Our mics also work with Behringer acoustic-instrument amps ($76 and up) and other amps that lack phantom power. Just use a separate phantom power supply, such as the $20 Behringer PS400 or $40 ART Phantom I.

What's the difference between the Fiddle Mic and Fiddle Mic J?
The two mics sound the same and have the same volume before feedback. The Fiddle Mic has a permanently attached cable, while the Fiddle Mic J has an inline mini jack so you can detach the cable.

What's the difference between the Guitar Mic and Guitar Mic B?
The two mics sound the same and have the same volume before feedback. The Guitar Mic has an XLR connector and is phantom powered, while the Guitar Mic B has a 1/4" phone jack and is battery powered.

If you want to plug into a mixer or instrument amp that has phantom power, the Guitar Mic is the best choice. If the mixer or amp does not have phantom power, you can use an external phantom power supply between the mic and mixer, such as the $20 Behringer PS400 or $40 ART Phantom I.

if you want to plug into a wireless mic transmitter, direct box, or instrument amp without phantom power, the Guitar Mic B is the best choice It's also the best choice if you are plugging into a mixer that might not have phantom power (most do have it).

If you want to install the mic permanently in your guitar with an endpin jack, the Guitar Mic is the best choice. It can be modified as described near the bottom of this page.

Will the Guitar Mic or Guitar Mic B work with an archtop guitar?
Yes, our Soundhole Clip will mount in the f-hole of an archtop guitar if the f-hole is at least 3/4 inch wide in the center of the hole. The Guitar Mic or Guitar Mic B mic capsule mounts just inside the f-hole, and the clip attaches to the edge of the f-hole. The clip is covered in soft polyolefin so it will not damage the guitar's finish.

Do your mics require phantom power?
All our mics (except the Guitar Mic B) require 12 to 48 volts phantom power. That is supplied by most mixers. The mic simply plugs into the mixer mic input to receive power.

If your mixer does not have phantom power, you need to get a phantom power supply such as the ART Phantom I or Behringer PS400. Plug the mic into the phantom supply, and connect the supply output to your mixer mic input. Or plug the mic directly into an acoustic amp with a phantom-powered XLR input, such as the Fishman Loudbox 100, AER Compact 60, Schertler Unico, or Acoustic Image Coda/Ten2.

The Guitar Mic B is battery-powered so it does not need phantom power.

How can I use the Guitar Mic with a guitar amp or stomp box?
Plug a phantom power supply between the mic and the amp or stomp box. The ART Phantom I and Behringer PS400 work well. Connect the mic's XLR connector to the phantom supply input. Connect an XLR mic cable between the phantom power supply output and a Radio Shack A3F XLR jack-to-1/4" plug adapter/transformer, part no. 274-016. Plug the Radio Shack adapter into your guitar amp. You can use any other female-XLR-to-1/4"-plug adapter transformer, just be sure that it has an impedance matching transformer (also called low-Z to high-Z transformer).

Is there a volume control/on-off switch for the mics?
Yes, and it's made by Rapco. It does not pass phantom power to the mic, so you will need to plug a phantom power supply between the mic and the Rapco volume control. The ART Phantom I and Behringer PS400 power supplies work well.
Rapco Horizon CVPBLOX volume control
The signal path is: mic > XLR mic cable > phantom power supply > XLR mic cable > Rapco volume control > XLR mic cable to PA mixer.

Is there a volume control for the Guitar Mic B?
Yes, the Taylor V Cable 250. It's available from www.sweetwater.com for $39.

How are these mics a good value?

• Each mic is hand-tuned for the correct frequency response and sound.
• We use custom-made parts, not off-the-shelf generic parts.
• Extensive research went into the design to give the best sound in a small package.
• We use high-quality components.
• Our mics are made in the U.S.A.

Will the mics work with a loud rock band?
Being omnidirectional mics, they will probably feed back when you turn them up loud enough to compete with electric instruments or drums. Our mics are designed for soloists, duos, or quieter acoustic groups such as old-time string bands, bluegrass bands, string quartets, and so on. They are best used in a quiet venue.

Why do they have an omnidirectional pickup pattern?
Omni mics generally have the best sound quality -- the most natural sound -- because they pick up all the parts of the instrument, rather than focusing on a small part as a unidirectional mic would do. Omni mics also pick up much less handling noise and wind noise than unidirectional mics.

How can I reduce feedback?

• When playing through an amp, place the amp behind you and to the left so your body blocks the feedback.
• If you have a pickup, send its signal to the monitor speakers, and send the mic signal to the house speakers.
  In your mixer's pickup channel, turn up the monitor send and turn down the fader. In your mixer's mic channel, turn down the monitor send and turn up the fader.
• Use in-ear monitors.
• Using a 1/3-octave graphic equalizer, notch out frequencies that feed back.
• Fiddle Mic: Trap the mic between the foam block and the body under the tailpiece.

The quieter you play, the more you need to turn up the volume on your amp, and that leads to more feedback. So try to play a little louder and turn down your amp to compensate.

If the feedback is a low-pitched boomy effect, you can reduce that by turning down the bass (low-frequency EQ) on your amp a little at a time until the sound is natural.

If the feedback is a high-pitched squeal, turn down the treble (high-frequency EQ) on your amp a little at a time until the sound is acceptable.

What is the advantage of a clip-on microphone over a pickup?
Much more natural sound. Your instrument will sound acoustic, not electric, with a microphone. Because a pickup is sensitive mostly to string vibrations, it tends to make different models of one instrument sound the same. But a microphone allows all the individuality of your instrument to be heard because a mic picks up the body of the instrument as well as the acoustic sound of the strings.

What are the advantages of a clip-on microphone compared to a stand-mounted microphone?

• Less clutter on stage - there's nothing between you and your audience.
• More consistent volume and tone -- With a stand mic, your volume and tone change when you move.
• Freedom of movement on stage -- you are not locked into a single position in front of a mic.
• Easier to carry -- no heavy mic stands, no large mics to carry.

How can I turn off the mic when I want to tune my instrument?
Here are some affordable on-off switches for the instrument mics (except the Guitar Mic B). They all pass phantom power to the mic.
Hosa GMS-274 microphone inline on-off switch $17.95
Calrad microphone inline on-off switch $12.60
Pro Co Sign Off microphone on-off switch box $78.99
Build it yourself.

If your mixer has phantom power, connect your system like this:
Mic > on-off switch > XLR mic cable > mixer XLR mic input

My Guitar Mic B seems quiet through my passive DI.
An active direct box can be about 15 dB louder than a passive direct box, so you might try an active direct box.

My Guitar Mic B seems quiet through my guitar amp.
A pickup into a guitar amp is louder than a microphone into a guitar amp because a pickup and a guitar-amp input are high impedance. You can convert a Guitar Mic B to high impedance. Here's how:

Make or buy a cable with a 1/4" phone plug on one end and a male XLR on the other end. Solder the shield to XLR pins 1 and 3, hot conductor to pin 2. Plug the XLR into a Radio Shack A3F XLR jack-to-1/4" plug adapter/transformer, part no. 274-016. That will give you about 12-15 dB more volume from a guitar amp.

I hear distortion when I use the microphone.
Our instrument mics are very sensitive or "hot". If you are plugging the mic into a mixer, be sure to turn down the input gain trim to prevent overloading the mixer's mic preamp. If your preamp or amp does not have a gain trim control, use an in-line pad (mic attenuator). 10 to 15 dB attenuation should be enough. Here are some links:
Dayton XATT20
Shure A15AS

Does the supplied foam mount damp the sound of a fiddle?
No. The foam is very soft and has almost no damping effect, as these measurements show.

Where do you sell your microphones?
We sell directly from this web site.

How can I convert the Guitar Mic for use with an endpin jack?
Basically, cut the cable, install an endpin jack on one side of the cable, and install a stereo phone plug on the other side of the cable. CAUTION: This modification will void the warranty. You'll need a right-angle stereo phone plug and a stereo endpin jack (tip-ring-sleeve). Here is the procedure: