LR Baggs Radius Mandolin Pickup

The LR Baggs Radius, a tiny wonder of a pickup, is specially developed for the mandolin, violin, and other high-voiced instruments.

The Radius mandolin pickup is a hi-tech contact sensor that was designed to emulate the sound of a mic without the instability associated with microphones. The pickup installs easily to the instrument with mounting putty that is non-destructive to its finish. Inside of the pickup’s housing is a highly flexible film sensor that responds much like a mic diaphragm. The sensor is held in equilibrium and damped by opposing neodymium magnets that allow the pickup to respond to the instruments most subtle nuances.

At the heart of the pickup's transducer is a highly flexible beam with a .004" thin film sensor, similar to mic diaphragm material, attached to its surface. The beam is held in equilibrium and damped by opposing Neodymium magnets, another LR Baggs innovation. The sensor floats between the magnets and is not bogged down in viscous fluid or clamped between elastomeric pads, so it is completely free to respond instantly to the smallest nuance without artifact or coloration. Also, the magnets are tuned to progressively damp the sensor and respond naturally to the dynamics of the musical instrument.

The frequency response is linear, silky-smooth, and accurate with an astonishing natural and effortless sound. Unlike most soundboard transducers, the Radius pickup is also very tolerant to placement and works well in a variety of locations. The output of the device is quite strong, allowing passive use with a normal-length cord without a preamp into most acoustic amps. The case is injection-molded of a non-resonant conductive ABS material developed in collaboration with a respected plastics manufacturer. The CAD-designed case acts like a vault for the transducer, insuring ultra quiet operation.

The LR Baggs Radius pickup may be mounted to the outside surface of the instrument with a removable, non-destructive adhesive or to the inside with VHB adhesive. The Radius "kit" includes adhesive, a 1/4" stereo jack, and a side mount jack holder to enable internal or external mounting.