Epi AJ 220 SCE

[gofguitarkp]

Hey guys, any AJ 220 SCE owners out there?

I recently bought one, and compared to my laminate top Takamine it feedbacks (feeds back?) A LOT...

How much more fb do I get from a solid top rather lightweight guitar like an AJ220SCE vs a laminate top NEX Tak? To what point is it a normal thing?

I usually play it in a 3x5 (meters) room with a 65W solid state amp, and while the Tak manages up to level 5 or 6 wo feedback I can hardly go up to 2 or 3 with the Epi.

Just asking... I know it can be pretty subjective...

Thanks in advance,
G

 

[IGRocker]

Is the AJ 220SCE a solid top? That would explain most of the issues. Other than that, WHO PLAYS A 65w AMP AT 6IN A ROOM THAT SMALL??

Just kidding, but that is pretty loud

Oh yeah, welcome to the forum!

 

[MarkB]

I tend towards the OM shape out of preference (just replaced my Tak with a Faith Venus) so dont currently own a dreadnaught, but I would have thought that the body shape + size difference is at least a factor.

There's probably an obvious answer to this, but why so many watts for an acoustic in a regular size room? (igr beat me to it! )

 

[gofguitarkp]

Hey! Thank you for The welcome.

I usually play it as an acoustic and record it with a condenser mic, I was just testing the thing thinking more of a small gig.

Some more info that may be important:

When I bought it (used), It had a little boomy noise in lower e and a strings f# note. The tech replaced the piece that holds the nanoflex cable onto the bodie, for a new different one (attached to the back) and that specific noise disapeared. After that i tested it extensively and I would like know if the feedback is caused by the cable being kinda loose, or its just natural.

 

[gofguitarkp]

Is the AJ 220SCE a solid top? That would explain most of the issues. Other than that, WHO PLAYS A 65w AMP AT 6IN A ROOM THAT SMALL??

Just kidding, but that is pretty loud

Oh yeah, welcome to the forum!

It is a solid top

As for the volume it was only for testing purposes haha

 

[gofguitarkp]

2015-11-07 16.06.44

• gofguitarkp
• Nov 15, 2015

2015-11-07 16.06.32

• gofguitarkp
• Nov 15, 2015

Just for you to know her...

 

[IGRocker]

It is a solid top

As for the volume it was only for testing purposes haha

Phew! Yeah, solid tops vibrate a lot more than a laminate, causing more feedback

 

[wildeman]

The more lively it is acoustically the more it feeds back thats why Gibson made the ES guitars out of laminate, while the acoustic L's were solid.

 

[wildeman]

Oh yeah, pretty guitar you have there.

 

[Alty]

The cause of feedback in acoustics is the sound-board flexing as a direct result of the speaker cone’s
sound pressure. Once this has started, the guitar soundboard and speaker will oscillation in sympathy
with each other, almost to the point of destruction.

The Out of Phase Switch
The out of phase switch works by moving the signal through 180 degrees. It doesn’t affect the tone/
sound. Instead of the speaker cone and soundboard moving in sympathy, the switch causes the speaker
to move in the opposite direction, creating a buffer effect. It could be argued that it somehow dampens
the sound but when playing at volume this hardly matters.

The Notch Filter
The Notch Filter does what is says, but I have found that few people know how to use it properly and
some manufactures fit it on the guitar but don’t tell the customer how it works! Usually feedback is prominent
at a certain bandwidth and each instrument has a nasty black-spot - for want of another word -
which is the point that causes the soundboard to oscillate the most – this is what we call feedback.

The way in which to use this notch filter knob is to allow the guitar to start to feedback and then turn the knob
clockwise or anticlockwise until the narrow band is homed in on. Once locked onto in this way, the annoying
feedback band is filtered out. Some people liken this process to dialling in to a radio station on an
old radio. Whatever the explanation, the offending frequency is notched and filtered out. Some cheap
pre-amps may have just a switch but this is a poor hit and miss way of dealing with a variable feedback
frequency.

The Sound hole Cover
This cover is fitted to the sound hole and seals in the sound, which dampens the soundboard, thus reducing
the feedback.

 

[gofguitarkp]

The more lively it is acoustically the more it feeds back thats why Gibson made the ES guitars out of laminate, while the acoustic L's were solid.

It is VERY lively indeed. Just by touching the body you hear resonance... maybe thats what produces the extra FB. Thanks for commenting!

 

[gofguitarkp]

Thanks man.

I have a sound hole cover and it helps considerably, also a phase switch, and sometimes it helps too. Tried and played it in a bigger room and also seems to mitigate the FB. So, it definitely is a problem thats not happened to me and only me haha. It makes me think though, that maybe I should keep my laminated Tak for live situations, and dont sell it as I was planning to.

 

[gofguitarkp]

The more lively it is acoustically the more it feeds back thats why Gibson made the ES guitars out of laminate, while the acoustic L's were solid.

Could the pup cable being attached to the back instead of the side have some influece on fb too?

 

[Alty]

Could the pup cable being attached to the back instead of the side have some influece on fb too?

It's more a frequency issue than a 'parts' issue, have you tried repositioning the speaker or tried a different amp and which amp are you using (LV200....as you mention 65W?) as I don't see an 'acoustic' amp in your sig? (Whilst of course there's nothing stopping you using a 'guitar' amp if you like the sound but you will not be getting the best from it.)

....the guitar soundboard and speaker will oscillation in sympathy with each other....

 

[gofguitarkp]

It's more a frequency issue than a 'parts' issue, have you tried repositioning the speaker or tried a different amp and which amp are you using (LV200....as you mention 65W?) as I don't see an 'acoustic' amp in your sig? (Whilst of course there's nothing stopping you using a 'guitar' amp if you like the sound but you will not be getting the best from it.)

Hey Alty, thanks for the reply. Its correct, I mainly tested it with the LV200, I dont have an acoustic guitar amp for the moment, so I choose LV200 as the least bad option lol. Normally if I would gig with an acoustic, Id use line out not an amp, so acoustic amp its always last in the whislist if you know what I mean.

I tried a different room however, a bigger one, and it allowed more volume without fb... so its probably a combination of factors...

 

[gofguitarkp]

A pic of the fix

Quickfix for Shadow Nanoflex

• gofguitarkp
• Nov 19, 2015

 

[IGRocker]

How does the pickup sound? If you have any experience with others that is

 

[gofguitarkp]

How does the pickup sound? If you have any experience with others that is

When its not feeding back it sounds pretty decent. Compared to Taks I find it more natural sounding, less plastic if you know what I mean. Deff not bad for the price. However, I also note that Epis pickup picks up (lol) most of the boxes sounds (like hits, or touches) while when you listen to the Tak it only picks up the strings sound. Not sure if thats good or bad though.

 

[IGRocker]

When its not feeding back it sounds pretty decent. Compared to Taks I find it more natural sounding, less plastic if you know what I mean. Deff not bad for the price. However, I also note that Epis pickup picks up (lol) most of the boxes sounds (like hits, or touches) while when you listen to the Tak it only picks up the strings sound. Not sure if thats good or bad though.

I kinda like that it picks up you hitting the guitar and not just the strings. I tend to tap the top on mine for fills

 

[gofguitarkp]

I kinda like that it picks up you hitting the guitar and not just the strings. I tend to tap the top on mine for fills

Its true sometimes its nice to do that.

I may record a clip to show you guys how it sounds...