Shadow Sonic Nanoflex

the differing outputs the blend is less
effective than it could be but, for
general use, adding a little of the
NanoMAG to the Nanofl ex yields a very
workable all-rounder tone.
Installing the Sonic Nanofl ex
produces a slightly more transparent
sound, and with both treble and bass
EQ the sound can be tailored at source
producing, to our ears, a better voice.
Likewise the Sonic NanoMAG – it really
brings out the best in this remarkable
sounding pickup: zing aplenty but with
some magnetic girth – a good choice
for acoustic slide too. Even the Basic
has its signature sound, perhaps as
you’d expect a little more low-fi ; with
this preamp the Nanofl ex pickup
sounds more clouded in the mid-range,
while the tone control is a broad treble
control. Yet, while the thickness in the
mids could aid some styles and guitars,
we prefer the Sonic Nanofl ex sound.
Verdict
With so many factors at play, not least
your actual guitar and amplifi cation, it’s
always a tough job fi nding the ‘right’
acoustic pickup system as a retro-fi t.
Certainly the Nanofl ex and NanoMAG
pickups – matched with their
dedicated namesake Sonic preamps to
produce the best results – sound very
good. The Nanofl ex creates a wide-
sounding modern tone with plenty of
body to the sound; the NanoMAG is
fuller sounding with plenty of acoustic
zing but, like many soundhole pickups,
gets more electric sounding as you
move up the neck. Its discreet size
and ease of fi tting, however, make it a
serious viable choice – especially if you
need more fullness to your tone,
perhaps for jazzier, bluesier styles.
The Doubleplay preamp intends to
offer the best of both worlds yet with
only a bass EQ and limited blend it’s a
little compromised. It does though
produce, with the right mix of the two
pickups, a very rich and full acoustic-
accurate tone. The Basic is, well, basic.
With just a treble EQ it’s a little limited,
and sonically it’s less transparent
sounding than the others. But again,
it’s a good enough sound and its
tonal hallmark could well suit your
instrument’s defi ciencies and
idiosyncrasies – not to mention being
easier on your pocket.
The concept of the soundhole-
mounted preamp, as pioneered by
Fishman’s Ellipse is, we suspect,
going to be popular. There’s no serious
modifi cation of your guitar required
and, although accessing the controls is
a little fi ddly on the fl y, if you like to set
your sound and just play, it has to be
the future for the after-market acoustic
pickup system.
148 JULY 2007
The Nanofl ex creates a
wide-sounding modern
acoustic tone with plenty
of body to the sound; the
NanoMAG is fuller sounding
with plenty of acoustic zing
Fishman Ellipse Matrix
blend £199
LR Baggs M1 Active
£214
Fishman Neo-D
Humbucker £79
The Ellipse Matrix
Blend mounts under
the soundboard and
includes a gooseneck
mic and Acoustic Matrix
under-saddle. Typically
state-of-the-art from
Fishman. LR Baggs’
under-saddle Element
Active system includes
a volume control that
mounts under the
soundhole plus endpin
preamp (£119.95).
Fishman’s passive
Neo-D humbucker (see
Quick Test on page
p150) will surprise
many with its low price
and excellent perform-
ance. At the other end
of the spectrum is
LR Baggs’ M1 Active
soundhole pickup
– a stacked humbucker
running off a single
3V lithium cell with
approximately 1,000
hours of playing time.
The rivals
Shadow Sonic Basic
RATING
Shadow Sonic NanoMAG
RATING
Shadow Sonic Nanofl ex
RATING
Shadow Sonic Doubleplay
RATING
SHADOW NANOFLEX
PICKUP
PRICE: £See preamp
spec
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Active, fl exible
under-saddle piezo
pickup
SHADOW NANOMAG
PICKUP
PRICE: £See preamp
spec
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Ultra compact
fi ngerboard-end active
magnetic pickup
SHADOW SONIC PREAMPS WITH NANOFLEX & NANOMAG PICKUPS
FROM £119- £199
ACOUSTIC
Above: fi tting the end-pin jack needs the
right tools and can be tricky
Above: the NanoMAG is
simple to fi t
Below: the Nanofl ex senses
string and body vibrations
simultaneously
Coin-style batteries
keep overall weight to
a minimum
GIT291.rev_shadow 148 18/5/07 08:26:55