Gibson and Baggs launch HiFi DNA acoustic pickup system

Gibson and Baggs have introduced HiFi DNA, a new acoustic-guitar pickup system aimed at preserving more of an instrument's natural sound when amplified. Announced September 15, the system uses two lighter, larger and more flexible omnidirectional sensors, with each sensor feeding its own dedicated custom-voiced Class A preamp before the signals are blended.

Gibson says the architecture is designed to capture more soundboard movement and dynamic range while maintaining useful gain before feedback. HiFi DNA is beginning to appear across guitars in Gibson's Original and Modern acoustic collections, and the companies also plan a standalone version using peel-and-stick installation that does not require bridge or saddle modification.

The collaboration tackles a familiar acoustic-guitar problem from the pickup end rather than through increasingly elaborate external processing: how to retain the individual voice and response of the instrument on stage.