LR Baggs Element Onboard System - Manual

I N S T A L L A T I O N M A N U A L & U S E R ' S G U I D E
L . R . B A G G S P I C K U P S
E L E M E N T O N B O A R D S Y S T E M
4 8 3 N . F R O N T A G E R D .
N I P O M O , C A 9 3 4 4 4
W W W . L R B A G G S . C O M
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
1. Package contents
2. Overview & cautions
3. Removal of previous system (retrofit only)
4. New installation woodworking
5. Strapjack installation
6. Preamp installation
7. Element installation
8. External controls
1 . P A C K A G E C O N T E N T S
one (1) Element undersaddle pickup
one (1) onboard preamp
one (1) strapjack harness
six (6) ½" black installation screws
six (6) fiber washers
one (1) flexible black preamp bezel
two (2) self-stick wire clips
one (1) preamp routing template
2 . O V E R V I E W & C A U T I O N S
The L.R. Baggs Element Onboard is an onboard retrofit system that combines the Element undersaddle pickup with an all-discrete class A battery-
access preamp. The system is a drop-in retrofit upgrade that is designed to fit in the hole used by several factory-installed systems.
We recommend that this system be installed by a professional dealer/installer. We do not provide installation advice or support for home or
hobbyist installations. Installers: please read the instructions carefully before proceeding. We will not be responsible for any damage to the guitar
or personal injury resulting from installation, improper installation, use or misuse of the product.
Before beginning a retrofit installation, be sure that the screw holes in the preamp bezel (mounting flange) line up with the existing preamp
screw holes on the guitar.
For new installations, the preamp will generally fit in guitars with a side width of four inches or larger, assuming average lining and top thickness.
Again, verify that these requirements are met before making any alterations to the guitar.
The preamp requires a 9V battery, which is not included in this package.
Avoid unnecessary bending of the Element pickup.
Installation overview: The recommended installation procedure is to begin by removing the old system and/or performing any necessary
woodwork. Then install the strapjack and preamp. Finally, the Element should be installed and tested to ensure proper sound and string balance.
3 . R E M O V A L O F P R E V I O U S S Y S T E M (retrofit installations only)
Remove the entire preamp, output harness and pickup. You will also need to remove the old strapjack.
Most guitar manufacturers include cross-grain reinforcement panels on solid wood guitars beneath the preamp mounting screw holes. If, upon
removing the old preamp from a solid wood guitar, you discover that there are no reinforcement strips, we recommend installing cross-grain
reinforcement shims underneath the screw holes to prevent chipping the wood on the guitar.
Once the previous system is removed, proceed to the strapjack installation (section 5).
4 . N E W I N S T A L L A T I O N W O O D W O R K I N G
4.1 Routing the preamp hole: Be absolutely sure that the preamp will fit inside the guitar at its intended location before making any cuts to the
instrument! Guitars with a side width of less than four inches may be unable to accommodate the preamp due to the size of the interior lining.
For solid wood guitars (especially maple), we recommend gluing two 2.5” (63.5 mm) x .5” (12.7 mm) plywood cross-grain reinforcement panels on
the inside of the guitar body where the screw holes will be drilled. This prevents the wood from splitting during the drilling process.
If you are uncomfortable freehand-cutting this area using the enclosed paper template (as described below), we recommend that you use the
paper template to fashion a hard template out of masonite, Plexiglas or another suitable material.