Fishman PowerTap Earth Acoustic Percussive Pickup System | Body Sensor & Soundhole Pickup

Fishman PowerTap Earth Acoustic Percussive Pickup System – Body Sensor & Soundhole Pickup | No Limit Guitar Co, Idaho Falls

The Fishman PowerTap Earth captures every detail of an acoustic guitar performance — touch, ambiance, and percussion — by giving body tapping the rich, full-bodied sound it has long deserved. Many acoustic players have integrated body tapping into their playing to expand the percussive possibilities of solo and ensemble performance, but until now have relied on standard pickup systems that compromise on fullness and resonance for tap sounds. Built around the warm, transparent tonal foundation of Fishman's renowned Rare Earth Humbucker, the PowerTap Earth pairs a dedicated body sensor with a soundhole pickup, splitting both signals so they can be blended together in mono or run separately via the included stereo breakout cable — opening up creative effects routing possibilities that a single combined pickup signal could never offer.

Product Overview

Body tapping has become an increasingly common technique among acoustic guitarists, particularly solo performers who use rhythmic taps on the guitar's body to add a percussive foundation to their playing — effectively turning the guitar into both a melodic and rhythmic instrument simultaneously. In ensemble settings, body tapping complements and reinforces the groove laid down by a rhythm section. The challenge has always been amplification: a guitar's standard soundhole or under-saddle pickup is optimized for capturing string vibration, not body resonance, and using it to amplify taps typically produces a thin, underwhelming result that doesn't do justice to the technique.

The PowerTap Earth solves this with a dedicated body sensor specifically designed to capture body tap resonance with the fullness and impact the technique deserves, paired with a soundhole pickup built on the same Rare Earth Humbucker platform that established Fishman's reputation for warm, transparent, musically natural acoustic amplification. Both pickups share the Rare Earth's sonic character, ensuring the tap and string signals feel sonically cohesive even when processed and blended together. The humbucking design of the soundhole pickup also provides inherent feedback resistance — a meaningful practical advantage for performers working at higher stage volumes where feedback is a constant concern.

The PowerTap Earth's most creatively significant feature is its signal splitting capability. Rather than combining the body sensor and soundhole pickup signals into a single output, the system keeps them separate, with an included stereo breakout adapter (ABY cable) that allows the two signals to be routed independently to different effects chains or different channels of a mixing console. This means a player can apply completely different processing to each signal — for example, adding rhythmic delay specifically to the tap signal for a percussive, layered effect, while soaking the soundhole pickup's string signal in reverb for ambient depth — creative combinations that are impossible when both signals are combined into one output. A Blend control allows the two signals to be combined into a single mono output when independent processing isn't needed.

The system is active, powered by either a 3V CR11108 battery or two 1.5V LR-44 batteries, providing reliable power for extended performance use. Installation fits into any standard acoustic guitar, though professional installation is recommended given the precision required for proper body sensor placement and soundhole pickup mounting.

Ideal For

• Solo acoustic performers who incorporate body tapping into their playing and want the technique to sound as full and impactful amplified as it does acoustically
• Fingerstyle and percussive guitar players who want independent signal processing for tap and string sounds
• Performers who want to apply different effects to body taps versus string playing — rhythmic delay on taps, reverb on strings, or any other creative combination
• Ensemble guitarists who use body tapping to reinforce a rhythm section's groove and need that percussive element to translate clearly through a PA
• Guitarists in Idaho Falls looking for a dedicated, purpose-built pickup system for percussive acoustic guitar technique rather than relying on a standard pickup to handle tap sounds

Key Features

Dedicated Body Sensor and Soundhole Pickup
A purpose-built body sensor captures tap resonance with genuine fullness and impact, paired with a soundhole pickup for string amplification — two specialized pickups rather than one general-purpose system trying to do both jobs.

Rare Earth Humbucker Foundation
Built on the warm, transparent sonic character of Fishman's renowned Rare Earth Humbucker, ensuring both the tap and string signals share a cohesive, musically natural tonal quality.

Independent Signal Splitting with Stereo Breakout Cable
The included ABY cable splits the body sensor and soundhole pickup signals for independent routing — apply different effects to taps and strings separately, or blend both into a single mono output via the Blend control.

Feedback Resistant Design
The humbucking soundhole pickup design provides inherent feedback resistance, an important advantage for performers working at higher stage volumes.

Active Electronics with Long Battery Life
Powered by a single 3V CR11108 or two 1.5V LR-44 batteries, the active system provides reliable power for extended performance and practice sessions.

Installs in Any Standard Acoustic Guitar
Compatible with any standard acoustic guitar, with professional installation recommended for proper body sensor placement and soundhole pickup mounting.

What's Included

• Fishman PowerTap Earth Body Sensor and Soundhole Pickup System
• Stereo Breakout Cable (ABY Cable)
• Free standard shipping

Note: Professional installation recommended.

Technical Specifications

Get Your Hands on This Percussive Pickup System Today

The Fishman PowerTap Earth is available now at No Limit Guitar Co in Idaho Falls. Stop in to ask about installation and hear how the body sensor and soundhole pickup work together, or reach out online to order yours — body tapping that finally sounds as good amplified as it does in the room.