adhesive and fasten to the sides or back of the instrument.

Active Preamp Specifications

Power: 9V Alkaline battery
Battery Life: 11,000 hours
Maximum Output Voltage: 4 Volts peak to peak
Input Impedance: 2.5 Meg Ohm
Output Impedance: Less than 5 k Ohm
System Gain : 3dB
Signal-to-noise Ratio: 94 dB
Discrete Component Design: FET low noise class A input stage, bipolar

Specifications subject to change without notice.

class AB output stage

The FISHMAN Resophonic Guitar 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.

Resophonic Guitar Pickup

•

For single cone instruments with either spider-style or

•

Installation Instructions for Passive and Active Models

Installation GuideLimited Warranty

biscuit-style bridge assemblies.

340-D Fordham Road Wilmington MA 01887 USA

FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS

Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]

www.fishman.com

009-021-001 • Rev 3 • 3-12-03

23 4 561

23 4 51

Resonator Guitar Pickup

®

Jack Installation Where to locate the jack?

Metal Body Instrument

For a metal instrument with a stick that runs the length of the body into the tailblock
(ex: Dobro
lower bout. Use a center punch at the chosen location and use a sharp 3/8" (9.5 mm)
brad-point drill. For best results, use a drill press and clamp the instrument securely
to prevent the drill from wandering or distorting the shape of the hole.

®

, National®) we recommend that you place the jack on the treble side

Wooden Body Instrument

For most wooden instruments, locate the jack at the endblock, centered below the
tailpiece. Drill a 3/16" (4.8mm) hole and enlarge it to 15/32" (12mm) with a 15/32"
tapered reamer. Note that if the instrument has a ring ("soundwell") inside the sound
chamber , you may have to drill through it to accommodate the jack.

Pickup Installation

Installation for Biscuit style instruments:

The pickup is held against the center of the cone with the wood screw that normally
holds the biscuit to the cone.

1. Remove the original screw from the biscuit and swap it with the longer wood
screw that is supplied with the kit.

2. Notice that the heat-shrink tubing on the end of the pickup is bent to one side. Do
not attempt to unbend it! If you do so you may damage the pickup. Position the
pickup so the bend in the heat shrink tubing faces away from the cone.

3. Place the shoulder washer into the pickup and the screw into the shoulder washer.

4. Fasten the pickup assembly to the cone/biscuit. Tighten the screw until snug, and
then another 1/8 turn tighter.

5. Reassemble the instrument.

1 - 3/8” Nut

2 - 3/8” Star Washer

3 - Guitar Body

4 - 3/8” Dress Washer

5 - 3/8” Nut

Metal Body Instrument Jack Location

1 - 15/32” Nut

2 - 15/32” Washer

3 - 15/32” Star Washer

4 - Guitar Endblock

5 - 3/8” Dress Washer

6 - 3/8” Nut

Wooden Body Instrument Jack Location

Biscuit Bridge

Installation for Spider style instruments:

This installation is a little trickier than the biscuit installation. For the pickup to
operate properly it is critical that the spider and cone are pre-loaded with the correct
pressure.

1. Remove the strings and the plate that protects the cone assembly. Calibrate the
spider/cone pressure by loosening the screw that holds the cone to the spider
until the screw head no longer touches the spider frame. Tighten the screw until
the head just touches the spider, and then tighten one full turn more. The
spider/cone is now pre-loaded for optimum bass response without buzzes or
rattles.

2. If the end of the screw is long enough to accept the pickup and locknut, go on to
the next step. If it is not long enough you will need to replace it with a longer
screw and go back to step #1. We include replacements for both SAE 4-40 and
3mm screws, plus matching locknuts in the hardware kit. Choose the screw that
matches the threaded slug in the center of the cone assembly.

3. Notice that the heat-shrink tubing on the end of the pickup is bent to one side. Do
not attempt to unbend it! If you do so you may damage the pickup. Position the
pickup so the bend in the heat shrink tubing faces away from the cone.

4. Place the pickup, then the shoulder washer on the screw and start to thread the
lock nut. You must hold the head of the screw stationary (with the screwdriver)
as you tighten the locknut or you will change the crucial pre-loaded pressure on
the spider and cone. If the screw accidentally turns as you tighten the locknut,
then you must go back to step #1 and re-calibrate the cone and spider.

5. Tighten the nut until it is snug against the pickup, and then 1/8 turn tighter.

6. Re-assemble the instrument and tune to pitch. Plug the instrument into an
amplifier and slowly turn the screw counter-clockwise until you hear a strong
signal from the pickup.

Cone

Pickup

Shoulder Washer

Screw

Biscuit Style Instrument Pickup Installation

Cone

Machine

Screw

Pickup

Shoulder Washer

Lock Nut

Spider Style Instrument Pickup Installation

Fishman Transducers 340-D Fordham Road Wilmington MA 01887 USA Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]

www.fishman.com