You can use any standard latching footswitch to control the mute function of the SA330x/SA220. Unlike other Fishman amplifiers, the footswitch does not control the effects on the SA330x/SA220.

The SA Expand is only compatible with the current SA330X and will not work with the prior SA220. The SA Expand connects to the SA330X through a data port which provides both power and audio connection. The previous model SA220 does not come equipped with data port to connect the SA Expand.

To successfully put your Bluetooth equipped Loudbox amplifier into search/pair mode, the Bluetooth button should be held down for at least 10 seconds. Many customers will hold the button down until the ascending tone is heard. While this turns on the Bluetooth function, this doesn’t activate the search/pair mode. Once it is in search/pair mode, the Bluetooth LED will flash quickly and then the amp will appear in your device menu.

Fishman acoustic amplifiers are designed for accuracy and transparent sound of acoustic instruments, including acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, mandolin, violin, cello, banjo, and more. Fishman amplifiers can also be used with solid body instruments like electric guitar and bass. For these instruments, acoustic voicing can deliver increased high frequencies when compared to a traditional electric guitar amplifier but the tone is more open and life-like. Fishman doesn’t recommend using distortions or overdrives with our acoustic amplifiers. The speakers are designed for fidelity and are not built to tolerate the square waves that distortions and overdrives produce.

When an amplifier is powered on, any charge stored in the power amp capacitors can be released. This can happen if the amp does not have enough time to release stored energy. You may notice that an amp sits for longer periods of time any noise during power up is diminished. This does not harm the amp in any way, it was designed to do this.

No, because Aura is not modeling, it’s imaging. Even though Fishman’s list of Aura images includes guitars, mandolins and other instruments they cannot be used to make your instrument sound like a different one.

To create Aura images, we record an instrument (as an example, a dreadnought 6-string acoustic) with several different studio microphones and the guitar’s Matrix undersaddle pickup, all at the same time. Each microphone output is compared to the pickup output using Aura algorithms, which identify the differences between the pickup sound and the microphone sound. This data is used to create the Aura images. If you play the dreadnought with the Matrix undersaddle through an Aura device with a specific image loaded, the Aura is able to recreate the sound of the high-quality studio microphone, using only the pickup signal. If you plug in a different guitar (a nylon string, for example) using the dreadnought Aura images, the nylon string guitar would not sound like a dreadnought guitar — it would just sound broken.

To find the correct and most sonorous Aura images for your guitar, we have created the Aura image library and desktop software. In conjunction with your Aura device, you can search and download images that match your particular instrument. By their very nature, many of these Aura images are compatible with many similar type instruments.

In the case of a guitar with factory installed Aura system, images from that exact guitar model have been made. The manufacturer (along with Fishman), has selected the best matches to load onto the guitar’s Aura device. Because there are no better images to be gained, these factory images cannot be edited. The factory installation of your Aura product is already optimized – no work required. For more information on how Aura technology works, see the Aura’s product page.

A magnetic sound hole pickup can be added to many Fishman onboard preamp systems. The sound hole pickup’s signal wire will be wired to the “Ring” terminal of the output jack and the ground will be connected to the sleeve. If the soundhole pickup is active, like our Rare Earth pickups, you would remove the batteries from the sound hole pickup and install a jumper between the positive and negative battery terminals on the pickup. The battery wire of the pickup would then be connected to the “Switch” lug of the jack, so the onboard preamp and active sound hole pickup will run off the same 9 volt battery.

The Acoustic Matrix undersaddle pickup element comes in a standard length of 2.650″ (67.3 mm), with a sensing area of 2.500″ (66.55 mm), which will fit into 99% of the acoustic guitar saddle slots and string spacings that exist today. For custom length slots, we are happy to manufacture pickups on a special order basis*. Due to the nature of the manufacturing process, the Acoustic Matrix pickup cannot be cut to fit once it is made. Saddle slots over 3 inches can be accommodated with a 2-piece saddle, as we cannot manufacture a 1-piece pickup over 3 inches in length. Please see your local Fishman dealer for pricing and ordering information.
*additional charge applies

This designation refers to the width of your saddle slot.

Some companies, like Martin, have traditionally used a 3/32” saddle slot, which we call “narrow”.

Others, like Gibson, use a 1/8” slot, which we call “wide”.

Both our narrow and wide Matrix elements measure 2.65″ long.

Split format is for less common instruments made by some companies, such as Lowden, which feature two saddles: a short one for the E and B strings, and a longer one for the remaining four strings. The saddle slot width for our split format is designed like our narrow pickup, to accommodate two 3/32” width saddle slots. The long element measures 1 3/4″ long, and the short element measures 7/8″ long

If you are unsure which model you need, measure your saddle carefully using calipers, or simply show your guitar to your installer. They will usually be able to see right away which size will fit your instrument.

If there is any doubt, a “narrow” pickup can fit in a “wide” pickup slot and work well, but the reverse is not true.

If you have lost a Felted U-Clip that comes with your BP-100, there is an alternate method of attaching the pickup to your bass bridge. You can use a standard hot-melt glue gun and glue stick as a temporary or even permanent solution. Make sure you have a nice flat surface area on the bridge to affix the pickup. A sanding block is the best tool for this. Once the area is sanded flat, apply a liberal amount of hot-melt glue to the back side of each element and affix to the bridge. Remove any excess glue and use a clothes pin (or the remaining U-Clip) to hold it in place until it dries. Once dry, you’re all set. To remove the pickup, just heat it up slightly with your average blow dryer and it will come right off. As always, we recommend professional installation for this product whenever possible.

Our Full Circle upright bass pickup is encased within a height adjuster wheel. The post that holds the wheel in place is threaded (for precise adjustment) on one side, and is not threaded on the other.

We’ve had many people ask if there is a tonal difference between threads up and threads down mounting position. The answer is yes, there is a subtle difference, but you should get satisfactory results either way.

When mounted threads down and the hot side of the pickup faces the strings. This translates to more defined articulation and attack, with a slight emphasis on string sound.

When mounted threads up the hot side of the pickup face the body of the bass. You’ll get a more wooden acoustic tone this way, with a more rounded attack and less edge.

Which way is better? Most prefer the sound of in the threads up position but ultimately whatever you prefer.

Fishman’s range of soundhole pickups (Neo-D, Rare Earth & Blackstack) are magnetic which require strings with a ferrous or steel core to produce sound. Since nylon strings will not react with a magnet, no sound will be produced from this combination. An undersaddle pickup system, like the Matrix Infinity VT will be a better solution for a nylon string guitar. Please contact Fishman support for further guidance.

Constructed of a set of magnets that is wound, single coil pickups tend to have a brighter sound with more attack. The pickup has high output and is designed to articulate the subtleties of the strings. The downside to a single coil pickup is that they tend to have increased background noise or interference (e.g. from a computer monitor).

A humbucker pickup is constructed of a set of magnets that is wound twice (in opposite directions) to cancel out the “hum” or interference that single coil pickups can produce. Typically guitarists will describe this as a ‘warmer’ sound with a mid-range focus. There is slightly less string articulation but noise will be lowered considerably.

A magnetic sound hole pickup can be added to many Fishman onboard preamp systems. The sound hole pickup’s signal wire will be wired to the “Ring” terminal of the output jack and the ground will be connected to the sleeve. If the soundhole pickup is active, like our Rare Earth pickups, you would remove the batteries from the sound hole pickup and install a jumper between the positive and negative battery terminals on the pickup. The battery wire of the pickup would then be connected to the “Switch” lug of the jack, so the onboard preamp and active sound hole pickup will run off the same 9 volt battery.