having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

[B2D]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

How do these Feiten-equipped guitars come out in a band situation? For example, if your 2nd guitarist doesn't have one? Or when you have to use multiple guitars and only one has it? What about bass? Seems to me it would be a real pain.

It should work just fine... Joe Satriani actually said he created some VERY subtle yet nice spatial effects on an overdub by playing one guitar with the Feiten system, and then doubling the parts with a non-Feiten guitar. My guess is that it resulted in kind of a 12-stringish effect but less pronounced.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

But if the difference is so minimal, what's the point of doing the conversion?

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

If those funky sounding 3rds and 6ths in chords don't bother you then you shouldn't do a feiten conversion. Its a question of how picky you want to be.

As for the idea that a properly set up instrument should intonate properly of course it should....in theory. If those Martins and other high end instruments intonate so well why don't guys tune strictly to the tuner and play? Because it just ain't so. I have yet to see a decent player not tinker a bit after they are done with the tuner. Usually tuning in the 3rd of a chord. The Feiten system when executed properly smoothes out the differences. Feiten himself doesn't claim his system is a panacea for all tuning issues. He says it makes chords play more in tune over the entire neck, not perfectly in tune.

 

[B2D]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

But if the difference is so minimal, what's the point of doing the conversion?

The point is that chords will be in tune all over the neck and in all positions, not just one position.

Example... and Open G chord sounds fine. But a barre G sounds decidely less so and tighter voicings farther up the neck sound kinda weird. I was recently teaching myself the keyboard parts to Van Halen's "Jump" and most of the octave-correct positions were way up in the 15th position or so and I had to tweak my guitar a little bit to make it sound right and even then it sounded kinda lackluster. The Feiten system - supposedly - corrects for this and makes all notes sound in tune to each other. This means that a Jazz guitarost could really benefit from this, while a person that plays only power chords might not find it useful (general examples of course).

Geddit?

 

[B2D]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

If those funky sounding 3rds and 6ths in chords don't bother you then you shouldn't do a feiten conversion. Its a question of how picky you want to be.

As for the idea that a properly set up instrument should intonate properly of course it should....in theory. If those Martins and other high end instruments intonate so well why don't guys tune strictly to the tuner and play? Because it just ain't so. I have yet to see a decent player not tinker a bit after they are done with the tuner. Usually tuning in the 3rd of a chord. The Feiten system when executed properly smoothes out the differences. Feiten himself doesn't claim his system is a panacea for all tuning issues. He says it makes chords play more in tune over the entire neck, not perfectly in tune.

Yeah those funky 3rds and 6ths and such do bother me occasionally. :blackeye: especially in higher positions.

When tuning during practice I usually tune to the tuner on my POD, then tweak the strings with the fine tuners on my floyd so that each string is in tune with itself fretted and then I further refine that by tuning using harmonics. The end result is that the strings are just a few cents off from what would be "correct" but sound more in tune with themselves than they would just using the tuner alone.

 

[aleclee]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

I suspect that folks who are less consistent in frethand pressure wouldn't benefit from BF as much as those who are. Based on some quality time with a strobe tuner, I've come to realize that one's left-hand pressure has a pretty significant impact on intonation.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

I don't like the way chords sounds with the Feiten system, I prefer to compensate with more or less preasure on my own.
Somehow the notes seems to have less intereacting with that system, but well we are all different.

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

I was reading a few articles on this and it seems like a worthwhile investment.

Anyone have any opinions in the Buzz Feiten system? I know a lot of Washburn guitars come with it. Also does anyone know how much it costs and where I can get it done?

All the info you need is on the Buzz Feiten site. You can contact an authorized installer and get a price cause it varies.

The mod is WELL worth it.

 

[B2D]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

All the info you need is on the Buzz Feiten site. You can contact an authorized installer and get a price cause it varies.

The mod is WELL worth it.

The site's in my bookmarks

I take it you've personal experience with the mod?

 

[rspst14]

Re: having a guitar set up with the Feiten system...

Since it's basically an adjustment to the nut, can you just send a qualified retrofitter the neck from a bolt-on guitar, or do they need the entire guitar to do the conversion? My other concern would be the whole shortening of the fretboard thing. How exactly is that done?

Ryan