Hello, there. I am new to the forums. I did a quick search, but if I am replicating too many threads my apologies in advance.
I play an Epi Sheraton, but with Surf 90 pickups from GFS. I LOVE the combo. I am not really a fan of humbuckers, but really loved the way a Sheraton plays.
Recently, I came across a 1959 Guild T-100DP. I am swooning over it. But I have never tried a full hollowbody onstage. I'm a bit nervous about dropping this large amount of cash without knowing how usable the guitar will be in my band. We play mainly small venues with small stages but are slightly more than moderate in volume. I don't use much overdrive, but it does happen on occasion. I need to know this guitar won't just feedback like crazy.
It does have a shallow body, which should help. And the pickups are definitely lo-gain/on the quiet side. I like the idea of having more feedback than the Sheraton, but only if its controllable and I dont HAVE to stand 10 feet from the amp to use it. Small stages. I play through a Fender Deluxe Reverb and prefer a chimey/surfy tone.
What do you think?
That's a beautiful guitar - and I too love P90 pickups. But there really is no way I know of to tell if you are going to get feedback or not without trying it.
I have a Gibson ES-330 and an Epiphone Casino and never got any feedback, but I don't play that loud and use an amp-sim through the PA set - so that won't help you.
I have read that some people stuff socks or foam inside their Casinos or 330s to dampen the feedback.
My big problem was noise. Normally the guitars were either noiseless or the hum wasn't loud enough to notice over the ambient room noise, but one club that we played in had something weird in the electrical system and the hum was loud. I have another P90 guitar that has one of the P90s reverse polarity and reverse wired, so when the pup switch is in the both position, they act like a giant humbucker. That solved the problem.
Sorry I can't help more than that tiny bit.
Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton
Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com Add-on Styles for Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft SongSmith
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I've put quite a few Guitar Fetish pickups in guitars over the years. I agree that the P90's really stand out. I've been so tempted to replace the ones on my Epi P93, but hate to give up that niche that the stock ones give me. If it was my only guitar, I would very quickly. also thinking of doing the HB sized P90s in my Epi ES-335 Limited Edition. I'm still learning that guitar, though. not sure if I want to just yet.
So anyhow, the subject of your post - feedback. I do not play live, so no idea if would or would not work. One of my acoustics has on-board electronics that include a notch filter and a phase button. That made me wonder if there was such a thing available as either an in-guitar mod or in-line pedal that would provide the same functionality?
Expanding on the in-line between guitar and amps, I do know that there are quite a few plug-ins inside of a DAW (Digital audio Workstation used for computer, digital recording for those watching) that have phase invert "buttons". A lot of these plug ins try to replicate real life hardware. As such, I wonder if there is a rack effect or pedal effect version of any of these that actually has such a button, and if something like that would work?
I wonder how FOH guys dial feedback out before letting the crowd in?
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
I like the idea of having more feedback than the Sheraton, but only if its controllable and I dont HAVE to stand 10 feet from the amp to use it. Small stages. I play through a Fender Deluxe Reverb and prefer a chimey/surfy tone.
Embrace it, and do what Ted Nugent did with his Byrdland. Walk the stage and find what notes feed back at certain positions, then mark them. The results may sound something like this . . .
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
