Backplate phenomenon

[Tung]

I heard Scott henderson saying that the backplate can actually cause some unwanted feedback, similar to a chambered guitar feedback, He also took his off for easier string change.
So, as an experiment, I tested with my JP6 and JP50, found a spot where the amp feedback, took the plate off, feedback gone. I also ran ISP Decimator in front of the amps, to make sure they're clean.
Can this be true?

 

[Gio_Force_One]

I have heard that from a few people also I have heard people think the tone of their guitar is better without the plate.

 

[threeminutesboy]

Actually I like the feedback coming from the springs of the tremolo. It's nice to play with that during gigs, give more character to the guitar, IMHO

 

[DrKev]

the backplate can actually cause some unwanted feedback, similar to a chambered guitar feedback

Wow, I've never heard that one before. My intuition (as guitarist and physicist) makes me doubt it's a real effect. Even if I'm wrong about that (which could be the case) I seriously doubt it would ever be an issue in a real 'live' playing situation.

A more definitive way of testing it would be to put the backplate on, dampen or mute the strings, and find your feedback point. While the guitar is feeding back, without changing the position or orientation of the guitar relative to the amplifier, press your finger to the back plate. If the feedback stops it's definitely the backplate. If not, it's myth busted.

Easier string changes is one good reason to take the plate off, though it's less trouble on EBMMs because the holes in the plate and the trem block actually line up! Anyone using a tremol-no or similar device would leave it off too. Some people just prefer it off. Do whatever floats your boat!

As threeminutesboy mentions, some people notice the 'reverb' or vibration of the trem springs acoustically. My strat used to do that, very noticeably sometimes, and I really liked it but it was an effect that never transferred to the plugged-in signal.

 

[ScoobySteve]

SRV and Eric Johnson both played their strats without backplates for the same reason.

If its empirically true? I can't say.

 

[OU812]

To my ears, a guitar sounds better with the back plate off when played unplugged. How much of a difference that makes once plugged in I'm not sure. I have noticed a difference before but it may of been just my ears playing tricks on me.

Some players like to stuff foam right into the springs to eliminate unwanted noise or stuff kleenex (like Steve Vai does) into the spring cavity for the same reasons.

For me, I keep the back plate off. It looks cool haha na kidding, I like it cause I can reach back and make funky noises with the springs.

 

[straycat113]

Scott Henderson is a very smart guy and brilliant player but he is a bit quirky.Eric Johnson swore it made a difference, but then again he swore that he could only get his tone using vintage gear of which he has all sold off but one ax and is using only new CS guitars. If you are playing your electric unplugged one day just lean the headstock against a piece of furniture like a bureau and your guitar will automatically become twice as loud-why- I dont know lol. To me these issues are so minuet if true at all, like about the back plate producing a better tone if removed or guitars that are made with the pup cavities not finished so the wood can breath are kind of ridicules. You cut a tree it is dead, and nothing is breathing nor will any of this matter at 180 decibels lol. I personally never cared for the look of the back plate off but to each his own.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

The backplate may make a difference to some, but I haven't heard it. I do know that my JP6 sounds the best when all the heads on the phillips screws are in alignment with one another and parallell/perpendicular to the neck - ESPECIALLY the neck screws.

 

[littlephil]

It could be possible. The trem claw cavity could be causing modal resonance, similar to standing waves in a square room, which would cause feedback.

 

[ksandvik]

...most likely the audience won't hear a difference, but if you think it help for you go for it. It's certainly easier to change strings with no back plate.

 

[DrKev]

Scott Henderson is a very smart guy and brilliant player but he is a bit quirky.Eric Johnson swore it made a difference, but then again...

...didn't he say that different brands of batteries in his pedals made a difference to his tone? Look, no more than Verheyen's trem claw idea, there are great players who are well meaning but whose ideas are ultimately of no real use. The guitar industry is a zone where common sense and REAL physics often don't exist, where well known brand names get away with using total BS as part of their marketing strategy, and where well meaning but mis-informed people can make hundreds of thousands believe something that just isn't possible.

The electric guitar is an old instrument, the strat itself soon approaching 60 years old. If this was a real effect we'd have known about it long ago and people would be selling backplates in different materials and thicknesses so we could tune the effect to our liking. That's not the case.

 

[OU812]

The whole keep the finish off the back of the guitar where the springs are so wood can breathe idea came from EVH. Then again, he was big on keeping the finish off his guitars and just apply a thin coat of paint.

The battery thing is actually correct in a way. It was explained to me once but I'm not great at explaining these technical things but it has to do with how a battery drains, and keeping the same amount of juice going through the pedal and some batteries are better at this then others. Once a battery gets older (used up drained more), it'll get weaker thus changing the tone. A simple experiment to do is plug your pedal into an adapter or run it on batteries. I notice a change right away when I had my MXR Flanger.

The back plate I'm still not sure about but I do know it makes a difference unplugged. In the end though, I think to most people it won't matter anyways and it'll come down to convenience, such as changing strings. I mean think about it, if you're running straight into a Fender '57 Twin then theres a possibility you could hear a difference. If your signal chain is heavily processed and has enough electronics to launch the Space Shuttle, then it won't matter at all.

 

[Tung]

This is interesting. I actually prefer the backplate on. But playing live, any bit of feedback that can be reduced if taking off the backplate, I would do it, however minimal the difference might be.
Scott is amazing but yes, he could be a quirky, but isn't that the case for all geniuses? I personally couldn't care less about the battery thing, I use a power supply for all my pedals

 

[fbecir]

Tung,

You forget the most important component in TONE. I invite you to read one of my post here :
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-guitars/49268-huge-improvement-tone.html

 

[Mpcoluv]

Old carbon composition 9V batteries can sound different in a circuit than alkalines (like the duracell coppertops) because the internal resistance is difference and it's voltage output responds differently to high current demand transients, like the difference between picking lightly and hard in a pedal.
I had a HAO Rumble Mod pedal (Supposed to do the Dumble amp tone) that sounded good with the cheap Dollar Store 9V batteries but not with Duracell batteries.
So I promptly sold it.
I have played guitars with and without the trem cover and cant hear a difference.

 

[straycat113]

Everyone on this thread are making really good posts, as Kevin stated there have been a lot of great players who have made statements about doing something which they may actually believe is beneficial which will lead to thousands of players following that idea,scientifically true or not. I seriously think Eric Johnson was bordering on the edge of driving himself crazy about his tone, and missed a huge amount of time in between albums when he was at the height of his career because of trying to be too perfect. Yes that is Ed with the unpainted cavities to let the wood breath, which actually sounds good when you hear it said lol. I am not questioning anything he does as I believe the guy is a genius and may have the greatest set of ears of any player, but his track record on telling the truth is not so good. I also think that maybe when he was a broke teenager he may of boiled a set of strings -once- and till this day I still see grown men ask about this. Try boiling old strings and see what you get, and no I have never ever entertained the thought of it lol. But if some great player just as a joke said he played better with his underwear on backwards, you could be certain a lot of guys would actually try it.

 

[Gio_Force_One]

But if some great player just as a joke said he played better with his underwear on backwards, you could be certain a lot of guys would actually try it.

So thats what I' m doing wrong and here I thought it was all about practice.

 

[ThatsAgood1jay]

I have never noticed any sonic difference with the backplate on or off, then again, i usually always leave them off since i like to alternate tunings and do not want to hollow out the screw holes by taking the plates on and off to get at the trem claw.

 

[sballow]

I wouldn't want too play to much with my back plate off because what if your belt catches on one of the trem springs and yanks the whole thing. That might send you out of tune or worse.

 

[Charles5150]

It's absurd to remove the plate and let your belt on, it's very well known that belts are source of feedback and strange noises too.

Same with rings, even in your left hand, that's why world-class guitar players divorce a lot. It's not about love, it's about tone.