Nice Setup! It was cool to see ya put that all together! When you're cleaning up the cables after everything is setup, do you use cable crossover covers at all? When you mention cleaning up the cables, it made me think of how we use them on set. They can come in handy to prevent tripping if cables are in heavy foot traffic areas or if cables are in the path of carts or gear with wheels. Anyway, this was a great video! :)
I own a handful of nice guitars, and my buddy, who also has plenty of real Gibsons and Fenders just talked me into one of these. He has a number of them and says all his just needed a simple set up. If it arrives in killer condition, great. If it comes like yours, I'm stoked to have something to practice fret filing and other deep set up stuff on before I dive into a fret job on a boutique acoustic I have. At $200, I'm not expecting much.
I just posted an updated video where I fixed the neck issues and customized it a bit. Now this Firefly is my main gigging guitar, and I absolutely love it! Check it out and let me know what you think! Hopefully yours comes in perfect so you can just get to playing it.
Thanx for takin the time putting this up. I am looking at buying some subs, but the logistics of getting them there is the challenge, too big and heavy to throw in the pickup bed. Hoisting up those speakers on a pole, yikes. I run just two K12's and had no complaints, I fill with 2 Yamaha DXR8s. Do you really need that many subs? lol.
No problem, glad found my video useful! I love the look and ease of dual 18” subs like the RCF 8008, but the QSCs offer better transport and layout options. Maybe if I get van I'll swap over. I use so many subs because, to me, the low-end really fills out the sound. Running more subs at lower levels improves the overall feel and can make a weaker system sound larger. Sub placement really helps with this. The poles were a bit scary! The Ultimate stands are rated for 150 lbs, and my setup was 120 lbs so they were safe, but I added sandbags later for stability. :)
I was on stage preforming, but I didn't notice any clipping lights. The sound guy also didn't hear any issues. I ran them at +2 on the bottom and +3 on the top, with my main LR at -8. By doing so, I let the amps on the speakers boost the signal instead of feeding them too hot. In the past, I've seen the light blink on and then off right away rarely, but it didn't affect the sound at all.
RCF is the best. They have the widest product range, made in Italy, not the shitty China. They look great, sound great, not heavy like competition. If you think HDL series sound good, wait till you hear TTL series, or even GTX series which is competing with the likes of L-Acoustics, D&B and such.
I’m a DM for a couple of groups in LA and I’ve been using a hybrid kit for over a decade. We’ve used this setup for Arena shows as well as clubs and backyard private events. Now with companies such as ddrum building full kits with acoustic shells and built-in triggers, and companies like Jobeky creating fantastic basket trigger systems, it’s easy to make the jump. I recently built a hybrid 6-piece kit with upgraded dual zone triggers and XLR outputs hardwired into each drum for less than a cheap acoustic kit.
That's fantastic! Hybrid kits are truly versatile, making them perfect for a lot of gigs, from arenas to intimate backyard events. Plus you can use mics and trigger samples to make your drums sound huge. Building a high-quality kit yourself is impressive, I should look into that!
I got a more top line Schecter with ebony board and stainless frets. I wanted it Plek'ed to be perfect. A Plek machine is designed to make the guitar neck perfect but it is only as good as the operator and the trained technician. Also a comment on the supposed set up point inspection: I got this guitar out of the box seemed OK, frets looked evenly machined. Then I noticed they had screwed my stop tail piece all the way down to the wood so the strings were grounding out on the back edge of the bridge. (Some LP's can screw down with no issue of clearance, some cannot, and Gibson will tell you it simply does not matter as that is string tension and a user feel thing. BUT they stipulate one DOES NOT GROUND OUT the strings on the edge of bridge, EVER! I also noticed the strings would ping on the thinner ones as the nut was too tight and obviously had not been done by the Plek machine. I gave them the Strings I use but clearly the nut slots had not been scanned. I was so mad I did not stop complaining till they refunded my $300. I could set a guitar up better than these nits half drunk and up all night.
What further got me were this round of questions about what style and how do I play and what action so on. I simply want the guitar as perfect as it can do. Lowest action without buzz 4/64>5/64 at most with only a .10 relief (measured not guessed). I would expect the Plek to get lower action probably 3/64>4/64 as it needs to be better than my normal setup or why bother? Why would a ham fisted neophyte level player get his guitar Plek'd to make the neck perfect if he is playing like Roy Rogers neck action out of tune crap fest. A Plek is perfection and the machine if setup right by a trained skilled technician can make a guitar so good as to make you wonder why it is not standard practice (See Heritage Guitars). I don't want these nits touching my next guitar and if they won't bypass that whole mess of "experts" I will get one somewhere else.
Thanks for sharing! It sounds like you have high standards like myself. I totally agree the Plek machine should deliver almost flawless results, but it really depends on the technician. Unless I know the tech personally or have a solid recommendation, I won't use the Plek machine again. Leveling my frets myself gets me 95% there, but it's definitely time consuming work.
I bought an Ibanez RG from Sweetwater a few months ago and had it plek'd. It buzzed a little when I got it but they had the action set really low. I checked the frets with a rocker and all the frets checked level. I raised the action slightly and it plays great. I just bought an LTD ec-256 that was a demo from them. That turned out to be a great guitar for the money.
Another issue with it is that the guitar doesn’t have a roasted neck so through out shipping the guitar is experiencing many different temperature changes which twist and contours the guitar neck making what the work the sweetwater shop did basically useless as you probably are in a different temperature zone with different humidity. It’s a nice feature but it only actually benefits higher end guitars unfortunately.
The Gibson Les Paul Modern Figured and Supremes have the Sweetwater "Add Plek Pro" option advertised on them. If you read Sweetwater's description of those guitars, it states Gibson runs them through a Plek Pro machine at the factory. 🤣🤣🤣
I tried a Firefly guitar; it was beautiful, but the neck was terrible and needed fixing. I'll take a look at what Donner has to offer, thanks for the suggestion!
I’m throwing my review in bc I want others to know that the issues are very few. Have to remember if you have an issue that you’re more likely to look up videos like this and the issue will seem bigger. I just bought a telecaster ultra and had it plek’d and it came in perfect. Not one single issue. Don’t be afraid of their process.
I agree. People are quick to speak up when there are issues but often do not share praise or positive feedback. I am glad you got a plek on your Telecaster and love it. There is something truly inspiring about a well playing instrument!
I recently had a Fender Bass pleked and found the same issue with the E string. Initially after the plek job the action was too low, after fixing that problem the A-G strings sounded perfectly fine but, the E string still had a twangy tone to it, and as the guy in the video stated, the nut was cut too low by the machine. Thanks to Sweetwater for making things right by replacing the pleked bass with a brand new model. It wasn't too much of an inconvenience to go through this ordeal being that I live in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
I wish I lived close to Sweetwater. Things are so much more convenient when you can talk to someone face to face. Then again, I might end up buying too much stuff! I'm glad they made it right for you!
@@DustinRadtke Yeah, the proximity to the store can be both a blessing and a curse. I sometimes just hang out there for hours just to kill time. Funny part is; you're absolutely right when you said you might spend too much money, because one of my good friends who's also a bass player, laughs when I tell him "Welp I'm headed to the Crack House" whenever i visit there. lol
Dude it’s already perfect, don’t waste your money on a second hair transplant. Yours is the only natural-looking one I’ve ever seen. Better yet to love and accept yourself for who you are. We are not what we look like. Besides, you won’t be remembered for your surface, you’ll be remembered for the depth of love you bring to others. That’s the only thing that matters in life, probably. I know that’s easy for someone with a ton of hair to say-for now, at least 🤷♂️-but it’s still true Anyway I’ll get down off my high horse. Obviously it’s your body and you can do what you want with it. But don’t bullshit yourself into thinking you are inadequate in the Department of Appearances. You already look like you’re in your 20s, just enjoy that and don’t worry about it lol
Thank you for the kind comment! It's easy to see your own flaws,so you think everyone see them too. It has made a huge difference in my mental health. Dr. Bloxham did an excellent job, and I agree that he creates a great hairline. I might still get a follow-up procedure, but you're right, he did an outstanding job!
Damn.....hate to hear about these things. I keep hearing and reading about this and more from SW. So much so, I have a long pause whenever I've thought about maybe buying a $5K-$15K guitar from them. I can count only 3 places I trust for online. SW is not one of them. Oh sure, returns under policy no prob, but no way I have the patience to send back things more than once. I don't hate on SW, but I do believe they are way over-hyped.
I still think Sweetwater is a good place to shop. I know I can return it without question if there is an issue, but returning items can be a time suck and a pain if you don't have a drop off close to you. Sweetwater really earned their reputation they have, but let's hope they don't lose it by becoming too big that the details get missed.
We do our own stage mix, everyone is on in ears, FOH can get all inputs from MADI, or AVB. The gains have been verified every practice, no need to touch them. We haven't used FOH yet, using 4 High quality FRFR's has done the trick. Maybe someday.
It depends on the venue size and whether it's indoors or outdoors. If your tone relies on high volume, you might need a plexiglass shield in front of the amp. The goal is for your amp not to interfere with or compete against the PA system. Otherwise, the sound engineer can't make subtle adjustments during the show. I've mic'd very loud 4x12 cabinets on stage, but we had to use shields, and most of the time that's overkill anyway.
I just started in playing in an acoustic duo, that's a fun idea! It would set you apart for sure. Let me know if you end up building it and how it works for you.
I ended up keeping it and fixing the neck, and now I love it! I posted an updated video on it if you'd like to check it out. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yxBt9NzqYM8.html
It’s crazy to think this is strong enough! I have show coming up where I showcase my student’s drumming skills, is this definitely strong enough? I have a 7 piece Yamaha Stage Custom and worried about the weight on the plastic buckets given they’re only plastic! Thank you!
Absolutely! We had a large drum kit on a rack, and a drummer, who weighs about 270 lbs, used it with no issues. The buckets are quite strong and they help distribute the load evenly across all of them.
You said you never wanted a Tele and you later said you wanted a Fender Tele forever. Dude… Try to pay SOME attention to what you’re vlogging. And by the way: The Fender blows that other piece of crap out of the water, not to mention its HORRIBLE frets which don’t even reach the edges of the neck. That fret work is an embarrassment.
Depends on your budget, but a couple of decent 12s would work nicely. The EV ZLX is a nice mid-priced speaker. Many acoustic acts buy the Electro-Voice Evolve 30 or the 50 Column PA System.
Fender QC has been in the toilet since 2020 when the plandemic started. I bought a Player series around 2020 and it was a POS, bad fret work, witness lines (visible glue joints) on the top of the body, and it just played like sh*t. I returned it. I have a 2015 MIM Strat that I bought new and it's perfect, the difference in build quality between the 2015 and the POS Player series is night and day. To top it off I like the ceramic pickups in the 2015 better as well. I bought a 2022 MIM Charvel San Dimas last year from another online store. Almost half the frets on the first one weren't crowned. I kid you not. I have never seen that. I returned it and got a replacement it was much better but I still had to re-crown the last four frets which I did myself and I reset the neck, it was heavy on the high E side. I got 30% off on it. I like to do the work myself, I've dealt with too many guitar techs that shouldn't be guitar techs. I have $300 Squiers that came perfect out of the box and they just needed the action adjusted a bit.
That’s crazy you had so many issues! I thought I was the only one with bad luck. It's nice to know it's not just me. I've started working on my guitars more, too, because of the poor quality ones I keep getting. It’s been fun to learn, but it's frustrating that you can't just buy a nice guitar without knowing how to fix them. My friend has a Squier Strat we call the unicorn because it was perfect out of the box. So, you’re right, it does happen! I wish I had that luck!
That's not just the Mexican strats. Fender has done that forever on maple necks. Painting right over the frets. I never understood it. I prefer rosewood so I never even thought about it. It's completely absurd that they do that.
Really? I had no idea! People thought I was talking crazy until I started chipping it off the fretwire. Good to know! I really like rosewood fingerboards; they feel more natural. You've inspired me to pick up another guitar just to have rosewood again. Variety is good!
@@DustinRadtke I noticed it on a Clapton Strat I was messing with at a Sam Ash one day in the late 90's. The strings wear through and make a contact patch. But when it's new it's like it's sticky. I knew from that day I would never play a maple board. I was gonna get that guitar too. Had the push button boost and lace sensor pickups. Was very disappointed. Never bought another Fender PERIOD to be honest. Still have my 96 American Std.
@@DustinRadtke In August 2021, it was announced that Rhode Island private equity firm Providence Equity had purchased a majority share of Sweetwater, and Surack had stepped down as CEO.
Oh, I get what you're saying now. I had a few issues before, but they always fixed them quickly. I don't think they offered the Plek service before the sale. The main difference I've noticed since the sale is that they’re less willing to negotiate on price. It used to be easier to find good deals, especially on higher-end items. But it seems like Guitar Center is tightening up too, so it might be a market-wide change.
2:49 I do a show series with a stage similar in size to this, but I have my two CDLs per side on a heavy duty speaker stand to get them up in the air to cover a bit more distance. Having them up on top of subs without angling them down will lose a lot of sound to the birds in the sky. As they are when on stands, they don’t angle down far enough. This is when the fly bars are a needed accessory. I plan to get another pair for three per side and I will definitely need to get them on the fly bars at that point. They cover an outdoor area the size of a parking lot. About 200’ from left to right and 100’ out into the audience before they start to fall off. Then, I have a second set of speakers out at 100’ to act as delay stacks to reach the next 100’. It’s covered 2500 people. While not at concert level throughout, the back is like a juke box and the people back there are loving that level. The delay stacks are the Presonus ULT15s and subs. They really throw.
Those are great ideas! Raising the speakers higher is always beneficial. Since making this video, I've tried stacking two QSC subs with two speakers on top, using a slightly taller pole to utilize the angle port on the CDL, and it worked well. I'm a big fan of placing subs in the center (even thought people use them for drinks), so I'll definitely try using the tripods next! Thanks for the suggestions!
100% My EART feels better than almost any guitar I've owned at a fraction of the cost. Short of an artist's guitar, I'm not sure I'd buy any major name brand guitars anymore.
I don't use that backpack for my FM3 most of the time. It's my gear bag for when I run sound. It was more to show how easy it would be to carry if you did. My FM3 is on a homemade pedal board 90% of the time. It is a cool backpack though. I got it here. amzn.to/3Wl48OV
Incorrect comments are rampant on this thread. First #1 the 55 point inspection is free with all guitars. Whether it finds discrepancies or not, it’s a free service. So if your input jack is loose when you get it just tighten it. It’s good to learn maintenance of your instrument . #2 the 299 plek job also includes a setup by a real tech. the pleking option does include a machine but pleking is controlled by a computer being operated by a human guitar tech. Truss rod adjustments are made to reduce the amount of fret being taken off. It’s apart of the process… lotta comments getting it all wrong….
Every time I buy any guitar that’s 1/2 the price of the original us models , I spend way too much time and money to get it stage ready . So I just step up from now on . You get what you pay for
I totally get it. I’d rather pay more if it means less work, but sometimes even the name-brand guitars need a lot of tweaking. It's always a bit of a gamble!
They're not really an upgrade for you; they're just different. Your QSC speakers have significantly more power, so the choice depends on your needs. Personally, I prefer the sound and look of four of these compared to two QSCs. However, if I had the QSC 152s instead of the 153s, I wouldn't have switched to the CDLs.
It's apples to oranges ;) CDL12p gives you wide and far dispersion/coverage. I have 2 pairs of those for wide and long rooms or outdoor events. If I don't need to throw far and wide I'm using standard 10' - 12' - 15' inch point source. SPL wise I'll say K12 has a couple dB more.
I used to use two point source per side (Presonus ULT15) and found that the two CDL12Ps I’m using now are much clearer due to point source speakers causing phase problems. They’re not meant to be used two together like that. No matter the brand, btw.
Currently returning a PRS that I purchased as new that was obviously used and had damaged frets and scratches all over the body. Don't believe all of the bullshit reviews. Those guitars must be handpicked. for positive reviews. Never again!
@@DustinRadtke I hope it changed I will be getting a new Yamaha TRBX604 Bass with their PLEK and a new Tusq nut install. Hopefully it comes to me great and ready to play. I will know on Tuesday.
Great video thanks! Turned my brothers into 4 way switch and Seymour Duncan Twang King pickups, truss rod adjustment and Gotoh compensated saddles. Sound awesome and stays in tune better than any tele I've ever had. Graph Tech string trees probably helped as well!
On paper yes they are the same tones. But in the FM9 you can run your reverbs and cabs at a higher quality setting since it has more processing power. You can do that on the FM3 but it really limits how much you can have in your signal chain. Yeah, I have the Fm3 Turbo. I'm really happy with it.
