Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My band is considering going completely wireless. any recommendation to brand, or a "good,better,best" rating would be appreciated by moi......

Personal opinions welcomed.....

.....especially interested in opinions as to quality of sound as compared to using cords, etc....

thanks!

I recently bought a used Shure ULXP system and couldn't be happier with it. I shopped pretty extensively before buying this one and wasn't too pleased with my search until I tried it out.
You certainly get what you pay for it seems with wireless. Compare the response specs and you'll see pretty quickly that alot of units that are great for guitar will kill your low end response and there is quite a difference between those units and a cord. Compared to using a cord I find virtually no difference in tone/sustain/clarity when using mine (take into consideration my "heavy metal ears" ). I've only had it for a few gigs and about 15 practices but it has been flawless so far.
Check out some of the cheaper ones and see how they work with your setup/tastes but I would start at the $500 mark.

Good......just about anything is "OK"
Better....Sennheiser EW172 series (I think that's the right #)
Best......I'm quite pleased with mine of course but the best is probably a unit that was made by X-Wire (the technology was sold to Sennheiser but they aren't really using it for some reason). It is all digital conversion and they sound perfect (IMO) but they can only be had used if you are lucky enough to find one plus servicing may be an issue at some point.

For convenience, the little "Guitar Bug" units (e.g. AKG GB 40) are more convenient that the older style with a belt pack. However, you'll have to make sure that the plug is compatible with the jacks on your instruments.

As to sound: who knows? Some are better than others, but I've never heard one that wasn't "good enough" in a typical bar environment. OTOH, I don't think you'd use any of them for studio work.

You'll also want to have a group discussion before buying to make sure that you don't have more than one person on the same channel, unless you buy the more expensive units with multiple, selectable channels.

Finally, the benefit seems to be a function of your environment and playing style. If you're on big stages with room to roam, or if you're prone to paroxysms of guitar frenzy, they can't be beat. If you stand like John Entwistle or sit to play, then (IMHO) it's just a flash piece of gear you could live without.

Thanks Brian and Adam...

We are going in with an open mind on this and will try to make an informed decision. You know how it is with something new.....doubts abound, but we play, or will be playing in places where there will be lots of other players cords still on stage and we'd like to avoid that sometimes tangled mess....

I normally stay near the drummer, but our guitarists tend to roam around and could end up anywhere.... Near the end of some songs, we all end up near the front of the stage...so it's good to have that mobility.

My first wireless was a Nady VHF 3D Diversity Reception model. It was perfectly good, and having a wireless unit onstage is 100% vital to me for:
- freedom of movement
- less cords underfoot
- zero chance of kicking my cord out mid-song (d-oh!)
- less wear & tear on your guitar/bass output jacks

Those last two are actually most important to me, as I have kicked plenty of cords out and trashed a couple of output jacks in my day.

The Nady served me well from 1996-2004, until it finally succombed to the sweat, beer, and general wear and tear. The only problem I ever had with it was once when we played a bowling alley charity gig. As we were tuning up in the side bar room, some guy comes running in and complaining. Seems the DJ who was working the bowling competition outside was also using a wireless of the same frequency, and he was picking up my bass signal and booming it out over the entire bowling alley! Wish I coulda heard that.

Last year, I spent a little more and bought a Shure UT1-VE. It's been flawless so far.

The previous guys were right on on all of their comments. I can't tell a difference between cord and cordless live. I'm sure it makes less difference than a slight turn of any of your guitar, effect, or amp knobs.

One other thing to think about that the previous guys didn't mention, is how you plan to position the wireless 'send' unit. I like mine strapped to my guitar strap, down close to the butt end of my bass. With the old Nady unit, the wire clip thingy was kinda cheap and didn't hold tight enough to the strap, so I found myself duct taping it in place. With the new Shure unit, it has a great spring-loaded clip that you can slide the strap up through perfectly. Only problem: I use straplocks, so I find myself using a wrench before and after shows moving straplocks to take the unit off. You could probably just buy a second strap and keep one for gigs only, but I like the consistency of using one strap, always.

Oh, and I always use a fresh 9V for every show.

Sorry about the long post. Definitely go wireless. You won't go back. Any units should work, as long as nobody in the band is on your same exact frequency.

IMHO, Shure and AKG are the best. I see these brands in the repair shop least of any. NADY and AT seem to have the most problems. It's true: you get what you pay for. And: Be Good To Your Equipment and It Will Be Good To You.

Thanks , Murali and Dean....

Your comments and thoughts are much appreciated!!