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Thank you for your purchase of a FISHMAN product. Please read
these instructions carefully. If you have any questions or problems,
contact our PRODUCT INFORMATION LINE at 978-988-9665.
THE TRANSDUCER
The ACOUSTIC MATRIX pickup is made with a unique co-polymer
sensing material available exclusively from Fishman. This material
exhibits a sensitivity and dynamic range that far surpasses all other
known materials.
The ACOUSTIC MATRIX transducer is a multi-layer configuration of
continuous strips of sensing material that are fully EMI shielded.
This continuous strip design allows it to sense the motion of the
entire saddle rather than small sections of it (as is the case with
traditional ceramic based transducers); providing superb string bal-
ance.
The incredibly small size and convenient under the saddle design of
the transducer helps preserve the beauty and structural integrity of
your instrument.
THE PREAMP
The four-band equalizer / preamp is the brain of the ACOUSTIC
MATRIX PROFESSIONAL system. This low-profile “slider” unit fea-
tures BASS, TREBLE, MIDRANGE and BRILLIANCE controls as
well as a “set it and forget it” SUB-BASS energy trim control located
on the back of the preamp. This internal trim feature can be used to
adjust the amount of soundhole resonance or “bottom” so that the
preamp will function at optimum performance levels in guitars of
varying body sizes. Other features include a battery function indi-
cating LED and a PHASE SWITCH.
SMART SWITCH
If you plan to mix the ACOUSTIC MATRIX with an onboard mini
electret microphone through the Fishman Blender System (routed
through a single stereo instrument cable), you must first install a
Fishman SMART SWITCH. Call Fishman at 978-988-9665 for more
information.
PIEZO INSTALLATION
If you are new to under saddle piezo installations, a comprehensive
guide, “The Finer Points of Piezo Installation” by Ken Parker, is
available from Fishman.
LIMITED WARRANTY
EXCEPTION: Pickups in guitars with a very steep string break angle
(25° or more), will generally perform well, even if the saddle slot depth
measures more than 50% of the total saddle height.
COMPENSATED SADDLES
We do not recommend compensating the saddle under the "B" string.
Doing so may twist the saddle and cause uneven pickup response.
PREPARE THE SADDLE SLOT
1. Rout a .125" (3.2 mm) wide saddle slot
for the Acoustic Matrix Wide Format
pickup.
OR
Rout a .09375" (2.3 mm) wide
slot for the Acoustic Matrix
Narrow Format pickup.
2.
Be certain that the bottom of the slot is
FLAT.
Deepen an existing slot only enough to obtain a clean, flat surface.
LOCATE THE WIRE HOLE
1.Locate the center of the wire hole no less than .100" (2.5 mm) from
the closest string.
2.Mark the location where the wire will enter the saddle slot. Center
the mark between the walls (width) of the slot.
3.Drill a .09375" hole.
4.Clear wood chips and foreign materials from the saddle slot.
5.Carefully insert (do not bend) the pickup.
PREPARE THE SADDLE
We recommend synthetic materials such as Micarta or Corian as
excellent saddle materials for the Acoustic Matrix. Organic materials
such as bone or ivory are not as consistent and may result in poor
string balance.
1. Prepare a .125" wide saddle (.09375" for Narrow Format)
The bot-
tom of the saddle must be
FLAT.
2. Remove only enough material from the width of the saddle to pro-
vide a sliding fit in the slot. To test the fit, the saddle should slide
easily in the slot, but should not fall out when overturned. To main-
tain your current action, the new saddle must be .053" shorter in
height (.043" for Narrow Format pickups) than your current saddle.
NOTE: The overall length of the Matrix pickup is 2.700" (68.58mm).
We recommend a saddle slot length of at least 2.875" (73mm).
The actual sensing area of the pickup is 2.670" long and can accom-
modate string spacings of up to 2.500" (63.5 mm). Poor string bal-
ance may result with string spacings greater than this.
DO NOT trim the end of the pickups length as ground hum will occur.
Custom pickup lengths are available from Fishman.
MECHANICAL FACTORS AFFECTING
PICKUP PERFORMANCE
BREAK ANGLE
There must be an adequate
amount of downbearing pres-
sure on the pickup in order
for it to perform optimally.
The pickup will "see" an acceptable amount of downbearing pressure
when there is a 20° (minimum) break angle across the saddle.
A pickup in a Guitar with less than a 20° break angle will often have
string balance problems as well as poor tone. For such instruments,
an adequate break angle can be realized by "ramping" the string slots
or (in extreme cases) raising the saddle height and resetting the neck
angle.
THE 50/50 RULE
For adequate coupling between string, saddle and pickup, we recom-
mend that the saddle slot depth (with pickup installed) should equal no
more than 50% of the total height of the saddle.
ADJUSTING FOR TOO DEEP A SADDLE SLOT
If the slot (with pickup installed) measures more than 50% of the total
saddle height, the pickup performance will often suffer. To correct for
too deep a slot, place a wood shim under the pickup. Determine the
proper thickness of the shim by subtracting 1/2 of the total saddle
height from the slot depth (with pickup installed). Then, remove an
amount of material equal to the thickness of the shim from the bottom
of the saddle.
ACOUSTIC MATRIX PROFESSIONAL
PART I - PREPARATION
ACOUSTIC
MATRIX
PROFESSIONAL
ACTIVE ACOUSTIC GUITAR SYSTEM
WIDE FORMAT:
.125” (3.2 mm) Width
NARROW FORMAT:
.093” (2.3 mm) Width
WARNING
INSTALLATION BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL REPAIRMAN IS
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS WILL
NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT MAY RESULT
FROM IMPROPER INSTALLATION.
INSTALLATION GUIDE
WARNING
INSTALLATION BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL REPAIRMAN IS
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS WILL
NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES TO YOUR INSTRU-
MENT DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION.
NOTE: Always handle the pickup with care. Mishandling may result
in ground hum or intermittent signal. Fishman Transducers will not
be responsible for any damages that may occur due to misuse or
poor installation.
PARTS LIST
• Slider Bezel
• Preamp
• Acoustic Matrix Pickup
• 1/4" Stereo Jack, with hardware
• 4-40 Screws (4), 3/16" length, with
Star Washers
• 4-40 Screws (4), 7/16" length
• 1/4" Aluminum Hex Standoffs (4),
9/16" length
• 3/16" Brass Hex Jack Screws (4),
1/2" length
• (3) Adhesive-backed Plastic
Wire Guides
• Preamp Cutout Template
• (5) Slider Knobs
• Back Plate with Battery Clip
TOOLS
• Caliper
• Router with 1/8" (3 mm)
(or .9375" Plunging Cutter
for Narrow Format)
• 400 Grit Sandpaper or Scraper
• Flex Shaft Tool with 1" (25.4 mm)
Diameter Saw Blade or Router
with 1/4" (6.30 mm) cutter.
• Soldering Iron (30 watt max)
• Rosin Core Solder
• Wire Strippers
• #1 Phillips Screwdriver
• Variable Speed Drill
• Center Punch
• 1/8" Twist Drill
• 15/32" Spade Bit Drill
• 1/2" Open End Wrench
• 3/32" Allen Wrench
WIDE FORMAT
Width: .125" (3.2 mm)
Height: .053" (1.35 mm)
Length: 2.650" (67.3 mm)
Sensing Area: 2.670" (67.8 mm)
Max. recommended string spacing:
2.500" (63.5 mm)
NARROW FORMAT
Width: .09375" (2.4 mm)
Height: .043" (1.1 mm)
Length: 2.650" (67.3 mm)
Sensing Area: 2.670" (67.8 mm)
Max. recommended string spacing:
2.500" (63.5 mm)
PICKUP DIMENSIONS
INSTALLATION BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL REPAIRMAN IS STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED. FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY
DAMAGES THAT MAY RESULT FROM IMPROPER INSTALLATION.
The FISHMAN ACOUSTIC MATRIX PROFESSIONAL is warranted to function for a period of
One (1) Year from the date of purchase. If the unit fails to function properly within the
warranty period, free repair and the option of replacement or refund in the event that
FISHMAN is unable to make repair are FISHMAN’s only obligations.This warranty does not
cover any consequential damages or damage to the unit due to misuse, accident, or neglect.
FISHMAN retains the right to make such determination on the basis of factory inspection.
Products returned to FISHMAN for repair or replacement must be shipped in accordance with
the Return Policy, as follows.This warranty remains valid only if repairs are performed by
FISHMAN. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights
which may vary from state to state.
RETURN POLICY
To return products to FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS, you must follow these steps...
1. Call FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS at 978-988-9199 for a Return Authorization Number
(“RAN”).
2. Enclose a copy of the original Bill of Sale as evidence of the date of purchase, with the
product in its original packaging and a protective carton or mailer.
3. FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS’ technicians will determine whether the item is covered by war-
ranty or if it instead has been damaged by improper customer installation or other causes
not related to defects in material or workmanship.
4. Warranty repairs or replacements will be sent automatically free of charge.
5. If FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS determines the item is not covered by warranty, we will notify
you of the repair or replacement cost and wait for your authorization to proceed.
FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS
®
340-D Fordham Road Wilmington MA 01887 USA
Phone 978-988-9199 • Fax 978-988-0770
www.fishman.com
009-067-001 2-97
®