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#1
04-21-2017, 01:45 PM
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NUGD: Emerald X20 and Questions re: tuner & gig bag
I previously had an X5-Life that was a great travel guitar, but disappointing to me sonically. I'm sure the newer X5 sounds much better. But the guitar sounded great plugged in once I got the string balance fixed.
I always wanted to try and X20 and finally decided to just buy one and give it a shot. I'm seriously impressed with this guitar. I want to try it next to my Rainsong WS1000N2-T, but the rainsong string must be old since it sounds dull. I'll get to that. I love the amber color (I really didn't want black and I loved the red on my X5). The neck is larger than expected, but I think it's ultimately pretty comfortable. I'm in love with the soundhole placement. I can finally hear what the guitar really sounds like while playing. The craftsmanship is excellent . The B-Band A3t pickup sounds great plugged in and fortunately the string balance is spot on. Whew! But this brings me to my two concerns/questions: 1) . SOLVED! (Turns out a new alkaline battery was all that I needed. Strange though that the low battery light wasn't on.) . The B-band tuner is awful. It's essentially useless. This was not the case on my X5 where it worked great. It's like it doesn't "hear" the string well. Any idea what may be happening? I'm hoping it's not the saddle as the string balance is good and the volume of the pickup is good. 2) Maybe it's me, but the case is a bit of a disappointment. My memory (not always good) tells me that the X5 case was stiffer and felt like it offered more protection. The X20 case is really pretty soft (no stiffness panels etc...) and the padding seems ok, but not great. For reference, I really like Mono cases. Am I off on this or does anyone agree with me? Seems like a guitar of this price should have a better bag. YMMV Back to playing!~ Last edited by DavidE; 04-24-2017 at 07:30 AM. 
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#2
04-21-2017, 01:58 PM
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Emerald has changed a huge number of things since the X5 Life was made. That was a loooooong time ago. I think the Life was one of their first models before they made their own necks.
Did you buy this at a guitar store or direct from Emerald? I thought they had switched to the Baggs pickup system some time ago? As to B-Band issues, if you write directly to Sean at Emerald, I'm sure he can help guide you to a solution. Others with B-Band seem to like them a lot.
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#3
04-21-2017, 02:05 PM
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On the B-band, I don't like it because of the barn door, but it works fine otherwise plugged in. I had to reach in and tape a loose wire, but that's about it. I am guessing something is loose inside and you will be right as rain after a conversation with Sean.
I have a soft case. It's durable, but not stiff. The guitar is tough enough that I haven't had any problem or worry with it so far. It's still my number one go to guitar and my beater guitar all in one. My good woods rarely get any playtime and the only reason I won't bring the X20 with me somewhere is because of space considerations. Hope that helps.
__________________
Cheers, Tom PS If you don't want to invest in yourself, why should anyone else even bother to try?
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#4
04-21-2017, 02:05 PM
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#5
04-21-2017, 02:07 PM
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#7
04-21-2017, 03:49 PM
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__________________
Cheers, Tom PS If you don't want to invest in yourself, why should anyone else even bother to try?
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#8
04-21-2017, 07:04 PM
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Two easy fixes...
* Clip on tuner * A different case I have a RainSong Shorty that has the Fishman Prefix Plus-t that also has a wonky tuner. Been that way since day one, but the rest of it sounds good, so a clip on tuner is easy (what I use on all my Taylors). The B-Band tuner on my X7 is spot on... sorry I don't have a suggestion for what to do about the built-in tuner. I like the sound and adjustability of the B-Band. The gig bag I have on my X7 does seem more substantial than the more fitted one on the X20 - I think this is because of the shape of the bag. I like the light weight of a gig bag, but the Hiscox Lite Flight Case that Emerald has for the X20 is a great fit with that guitar: lightweight and very sturdy, but still comfortable to carry. Congrats on the X20! A very impressive guitar! 
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#9
04-21-2017, 11:18 PM
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#10
04-22-2017, 03:30 AM
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I'm accustomed to thin necks on acoustics and electrics. A while ago, I bought an unusual "partscaster" with a chunky neck. In a few days, I went like "strange -> pretty cool -> ahhaa: this is actually better for some things but a little more challenging for other stuff".
__________________
Breedlove, Landola, a couple of electrics, and a guitar-shaped-object
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#11
04-22-2017, 06:29 AM
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Regarding the tuner, the Bband on my Emerald T8 had the same issue, it was like the tuner couldn't 'hear' all the strings but it sounded fine plugged in. I found a strong, fresh battery (I use a rechargeable lithium) solved the problem, and then the tuner worked very well. When the problem would reoccur, I changed the battery and voila!
Also, when you get ready to change strings, it's a good idea to do it one at a time. The Bband seems very sensitive that way, frequently I would get output volume variances when changing all the strings at once. Enjoy your new guitar!
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#12
04-22-2017, 01:59 PM
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Bingo! Needed a good battery. Strange since the battery light wasn't showing it was weak. Thanks!
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#14
04-24-2017, 06:00 AM
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#15
04-24-2017, 07:08 AM
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One thing to keep in mind is that most rechargeable batteries have a lower voltage to start. An alkaline AA is 1.5V but a NiCd (and other types) are 1.2V. By comparison it is down 20% in voltage when freshly charged. This might be a better application for a non-rechargeable battery. Or be aware that you need to charge it up more often, whether the "low battery" indication appears or not.
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