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These topics have been the subjects of separate threads over the last few weeks, and I had a chance to bring them together in a 3 hour concert Thursday night. Along with George Livanos on bass and Mike O'Rourke on drums (two of my favorite players overall, but especially for a chart gig with many styles) I had the privilege of backing 11 of Philly's top jazz vocalists in a program that ran from swing and jump to Latin and funk. This was a benefit arranged on very short notice, and there was no time to get anyone together for rehearsal - so I had an archtop, a flattop, and a Nord 88 stage piano to be sure I could give each what she wanted. And (unike our weekly shows with a set-it-and-forget-it approach to FOH), we had a live person at the board. So I gave the house sound system another chance, and I'm glad I did. I ran the XLR out of the onboard Fishman right into the board. The line is at least 75’ long, but it’s low Z and was truly noiseless.
This is Maci Miller at the mic. When I first discussed her backing with her, she was insistent that I use piano. But I was already set up when she arrived, and I was playing with the flattop's EQ when she walked in the door. On hearing it through the house, she changed her mind - and I'm very glad she did. I cut back the lows as far as I could on the onboard Fishman preamp, since it's a big box 7 and a real cannon. I still need to play more with EQ for a crisper sound. But for a first attempt, I think it sounded pretty fine, and so did she. I got a message from her yesterday asking me to bring it to our Sunday gig!
Now I'm going to intensify my efforts to get what I want from the FOH. I think part of the problem with my archtop's sound through the house system is the stock DiMarzio Blaze II ceramic P/U, a strange choice that came in it despite the fact that it's a jazz box. I need to find a PAF-ish 7 pickup that sounds right but also doesn't look stupid in a beautiful sunburst archtop with gold hardware.
Here we go:
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03-26-2022 10:37 AM
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The Benedetto S7 from SD sounds pretty good, and is reasonably priced. The 1978 Benedetto 7-string I once owned had one, and I think it's a wonderful pickup. I never really got on with 7 strings, and I was afraid to play the thing, because I might have put a scratch on it., so it's gone. I bought it as an inventment, my one and only, and it paid off. But if you need a set in pickup, it won't do, of course. The B7 should work, though. I haven't tried one, but the B6 is a wonderful jazz pickup, maybe the best set humbucker I've ever heard.
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And it's only $129! It only comes in black, but I suppose that's a small price to pay for great sound. What's oddest of all about the original hardware is that this is the first guitar I've ever had with gold parts that didn't shed their skin over a few years of hard use. My 345 lost at least half of it from the pickups and tuners within 2 years.
Originally Posted by sgosnell
I'll order one. Thanks!!
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What you need is a nice old USA Ovation.....
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Great playing..
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A bit of a pity it has that nasal piezo sound though... I think Fishman also have a system that combines an under-saddle piezo with an internal mic (IIUC inside the preamp box) which can be mixed right from the guitar to get a more natural sound.
Is that a GA or jumbo, I can't make out the decoration and logo on the headstock?
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It’s an Ibanez AEL207E jumbo (16 1/8” lower bout, 5” deep), and it does quack like a duck through the piezo. It’s strung with John Pearse 80/20s, which are a bit brighter than phosphor bronze and a better sound for the blues. With a glass or ceramic slide, this guitar has a unique sound that’s a little tricone and a little Dobro. Originally Posted by RJVB
If I do start using it for jazz, it needs a few changes. I set it up with high action for slide, and it needs a proper pickup system.Last edited by nevershouldhavesoldit; 03-27-2022 at 08:03 AM.
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A alternative to compressors and eq to sort out punchy spikes is a klon style overdrive. At low gain levels there is no grit but they warm up the bottom end while the tone control can set the upper edge and it compresses a bit.. The sound is very natural. I grabbed a EH Soul Food one day when trying a typical undersaddle and found easy to dial in improvement.
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I bet, thanks to that maple top and back plus the 7th string; might get even stronger with Monel strings Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
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I played an Ibanez AF-207 for a couple of years (when I struggled to go back and forth between 6 and 7 string guitars. I gave up the 7 string guitar when I determined that you cannot serve two masters). At one point I replaced the Blaze PUP with a Benedetto PUP (B-7). Soon thereafter, the Blaze went back in. The lack of adjustable pole pieces made the balance between strings impossible to dial in to my taste. YMMV
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I’ve never tried Monel. What do they sound like? Originally Posted by RJVB
I bet, thanks to that maple top and back plus the 7th string; might get even stronger with Monel strings
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A different kind of clear-with-warm-lows (after they settle). Hard to say, but they're usually described as neutral, letting the woods speak. I think they indeed add very little colouring; they're the strings where the same notes played on the G and B strings sound most similar to my ears. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
They also work better with electromagnetic PUs because of the high nickel content in the winding alloy.
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Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
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