Pick up of T5Z

[cu2hk]

Hi all, I have a question:  what are the pick up of T5Z?  Are they from other brands?  I'm particularly interested in the body sensor triggered by position 1 - is it a mic or a piezo type pick up?  Any photo of the inside of the guitar?  Many thanks!

[Edward]

All the pickups for acoustics (which include the T5) are in-house Taylor designs, AFAIK.  From 2003, the incarnation of the Expression System (aka the "ES" amplification on the acoustics) were in-house designs.  The famous Rupert Neve was purportedly brought in for guidance on the preamp system.  The under-fingerboard pickup on the ES acoustics resembles a thin humbucker that is affixed beneath the fretboard extension, though since the T5 employs an exposed neck pickup I think it doesn't have one of these.  Yet the body sensors are borrowed from the ES' parts bin.  I am not privy as to whether they are the same exact units, but in principle they are the same body sensors that transduce the soundboard's "tone" to the preamp.

I've not ever seen any pics of inside the T5, but that would be cool.  I wonder, too, if the factory has ever published any as I've never seen a single gut-shot of a T5, but they have often revealed gut shots of acoustics over the decades.

So in sum and to your questions:
1. Pickups are not from other brands as they are wholly Taylor designs
2. Not mics, which is why the T5 is so feedback resistant.
3. Not piezo crystal as Taylor designed their own transducers for the body tone.  First piezo use was the "ES2," and even then it is a unique Taylor design and not the ubiquitous UST piezo strip.

Hope that helps you a bit

Edward

[Earl]

I think that Edward has it right - all of the electronics are proprietary designs.  No off-the-shelf replacement parts.

What I know for sure was that when my T5 Classic developed a scratchy volume pot, I called about getting just that one part.  I'm fairly handy and can work a soldering iron, so swapping out a $10 potentiometer is no big deal.  But no.  The pot was integrated into the circuit board, and you have to buy the entire modular unit.  Worse still, they had changed the wiring harness between my manufacture date and the current part, so I had to buy the entire new wiring harness and circuit board assembly just to deal with one defective component.  $114 plus shipping, plus installation at the only Taylor certified tech locally.  No other information was provided, and no hints on installation.  I sold the guitar as-is at a loss, along with the part numbers for when DeOxit contact cleaner stops working.  All was disclosed to the buyer.  I hope he remains happy with that T5.  But I will never buy another Taylor with their proprietary electronics again.   

[Edward]

...But I will never buy another Taylor with their proprietary electronics again.   

Yeah, I hear your frustration with proprietary bits.  Don't get me started on the Apple mafia!  I have an old ipad because it suit my purpose way back when.  But man o man am I tiring of their shenanigans!

So far, the ES (ES version 1, iterations 2 and 3) have served me well for well over a decade, and this with playing live.  And of late, the ES2 has been ok (for maybe two years now).  Their entire preamp screws into the controls area and it's one unit as a whole with no user-serviceable parts.  So when a pot goes bad, you're done ...stinky!  Fortunately, I leave the pots at detent and do all tone adjustments at the DI and console, so I hope --hope!-- the pots will cause me no grief.  FWIW, the old Fishman units sold in Taylors, Yamahas, Taks, et.al. was likewise a single unit with no accessible parts.  It is the nature of the beast when one has spec'd their own preamp system, let alone any active system.  On the one hand it is a designed piece and so offers its own unique benefits; on the other hand that design is proprietary so you're jacked if it starts acting up!  The electric-guit world is easier as the passive nature of the pickups/control set allows one full access to each indiv component.  But the elec guitar is a bit of an anachronism. Everything now is "bundled on a board" of some proprietary design these days.  What was once a simple washing machine is now a freakin "smart appliance" sheesh!  Which basically means I can no longer go in and replace a component ...the whole thing is now disposable.  Like the dishwasher I recently replaced that cost me more than the last one, with fewer features and is twice as loud.  This is where we've arrived.  That's "progress" ...ugh!

Edward

[cu2hk]

All the pickups for acoustics (which include the T5) are in-house Taylor designs, AFAIK.  From 2003, the incarnation of the Expression System (aka the "ES" amplification on the acoustics) were in-house designs.  The famous Rupert Neve was purportedly brought in for guidance on the preamp system.  The under-fingerboard pickup on the ES acoustics resembles a thin humbucker that is affixed beneath the fretboard extension, though since the T5 employs an exposed neck pickup I think it doesn't have one of these.  Yet the body sensors are borrowed from the ES' parts bin.  I am not privy as to whether they are the same exact units, but in principle they are the same body sensors that transduce the soundboard's "tone" to the preamp.

I've not ever seen any pics of inside the T5, but that would be cool.  I wonder, too, if the factory has ever published any as I've never seen a single gut-shot of a T5, but they have often revealed gut shots of acoustics over the decades.

So in sum and to your questions:
1. Pickups are not from other brands as they are wholly Taylor designs
2. Not mics, which is why the T5 is so feedback resistant.
3. Not piezo crystal as Taylor designed their own transducers for the body tone.  First piezo use was the "ES2," and even then it is a unique Taylor design and not the ubiquitous UST piezo strip.

Hope that helps you a bit

Edward

Thanks so much for the enlightenment.  So the "body sensor" is most likely where it has been used in other Taylor acoustic models? It makes sense in factory prospective, yet given the body of T5z is so much thinner than a normal acoustic guitar, I wonder Taylor has done some special adjustment. 

I'm still in a stage of testing how it sounds in different amp setting and combination of tone knob.  I'm myself quite a tone dumb, and look forward to learning more with this instrument.

[Edward]

I do not own a T5, but played with one a local shop years ago (the orig T5,not the "z"), and spent some quality time with it as the nice folks there (small indy shop) were awesome and very accommodating.  The best results really depend on what it is you're looking to accomplish.

1. If you're looking for a good electric tone, whether bucker or single coil, your best bet is through your pedal board, then into am amp you already like.

2. If you're looking for a legit acoustic-guit tone, your best bet is going dry into a DI (a DI with tone controls is best but if not, then go through a small console), then through a PA.  The PA, not an amp, will give you the least-colored tone, which will give you the most acoustic-guit tone for your T5z.

Moreover, are you thinking of a solo/duo performance or your T5z as part of a full band?

At least imo and very limited experience with the T5.  That said, I am no stranger to live sound and acoustic tone.  Hope that makes sense

Edward

[cu2hk]

I do not own a T5, but played with one a local shop years ago (the orig T5,not the "z"), and spent some quality time with it as the nice folks there (small indy shop) were awesome and very accommodating.  The best results really depend on what it is you're looking to accomplish.

1. If you're looking for a good electric tone, whether bucker or single coil, your best bet is through your pedal board, then into am amp you already like.

2. If you're looking for a legit acoustic-guit tone, your best bet is going dry into a DI (a DI with tone controls is best but if not, then go through a small console), then through a PA.  The PA, not an amp, will give you the least-colored tone, which will give you the most acoustic-guit tone for your T5z.

Moreover, are you thinking of a solo/duo performance or your T5z as part of a full band?

At least imo and very limited experience with the T5.  That said, I am no stranger to live sound and acoustic tone.  Hope that makes sense

Edward

Again, thanks for the advice.  I'll try to explore in those directions.

I'm a bedroom guitarist per se.... ha ha .... enjoying music anyway.

[KM Frye]

It's just this one opinion, but for what it's worth, the accoustic part of the T5z really only works properly with either a dedicated accoustic amp (like a Loudbox or equiv), which of course requires you have two amps available through a splitter of some sort (Y-cord or A-B box), or using the kind of splitting
device, take advantage of the PA system and route the accoustic side through that.

I have played my T5z through about a dozen amps from Peavey, Fender, Roland and Traynor in the three years it's been in the house, and no "guitar" amp really captures the overtones and harmonics of the strings -which need to be kept fresh, BTW- like a dedicated accoustic amp, and even then, there will still be a layer of artificiality to your ears...

The T5z is a great guitar, and I won't be parting with it, but for those times when an "ultra-real" accoustic sound is needed, out comes the trusty Fender FJ or the Takamine.

Hope this helps a bit!

[cu2hk]

I guess I'm trying to make use of what I have on hand to see what will happen.  I have a GE200 multi effect (guess there should have some acoustic sound choice).  I have a Spark as my amp.  Far from the best lineup, but I'm hoping to get something out of them.

[Earl]

....the acoustic part of the T5z really only works properly with either a dedicated acoustic amp (like a Loudbox or equiv), which of course requires you have two amps available through a splitter of some sort (Y-cord or A-B box), or using the kind of splitting device, take advantage of the PA system and route the acoustic side through that.

I have seen T5 demos at Road Shows on several occasions.  They ALWAYS use two different amps and a splitter to get the range of tones that are demo'ed, with lots of EQ.  It is simply not possible for one amp box to do all of that.  IMHO you can - at best - get a marginal electric tone and a marginal acoustic tone.  Not great tone for either, but usable in many circumstances.

I used a Fender Princeton amp for electric and a Roland AC60 (or my Mackie PA system) for acoustic tone, with dedicated pickup selections and EQ for each.  It took a while to get it all worked out.

[Edward]

I guess I'm trying to make use of what I have on hand to see what will happen.  I have a GE200 multi effect (guess there should have some acoustic sound choice).  I have a Spark as my amp.  Far from the best lineup, but I'm hoping to get something out of them.

Absolutely an excellent strategy!  Run what ya brung ...as is said often, it is the carpenter not the tools, that crafts!

Every multi fx box I've seen (and used, and still gig with an ancient Boss GT3) has an EQ in there.  Check yours: either a graphic or parametric, or perhaps even both!  Your ability to EQ your T5 goes a very long way to getting you credible acoustic guitar tone, so don't feel like you have to break the bank.  And the nice thing about having a multi unit is you can create a patch for just that acoustic tone, and have the rest of your patches for your electric-guit tones.  If you're not performing live (yet!) don't sweat all the details.  Get the tones that move you; enjoy the music which, clearly, is the point! 

Edward