Taming The Taylor ES-2 Pickup System | How to EQ Your Guitar Properly
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- Many of our visitors in the store and online ask about their acoustic guitar pickups-- often times, they're experiencing feedback, a "tinny" treble sound, or just an overall lack of understanding on how to get the most out of their pre-amp/pickup system. Today, using the Taylor ES-2, Chris is going to give you some real pro tips on how to tame and EQ your pickup properly for the best possible live sound.
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WOW Thank You Chris for this detailed run down of the Taylor Expression system. I have a Taylor 214CE KOA and the D string feedback was so annoying when plugged into an old Crate acoustic amp. The amp really sounds great but not with that guitar in particular. I have Yamaha and Alvarez guitars that seem to not have this issue through the same amp. Your adjustment of the phase switch on the preamp board solved the problem. There is no phase option on the amp in this case. You saved this guitar from the trade in pile for me. I love all the videos you and your store do. Very informative and love the playing too. Thanks sooooo much.
I bought my first Taylor 2 weeks ago and turned to this video because I was very unimpressed with the ES-2 system (though the guitar is great). I thought there would be some discussion about adjusting the 3 Allen screws behind the saddle and I was really surprised that it wasn't mentioned. The Alamo channel is my trusted 'go to' for all musical matters so I thought this was strange. Perhaps a revisit to the subject is needed!!
Check the guitar spa channel by mr. Jarvis. Reach him, he ever mentioned it and explain it
Agreed! Being too close to the manufacturer may alter your objectivity?
Ive adjusted the “screws” and it made little difference, Im having a L R Baggs fitted in my 317e
I ended up going the same way. I'm happy, hope you are.
@@lukesteverything627 Ive ordered a L R Baggs Anthem and will take my guitar to a local luthier who has a very good reputation.
Wow, I’ve had my Taylor 816 for seven months and never liked playing it plugged in, I’m half way through this video and tried turning down base and treble all the way and I love the sound
I read your comment a couple of days ago and it stayed in my mind. I have struggled to find the “right sound” for me playing a Taylor 317e through a Fishman artist, anyway I turned down the base and treble to max and likewise have a great sound with picking and especially noticeable with strumming.
I often watch the Alamo Music Center videos even when I am not interested in the subject just because listening to these guys is comforting like listening to the British shipping forecast
Best discussion of the Taylor system I’ve ever heard. Very useful, thanks!
Excellent information. Will work on subtracting with the EQ. Thank you!
It made wonders on the amplified sound of our 322 through a Stagepas.
Great video. Easy to follow, informative and delivered in a concise manner.
I'm glad you answered that question... ; )
So friggin’ helpful. Been looking for advice on mixing my ES2. Been playing live and having some trouble. The “subtractive mixing” part was gold. Thanks from rural PA
And that guitar is an AD17e BLK I got from Alamo. Planning to be in SA July 12-15 and planning to stop by the downtown store a couple blocks from where I'm staying. Thanks.
Thanks so much for this. You really helped me understand the ES 2 on my K24 CE. I will remember.....subtract first!
Been a follower of yours and The Store vids for quite a few years.....thanks for explaining the reason for a DI Box and the turning down treble instead of cranking up the bass first. Thanks again from Bill in Florida 👍🏻
I have a soft spot for the piezo "quack" because it's the sound of the 90s. The Dave Matthews Band, MTV Unplugged, every rock band's token acoustic song: it was all that piezo sound. I grew to love it.
Agree, Pearl Jam's unplugged and Tesla's 5 Man Acoustical Jam are also excellent examples.
Same
This is the best guitar channel on the internet today. Nothing else is close.
Have a dumb question. Why do you not see maple fretboards on Acoustics?
@@douglasboyd8475I think Ebony is a much better choice for fretboards. It is more dense and less prone to warping under climate changes.
That was so helpful! I was doing everything wrong and hated my live sound. Now I have some experiments to perform.
Thank you so much brother for uploading such an informative video. Really it was very helpful. I am a worship leader and I was worried before but after watching this video, i am confident with the sound system.
Thanks for a great explanation of the signal chain, and how the instrument (or vocal) hits the PA. monitor, and recording mixes. Yes, it's more than a three-ring circus of mixes on Sunday mornings, and the all-volunteer tech team and praise band (choir's off for the summer) is sometimes prone to calling for "more gain" in the stage monitor mixes, rather than "more volume," which confuses both the operator(s) and the outputs to the mixes. Presentations like this are a great help, especially as we'll likely add additional monitor mixes on the board to separate the chain of stage monitor speakers. We're more aware of the lively acoustics in the 1905 church space (adding a ground circuit took care of the 60 cycle hum from the knob-and-tube wiring system; single hot wires from the attic through an appliance to the actual ground), with all the sound sources feeding energy into the room (PA from the stage outward, monitors from stage front hitting the back wall reverberating outward, singers holding the mic farther away and picking up the horn player...) I concur with centering the controls first. Next, let your sound engineer adjust the mix(es). Johnny Guitar, leader of the Moon Doggies band of Valdez, AK, mixed sound at the first Salmon Jam music festival in Cordova and told me when he was taking a short break between groups that, "Every band will tell you they need their own adjustments." Not a problem, as I was observing and setting things up on stage, so when the next group set up, I was told they needed to make some adjustments. The engineer will be back shortly, I can take a note. They went back to the stage, and we never heard anything about making changes. Yep, centering everything is a good place to be, less likely to get bucked off when balanced. I'm sending out the link to this! 🤗Thanks, Chris, and Gabe O'Brien, too!
so true, too may ways to adjust sound quality, too many sources, causes a lot of confusion and bad sounds.
THANK YOU! I got a 110e, sounded nice unplugged, but when I plugged it into the acoustic amp I got really disappointed. I actually thought there was a condenser mic (like the presys blend 301) hidden somethere because it would produce some feedback on some certain notes and a shitty sound overall, but after some exploration I found a blue pickup under the saddle (This one doesn´t have the 3 dots behind the saddle). I changed the position of the white phase switch and the sound became what i was expecting from this guitar. This video REALLY helped, excellent explanation about sound and EQ, Thanks again big time.
Hey Chris I appreciate your informative video on Taylor guitars.
Thanks for the insight!! Lots of good info here. Appreciate it!!
super helpful info, especially direct box content
Great stuff explaining signal path and what impacts it. Thanks!
Clear and engaging. Thanks.
I bought my K-62ce mostly for its plugged-in sound. The ES-2 sounds just fine.
It's interesting that you don't get into adjusting those 3 screws. No doubt we could get into a world of trouble messing with those.
Thank you! I love my Taylor guitar. But even as a full time musician I am an idiot for fine tuning my sound. Sometimes I have a guitar tech but usually acoustic gigs I'm the guitar tech too and I'm awful at it. Thank you Alamo Music for these videos!
Thanks for this video. My "G" string had horrible feedback on my 324BE. Flicked the white switch.. and it's much better 👍
Great video, Chris. Thanks to your years of experience, the simple explanations of phase, feedback and impedance make it easy to understand. 214 CE-K owner here. Love the natural sound of the ES-2. I have a Fishman LoudBox Mini, and have also played through Godin amps and Bose PA systems.
I also have a 214 CE - K, it was built in 2014. I assume it has the ES-1 system because it does not have the three dots on the saddle, am I assuming correctly?
When your going through Bose do you use a pre amp with the 214cek?
@@leedouglasmusic the Taylor ES-2 consists of a pre-amp in the body of the guitar and under-saddle pickup. So no need for another pre-amp, you just plug right into the Bose PA. The on board pre-amp is powered by a 9 volt battery. It's good to carry a spare so you're not caught short. Taylor says the battery is good for 40 hours plugged in - even if you're not playing. Unplug after playing to get more useable battery time.
Thank you, Chris!! This is an excellent video!!!
Thanks that was very helpful ❤
Great tips here Chris!
Excellent! Very informative video. Thanks!
Great video! Very useful!
Just bought a 214 ce. I have it running into a Fender SFX 2, which is a great amp. I've found keeping the bass on the guitar at around 1:00, which is actually turned down from the center position keeps the sounmd balanced with no feedback. This is great pickup system. Way better than my LR Baggs M1A soundhole pickup. Very small adjustments will get you where you want to be.
Well I just plugged mine in first time and it seems like its not so great.... Also did your 214 come in drastic need of a set up?
@@easilyoffended7772I’ve got a 214ce and I made small adjustments to the three allen keys. I just followed the Taylor instructions that came with the guitar. Worked great. I sold the rest of my acoustic guitars and just use the taylor. You should be able to find the instructions on the website. You could also just take it to a Taylor tech.
Nicely done. Nice to get a comprehensive view, well articulated. TX!
Awesome explanation! Thank you for this.
Excellent video
Super helpful. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge, experience, and expertise
Great presentation and thanks! Just got a 618e and this really helped. Chris is very good at explanations!
That was very helpful. I never knew some of this stuff and made a lot of mistakes.
Thank you. Perfect knowledge for my Taylor 214ce Jumbo and my Fishman Loudbox Artist. 👍👍💯💥
Very informative, excellent explanations!
Perfect!! Great video!!
I think that the demo of the LR Baggs acoustic pedals made the AD Flametop sound very realistic and the best sound from a Taylor that I have ever heard. (About 2 months ago)
great basic info about how to get you signal set-up from the guitar through to the p.a./mixer...
I was really hoping this would have advice on how to get a full clear tone out of these guitars rather than the boxy tone you get with the unaltered direct sound.
I have a 310ce and I love the ES2. Guess I’m in the minority but maybe the dreadnought shape works better with the ES2 🤷♂️
Also I’m putting it through an LR Bags pre amp and it sounds very natural
Man, ain't nobody doing a video on the bridge pickup hex adjustments
Fantastic!!! Thank you for clarifying. I learned tons!!!! This made me subscribe to your channel even though I have watched you for a couple of years!
Very good & thorough explanation not shying away from the acoustic complexities. Thank you.
Chris, Thank you so much for the excellent explanation of the ES system. I bought a used 2014 114e I bought last year and this really helped. Much appreciated!
Amazing. Thank you so much!
Very informative thanks
Like the channel but not sure what they are not mentioning the fact that Taylor has reduced the ES2 output level for guitars built beyond 2019 to the point that you need to add an external pre-amp before plugging into a Mix Table. Have had a very bad live session experience due to that with a very weak and poor guitar sound on a 914CE V-Bracing 2019!
Moving forward, I'll be using my TC VoiceLive2 as the guitar pre-amp.
Thanks Chris. I've been wondering about this. I have 2 Taylor's and a fender 40w acoustic Amp and I've tried everything to get a realistic sound.
Same here! I have been very frustrated with the amp, now I will go back armed with new knowledge!
@@EddyfyingArt so guys, did it work well with you?
God bless you
Excellent info ! THank You !
While I knew what the sound difference was, first time I’ve heard a good description of what out of phase really meant. Good stuff here.
I'm not certain if it's just my ear but I set my taylor at 3 o'clock on the bass,and 9 on treble.
Love taylor but they seem overly bright on the highs.
Not impressed with their pick ups,but they all have their issues.
Great video
Very helpful. Thanks!
I just bought a new 214 CE plus. But compared to my gs mini ESB and my ovation the output is about 60% of those guitars running straight into an amp. Also running into a direct box into a Behringer S16 to an X32 compact the signal is very low. Switching from the ovation to the Taylor in that system, the sound tech had to up the gain from 16 to 34 just to get a similar volume level. Is there something wrong?
Piezo quack is the bane of my existence lol
A big thank you!!!
Just bought a builder's edition 324ce and my first gig is tonight. This was very helpful!
Question for anyone: should my guitar be going into a DI before or after my pedalboard? I use loops, reverb, delay, wah, and overdrive when I'm playing acoustic.
after your pedal board
Thanks for sharing
Good job! 👍👍
Thank you so much for this video, Chris! Perfect timing. I bought a used Marshall AS100D amp several years ago and most times had the feedback issues you described with adding bass and internal effects etc. All I really want is amplified acoustic and most times it sounded like crap through the amp. I made adjustments you suggested and guess what? No feedback and sounds good with my Taylors and Gibson. I'd like a little chorus dialed in. Any other suggestions? Just subbed by the way.
Thank you for such an interesting and very nicely presented video. I recently bought a 814 ce from an unhappy home. It sounds amazing acoustically, but at my first open-mic with it last night it was unbelievably shrill through the PA, and we had to mic it up instead. I’m so disappointed! It had sounded OK (I thought) through my small guitar amp at home. Anyway, just watched this vid, and have a lot of things to try. Thank you so much!!
Did you gst a chance to try some different settings? How’d you go?
@@darrenreeves8159 yes thanks Darren. I decided to take it to the big dealership. The salesman (bearing in mind we’d never met) was excellent. I had spoken to the tech on the phone the previous day, and was expecting to book it in. But the salesman simply launched into a whirlwind of activity, and had it fixed in 10 mins. He said it would have taken him that long to book it in anyway!
It was only a matter of correcting the tension in the three pots. I think I had them backed off too far. But anyway, after he’d finished it sounded great. He grabbed a similar guitar off the wall, and compared with mine on his amp. Well, I couldn’t tell the difference. He got it right first time. 😃
It feels slightly out of my league at the moment, so I’m not going near the tools again! 🙄
I’m so pleased. Everyone loved the sound at the last open mic, (despite my playing!), and I can finally relax and properly enjoy my investment!!
Thanks for your thoughtfulness, and very best wishes to you!
Oh that’s great to hear. Thanks for the reply.
Taylors with ES 2 sound sooo bright, not very pleasant. We all have Taylor es2 at my church and find this, turning our bass controls all the way up, trebles down sone what as well, disappointing to us for such an expensive guitar.
In Brazil, a guitar like this Costs a car my friend….
I would talk with the sound guy. I have a k24ce and have my mids set at the indention and the bass anywhere from 2-3 o’clock. (Indention being 12 o’clock). Sound guys can be your best friend or your worst enemy …
This month of April 2023 I bought the 314ce model and it is beauty and it sounds Incredible, but when it comes to connecting the guitar to a fishman amplifier it sounds horrible, very bright and I don't like it at all, it has a very bad sound for its price 😢
@@paulwallace2238 ya got that right re sound guys. Alas most of us don't have the luxury of a sound guy.
i have also 110e with es2, unplugg is good but plugg in?.... terrible. i ended up selling it. i still prefer under saddle pick up, so easy to operate
Great content! By running the eq flat do you mean keeping them at 12 o clock or do you mean rolling them down all the way? Thanks for the help!
Generally, “flat” eq means setting your knobs at the halfway point, neither cutting or boosting any frequencies
@@erichscheel873 thank you so much! Very helpful.
Man ive tried them all! Fishman Prefix and LR Baggs Element are way better than the es. Want a good affordable preamp? BBE Acoustimax. The ES system sounds like a coffee can full of pennies and angry bees rolling around in the back seat of a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass in a state fair demolition derby.
how do you know if the phase switch is on or off?
On most preamps, it is neither on, nor off… it is just a matter of inverting when you get feedback. Probably the ES2 is the same. Interestingly, every PA / board/ amp will be a little different. So, even without feedback, I will invert the phase on my LR Baggs Stagepro Anthem, just to see which sounds the best..
excellent . well presented and very clear. I would have appreciated hearing the difference between es2 and older under saddle piezo. Do you have that video elsewhere?
From the original PDF.
Connections
The Taylor ES is designed to be plugged-in using a standard quarter-inch guitar cable, which will work in every circumstance: with an acoustic guitar ampli- fier, a standard direct box, or any other guitar-ready application. The ES also is designed to be “Pro Ready,” which means it can be plugged directly into a “bal- anced line level input” such as an input on a mixer using a TRS to XLR cable. The result is a higher signal level, which translates into the ability to drive long cable distances without any frequency loss, due to the low impedance of the system. With this application, you can plug directly into a stage snake or recording/ mixing console without the use of a direct box.
Which is it. TRS recommended or not?
It explains it right there in the literature.
A ¼” connection will work no matter what. However, a balanced signal chain is almost always the recommended and preferred method in the world of pro audio.
Thanks for the info. I still don’t like the es2 system I’ll stick with my takamine pro series guitars best preamps for me so far.
Great video. I always like it when you talk about amplification. I have a much better understanding of the Taylor pickup system, and how it differs from under saddle transducers. To me, it seems very similar to the K & K Pure Mini, which has three transducers attached to the bridge plate.
Very similar to k&k because it also is piezo tech without the pressure of being under saddle. The benefit the ES2 has is the adjustability but they are both great.
I purchased a 414ce a few months ago and can't get a decent sound out of fit. I had a 214ce a few years ago that sounded so much better eq wise. Seriously thinking about unloading it and going back to my Epiphone DR500mce fitted with a K and K pure mini wihich sounds a hundred times better. Really wanted to like Taylor but they sound awful plugged in.
Thank you
Thanks for the great video. The part when you were talking about DI and effects is still unclear to me. I own a Taylor 214 ce-K DLX and BOSS GT1000Core effect processor and wonder if I can run it without any DI directly to a LINE input on a PA mixer.
How close is the pickup sound to the acoustic sound of the taylors? The way the pickup works makes me think that you get a "generic" acoustic sound that has nothing to do with the tone wood and shape of the guitar. Am I right?
Not necessarily correct, the tone wood and everything still comes through a piezo, but to try and truly get a good acoustic tone you need to blend the piezo and a mic, or an IR of a mic and you can dial in a tone that really sounds like your sitting on the living room
Hi Chris, I have a beautiful 2012 GS custom built for the 2012 Taylor Road Show that I ended up purchasing in 2014 at a discounted price. It is a beautiful looking and sounding guitar....until I plug it in. It has the ES1 system. When I plug it into our church sound board with the cable that has the 1/4 inch on one end and xlr on the other, it sounds thin and bad. The only time it sounds good plugged in with that cable is when I plug it into my nice little Fishman Loudbox mini amp. I bought an LR Baggs Session DI that I plug it into when I lead at our church which really helps. Yesterday, I played with a group at a Christian school and though my guitar was plugged into my Fishman, they wanted me to plug into a monitor so we plugged into the back of my Fishman output to their amp and the sound coming out was thin and bad...again! Should I just get an ES2 system installed in it? I really like my Taylor but now I`m wondering if I should have bought a Martin D18 for that lush, warm sound that I`m looking for. Thanks so much for posting.
Ron
at 3:39: "If you know of guitars that come equiped with a balanced output that uses a trs or xlr connection leave them in the comments below". Very pleased to say I have a Taylor 814ce (with the ES2) but I also own a Wechter NV-5413ce. Wechter have since gone out of business (a shame since they made really good guitars) but at the time this acoustic model was (and probably remains) the ONLY mass-produced purpose-built Nashville tuned guitar. It has a Fishman Presys+ but the connections are the normal unbalanced AND an XLR! When I'm tracking with the Wechter I run the XLR cable straight into my Presonus StudioLive 24-track desk, results are excellent.
Volume control is what I’m curious about. Turn the amp down and have the guitar at 10 or turn the amp up and have the volume at 5. Will either one give me more sustain or compression?
Should you “adjust down” on the guitar before plugging into an acoustic amp or mixer? I use a Loudbox Artist and go through a Taylor K4 equalizer. Maybe I just have too many options. I used to get a great sound using the K4 into a 1994 Roland Blues Cube 310 but I don’t notice as much difference with the Loudbox. I may be switching to a Sire A4, Thanks Chris for sharing your knowledge with us.
Great question, I have a Fender Acoustic Jr. But despite I find sound I like, is more through trial and error playing with the dials, and still wonder if I should max out the guitar and play with the AMP, viceversa, both or none of the above 🙄
It’s best to start with the guitar EQ flat.
I use the Loudbox Artist too. I could see how the K4 would be useful into a Blues Cube, but the amps are made with different styles of playing in mind, so the Fishman wouldn't have the same context issues (for lack of better term) that the K4 attempts to solve.
I'd be interested in knowing how the K4 into a Blues Cube compares to running directly into your Fishman. Which do you prefer?
What did you recommend having the settings at if using LR Baggs voiceprint DI I have a 214 CE
Ibanez AW417CE has balanced output thru XLR
So how do we EQ the ES-2 system? Like ... specifics. Roll off 250, 800, 1K. Boost 8K?
Oh my good when you say the nature of the pickup being not under pressure makes it very sensitive, you can say that again. You can not touch the strings on my 816 with a pick without getting a scratching sound. Also the string noise is so difficult to avoid. So sensitive. Should I look into adjusting the pressure in the crystals?
Yes the best way to tame you Taylor ES-2 pick up system is to get rid of it an install a Maton AP5 Pro !
Is possibile?if there Is already Taylor piezo system?remove It?
Or a Cole Clark
Do they sell maton pro pickups seperate. Cause I’m not about to buy a maton guitar. They are not to my liking.
@@drewmartin7624I tried to like the cole Clark because of the pickups. I just don’t like how they look. Got to have an incredible personality for me to date ugly.😢
@@karlcountry2363 Yes they do.
I’ve owned several tailors and each one I battled it being trebly in the mix and it’s really hard to get it out
I have a 224cd Koa deluxe. Is it a TRS out or mono? It has a ES2 in it. I've heard both ways. I typically run my acoustic straight into a Boss GT1000 or into an Everse 8 for small gigs. My problem is a large LACK of volume from my Taylor. Comparisons with the same cable, strum and pick through my EV Everse 8 I get 102db on a orchestral Guild, I get 107db on my Guild D55. On the Taylor I get only 84db. How do I best resolve this and hopefully without added gear.
So if I keep playing with a patch chord under 25’ then I can ignore all of those fancy gadgets you explained? Thanks
Hey Chris what is your favourite acoustic pickup system?
The pickup system in my 324ce is very quiet compared to my 110e pickup system and they're supposedly the same systems. New batteries in both guitars so idk what's wrong with my 324ce
Depending which year they likely have different preamps with different output.
Thank you, very helpful. A guy in a local guitar shop said that the Taylor pickup system is not that great, I should geht a Martin. Trouble is, I like the Taylor sound so bad... any tips for me?
Thanks really
So, I was shopping for Taylor 814ce 2017, x brassing, mainly to play in the church. Then I came through all the negative comments about he ES2 systems. I’ve Boss AD10 fir acoustic, will that help guys? Cause I’m still interest to get the 814ce. Kindly advise.
What PA system are you using in your Quality Control department as your reference for setting the proper equalization.?
What is a "notch" on a preamp system on an electric acoustic guitar.
Thank you for this video :).
Question, specifically, how to do we adjust the string volume now that we have that option on the ES2? Taylor is very weak on explaining this. Which is odd, considering that they have now built that in the ES2.
So when you speak of the gain level on the PA board being the same as the knob on the guitar -are you talking the Master volume level or the line level or both? I use a a Boss Acoustic Singer Box that feeds 2 XLR inputs into my PA board..
I've never been able to goe past 1 or so on the master level volume on my PA board
Sorry, did I miss the part about sorting out the tinny sound? Is that the thin and quacky(?) sound you’re referring to?
My big baby walnut is too lively how can I tame that down body noise rings on fingers etc its new and the preamp sounds cheapish thanks for any help