You have an acoustic guitar and you want to plug it into a PA system.
There are several ways to do it and the most optimal method will certainly depend on your own rig, the type of acoustic guitar you have, and several other variable factors that should be considered.
In this article, we'll cover the most likely scenarios and tell you how to plug your acoustic guitar into a PA system.
These are the questions you should be asking yourself.
Let's get started.
Need an acoustic? Checkout our list of best acoustic guitars.
Does your acoustic guitar have an onboard preamp?
Most acoustic guitars are what's called acoustic-electric guitars, meaning they have electronics built into the exterior of the guitar's body, with an interior pickup. This means you can plug an instrument cable into your acoustic guitar, just like you would an electric guitar.
These small preamps usually sit on top of the guitar's body, right above the soundhole, as in the picture below:
An onboard preamp on an acoustic guitar.
From there, you have an unbalanced TS cable (a typical guitar cable) that can be connected to an external preamp - like an acoustic preamp pedal - or an actual acoustic amplifier.
However, those are not necessary for getting into a PA system.
In most cases, you can simply use a DI box.
With a DI Box
To get to your PA system from an onboard acoustic preamp, plug the instrument cable coming from the guitar into the DI box, then plug an XLR cable from the DI box into the desired channel on your mixer.
Here's how the sequence breaks down:
- Acoustic preamp out
- Instrument cable to DI in
- DI out via XLR cable
- Mixer channel in from XLR cable
Assuming an onboard preamp, run an instrument cable to a DI box, then an XLR cable (balanced output) from the DI box to your preferred mixer channel.
Here are a couple DI boxes I've used for this setup:
If your acoustic guitar has no onboard preamp
In the unfortunate event that your acoustic guitar doesn't have an onboard preamp, getting your signal to a mixer is significantly trickier, with only a couple options:
- Buy/install a sound-hole pickup
- Mic your acoustic guitar and run the signal to your mixer via an XLR mic cable
Both of these tasks are beyond the scope of this article, and we wouldn't recommend the mic route for a live acoustic performance.
Here are some sound hole pickups we recommend: Best acoustic guitar pickups
Do you have an acoustic pedal preamp?
Perhaps you have an acoustic guitar preamp, like the LR Baggs Venue DI, pictured here:
The Venue DI by LR Baggs is one of the nicest acoustic preamp pedals on the market.
From the back panel, you can see the XLR output on the back.
Here's a link to the Venue DI on Sweetwater:
If you look at the above pictures, you can see that this acoustic preamp has an input for your instrument cable - coming from your onboard preamp - an unbalanced output, and a balanced XLR output. A device like this one allows you to bypass the DI box since the XLR output is already included in the pedal preamp.
In this scenario, the pedal preamp basically replaces the DI box, accepting your unbalanced signal and then sending it out balanced through an XLR cable.
Does this negate the need for the onboard acoustic preamp?
No.
Because acoustic preamp pedals like the Venue DI still need a source signal, which is where the onboard preamp comes in. Moreover, most acoustic preamp pedals are far more flexible and versatile than onboard preamps. They just give you a lot more control over your acoustic's tone.
Balanced Output
On preamps like the Venue DI, the balanced XLR output saves you from needing a separate DI box to get to the PA system.
Unbalanced Output
You can use an unbalanced output in your pedal preamp if you want, but then you'll still need a DI box to get to your PA system. This might be used if you're sending your signal to an acoustic preamp.
Can't I just plug my acoustic guitar directly into the mixer's channel?
Technically you can do this, but even with an onboard preamp, this would be an unbalanced signal. It's better to send a balanced signal through XLR, which means we'd at least recommend a basic DI box. Having the DI/preamp combo is an even better option if you want to send an acoustic signal to your PA system.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have the right gear for the job. Don't cut corners by simply running an instrument cable from your acoustic preamp to your mixer.
What about acoustic amps?
Almost all acoustic combo amps will have a balanced XLR output, allowing you to send your signal directly to a mixer.
For example, here's the DI out on the back of the Fishman Loudbox:
An XLR output for sending a balanced acoustic signal to a PA system, found on the back panel of the Fishman Loudbox acoustic amp.
This would essentially take the place of a preamp pedal like the Venue DI or another DI box. If you want something that includes a speaker, allowing you to practice and connect to a mixing board, the acoustic combo amp might be a more ideal option for you.
Conclusion
We've given you the most common and straightforward methods of connecting your acoustic guitar to a PA system. To recap, we do not recommend mic'ing your acoustic guitar, nor do we recommend sending an unbalanced signal into your mixer.
Instead, invest in a DI box, a soundhole pickup (if you need one), and a pedal preamp to give you plenty of flexibility over your acoustic's tone before it gets to a mixer channel.
Your Questions
Do you have questions about our recommendations or about plugging your acoustic guitar into a mixer, in general?
If so, leave them in the comments section below.
I'll drop in and help out as much as possible.
We'll see you there.
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I have a Takamine CD132SC
It uses 2 AAA batteries.
I plug in my chord to the guitar, then to the DI box which is plugged into our church’s sound system. Plugging in the guitar immediately turns on and starts draining the batteries. I have no on/off switch to turn it off. I have to unplug it. It’s a pain AND has drained the battery completely and quickly many times. What’s the fix? I need to be able to leave my guitar plugged in for a few hours every Sunday, but the batteries only last a couple of Sundays!!!!
Hey Barbara – all of these onboard preamps drain battery when plugged in, but it should not happen that fast. This guitar is discontinued, but do you know what brand the preamp is? I think Takamine uses third parties for their preamps.
Most of these use 9V batteries. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen one that uses AAA or even AA batteries. The 9V batteries in my guitar last for a long time. Months.
One thing I do is add a tuner between my acoustic and the preamp/DI on the floor. Then I just engage the tuner and unplug the instrument cable from the guitar.
Let me know what brand the guitar’s preamp is. Definitely an odd situation.
It actually appears to be a Takamine. End it actually takes two AA batteries upon checking. There is an AD-1 on the preamp.
Is it this one? https://reverb.com/item/5315125-takamine-ad-1-dsp-preamp
Yes!
Hey, I have a Martin D28. Someone installed a 1/4″ electric plug in the end of the guitar, it needs a 9 volt battery. Not sure of the brand.
I recently bought an LR Baggs venue. Can I run from the guitar ,to the venvue , to small accoustic amp for personal stage monitor, then to the PA??
Is the LR Bags redundant if I am using a Fishman Loudbox mini or us it worth running the guitar through the LR Baggs and the Fishman before sending to the PA?
Thanks for any feedback!
You can certainly do that. But yes, like you said, that’s a pretty redundant setup. You can go to the PA from the Loudbox or the Venue with essentially the same scope of controls. I go acoustic to Venue than straight to PA when I play. We have in-ear monitors though.
Thanks for the reply!! The Baggs unit I’m talking about is a LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI. Has a 5 band EQ. I was able to use one side of the stereo channel without the DI box. Just wondering if that will give me a good quality input to work with for live sound?
Oh ok, I got you. The only issue I see with what you’re saying is that I don’t think the Para DI has a stereo input, just the single 1/4″. Again, I might be misunderstanding what you’re saying.
I have a D18E Martin with a Frapp pick-up. Want to connect it to Allen & Heath ZED-6FX. Would like to use 2 Audio Mics on M1 & M2 inputs. Can I input my guitar on the stereo inputs? Do I need to use my Baggs unit to accomplish that.
Hey Harvey – if I understand what you’re saying then you should be able to do that. What do you mean “Baggs unit”? Do you have one of their preamps?
I have an Alvarez with a pre amp but it also has an xlr out along with the standard 1/4” jack , can I go straight to PA system with xlr cable ?
Is the preamp you’re talking about on your guitar? Or is it a separate unit, like a pedal preamp?
Would it benefit me at all to buy an LA Braggs if I have an on board preamp already and an effects chain with a compressor – EQ – Delay – sonic stomp pedals I then run to a DI box. I just want the best sound I can get with my Taylor.
I assume it’s the Expression System on the Taylor? Personally, I find that preamp to be pretty underwhelming. The LR Baggs would offer A LOT more control. I think it would be worth it.
I have a small acoustic pedalboard, I use Nux Optima Air, but from it, I go into Boss Rc-30. If I wanted to go from Boss Rc-30 into a mixer would I need a D.I. box?
Actually, since the Nux Optima Air has an XLR out, that should be the last device in your signal chain. I’d say put the RC-30 first in your chain or run it out of the effects loop on the Optima.
If you have ab electro acoustic do you use a passive or active di box
Derek – a passive DI box should be fine. What type of pickup/preamp is in this particular guitar?