Just got my first Gibson Acoustic! Questions...

[Hexeir]

Long time Gibson fan. This is the fifth Gibson I've owned, and I'm 21, if that says anything!

 

However, this is my first Gibson Acoustic... It's a Songwriter Deluxe. First, let me say: It sounds AMAZING. Not one odd fret, and beautifully perfect intonation.

 

I do have some questions, though.

 

1) First thing is first! I want to know how to take care of this, as far as humidity goes, temperature changes... etc. I've had acoustics bow and warp before, even when I take what I thought was good care of them... But I guess what is good care of an electric may not be the same as good care of an acoustic.

 

2) I completely and totally hate the sound I get from the transducer when plugged into my computer or anything. Anyone who plays electric acoustic knows a better word for the sound I can't stand, it's like a "fwap" sound, it sounds like you have paper under your frets... Some people like it, I know Yngwie's acoustic sounds that way on stage, but I really don't like it.... Is there a way to get a more natural acoustic sound from the transducer?

 

3) I do have a few small spots in the finish I'm concerned about. around the tuning pegs there is some slight bubbling, from where the holes are drilled. And also, there is one spot on the back where the binding is separating from the back. I don't think it's a big deal, I mean, it's not really separating it's more of... the lacquer cracking where the binding meets the top.

 

Any help will be GREATLY appreciated. Glad to be a part of this community.

[albertjohn]

Hi Hexier. Welcome from a fellow SWD owner.

 

I know what you are saying about the plugged in sound. I'm an occasional gigger and have plugged mine into some different rigs. My acoustic amp is a Marshall AS50 - a basic digital amp but I like the sound. The best sound I've had from it was plugged directly into one of the Bose PAs - the one that looks like 2 4X2's on top of a bankers box. Fantastic sound. Mine's the cutaway version with the Fishman electrics with eq etc so quite flexible in terms of dailing in some different tone. I've plugged direct into some very basic PAs and have always been able to get a decent enough sound.

 

I too love the unplugged sound.

 

I live in UK so we have plenty of moisture. I do have an issue with mine and have some lacquer cracking along the neck binding which was quite alarming. The consensus seems to be that the fretboard expanded and then has shrunk slightly. It has now settled down and I will have the cosmetic surgery done on the spring by a Gibson approved repairer.

 

Humidity and temp are big factors but I'll let the real experts tell you about that. Stability is the watchword.

[Hexeir]

Mine isn't the cutwaway version, so I only have a volume knob. I think you can usually get rid of this "fwappy" sound when you have the EQs by using the presence or something of that sort... I have the sound dry, without any effects, so It's really hard to get rid of it. I've tried EQing it after amplification, and I can get rid of it so some extent, but it's really still there and I lose some acoustics when I do that.

[jdgretz]

I've got a '63 Hummingbird that I've had since '63 and really have not done anything special to keep her in shape other than play her a lot. I lived in Atlanta for a couple of years as well as Virginia and Texas for a dozen or so years, so she's been in dry climates as well as humid ones. I've taken her to the beach and the mountains in a single weekend. She's been on camping trips (OK, RV Camping Trips) and played around a campfire and has been on stage more times than I can remember.

 

When I'm not playing, she lives in her hard shell case. I clean and polish her about once a month and change out the Elixir strings when they stop sounding crisp. If I know I'm going to be away from the guitar for a month or so, I de-tune the strings to take the tension off the neck.

 

My guitar looks about an 8.5 or 9 after all these years and last month I replaced the original plastic bridge with a rosewood one (the plastic one was warping). She just sounds better and better as time goes on. I originally wanted a Dove, but by the time I could afford one, my Hummingbird sounded better than any Dove I could afford.

 

Play her a lot and keep her clean and she'll last longer than you can believe.

 

I usually just mike mine or use a temporary sound hole pickup as I've never found a pickup set I liked enough to have the guitar drilled. I don't want the acoustic sound to be modified.

 

John

[Taylor Player]

Hi and Welcome Hexeir...

 

A solid wood acoustic guitar does take more care to maintain than a solid body electric... just the nature of the beast. I live in Minnesota and now that winter is here, the relative humidity in my house has dropped from the summer where it was always between 45% to 55% which is perfect for acousitic solid wood guitars, down to a measly 32% last night and it will be in the 20-30% range as winter progresses. I keep my guitars out on stands in my music room during the summer but as soon as I kick on the furnace, they go in the case with both a soundhole humidifier and 1-2 case humidifiers that I make from sponges and small "Glad" containers I buy cheap at Walmart. They will stay that way other than when being played for the rest of the winter. In the spring when the humidity levels reach 45%-55% again, I can leave them on stands again. I know it sounds like you have to baby them, but in reality, I only have to re-moisten the sponges in the cases 1 time a week or so. I purchased a digital hygrometer at Walmart for under $10.00 and it does a very good job and is accurate within 1-2%. In Georgia, you may have to deal with too much humidity (over 55%) at times. There are products available to keep your guitars dryer also, Zorb-it's comes to mind as one. If your music room/house stays within the range of 45% to 55% humidity, you should be OK leaving yours out of the case and they should be perfectly safe... (unless you have kids, pets or just clumsy friends )

 

As for the sound you refer to when plugged in... I believe many call it a "Quack" that is common to UST type pickups. I have a Highlander UST in my Taylor that was installed when I bought it 14 years ago. I play mostly fingerstyle and I have a very good acoustic amp with eq settings that give me many opportunities to eliminate any quack. I installed a K & K Western Mini pickup in my Gibson and like it much better than a UST. It is the most natural sounding pickup I have used. I also go from my guitar into a LR Baggs PARA DI preamp which allows considerable tone shaping, eq'ing and adds more volume since the K & K is a "passive" pickup.

[Jinder]

hex, welcome to the forum! Your SWD sounds delicious. Your pickup is designed for live work rather than recording, so mic it in the studio and disregard the pickup. I do 200+ live shows a year on average, and I swear by the Baggs in my Hummingbird, which is my main stage guitar. If it wasn't a world class pickup I would have changed it by now as I tend to have very fussy ears. Do bear in mind that it is designed to be heard through a PA rig, and you shouldn't be disappointed.

[Hexeir]

Thank you guys a ton. That's what I figured about the pickup, not really made for recording, but I just can't get over that "quack" as you call it. But Jinder, I trust you when you say it's made to be heard through a PA. I'm sure it preforms the job at that point.

 

I'm going to go get a humidity reader so that I can be sure this guitar stays as nice as humanly possible under my watch. Which should be for a while - I think I'm keeping this thing forever. I'll post some pics on a new thread for you guys in the near future!

 

I'm still open for any suggestions from anyone!

[nolongermike@gibson]

Jinder is right.

 

Listen, that lovely guitar deserves a large diaphragm condenser mike positioned about three-to five inches away from the 7th fret or so when recording. You'll love the sound of it. You might need to tweak and inch or so either direction, but you'll find the sweet spot for recording it. You can get all kinds of great mikes for less than $200, and some pretty OK ones for about $100 that you can record it with if you don't own any now. Do not ever, except for some blending effect, plug an acoustic into a computer recording system, and expect to be happy with the sound.

 

Thank you guys a ton. That's what I figured about the pickup' date=' not really made for recording, but I just can't get over that "quack" as you call it. But Jinder, I trust you when you say it's made to be heard through a PA. I'm sure it preforms the job at that point.

 

I'm going to go get a humidity reader so that I can be sure this guitar stays as nice as humanly possible under my watch. Which should be for a while - I think I'm keeping this thing forever. I'll post some pics on a new thread for you guys in the near future!

 

I'm still open for any suggestions from anyone![/quote']

[Hexeir]

 

You can get all kinds of great mikes for less than $200' date=' and some pretty OK ones for about $100 that you can record it with if you don't own any now.

 

[/quote']

 

I'm going to buy an NT-1. That oughta do it. I've heard of nothing but miracles concerning those mics. Thanks again for all the help. Oh, Mike, did you see my response about the Bolt-On LP?