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Groups » The Guitars » Developing Flaxwood guitars -- your input

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19.06.2007, 21:40

lars_alexander

No, don't beat Kim up. When you go through trouble of flying to Finland go to the factory instead and ask the luthier... no quarrels among Flaxwood players, please ;o)

Have a nice stay in Berlin! What are you up to in my hometown?

- lars_alexander

21.06.2007, 16:09

davidcarr

Ohhhhhhh....all right. But he said he would have to kill us if he told us. I can't wait;>)
Seriously, I would love to visit the factory and plan to look at the plane fares from Berlin.
Your hometown? Wonderfull! My Partner and I are coming August 8 for 3 weeks. She has some gigs and we are meeting up with Phil from our Textapopeye project. We will all be sharing an apartment in the city. Mail me on Davidedwincarr@aol.com and perhaps we can catch up for beer and guitar talk?
Do you have any suggestions for venues for Textapopeye? (myspace.com/textapopeye)

- davidcarr

21.06.2007, 18:28

jussi

Message edited 21.06.2007, 18:29

Hey guys!

Sorry for being a bit AWOL lately... driven almost 2500 km in the last couple of days, shuttling between a semi-break in Rovaniemi in Lapland and studio work in Helsinki. The feedback problem has come up, yes, and we're definitely trying to find a solution. Not being from the active pickup high gain metal school myself (well, not in the last couple of years, anyway), I haven't found it a problem in the stuff I've played a Flaxwood. I did a session with my Rautia through a very metal-y ENGL Fireball recently, but had no feedback problems. Veijo is aware of the feedback we've been getting (pun intended, haha), and is on it.

Back online on Monday night, about to go hiking for a couple of days. I can trust you guys to keep the forum alive til then, right? :)

-J

- jussi

21.06.2007, 22:18

lars_alexander

Hey!

Thanks for the answer. I'm not a hi-gain player either, but there might be some metal-players who could be interested in a non-feedback metal-ish flaxwood guitar ;o)

We keep the forum alive, since there don't seem to be any other people around ;o) (Do we get a set of free stickers for our efforts?)

Enjoy your weekend, then!

- lars_alexander

23.06.2007, 11:40

richard

Having played the Äijä-model extensivly, and A/B testing it with a Rautia, a older REC model and my own custommodel, my judgement is that the EMG pickups are the root of all evil here.

The feedback problems with EMG's (microfonic feedback) are further amplified by the resonator backpiece (acoustic feedback). However, the amp in itself is also a problem here. When playing on a ENGL Special Edition, I did not have nearly as big a problem with feedback as with a Boogie Dual Rectifier.

Solution 1: Picking off the backplate, radicaly reduces the feedback issues, but also dramatically reduces the bottom and and separation in the tone. So not a good one.

SOlution 2: Not using EMG's. Even though they are the no.1 metal pick-up, they just doesn't sound good or work well with a semi-hollow construction. They have a higher output, and very even compression and tight midlle-end. But in any semihollwo construction, this is transformed to feedback gain-issues and very very nasal mids.

I would have liked to try the old models with Schecter pick-ups.

My suggestion would be not to look at the construction as a solution, but rather just change the pickups. For example, certain DiMarzio models might work better (even though I don't like the sound of DiMarzio's). But my no.1 suggestion would be Bill Lawrence originals (used by both DImebag and NUno for Pantera and Extreme's first couple of albums). Only problem is that they are hand-made on order, and have a 2-3 month's waiting time :( (worth it, but not a good solution for a company needing quick deliverys).

Just my 2 cents.

- richard

23.06.2007, 16:41

lars_alexander

Ah, that's interesting. But I thought EMGs weren't as prone to microphonic feedback as other pickups. Maybe EMG has an answer.
I heard Seymour Duncan were offering a new active pickup line called "blackouts" as well as the older "live wire" series. Maybe that's an option, too.
Ivory coloured EMGs look better though, but that's not the issue.

Concerning handwound pickups I believe that they could do that at Rautia Guitars themselves.

Anyway, thanks for testing and giving feedback! If you have time to spare, could you record and upload some Äija tracks on youtube? Some nice stuff you posted before!

- lars_alexander

23.06.2007, 21:22

richard

Well, they are very hi-gain, and maybe they don't feedback more in a solid-body construction (at least they haven't when I have A/B tested them with an ESP, Schecter and Les Paul). I just think that the combo Hollow-body+EMG+High gain and volume= feedback, more so than any other combo.

Thanx for checking out the vids btw :)

I am using the Äijä in my latest lesson for Shredacademy on TIming and Notevalue Alteration in improvisation. Just the DV-cam mic however, so there is plenty of acoustic stringsound as well (using 0.11-50 as well, so they're pretty high ). The direct link to the lesson and .pdf book is here.

shredacademy.com

/Richard

- richard

24.06.2007, 12:55

lars_alexander

Thanks for the link, Richard!

You're probably right with "Hollow-body+EMG+High gain and volume= feedback"... . I have the same problem with my thinline tele (passive pickups) at hi-gain and hi-volume levels. I use it for playing clean then :o)

@Flaxwood Team: I just found out that some of the major dealers in Germany offer Flaxwood guitars! So, best of luck! Good news :o)

- lars_alexander

26.06.2007, 18:46

jussi

Message edited 26.06.2007, 18:47

How!

I'm back. Hiked 55 km in Hetta-Pallas over the weekend, now back with a clear(er) head. Nice which is!

Good points, Richard. All being discussed behind the scenes. :) The Bill Lawrence pickups do seem interesting -- I'm a huge fan of Nuno's tone on "Waiting for the Punchline" (Extreme's best record in my opinion).

One thing I was wondering about -- what is the opinion of all you Flaxwood players on the EMG '81/'85 combination? With the Zakk Wylde school of rock running amok on the scene, it seems to be what's in demand.

Thoughts?

Oh, and -- thanks, Lars!

- jussi

26.06.2007, 19:00

lars_alexander

Hallo!

Not yet being a Flaxwood player - just waiting in line :o)

But I'd rather opt for a neck60/bridge85 setup with maybe an Sa in the middle position.
Or more likely an Sa-set equipped Laine. Wonder how that would play? Could you test one? ;o)

Never thought there could be something like a Zakk Wylde school, but anyway... they'd buy les paul types.

@david: sent you an e-mail with some suggestions for Textapopeye...

Take care all of you!

- lars_alexander

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