There’s a lot to electrifying an acoustic guitar. Of course, the acoustic guitar has it’s tone when not played through an Amp. In some cases artists and players want to hear that exact tone back at them and others like to shape the sound. What I’m going to do is talk about our research, testing and final choices for getting the exact tone and voicing of the acoustic guitar back from the electronics. Sound shaping is wonderful but there are just too many products and too many effects. That is best left to sound experts and your own personal testing.
A common complaint about acoustic guitar electronics is that you get an amplified tone that really doesn’t represent the guitars sound. You might get a processed, metallic, muddy or many other tones that don’t really sound like the guitar. 4 big things go into this equation.
1. The Pickup. How is the vibrational tone being picked up and processed. There are 3 basic ways. The first is using a pickup that bridges the sound hole and uses magnets and coiled wire. These are most similar to electric guitar pickups. The second way is with a small piece of metal or ceramic with an attached wire that sits under the saddle and the vibration is processed. These are referred to as Piezo or Under Saddle Transducer Pickups. The final way is by using a microphone outside or inside the body of the guitar. In our case, we use either the Fishman Infinity Matrix or Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend. The Infinity uses a under saddle transducer and the Ellipse Blend uses both an Under Saddle Transducer and Internal Microphone which you can blend together.
We won’t get into too much of the technical details about these or how they work but each works with varying results.
2. The Cable. How many cables have we tested? I’ve lost count. Do cables matter… Absolutely. I’d never gave cables much respect until I played through a Monster Acoustic cable. It instantly cleaned the sound. I actually got turned on to these at Best Buy Music Center. I was wandering around looking for a gift and struck up a conversation with the manager. As we talked I started to fill her in on our on going testing and she said, “You’ve got to try this cable”. As skeptical as I was; it blew me away. It cleaned the sound instantly; all of the white noise cleared away. Ok, $79 for a cable might sound like a lot but I can assure you it will be one of the best investments ever.
3. The Mix. There are a thousand ways to mix the tone. Most on-board acoustic guitar electronics allow you to shape the tone to some extent. Some have a 3 or 4 band EQ on the body and some just have a “tone” control knob. But what we are talking about here is controlling the highs, lows and mids. A mixing board is more common method. You can purchase small mixing boards for under $100. Most have a 3 band EQ that allow you to control the tone of the highs, mids and lows. Some newer mixing boards also have built in effects such as reverb, chorus, phase, flange overdrive. Again, these effects are not what we are trying to accomplish. In general, small mixing boards are a great idea to help get the accurate tone and they also help if you also running a microphone or plugging in other instruments because each item you plug has level controls to get everyone in the right balance. Acoustic guitar amps tend to have these controls and also have a plug in for a mic or another instrument.
4. The actual amplifier and speaker. There are so many options to select from. Do we buy and all-in-one amp with mixer, amplifier and speaker together. Do we buy a separate mixer, power amplifier and then speaker cabinet? The choices are ENDLESS!
So, that brings us to our research and testing. Our goal was to not only find the most accurate reproduction of sound but do it affordably. I read somewhere that people will spend thousands of dollars on a guitar then get real cheap when it comes to the electronics. Heck Yeah… count me in that club. I wanted to put together a system for under $400.
I also wanted a smaller system for our office. We wanted an accurate representation of our acoustic guitars but we didn’t want to have get to 90 decibels before we got it. That is frequently the case with speakers; until they are push a bit they really don’t throw their best tone. Also, we are a Fishman company so that would not be a variable in our testing although blending between the piezo and the microphone would be.
First we tested the all in one units. Mixer, Amplifier and Speaker… better known as an acoustic guitar amp. Electric guitar amps just don’t cut it for a number of reasons but acoustic guitar amps usually add in a tweeter for the highs which helps. But in the end, nothing under $400 passed our tests. They just don’t give back the sound of the guitar.
Next, we tried mixers and monitors. Monitors are really just speakers but built for recording studios and live performances to give back the actual mix that’s being recorded or performed. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t dial in the right combo of products to reach our goal. Next we moved onto PA speakers. We knew that the goal of PA speakers is to deliver the actual sound being performed. There are both powered (active) and unpowered PA speakers. To keep things simple and affordable we tried the Active Speakers first. Why? Well, in almost all of these you have some type of built in EQ and the amplification built into the speaker making it a less complex setup. We first tried some very small units with 5″ to 6″ speakers. These smaller units are very feature rich and the sound was surprisingly good. But, at higher volumes they start to distort and reshape the tone. They also lacked an accurate representation of the bass because of the smaller speaker cone.
Next up we tried a Behringer BA212D. GOLD!! This is an active PA speaker with a 2 band EQ and multiple inputs. At lower volumes we were able to dial in our Fishman electronics along with the 2 band EQ and get a really clear representation of our guitars. Even if we moved all the way over from the microphone pickup to the piezo the sound was really accurate. Then with the addition of the Monster Acoustic cable we found our solution. A Behringer Eurolive BA210D and Monster Acoustic Cable are under $300 combined street price.
Could you add a mixing board or DI between the cable and the BA210D? Absolutely and it might even sound better but we were so impressed with just these 2 products alone with $100 to spare!
Sometimes you forgot to keep up with the maintenance on your Acoustic Guitar. I’ve been there and done that. This week I decided to lower the action on an A-08 I’ve been playing. So, I took out my sand paper and sanded away until I had the saddle shaved down just enough.
While I was there I decide to clean the strings and the polish the frets. For the strings I simply used a soft cloth to wipe off anything I could. I’ve read some reviews about GHS Fast Fret but have never tried it but plan do. After wiping down the strings I used a fret polishing compound that I received as a sample. Funny thing is that it’s made in the US but only sold overseas. It’s a cloth and the package says it has a light abrasive along with a wax. So, I kinda scrub the frets then buff them til they shine.
After I put everything back together and played I was amazed at how fast my fingers were gliding down the fretboard. Not only were the strings faster but my fingers also glided over the frets.
All of the oil and other contaminants on the strings, the fretboard and the frets were gone and it was smooth sailing. Sometimes you forgot how nice playing can be… I wish I had remembered sooner.
Our sound samples for the acoustic guitars were done in a professional recording studio using only external mics. When we listen to the samples in our office over computer speakers it’s really difficult to differentiate the difference between them. This mostly due to the limitations of our speakers.
The use of “monitor” headphones or “monitors” is the best way to evaluate the sound samples. We use Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones. There’s a difference between speakers & headphones vs. monitors and monitor headphones. The difference is the monitors don’t attempt to enhance the sound.
Also, your browser’s audio plugin is set to anything but the middle then you will be modifying the sounds as well.
With all this said it’s still best to take advantage of our test drive program and try one of our guitars free for 21 days.
What I’ll say is strings are not always the magic bullet to you acoustic guitar woes but often they can be. Lets take a look.
Tone. Let’s say your not completely sold on the tone of an acoustic guitar. We’ve been very impressed by how many times we become really impress by a different brand, compound or gauge. For example, I have an Ayers prototype that sounded pretty good with D’addario EXP-16′s but while trying different string combinations I put some EJ-19′s on and the guitar sounded amazing. Also, certain string will help with volume levels. Some strings have a nice tonal relationship wiht the guitar and greater volume when played with a softer attack. Others need a heavier attack to get tone and volume. There are some playability issues surrounding attack as well and trying various types of strings will help.
Playability. As a new player I would always suggest 10′s or 11′s. Sure the tone may thin out but the ability to play longer while your fingers are developing callouses is very beneficial. The reason for the 10′s or 11′s is simply that the pressure required to put a string in tune is less. Therefore, less tension of the string yields less downward tension needed to fret the string. If you don’t want such a thin tone you can always try some flat tops which I’ve found to have a more mellow tone.
Fret Buzz. If you experiencing some fret buzz with your acoustic guitar then trying a fresh set of strings or larger strings may be a simple solution. For certain reasons strings might vibrated in a pattern that causes fret bizz on your guitar. If you’ve got a newly developed buzz then try a fresh set of strings. Also, you can try a larger set of strings; since the tension needed to tune the strings is greater the vibrational height will be lower and may eliminate the buzz.
For those who’ve ween waiting for our classical guitar line to be launched in the US you’re wait is almost over. As soon as we finish our photoshoot they will be posted on our website. Also, we’re waiting on our 2nd travel size acoustic guitar to have it’s photoshoot for it to go live.
You’ve heard the term but what is the truss rod, what’s it for and why would I mess with it.
First, the truss rod is literally a metal or carbon fiber rod the is run under the fretboard in a grove along the length of the neck. It’s connected near the headstock of the neck and there is an adjustment screw at the other side. The adjustment screw in an acoustic guitar is often inside the body toward under the 16 to 20 fret.
So, what’s it for. Well, technically it’s to allow you to adjust the amount of bow in the neck. If you look down the neck as if looking down a set of railroad tracks then there should be a slight bow in the neck. If you didn’t have a slight dip in the neck then the strings might buzz off frets 2 through 8 when playing frets 1 through 7 in a medium to low setup. Then, if you have a medium to low setup and you getting buzz around those frets then adjusting the truss rod might be the solution.
First, always try a new set of strings. It’s not uncommon for a string to act wacky and a new set is also a good idea. Also, consider a larger set of strings. They require more tension and can reduce the wave weight.
Finally, lets talk about how to adjust the trust rod on an acoustic guitar. First, you’ll need the proper size allen wrench. Usually, it’s an allen wrench and a lot of guitar makers ship them with the guitar. Once you have the proper size allen wrench, look inside your guitar and get a read on the location of the truss rod adjustment screw.
Next you’ll want to set the guitar in it’s case or on your lap. I find the case on top of table makes the most stable setting. With the neck out to your side, take your lelft hand and spread the strings apart to create a space for the allen wrench. Place the allen wrench in your right hand then insert it into the sound hole aiming for the adjustment screw you sighted earlier. This is the hardest part; trying to the allen wrench to fall into place. Once it grabs then gently start to pull the wrench toward you. This is a counter clockwise motion and “should” be proper direction to loosen the truss rod. In a new guitar this may require a scary amount of force to get it turn initially. I’ve even had them make a cracking noise when the finally freed. If you’re uncomfortable with the amount of pressure then stop and go to a luthier.
Try turning it 1/4 turn at a time. Once you loosened it 1/4 turn then tune the guitar and see if the fret buzz is still there. Why tune it? By loosening the truss rod you are allowing the neck to bow up which will shorten the distance thus flatting it’s tuning. By tuning your putting the proper tension back in the strings which might the neck move forward more. It also allows the strings to create their proper wave height. If you still have a buzz then repeat the process once more. Don’t turn more than a 1/2 turn in a day. Let the guitar sit for a couple of days then check it again. Since, it’s solid wood and might take some time to fully adjust.
If you just can’t get rid of the buzz the then take it a luthier. You might need 1 of 3 things. 1. The nut may be too low or slotted too low. 2. You may have a fret that needs some attention. 3. You might need a saddle height adjustment.
One thing to remember about drop tunings is that your typically lossening the strings. So in drop D for example, the low E, B and high E are all loosened one whole step. So what does this do to the action and setup of the guitar? A couple of things:
Because the strings are looser the wave height of each string is going to be greater. If you playing a guitar that has a low or even medium setup there’s a good chance you’re gonna get fret buzz.
Also the neck may back bow a little which will also lead to the potential of fret buzz.
So, what can you do? If you’re gonna play in a drop tuning there are a number of permanent and temporary things you can do.
Consider a separate guitar just for drop tunings which has a higher action.
Use larger strings which will require more tension and have less wave height.
Have a second higher saddle made to change when you’re going to play in drop tuning. Let’s say you’re gonna play with an Irish band all night in DADGAD. Take our your second saddle, detune the guitar, capo the first fret (so the strings don’t unwind off the posts), pop the bridge pins, change the saddle, install the bridge pins and tune her up. Realistically, this will only take 5 minutes and you can still play your favorite guitar on stage.
We could also talk about the trust rod but honestly that’s a harsher adjustment and something to be avoided on a regular basis.
Steve Noonan will be recording his new album with an Ayers acoustic guitar. We started working with Steve at Winter NAMM 2010 to get a guitar to match what he needed in the studio. Steve will be recording with a 2009 Ayers SJ-07c with a custom Western Red Cedar top. Adding the Western Red Cedar brings down the tone which is what Steve sees working well in the studio with his Americana style.
Look for more about Steve and his new album here in the near future.
We’ve collected about 55 minutes of YouTube Videos of people playing Ayers acoustic guitars which also includes a 4 part tour of our factory. Never ceases to amaze us how many talented musicans & artists there are in the world. Go to http://www.ayersguitarusa.com/videoindex.html
Just as I rotate between acoustic guitars with certain tone woods, body sizes and try various types of strings, guitar picks have the same impact on my enjoyment of playing.
It always amazes me how much a guitar pick can influence the tone of the music I’m playing. The wrong pick on a great guitar throws the sound and quality of the instrument right out the window. Consider that as you play and try out instruments. I’ve learned to keep a really large variety of picks around just for this purpose. I even keep picks that I don’t think I’ll ever like. Just the other day, one of these picks came in handy while playing our travel series acoustic guitar.
Now…. The Great Little Test
Do determine what tonal charateristic a pick is going to have take the pick and drop it on a hard flat surface. Hear that tone? This is the tone signature the pick will have against the strings. This is most evident in thinner picks below .70mm. I created this test to John Fitzgerald of Perretta Guitars in Mesquite Texas. One of the best guitar builders you’ll find. http://perrettaguitars.com/2211.html
Other factors to consider with picks:
The point of the pick. If it’s very pointed it’s gonna grab the strings entirely different than a more rounded model.
The angle you hold the pick. Try holding the pick with the point facing the headstock, straight down and pointing toward the bridge. All sound different.
Your attack style. Do you play aggressively or softly? Do you press down into the sound hole or do you push down toward the floor. Secret: you get A LOT more sound press the string into the sound hole and releasing.
My advice is to go to a local guitar store which offers bins of picks and spend $5 or $10 and test away!
The fact that our guitars are made in Vietnam surprises people because every time a person sees and plays our guitars they’re immediately impressed with our quality compared to any other brand. Add that they are handmade and at much lower price points and people are REALLY impressed.
Having been a french colony Vietnam has developed a long and impressive history of making western style stringed instruments. The Ayers brand comes from this tradition.
A talented Vietnamese luthier had a small shop and wanted to expand when he contacted an old friend, and our current owner. Cheng Fa invested in the company in 1989 and from this investment the company has grown into the Ayers brand.
Vietnamese made instruments differ from Chinese made instruments in the level of handwork that is done. Most Vietnamese instruments are still handmade where most Chinese factories are very automated. Additionally, Chinese made instruments follow a long history of brands chasing low labor costs. From Mexico to Japan to Korea to Taiwan and to China. In doing so, brands have always encountered about a decade worth of quality control issues. Now, just as the Chinese instruments are gaining respect, the cost of labor has increased and we see Vietnam being considered for the next move. From a reputation standpoint, we’d rather they not bring their production to Vietnam.
