Suggestions needed

[Hinto]

Hi, I got my Emerald X7 last week. Although it's a beautiful guitar, it sounds very anemic. Not a lot going on when I play it.

I changed the strings to medium Monel Retros and that helped a bit with the acoustic tone, but it did nothing to help with the plugged in tone.

It's pretty unusable plugged in. I have the full Anthem, going through a Play Acoustic, then to a Godin ASG 150. My other guitars sound great through this gear.

Any suggestions? I'm going to rework the mic adjustment today, but I've already tweaked as best I can.

Maybe I'm just not cut out for carbon fiber as I had the same issues with a Rainsong Shorty.

[gerardo1000]

I cannot help with amplified tone because the X7 that I had in the past was only acoustic. But I got an incredible improvement of the acoustic tone when I replaced the original composite saddle with bone. If you can, try it !

[nuttyprof]

Maybe tighten the truss rod?

[palolowarrior]

Send it back.

[jwellsy]

How does it sound/play unplugged?

[Hinto]

Originally Posted by jwellsy

How does it sound/play unplugged?

It's not bad unplugged, I think it's what you'd expect for a small body guitar. It's slightly boxy, but has good low end. It just seems like there's too much bass, mids, and trebles all at once. It's hard to describe. Might just be the positioning of the sound hole. It's really impressive that way. Even plugged in and playing quite loud I can hear the sound coming up from the sound hole.

[jdinco]

I know that it took me a couple weeks to adjust to that port pointing at me. Have you had someone else play it while you listened? Just for another reference point.

[chistrummer]

Originally Posted by palolowarrior

Send it back.

^^^THIS^^^

I picked up an X20 that was only a few months old last year for $900 and like the original owner, I'm not loving it. Regarding your description of having "too much bass, mids, and trebles all at once", what you are describing is a lack of note separation. My X20 suffers from it as well. Not a good thing.

[jwellsy]

I would email Emerald, describe my feelings about the unplugged and plugged in sound, include details on the amp setup and ask if they have any tips on Anthem tweeks or any other tips.

[wickedwahine]

Honestly, I'm a pretty big Emerald fangirl (I have one X7, another being built and am inquiring about a third) but different strokes for different folks. If it isn't the right guitar for you, I would contact them and discuss the issue. If it isn't something that can be fixed, I believe you can return it within ten days. Since your clock is running, I would contact them sooner rather than later. There is no shame in not being satisfied and that is too much money to spend on a guitar you won't enjoy.

[Hinto]

Thanks everyone. I've reached out to Emerald via email, I'll see what they say.

[GuitarLuva]

I don't have an X7 so I can't really help you with the unplugged tone of it as I never heard one in person. I can help you with the anthem though. I have the full anthem in an Emerald X30 and the anthem sl in a Gibson acoustic. It can sound very good and it can also sound very harsh if not set properly. You need to play around with that crossover adjustment. First thing is plug it into your acoustic amp or whatever you use, turn your tone knob all the way to the tru mic (toward the bridge in an Emerald guitar). Make sure that the EQ on your amp is completely flat. Use that adjustment tool they provide you with and adjust that Phillips screw until you get a nice balanced sound. You need to trust your own ears. I find the anthem can be quite harsh so I usually cut some upper mids. I also do a -3db cut at around 250hz. I would imagine that the X7 would need to be eq'd a little different than an X30 so just play around with your eq a bit. If you want more tips feel free to PM me as I don't want this post to be too long.

[Kindness]

Ok, take a deep breath, Dr. Lisa is here.

1. Get a good set up. Kramster has an X7 and it was anemic before the set up, and afterwards OMG it now is amazing.

2. The X7 EXCELS when plugged in. Holy crap it rivals the X10 plugged in.

3. Unplugged, it's a quiet guitar. Just the nature of the beast.

4. If you are not happy with it, I just have a feeling someone here will buy it on the forum.

5. Guitar manufacturers tend to set the action high, as it is easier to lower it than raise it. My guitar tech explained this to me. So it's very common. The set up will not only improve the playability, but it will significantly improve the sound!


A proper set up will take of of it. The prognosis is good.

I suspect the name Dr. Lisa is going to stick.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Kindness

5. Guitar manufacturers tend to set the tension high, as it is easier to lower it than raise it. My guitar tech explained this to me. So it's very common. The set up will not only improve the playability, but it will significantly improve the sound!

I think you mean ‘action’.

[Earl49]

^^ What Dr. Lisa said...... Before you give up, try her suggestions.

It is possible that you are just not cut out for carbon fiber tone. But we have plenty of people here - myself included - that are abandoning wood guitars in favor of composite, and we are not giving up tone in the process.

You mentioned two distinct issues:
- anemic acoustic tone (not really surprising for a small parlor sized guitar) and
- poor tone from the pickup.

Be aware that pickups react differently in carbon fiber than they do in wood. My Rainsong WS-1000 with Fishman Blender is hands-down the best sounding stage instrument that I have. Both of my Emeralds have pickups installed, but I don't gig anymore so have little experience beyond testing them for basic function upon arrival.

If it turns out that the X7 just isn't your cup of tea, they will accept returns of an unmodified guitar in original new condition. That argues for holding off on the setup. Alistair and Kevin are all about customer satisfaction. You'll pay the shipping to return it to Ireland (~$90) but would otherwise probably lose way more selling it used.