In the early 1980s, there weren’t many options for acoustic guitarists to amplify their instruments. Most players would either put a mic in front of the guitar, which typically came along with feedback issues, use one of the horrid acoustic pickups available then, or mount one of the few soundhole magnetic pickups to fit in the soundhole and get a more “electric” sound.
The LB6 was designed by master luthier and Baggs founder Lloyd Baggs to give players a more rich and rewarding sound from the guitar, while still minimizing feedback on stage without harming the acoustic sound of the guitar. The LB6 steadily gained popularity with players for its exceptional string-to-string separation, punchy attack, warmth, and solid feedback resistance. Decades later, the LB6 remains a top choice for all types of guitarists around the world.
Lloyd Baggs was making custom acoustic guitars for some of LA’s elite musicians of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but he didn’t have any pickup options available for the artists who wanted to play his guitars through a PA.
After numerous experiments with different mics and pickup types, Lloyd inverted the phase of two of the six sensors that he was building directly into his fledgling saddle replacement pickups. This small but significant change retained the string separation and full sound of the pickup, while making the pickup notably stronger against feedback. The Lloyd Baggs pickup, later dubbed the LB6, gained an even greater audience when Lloyd collaborated with Godin Guitars to create the legendary the Acousticaster guitar.
Instrument: Steel-String (LB6), 12-String (LB12), Nylon-String (LB6X)
Type: Saddle
Position: Saddle Replacement
Active/Passive: Passive
Preamp: No (external preamp required)
Controls: None
Power Source: N/A
Included: LB6 pickup
