Wireless?

[RandyRhoads]

Like a lot of guitarists, I'm getting a little tired of my wires getting in the way all the time (tripping on them, standing on them etc) so I've been looking into getting a wireless system.

I was just wondering what you guys thought the pros and cons of getting a wireless is and which do you think provides the best value for money?

[dannyr]

I love wireless, but you have to be careful because so many of the wireless units out there suck or color your tone. I use a Sennheiser EW172 G2 and it works great. I never lose signal and the change in tone isn't really noticable.

[Inearthed]

I also use a EW172 G2 for both guitar and bass. Expensive, but it works great.

[SRD86]

three words...
Sennhiser G2 Wireless

(G2 isn't word, but you get the idea)

Yes, it's a little more, but well worth it.

[MountainDog]

I use a wireless all the time, even for rehersals. Some people claim they 'alter' your sound, but I haven't experienced this. This belief may be due to improper use of the 'trim' pots. Most have a gain/trim pot somewhere on the transmitter (usually behind a small hole) and a gain or 'volume' pot on the receiver so you can play with both and adjust so the signal getting to your amp is equal to the signal that would be sent thru a normal cable. If you crank both, then you will be sending a boosted/hot signal which could affect your sound.

Nady, Samson, AKG, Shure all make good units. Nady would probably be the 'value-leader' giving you the most bang-for-the-buck. Make sure you get a 'true-diversity' unit with two antennas.

I use older Nady XR61 models, and the transmitter is the same as in this current UHF-4 model (pretty good price by the way):

http://cgi.ebay.com/NADY-UHF-4-GUITAR-WIRELESS-SYSTEM-TRUE-DIVERSITY-3068_W0QQitemZ110138136670QQihZ001QQcategoryZ621QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here's the manual:

http://www.nady.com/pdf_files/manuals_pdf/wireless/UHF24_manual.pdf

You can spend the $120 on the above all the way to $250-300 depending on the brand.

The other guitar player in my band uses an older Nady 201 I sold him, and the bass player has a cheaper model Samson. If you have another player in your band that has one already, MAKE SURE you get a frequency different than his! Also if you can, get one with a frequency a few 'steps' away from his.

The added benefit of a wireless is that the 'squelch' feature has a very slight mini noise-gate effect, so when you aren't playing it helps a little in keeping the amp quieter.

[hippietim]

The X2 wireless is kick ass. The receiver sits on your pedal board if you want. No obnoxious antennas. They're the guys that made the famous XWire system that the pros all use.

http://www.x2digitalwireless.com/

[Dreamland_Rebel]

get a used sennheisser ew 172. i found one for $250 used. totally worth it.

[Inearthed]

The X2 wireless is kick ass. The receiver sits on your pedal board if you want. No obnoxious antennas. They're the guys that made the famous XWire system that the pros all use.

http://www.x2digitalwireless.com/

Bandmate of mine has that one. Works great.

[dmtnt]

The Sennheiser is great unit, but I had problems with mine in certain clubs where it would just get REALLY noisy out of nowhere. Picked up a higher-end Audio Tecnica setup (forget the model) and have had no problems. I A/B'd it with a cord and CANNOT tell the difference.

[SRD86]

The Sennheiser is great unit, but I had problems with mine in certain clubs where it would just get REALLY noisy out of nowhere. Picked up a higher-end Audio Tecnica setup (forget the model) and have had no problems. I A/B'd it with a cord and CANNOT tell the difference.

Really?
Did you have/use the scan frequencies feature?

[dmtnt]

Really?
Did you have/use the scan frequencies feature?

Yes I did. This thing drove me crazy. I used it at practice for weeks after buying it without a single problem. Set up for the gig, sound-check, no problems. Halfway through the 2nd song - BBBBZZZZZZZZZWWHHHHOOOOSSSHHHHHBBZZZZZZZZ Played with a cord for the rest of the night.

Next gig at the same club, exact same problem, stuck it on ebay the next day. Used the Audio Tecnica at the same club a month later, zero problems.

[SRD86]

Wow, sorry to hear that man.
I've been using my for years at many different places and haven't even needed to change the original frequency.

[guitarsjb]

I use an Audio Technica also. Great unit. Can't remember which model, but it's UHF has 2 antennas. It's great not tripping over cords.