Dr. Jones Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I just bought the DR 500 CE-VS and love it! I may have an issue with the electronics, though. The nanomag pickup is much quieter than the nano flex pickup. When I put the slider in the middle position the flex overwhelms the mag. When I put the slider all the way to the mag side, the mag is about 1/4 the volume of when I put the slider on the flex side. Is this normal, or does my guitar have a problem? I would like to know before making the three hour drive to the Guitar Center where I bought the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffmac Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I just bought the DR 500 CE-VS and love it! I may have an issue with the electronics, though. The nanomag pickup is much quieter than the nano flex pickup. When I put the slider in the middle position the flex overwhelms the mag. When I put the slider all the way to the mag side, the mag is about 1/4 the volume of when I put the slider on the flex side. Is this normal, or does my guitar have a problem? I would like to know before making the three hour drive to the Guitar Center where I bought the guitar. on mine they are about the same the mag might have a bit more volume. I know the video demo on the epiphone site is cool but unless you were recording or had all the bells and whistles he had it hooked to, you wont get that sound any if you are happy with it don't worry about it other wise get the warranty work done and that means sending it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jones Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Thanks! I appreciate your input. I do think I need to have it worked on. The mag is way quieter than the flex and I often use it electrically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Piezo pickups have fairly large level tolerances. Referring to piezo saddles for electrics, there always will have to be six of these selected for level. One can't even replace a single defective one. The gain pots for the piezos within the active circuitries have a wide adjustment range. They usually allow for adapting to piezo tolerances and aligning to a wide range of passive magnetic pickups as well. Could it be that there are gain controls within your guitar calling for adjustment? At least the piezo gain should be internally variable. Magnetic pickups including NanoMag are within much closer tolerances than piezos. By the way, when about piezos, it's usually about converting impedance downwards but rather attenuate than boost level. They put out much higher voltages than magnetics, let alone low impedance pickups like NanoMags. The latter have to be designed that way for achieving a flat frequency response. Hope this helps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffmac Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Thanks! I appreciate your input. I do think I need to have it worked on. The mag is way quieter than the flex and I often use it electrically. Definitely get it fixed but before you take it somewhere shake it and listen might be a loose wire you may be able to fix yourself. Good Luck and happy picking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jones Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Okay, I got my hands on another Masterbilt DR-500CE and it is exactly the same as mine. The nano mag is way quieter than the nano flex. So there is nothing wrong with my instrument. Good to know! The guitar is a wonder acoustically and electrically! The action is so low, the tone rich and it sustains for a long time. Electrically is sounds wonderful. It doesn't have that small box sound that many electrical acoustics have when plugged in. I truly can't believe the craftsmanship on this instrument! I have a feeling I will own this guitar for the rest of my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Okay, I got my hands on another Masterbilt DR-500CE and it is exactly the same as mine. The nano mag is way quieter than the nano flex. So there is nothing wrong with my instrument. Good to know! The guitar is a wonder acoustically and electrically! The action is so low, the tone rich and it sustains for a long time. Electrically is sounds wonderful. It doesn't have that small box sound that many electrical acoustics have when plugged in. I truly can't believe the craftsmanship on this instrument! I have a feeling I will own this guitar for the rest of my life. I'm here because I just bought this guitar and had a similar (but maybe enlightening) experience. I played my DR-500MCE in the store (Sam Ash) for about an hour before purchasing it. The two pickups were very close in volume. I brought it home and played it through my own acoustic amp some more and the pickups were still very close in volume. I switched the strings out to Elixer lights (12) and plugged it back in only to find that the Nanomag was now quite a bit quieter. I looked up what the original strings were (D'Addario 12's) and went to my local Guitar Center to buy them. After the string change, the Nanomag level was back up. I'm not at all sure that my assessment is perfect, but I'm guessing the string gauge number on coated strings includes the coating and that the actual strings are a bit lighter in order to be brought up to the higher number by the coating. This would mean that the steel core (which is all the Nanomag is actually sensing) is thinner as well. Hence the lower Nanomag volume. I bought a set of Elixer Nanomag mediums. Hopefully the steel cores will be as thick as the D'Addario lights and the Nanomag volume will be as well. I really prefer coated strings, but I also want to hear that Nanomag sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 I'm here because I just bought this guitar and had a similar (but maybe enlightening) experience. I played my DR-500MCE in the store (Sam Ash) for about an hour before purchasing it. The two pickups were very close in volume. I brought it home and played it through my own acoustic amp some more and the pickups were still very close in volume. I switched the strings out to Elixer lights (12) and plugged it back in only to find that the Nanomag was now quite a bit quieter. I looked up what the original strings were (D'Addario 12's) and went to my local Guitar Center to buy them. After the string change, the Nanomag level was back up. I'm not at all sure that my assessment is perfect, but I'm guessing the string gauge number on coated strings includes the coating and that the actual strings are a bit lighter in order to be brought up to the higher number by the coating. This would mean that the steel core (which is all the Nanomag is actually sensing) is thinner as well. Hence the lower Nanomag volume. I bought a set of Elixer Nanomag mediums. Hopefully the steel cores will be as thick as the D'Addario lights and the Nanomag volume will be as well. I really prefer coated strings, but I also want to hear that Nanomag sound. Interesting assessment, Laurence. And welcome to the boards! I got the esonic2 system on my Epi Performer, which I picked up used. The nanoflex doesn't seem to work at all, but the nanomag works great. What me worry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Well I just tried Elixer mediums (13) today. Low output from the Nanomag. So much for my theory about core diameters. I put D'Adderio nickel/bronze on and it's fine again but I miss the coating. I think I will try coated D'Addarios next (12's). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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