Schertler Acoustic Pickup Systems

Stephan Schertler and his team have been successfully involved in the development of solid state transducers for many years. While seeking viable alternatives to the common piezo pickup systems, Schertler made a significant advance in 1985 with the construction of a bridge pick-up for the upright double bass, using electrostatic principles.

After years of further research and development, the original concept was refined to the point where it could be generally applied to virtually all acoustic musical instruments. More years of research and experimentation led to the creation of an under-saddle condenser microphone transducer, best suited for acoustic guitars and acoustic bass guitars. Enter the Schertler BLUESTiCK pickup system.

Today, Schertler USA offers five types of pickups for acoustic instruments:

• BLUESTiCK
• DYN-Series
• STAT-Series
• Dual-Source
• Basik-Series

Schertler BLUESTiCK Pickup
The Schertler BLUESTiCK pickup is an under-the-saddle eclectrostatic transducer, designed specifically for acoustic guitar and acoustic bass guitar. This patented active transducer places a miniaturized equivalent of a studio-grade condenser microphone under the guitar saddle for clear and accurate sound reproduction. This miniaturized electrostatic condenser microphone is remarkably light and provides incredibly subtle harmonic vibrations with more volume and less feedback. With a very simple, non-invasive installation the BLUESTiCK requires just one small hole drilled under the guitar’s saddle, with no visual modification to the instrument and no unsightly control panels or volume knobs. The complete BLUESTiCK system includes the micro-Class A preamp module, a patented under-the-saddle condenser transducer, and an ingenious Sound Wheel that allows quick volume changes while maintaining full gain control.

Schertler DYN-Series
The Schertler DYN-Series electrodynamic acoustic transducer from Schertler is a patented system with a transducer coil which moves through a decoupled magnetic field to create a voltage differential, delivering a true response to the acoustic vibrations of the instrument. Schertler DYN-Series transducers provide a sound that is exceptionally acoustic in nature, with a sound similar to that of a studio microphone, but without the on-stage problems of bleed or feedback. The DYN-Series transducers can be used in a variety of applications, from home recording to live performances. The installation of the Schertler DYN-Series transducer is extremely simple and safe- a special inert adhesive putty is provided to mount the pickup non-invasively to the instrument body.

Schertler STAT-Series Electrostatic Acoustic Transducer
The Schertler STAT-Series Electrostatic Acoustic Transducer system was designed and patented in 1988. They are highly feedback resistant and provide an impressive bridge sound without the harshness or distortion of a piezo pickup. STATs provide a full and realistic string instrument sound and installation is simple: the pickup capsule is placed in one of the bridge wing cutouts. Constructed with soft cork on one end of the capsule, the cork is easily carved to the curvature of the cutout. Once mounted, a STAT transducer can remain on the instrument indefinitely. Likewise, the STAT can be easily removed and reinstalled as necessary.

Schertler Dual-Source System
The Schertler Dual-Source system combines the two main Schertler technologies, the electrostatic under-saddle transducer (BLUESTiCK) with the electrodynamic contact transducer (DYN-Series). The combination of BLUESTiCK and DYN provides a wide variety of tones and either pickup may be selected alone, or blended. A double rotary controller is mounted inside the sound hole- one control adjusts the overall system volume level, while the other adjusts the blend between the BLUESTiCK and DYN transducers. Installation for the BLUESTiCK is exactly the same as for standard BLUESTiCK models, and the internally mounted DYN (called C-DYN) is mounted to the bridge plate with double-sided tape. The DUAL requires no visual modification of the instrument and there are no unsightly control panels or volume knobs.

Schertler Basik-Series Electrostatic Transducer
The Schertler Basik-Series Electrostatic Transducer is a contact microphone specifically designed for use with stringed instruments. Simple to use, the Basik attaches to the instrument’s top with the supplied inert putty.