X160 Rockabilly update!

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Been gigging with my X160 Rockabilly, and I gotta say...I LOVE it! The guys in the band love it too! Awesome sounding guitar with a HUGE palette of tones! More than I thought...and I'm still discovering more all the time!

The "normal" gig for us is two guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, and everybody except the drummer sings. I'm switching between acoustic (black JF30 with K&K) and my X160. And doing "retro-rock" for the most part, we can get pretty loud!

As you might imagine, with higher volumes, feedback was an issue for me! However, the Fishman Aura Spectrum (with "automatic" feedback control button and phase switch), and sometimes the black rubber feed-back buster, fixed that up on my acoustic. Loud as hell with no feedback! :)

For the electric, at small-to-normal volumes it was fine...but at concert volumes...it would feed back. I messed with EQ and positioning, and sometimes that was enough, but as any full-time gigging musician can tell you, sometimes you just don't have enough room onstage to find that optimum setting. Used the volume control (which, honestly, on the X160 is in an awkward position, esp if you use the Bigsby) and palm muting. Got by...but I found myself thinking too much instead of just playing and singing.

SO...I bought some foam blocks, and slowly worked some into the sound-holes...made sure I got it evenly dispersed, and cut some thin black folder material (kinda like card-stock in thickness) to dress the f-holes. Had to do this two times...the first time was good, but still at really loud volumes there were a couple of "howlers" left...added a bit more foam, and voila!...no more feedback at all! The reason I did it in stages, is that I wanted to use as little foam as possible, but still eliminate the feedback.
And it did not affect the overall tone of the guitar when plugged in!

The longer posts for the bridge saddle cured the bridge problems I had, and the cello-rosin under the saddle is really holding that bridge in place nicely!

I went back to round-wound strings. Just never bonded with the flatwounds. D'Addario 11's. Wound G. Just MY feel.
Still might change to an ABR-1 bridge though.

I get SO many compliments on this guitar, from players and non-musician audience members alike! Some comment on the sound/tone, others on how pretty it is!

It's comfortable to play, well-balanced, and fun!

It's a keeper!
 

JohnW63

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I bought some foam blocks, and slowly worked some into the sound-holes...made sure I got it evenly dispersed,

So, did you just fill the sound holes or start filling up the cavity inside ? I was thinking there were F hole feedback busters somewhere.
 

txbumper57

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Congrats Retro, I am Glad you are liking it. There were some F-hole shaped foam plugs out on the market for awhile and I can't think of the name of them to save my life right now. Sounds like you got it under control with your setup. They really are awesome guitars!

TX
 

shihan

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Yeah, good fix. A lot of the older jazz guys put tape over the 'f' holes, but I think the foam would work better; plus, no finish damage from the tape. Good job.
 
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So, did you just fill the sound holes or start filling up the cavity inside ? I was thinking there were F hole feedback busters somewhere.

The cavity inside. Nearest the bridge, then out to the f holes. Mostly in the widest part of the body. That seemed to be where the feedback was coming from. I could "feel" it. I don't know that the f-hole feedback busters would have done the job by themselves.
 
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