Disclaimer

The advice below is intended for guitarists who are are careful, patient and confident in their own ability to not ruin their instrument. Where possible we have tried to make everything straightforward, and safe for you and your instrument. If you are unsure, in a rush or have hammers for hands please consult a professional.

 

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

how to fit
protective microsuction pads

The height adjustment mechanism doubles as a clamp for acoustic guitars. Before fitting please check that the black micro-suction pads cover any surface that comes into contact with the acoustic guitar. Sub Pros supplied with endpin jacks have these in place already. Inline jacks do not. See below for fitting instructions. 

Slip the Sub Pro under the strings, so the baseplate is inside the guitar and the main body of the Sub Pro sits on top.

 

 

There are six indentations along one side of the Sub Pro. These correspond to each string and should help with alignment. Some guitars may have slightly different string spacing. Don’t worry if the string is out by 1mm. The string will be still in the sweet spot.

 

allen key

Move the Sub Pro fairly close to the fretboard. Slowly tighten screws. Do not overtighten or force the screws.

If your guitar has a thick top or a double thickness reinforced sound hole you may need to remove the base plate and experiment with where the adjustment screws sit. Once the base plate is off give the adjustment screws a few turns until more screw is underneath the pickup than before.

Please note that the screws have a left and right hand thread and they may The thread in the body of the Sub Pro is left handed. This means that a clockwise turn will have the opposite effect to a regular screw thread.

 

pads for acoustic installation

If you have a Sub Pro with an Inline-Jack socket then before fitting to your acoustic guitar you will need to add the microsuction pads to your baseplate. Peel back the white backing and stick into place. For extra security you can, if you wish, then remove the clear film and expose the microsuction pad. If you are fitting permanently this would be suitable. For temporary or studio use this is not necessary.

 

 

height adjustment

As the height adjustment is being used to clamp in the acoustic configuration we recommend using the neoprene dots to shim the Sub Pro. Unfortunately some DIY is necessary here. You’ll need to cut one in half.

 

 

 

Stick the half dot on the underside of the main body of the Sub Pro…

 

 

Tighten the adjustment screw in the usual manner. The Neoprene will give 3mm of height on one or both sides which should be enough to raise the Sub Pro to the required height. The neoprene dot can be compressed if necessary - down to approx 1mm. Again do not overtighten as this may damage your guitar.

 

securing the jack socket

If you are fitting your Sub Pro temporarily please don’t be tempted to leave the cable hanging loose! You will tread on the cable and damage will occur. Tuck the cable through your guitar strap and secure with the O-Ring provided. If you are using the Sub Pro regularly we would highly recommend fitting permanently. 

 

 

ELECTRIC GUITAR

Peel back the clear film from the microsuction pad on the baseplate. Fingernails are necessary here. It’s a fiddly job.

 

 

Position underneath the strings with the switches pointing towards the bridge.

We would recommend avoiding a plain steel ‘G’ string. A wound ‘G’ will sound better and spill less.

 

 

There are six indentations along one side of the Sub Pro. These correspond to each string and should help with alignment. Some guitars may have slightly different string spacing. Don't worry if the string is out by 1-1.5mm. The string will be still in the sweet spot.

 

 

Use the allen key to adjust the height of the Sub Pro. Too close and the strings will buzz. Too far away and there won’t be enough signal. Of course this depend on your playing. If you play vigorously then further away is better. Gently, and you can get away with the Sub Pro slightly closer. This is very much a game of trial and error.

 

pickup still too high on lowest setting?

For guitars with very low action the Sub Pro may not be slender enough underneath the strings. You may need to remove the baseplate. Turn both screws anticlockwise until the baseplate and springs come off. Underneath you will see a second microsuction pad. Again, remove the protective layer of film and using the advice above, position on your guitar.

 

SWITCHES

The Sub Pro has six switches each with three positions. Used with the stereo Y-split cable they allow you to route each signal to one of two output or to turn off entirely. They are as follows:

  • To the left - Signal to ‘Tip’ output

  • Centre - Signal off

  • To the right - Signal to ‘Ring’ output

{For those of you puzzled by ‘Tip’ and ‘Ring’ these correspond to the stereo jack connector - sometimes called a TRS jack - Tip, Ring, Sleeve}