Micro-Frets Sound Hole Pickup - Original Bill Lawrence Design - Very Good Condition - 1971

I am selling my original Micro-Frets sound hole pickup, made around 1971 at the Micro-Frets guitar Company located on Grove Road in Frederick, Maryland. The original Micro-Frets company was founded by Ralph Jones in 1967 until closing following his death in 1973, with some guitars still being assembled into early 1975.

The sound hole pickups were built by Woody Free, who was the son of Gary Free, the plant supervisor. I had no idea there were sound hole pickups made by the original Micro-frets company until finding this one a while back. I thought I would use it for a project but have decided to go in another direction.

The pickup has little metal clamps on both sides for attaching to a sound hole and a 1/4 inch input with sound controls attached to the side. To attach it to the sound hole you take unscrew the top clamp, fit it into the hole while holding the pickup, then rescrew and tighten the top clamp. There is a neat plastic slider dial for volume that matches the aesthetic of the plastic pickup case. The pickups themselves were designed by Bill Lawrence, in partnership with Micro-Frets.

Pictures with measurements are included - the pickup is about three inches across and the unit is about 4.5 inches across.

The pickup has a 4.4 reading on the meter, very similar to others from that era. I have tested it and it has the same remarkably clean and very distinct tone that the same pickups on my Golden Comet have. With the input and controls attached to the pickup there are obviously lots of possibilities about how to set it up. I've used it by connecting a 1/4 inch right angle cable (with a female end) to the pickup and running the cable out of the hole. At that point you can plug in a guitar cable or wireless transmitter.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Will pack professionally and ship quickly.