Wireless tone quality - electric guitars and tube amps

[RiveraRa]

Does anyone have any opinion on wireless instrument systems when using them on electric guitars? My main concern is that I am using a tube amp and some effect pedals (including distortion) and was wondering what the quality of the sound would be when using wireless. Will you notice a loss in tone quality?

[adamdiehl]

We use a wireless pack on an acoustic guitar weekly, and then use the same guitar wired every third week. I notice no significant loss of tone quality. Never tried it with an electric though.

[kac4him]

a lot depends on the $$$$$ a low budget will definalty cut down on quality.

Your best bet is to try to demo a unit before buying it.

[[Director] drew ryan]

Are you talking about getting the signal from the Guitar to the Peddals/amp, or getting teh signal from the amp to the sound system?

[RiveraRa]

Originally Posted by Drew Ryan

Are you talking about getting the signal from the Guitar to the Peddals/amp, or getting teh signal from the amp to the sound system?

Guitar to the pedals. Im guessing its different if it was the other way around?

[Elec R. Winner]

I think he's talking about from the guitar to the pedals. If you're a purist, you won't be happy with wireless. I know guys that will only use copper wiring on their patch cables, guys who will only plug a cord from the amp head to the cabinet in one way because apparantly the cable will become polarized... crazy stuff. This brand 9V is all I will use, etc. As far as the frequency response of the actual wireless unit goes, it should be pretty darn flat and not color the signal noticably. I know of dozens of guys that use wireless systems on their guitar rigs. We had a Beatles tribute band come in Saturday at a theater I work for occasionally (I backlined the drum set and got to watch in the seats this time, though ) and "George" had a wireless system on his Hofner bass. I figure it's mostly a matter of your stage presence. If you run and jump and Eddie V.H. a lot, get a wireless. In my church setting I think it would be an unnecessary invatition to battery/RFI problems, but in our blended service the musicians are seated right by their amps, which are on stands. (if you're having problems with your guitar players cranking their amps too loud, stick the amps a foot away from their ears, pointing straight at them... hopefully they will turn down... for their own ears' sake.) Even in our contemporary service our people stay in their places, so a 20' guitar cable gets the trick done. I've played in bands with guitarists that used wireless systems and their rigs sounded great to me, but what do I know, I'm just a drummer.

[Elec R. Winner]

hey, Ramon answered before I finished typing, so my first sentence looks kind of silly! If you had a wireless mic on a guitar amp, you'd have have a little Pignose amp running on D cells so you could pick it up and carry it with you on stage.

[[Director] drew ryan]

Wireless will cause tonal differences. The ones that won't cause a dramatic difference will cost a dramatic amount of money. Sennheiser SK50 to a 3032 receiver would be about the least expensive rout that I would go. The reason for the difference is the internal compander circuit and the EQ that has to happen to get all that info in to the limited bandwidth of the RF signal.Sennheiser, Lectrosonics and a couple others do a good job for instrument transmission. Most others don't.

[stevegoad]

I love to go wireless (as a klutz who likes to "pace" while I play, it is nice to have less to trip over), but like others have said, it all depends on the equipment.

As kc4Him said, try them out. (I will say it is hard to go wrong with a Sennheiser).