A Better Way to Amplify Percussive Acoustic Performances

Many acoustic players have integrated body tapping into their repertoires to expand the percussive possibilities of their performances. For solo performers, this can add a new level of excitement and dynamism, and, in an ensemble, it can complement the groove laid down by your band’s rhythm section. Until now, players have relied mostly on their acoustic-instrument’s standard pickup to amplify their body taps, which can be a bit of compromise, lacking fullness and resonance. To give body tapping the rich sound it deserves, Fishman has developed the PowerTap Earth body sensor and undersaddle pickup.

With the warm, transparent sound of Fishman’s renowned Rare Earth Humbucker as its sonic foundation, the PowerTap Earth boasts incredible sensitivity and responsiveness, and it installs easily in any acoustic guitar. For flexibility, the PowerTap earth splits the undersaddle and tap pickup signals, which gives you the ability to blend the outputs in mono or run them separately using a stereo cable. That means you can affect them individually — for instance adding a rhythmic delay to the tap while soaking your acoustic in reverb. Acoustic guitarists at Sweetwater are big fans of the body tapping technique, so they’re hyped to tap into the PowerTap Earth’s creative potential — and we’re sure you will be too!