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ABG Not Cutting It

Darylw425

Darylw425

Mar 16, 2006
159
27
46
Long Island, NY
#1
Hi Everyone,

I play in a two man acoustic cover duo- i play ABG and he plays acoustic guitar, we both sing. I just picked up a used Washburn AB-10 for these gigs, and though i thought it sounded and played great on its own, it just doesnt cut through at all when we play together (through a Bose PA tower). It has the Equis pup in there which is incredibly trebly and thin sounding - i put the presence and treble sliders all the way down and boost the mid and low, but that just gives me a low bottomy sound without definition or oomph....still no mids to punch and cut through. It's like there are just no mids to be had!

I tried playing it through a compressor, a BBDI, adjust the eq on the mixer...but nothing seems to get me the mid-rangey tone i need to cut through and be heard. Interestingly, when i play it through my ampeg rig, i am able to get some nice mids out of it, but they are all gone when i plug into the Bose PA.

Any suggestions? Do i need to install a new pup or preamp on there? Are there pedals i could use - a bass eq pedal, or another preamp pedal?

Thanks a lot.
 
#2
Hi.

IME some ABGs as well as AGs suffer from poorly cut saddle slots and/or moving piezo-strips. That doesn't necessarily mean unequal string volumes but really bad bumps and ruts across the freq range.

One "feature" I've noticed also too often is slanted saddle, and that puts uneven pressure to the strip and the result is sometimes the problems You described.

What type of strings are You using?

Sam
 
#3
Thanks Sam.

I got it looked at and setup recently - the tech said there was a problem with the bridge and piezo, but im not sure of the details. Before he looked at it i had a big noticeable volume drop on the G string and this was taken care of with his adjustments. Now the volume seems to be pretty even, just the tone is lacking.

I still have the original strings that were on there - the tone has actually been improving (less trebly) as the strings get older. Not sure what strings they are, but i guess they are bronze since my fingers are always green after playing! What strings could i change to to help add some mid punchiness?
 
#4
Fishman Transducer. Re-seat and glue the saddle.

I've also had this idea of modifying a sound-hole cover with a P-Bass pickup as well. The P would be best for the woody sound, but I'm not sure how it would match up with the preamp impedance. You never know, I might be on to something. :)
 
#5
if your bass is cutting it with your other rig and not the bose...it's most likely because the bose is too transparent....
try getting your hands on a good parametric EQ, or even try an amp simulator...A zoom B2 will give you all that, plus a bit of compression for about $100...why don't you give one a spin?

also, you really should try LaBella Nylon tape wounds....both the zoom and the LaBella's are available at Carvin.com
 
#7
Interestingly, when i play it through my ampeg rig, i am able to get some nice mids out of it, but they are all gone when i plug into the Bose PA.
Click to expand...
You've answered your own question. The PA is the culprit.
You may need to use a separate amp.
Click to expand...
I 100% agree with this recommendation. Just a little 50 watt practice combo should be sufficient for keeping up with the Bose.
 
#8
Thanks guys. yeah i think you're right that the Bose is the culprit - i just tried it through a small peavey practice amp and the punchy sound was there. weird becuase you'd think a $3,000 Bose system that is meant for direct bass input would sound better than a $50 practice amp, but not so. The bose may actually be too good in some way.

I will look at the Zoom B2, and maybe some others like the bass Pod or beringer V-Bass. I'm surprised my SansAmp BDDI didn't help here...the mid-scoop killed it i guess when i needed mid boost. oh well, more gear to buy as always...

Also wanted to add that i had tried my MM Stingray 5 through the Bose and it actually did sound good, and the acoustic guitar sounds great through it. So i guess it's just the ABG that doesnt work well with it...
 

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