Contact pickup placement on F-hole guitar

Chiefbigeasy

Just picked up a beautiful JWC Catania Swing DI Mauro-style F-hole guitar. I am wondering about the placement of a contact pick up like a Carlos Sensor or the like. Anyone have experience doing that? I can try to find a sweet spot around the treble side of the bridge as often recommended on other guitars. The usual advice is to find it there because of bracing that works for the pick up.

I have two other electric pick ups I’d like to try. I have a Peche a la Mouche that I would need to remove the bottom clamps and figure out a way for it to adhere to the surface of the guitar under the strings where the sound hole would be for a petite or grand Bouche. I’ve got plenty of goop from my other Pick Up, the Krivo gold thin humbucker, which I can also attach with a big glop of their blue sticky stuff. I would need to elevate either one of those pick ups a bit to be close enough to the strings.

Additionally, I’m a little hesitant about adding either an arch top style or clear plastic surface pick guard to this guitar. I think it would take away from its look. Anyone ever do that?

billyshakes

@Chiefbigeasy I have a Dupont F-hole guitar that I bought used. Don't know if it came from the builder or if it was from the previous owner but there is a clear pickguard on the guitar that is trimmed to fit along the f-hole and is surface adhesive. If you want to see pictures, I can probably figure out how to send them. I think it is almost invisible and I don't notice it at all.

Chiefbigeasy

Yeah, billyshakes, I would like to see a picture of your pickguard, at your convenience. Thanks.

billyshakes

Here's one from the Reverb listing. You can't really see the pickguard in it (and I think that is the point). I don't have any other ones handy so will take one in the next day or so.

Here's also a video of us where I played that guitar. Around the :51 s mark is the closest in you see of the guitar from the best angle. Again, I don't even catch a funny glare etc. (Truth be told, I was going to respond to your post when I saw it come in yesterday but had to go down to look at the guitar and remind myself that it indeed was the one with the pickguard!) I'll DM you the photos when I get them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phKNmPJyq14

billyshakes

And btw, did you order the guitar new through Jeong-Woo or was it a used purchase? I see that Tony shut down his UK website and when I bought a guitar from him a few years ago, he said he was going to start winding things down. Didn't know if anyone has news from him or not but his old e-mail address got returned to me when I sent him a note a few months ago.

Chiefbigeasy

Wow, that's a pretty guitar. To my other point, how are you amplifying it? I don't see a contact pickup. And, you're playing with your friend and mine, Buco. Just saw him today when we Zoomed a meetup with Dario Napoli.

Also, you're right, I don't see the pick-guard. I wonder if it's so invisible because the body of the guitar is light. Mine is darker (see pic below). I got it used from forum member in Canada who's had it for years. He said he ordered it from overseas, so my deduction is it came from the shop of the now-retired luthier in England. There's a Youtube video from Irene's Adventures where she visits the shop and interview the builder. The new luthier who took over the business does not seem to offer this model any more.