Photos: Gibson and Baggs Announce HiFi DNA Pickup System for Acoustic Guitars
The next-generation pickup system is now available worldwide across Gibson's Modern and Original Collections.
Gibson and Baggs have announced the launch of the HiFi DNA pickup system, a next-generation acoustic pickup system the companies say is engineered to deliver the most natural, studio-grade live tone yet achieved from an acoustic guitar.
Gibson x Baggs HiFi DNA
Gibson x Baggs HiFi DNA
Designed to close the gap between live performance and studio-quality sound, HiFi DNA delivers fidelity intended to capture the true voice of every instrument with realism, dynamic nuance, and clarity. The new HiFi DNA pickup is now available worldwide on a range of Gibson acoustic guitars across the Modern and Original Collections at Gibson.com and Baggs.co. A standalone version for individual purchase will be available soon, giving players the opportunity to add HiFi DNA to their own guitars.
At the heart of the system is a dual Class A preamp architecture, which treats each sensor as its own studio channel. Each sensor runs through its own custom-voiced, dedicated all-discrete Class A, studio-quality preamp before they are seamlessly blended, preserving the purity and articulation of each signal for a refined, balanced, high-resolution output. A newly developed sensor platform — described as lighter, larger, and more responsive — captures both string detail and body resonance.
'HiFi DNA is a big leap forward—dual, sensors with their own independently optimized preamps keep each signal pure and delivers unprecedented fidelity with the same gain before feedback as our acclaimed Element Under Saddle Pickup,' says Lloyd R. Baggs, Founder of Baggs. 'The name 'DNA' speaks to our character as relentless innovators and to what this new sensor can do. It's lighter, more flexible, and more responsive. Less mass and stiffness means more life, more breath, more truth from the guitar.
'One of the discoveries that excited me most was bringing dual preamps to market. We've known for years how powerful that architecture is, but it was never before feasible at scale. Now, each sensor has its own preamp stage before they're blended, which keeps both signals pristine. If you combine two mic diaphragms—or two piezos—before amplification, they tug on each other, and the sound can get muddy. Separating them preserves every detail. The two sensors work almost like a pair of choir mics: each hears a different part of the instrument, with enough overlap to feel natural and enough focus to stay immediate. You get ambience without losing attack, space without losing touch. It's a new way of hearing and capturing the acoustic guitar—clear, alive, and deeply connected to the player.'
'What we're able to do now is capture the true timbre and full dynamic range of a real acoustic guitar—so the player's touch, nuance, and personality finally come through on stage the way they do in the room,' adds Robi Johns, Sr. Product Development Manager at Gibson Acoustic. 'I've been a student of the guitar my entire life, and for decades it's been a struggle to make an acoustic sound right on stage. In the studio, with a great microphone, you can hear the whole voice of the instrument—but live, that color and character were always compromised. The first time I heard Lloyd's new HiFi DNA pickup, I was stunned. It felt like I wasn't listening from a point in space anymore—I was inside the guitar. It was the solution I'd been chasing since the 1970s. For the first time, the individual personality of each guitar comes through in amplified form. It transforms the entire playing experience.'
HiFi DNA also addresses one of the most persistent challenges in live acoustic performance: maintaining a natural tone at a reasonable stage volume. Engineered for real-world stages, HiFi DNA offers comparable gain before feedback to an under-saddle pickup, allowing players to perform confidently in a wide variety of settings.
For Rhett Miller of Old 97's, that combination of natural tone and feedback resistance makes a meaningful difference when moving between solo performances and full-band shows. 'One really cool thing for me is that it has a feedback-resistant system built into it,' says Miller. 'When I play with the Old 97's, my super-loud rock band, I'm able to get the same natural tone and quality that I would get at a solo gig, while keeping out all the other noise coming in from the band. It's a great system. I'm a big fan. I love it.'
Guitarist and educator Marty Schwartz points to the system's faithful reproduction of the instrument itself. 'This is the truest acoustic guitar sound I've ever heard from a pickup,' adds Schwartz. 'It actually sounds like the guitar I'm playing.'
For Nico Bereciartua of The Black Crowes, HiFi DNA brings the warmth and intimacy of an unplugged playing experience to the stage. 'The difference I find in the HiFi DNA pickup compared to others is the intimacy of the sound, the coziness,' explains Bereciartua. 'You sound onstage like you do at home. It is better than any other acoustic pickup I've used, and I can't wait to put it in all the acoustic guitars I play onstage.'
At its core, HiFi DNA is designed to capture the unique identity of every instrument, shaped by its materials, construction, and the player's technique. The system is intended to preserve and amplify that individuality, translating every nuance, transient, and harmonic detail — from delicate fingerstyle to powerful strumming — through the PA.
HiFi DNA was developed through a collaboration between Gibson and Baggs.
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