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Hi everybody, could anyone give me some tips to solve feedback problems with my Ibanez Artcore AG75?
Thanks!
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09-24-2012 02:21 PM
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Assuming that you have tried facing away from the amp/PA, the easiest quick fix is to put tape over the f-holes.
There are other ways, but they are difficult to explain and to do.
If you try the tape and it works, this will tell us something about how much feedback help you need.
Chris
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I have found that amp settings or eq curves contribute a great deal to the amount of feedback a hollowbody guitar will put out. Amps that have a mid scooped Fender sound are more susceptible to feedback than amps that are more neutral, like old Ampegs, Acoustic Image, or Evans amps.
Another trick you might look into is similar to what Chris recommends. It involves inflating a balloon inside the guitar to cover the hole. Once the balloon is inflated, it should limit feedback in much the same way that tape would do with the added benefit of not having to put tape adhesive on your delicate guitar top.
I have used this technique in the past and have found it to work quite well.
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Leaving out quite a few details, there are more or less three ways to reduce feedback in an archtop:
1. Reduce the air movement in and out of the body. Blocking the F-holes is the way to do this.
2. Reduce the transfer of energy between the strings and the guitar. A sound-post can help here, so can a heavier bridge.
3. Reduce vibration of the top. This is very hard to do without also doing #1 or #2 at the same time. Stuffing the guitar with a towel does #3 and #1 (and slightly #2).
One way to do only #3 (well, a little of #2) is to install a large EPP (or other resilient) foam block under the bridge. It is sort of like a fat soft sound-post. I think this is very rarely done, but I have found it to be quite effective. Plus it looks good and is easily un-done.
ChrisLast edited by PTChristopher; 09-24-2012 at 04:58 PM.
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Play quieter
Maybe I'm small time, but I've never had feedback problems at a gig...most of them can be solved with a little clever EQ-ing or an adjustment of your seated angle in relationship to the amp.
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Thanks Jeff. I left out the obvious ones: turn sideways a little and turn down the amp/PA.
But if those are not gonna happen,...
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F-plugs and / or notch filters have worked well for me so far.
Turning the volume down is not an option at large gigs usually.
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Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
See, i figure the drummer sets stage volume...i've never come across a drummer I couldn't keep up with feedback/volume wise...if the overall volume needs to be so loud miking and a PA is involved, I wanna be miked too...there's no reason stage volume has to be that loud.
If it's a rock or fusion thing, then that's why they make semi hollows and solidbodies...I wouldn't bring a knife to a gunfight either...
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I see your point Jeff, this subject always comes from time to time.
I don't agree the drummer always sets stage volume - sometimes the horns are playing loud and everyone has to keep up. I know I know they should play softer but not always an option.
In my experience I play tiny stages a lot; a lot of the times you don't have monitors and when you do sound guys here usually are so dumb most of the times it's just easier to avoid them; if you add a loud band to this you'll have feedback, sometimes manageable by position sometimes not.
PS - I don't agree jazz should be played soft. Most classic jazz drummers / horns sound pretty loud on records to me. I understand the need t play soft at a restaurant or lobby hotel but in a jazz club I do like loud drummers to tell you the truth...
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Some guys like to tape the F holes, but I never liked the idea of putting tape on the finish of the guitar.
I've had good luck with taking a block of that foam rubber stuff that's just slightly longer than the F hole and just slightly deeper than the guitar, and shoving it through the F holes. If you get the size right it doesn't move around and it mutes the feedback pretty effectively. If you get the black or dark grey stuff, it even looks pretty good.
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I make custom F -Hole plugs if you want them. They fit snug as a bug in a rug, and almost unnoticeable , and helps avoid putting sticky tape on your finish.
I can send you a picture of what they look like if you're interested.
JC Stylles
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Somebody on this forum told me to put the amplifier behind and to my left, on a slight angle facing away from me. That's all I did to eliminate really bad feedback on a Heritage 575 with a Spruce top.
Hope it works for you.
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Yes that's quite a thick body...
A solution is to stay away from the amp as much as possible and to filter bass frequences..
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What pickups are you running in that guitar? You might
Try a different pickup. A hot pickup or a not so well potted pickup can squeal all night long.
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Pickup output has no practical bearing on squeal, which comes from movement between pickup components - and indeed is controlled by very effective potting.
In archtop jazz land, squeal is not often the problem. It is usually feedback that involves string movement.Last edited by PTChristopher; 09-29-2012 at 06:48 AM.
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The phase switch on an ART Tube MP preamp can help with feedback. I also get the benefit of a stronger input signal to my Phil Jones Cub AG 100 amp, making the 100 watt rated amp a bit "louder." I've seen them on sale for 39 bucks, though I paid about 50 for mine. Some audioplhiles say they're noisy, but my tinnitus drowns that out.
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Hiya Arch13,
I understand that the guitar has a block and that the OP still has feedback.
It would be helpful as all get out of the OP to characterize the feedback in terms of frequency (a groan, a howl, a squeal, something only dogs hear, etc.).
Anyway, whether a Les Paul or a Johnny Smith, the things on a guitar that are mechanically small enough to typically make a high frequency squeal are the PU components.
Microphnic response (and the possibility of a squealing feedback) typically comes from movement between PU components. PU output does not directly bear on the issue in that if you have more PU output you will presumably turn the volume down a bit to compensate.
So all things being equal, a hotter PU played at the same eventual output level will not squeal any more or less due specifically to its output.
One could argue that a hotter PU that is hotter due to more coil turns may squeal less due the reduced high end response. But that is reaching a little.
In my opinion.
Chris
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There are plenty of ways to do it as discussed but for me personally a lot of the aspects that make an archtop sound great are lost when you're playing so loud.
That's why I choose to only use mine for quieter gigs.
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Hey guys. I need help figuring what to do with my setup. I have a Washburn Montgomery J-6 (2002) guitar. Currently I'm playing it through a Vintage Roland Cube (60W orange amp) from the 80s, and don't get me wrong, the tone is beautiful. It even works well with a dunlop wah wah and Boss PH-2 super phaser together, at lower volumes. I've been jamming with a few other guys, but have been encountering a major problem with volume. I'm having great difficulty competing with my drummer and bassist, and we're starting to get very serious into our production. The Roland Cube with the archtop doesn't seem to cut it at loud volumes, and gets really muddy with excessive feedback. I need to a solution to this.. whether this be upgrading the amp, installing a sound post, etc.
I've adjusted the pickup balance a bit, which has made it more accommodating. I've been looking into the Roland JC-120 as an upgrade, but haven't tried it out yet. What should I do? I love the tone of my guitar, and I'm going to try to tell my drummer and bassist to cool it (this is I think the easiest solution), but if I had only the choice to approach this gear-wise what could I do? I've already tried stuffing the j-holes with foam--didn't work. I also want it to cooperate with my pedals at higher volumes. Please help!
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Archtops and feedback at high volume has always been an issue. Things to are put the amp behind you and to the right puts your body between the amp and guitar. Get or make some F-hole covers for the guitar, feedback is air getting into the guitar making the top vibrate more, block the f-holes block the air. Try to get further from the amp not always possible but helps if you can. Then tell the drummer if he played lighter he could play with more finess. If that don't work then turn down, and when they say they can't hear you then tell them to turn down. After that it's war put your amp behind the drummer you need distance anyway. Last come to rehearsal with a drum machine box under your arm.
you can make f-hole covers or you can buy pre-made covers just google to find some.
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Search around here -- I think there are several posts about this problem (and with differing solutions!).
Some will say it's all about EQ, some about gear, so look around.
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actually it seems my problems could also be solved through replacing with a semihollow...although I really love the archtop tone..
are there any semihollows with an archtop's tone?Last edited by tryingtojazz; 05-12-2013 at 09:40 PM.
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Some guitars will feedback more than others. It's all in how they are designed & what they are designed to do. Archtop guitars built to play a modern jazz tone often have thin plates that vibrate quite a bit. There are many methods of designing this out of the guitar, as stated above. Each has it's own adjustment to the sound produced. You should sit down with some differrent amp/guitar combinations to find something that will work with your band.
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Rob Engel designs his hollowbodies specifically to combat this problem -- nice hollowbody sound, no feedback (at loud volumes). Check him out: Engel Guitars | Welcome Originally Posted by tryingtojazz
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I always used an EQ.
Mine always seemed to want to feed around 400-500Hz.
Notching that back a bit always helped me and as doc said having the amp in the right spot helps.
Careful with the EQ though....
Take out too much and there goes your tone.
Those numbers worked for me.
Your guitar might be different.
Play around a bit and that might help you out.
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