Sweet 16 and feedback

[jazzbo]

Any thoughts on feedback and tone issues with a Sweet 16. . ?

THe guitar has an upgraded KA humbucker floater with adjustable poles (better output than the stock heritage jazz floater)

 

On feedback:  iis the carved top , floater , and light weight a contributing factor ? Any ideas on controlling it, I have tried a notch filter which helps,

 

Tonal/harmonics effect at loud volumes: The guitar is a beauty but when the guys are cooking (in a small studio space) at volumes beyond, say a trio setting, the guitar 's tuned body seems to pick up sound waves from everywhere...,for example the horns , drums, and then I get what sounds like "bad" harmonics which make me see like I am out of intonation..when the volumes around me go down, it doesnt seem to have the problem..just my imagination ? any other experience and suggestions..Question: is this why Heritage likes to 4 point mount and rout in their HRW upgrade to the Sweet 16 ?

 

Is a 575 less prone to this ? Is a laminate top with on-the-body pickups a better bet ? I would like to stay with a 16" bout ..

thanks

[111518]

A lot of these issues are matters of trade offs, as I'm sure you know: un-routed top is more alive ...great for acoustic tone, but also more prone to feedback.  I've always found it interesting that when Epiphone began producing electrics in the 40s and 50s, they divided their line.  All the electrics were laminated, even the very top of the line, all the acoustics were solid (except maybe the cheapest...can't remember).  The justification was that laminated guitars were less prone to feedback and therefore better for that purpose.  If I'm not mistaken, I think the MOST expensive Epi's were therefore laminated.  Gibson was never as consistent, though I think the reason so many top-of-the-field jazz guys used 175s was because they were less likely to howl.  The new Sandowsky jazz guitars --including a Jim Hall and Jimmy Bruno model, which are made in Japan, are all laminated, I think.

 

I don't think it's an illusion that a tap-tuned guitar will sympathetically resonate at high volumes.  I think that it absolutely will. 

[JohnCovach]

Yep, this is what you'll hear a lot of players saying: solid tops are great but the more acoustically responsive a guitar is, the more it will tend to feed back.  Laminated tops work better at higher volumes precisely because they are less responsive and deader.

 

The kinds of fixes for this vary, from putting rags inside the guitar, to foam, to specially fit f-hole covers.  The least elegant solution is taping over the f-holes.  The effect is essentially the same: by deadening the acoustic response of the guitar, you reduce its tendency to feed back.  This works great for gigs, but makes the guitar less fun to play in lower volume settings.

 

I can use my 575's in low-volume situations, but also when I play bigger stages.  In a club, where volumes can get loud and space is tight, the 575 can cause some trouble.  Guys like Ted Nugent--who plays a Byrdland--have learned how to map out the floor for feedback on specific notes.  So while Ted can make that work for rock, I'm not sure that's much help for traditional jazz.

[jazzbo]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.. Is there anyone out there who has played both a Sweet 16 and a 575 ? can you share with me the differences between the two ? And although the Eagles are 17" bout, can anyone compare an Eagle vs Sweet 16 for me..I would appreciate points of view , particularly with regard to tonal integrity in tight spaces with higher volumes..Would really like to hear from folks who have played both..because thats the only way I can figure out options

thanks

[111518]

I can't speak directly to your question, but I can do a 17" comparison, since I have a floating pickup solid wood Eagle and a 550, which is all laminated maple with mounted pickups.  I've used the 550 quite a bit, not at highest rock and roll volume but at band-with-drummer volume (on jazzier tunes or motown) in small clubs and at private party gigs in both large and small rooms.  I've also played it in "big band" kind of situations for some performances at the school where I teach.  It is very controllable, though you have to be careful about where you stand/sit in relationship with your amp, and you certainly couldn't sit it on a stand with the volume on and walk away, or it would be squealing in a jiffy.  I also own a es350t reissue, so a 17 inch thin hollowbody laminated maple guitar, and the 550 is pretty similar in behavior, despite being a thicker-bodied guitar.  (I keep flatwounds on the 550 and roundwounds on the 350t.)

 

I've only owned the Eagle for a year or so and haven't yet had an occasion to play out with it.  I can tell, however, just by playing around the house that it would feed back at much lower volumes than the 550.      It's a very rich acoustic sounding instrument, far better-sounding unplugged than the 550, so when I play the Eagle I rarely bother to plug in. 

 

For 16", I think the laminated choice would be the Burrell Groovemaster, compared to solid maple 575 and then spruce topped Sweet 16.  (I'd love to have a Sweet 16).  I think Jay Wolfe has custom ordered a laminated-body 575 or two, so that's a potential option.  I keep my eyes open for a bargain on a Groovemaster, too.  I'm in a self-imposed moratorium on guitar buying, but a 16" full hollowbody is definitely on my want list for the future.