Help me fix my Am Std Tele! Sitar like sound when fretted - Saddle recommendations.

[Blille]

Howdy folks. So my lovely Am Std Tele (that you can see here) started to make a strange sitar like sound.

More details:

1. only happens on the high E string (I think, at least for now)
2. it's only really noticeable with distortion, clean I can hear it but it's very subtle
3. This happened over a couple of days which surprised me.
4. I changed strings maybe a couple weeks ago and I've played it maybe 8 hours total since then.
5. it happens fretted in every fret

Based on the above I assumed that the issue has to do with the saddles. Can it be something else Do you have any other ideas? Any suggestions of what to do next?

I'm not really a fan of those saddles (I know they're fine but the lack of indentation always throws me off) so I'm also open to moderately priced replacements. We're talking about the modern am std bridge so it's sets of six saddles, not three. My go to would be string saver saddles but I saw these Highwood ones and they look good. Also open to the brass individual saddles if you think they are worth it.

 

[Benjy_26]

I'd check for loose screws or a shift in action before looking at replacement parts.

 

[Blille]

I'd check for loose screws or a shift in action before looking at replacement parts.

Agreed, I'd much rather fix without buying. I'm wondering if it can be any other part. I was thinking of starting by swapping the saddles within the guitar (e.g. putting the 6th string in the 1st).

By shift in action you mean that the saddle may have gone down without me touching it? It may be. I'll just increase it to see what happens.

 

[nexion218]

Yup, what he said.

Now given that I know next to nothing about Teles, take my next line with a grain of salt... But shouldn't those saddles be slightly cut like in the case of TOM bridges? Because sitar like noise is usually a string not sitting properly in it's place either at the nut (but that's only open string) and/or bridge.

 

[Hsb]

Since it has started to get a bit colder here and temps fluctuating some, couple of my guitars have started to buzz, may have wanna check the action

 

[Benjy_26]

Agreed, I'd much rather fix without buying. I'm wondering if it can be any other part. I was thinking of starting by swapping the saddles within the guitar (e.g. putting the 6th string in the 1st).

By shift in action you mean that the saddle may have gone down without me touching it? It may be. I'll just increase it to see what happens.

Yup. I've had saddles screws back themselves out on Fender style bridges. Also, if your guitar is out of a case and you've had a big shift in weather, the truss rod might need a tweak.

 

[Benjy_26]

Yup, what he said.

Now given that I know next to nothing about Teles, take my next line with a grain of salt... But shouldn't those saddles be slightly cut like in the case of TOM bridges? Because sitar like noise is usually a string not sitting properly in it's place either at the nut (but that's only open string) and/or bridge.

Depending on the style of saddle, they may not have a channel. If they're stamped, they won't. I've also come across barrel saddles that aren't notched.

 

[ErikH]

First, the saddles are fine. No need to change them. The issue a combination of changing strings to possibly a lighter gauge than what was on it and a truss rod that was tightened to compensate for thicker strings; equals more tension, means more pull on the neck, truss rod needs to be tighter. I bet there is little to no relief in the neck currently.

So, first thing to do is to loosen the truss rod 1/4 turn. Let it sit for few to adjust, then check it again. When that looks good, it's on to setting the action. Keep in mind that no two guitars will set up 100% the same so be ready for this to be a little different from your other guitars. Capo the 3rd fret, check the action at the 12th fret on all strings. Make the necessary adjustments. Tune to pitch. Check everything again.

Also go over ALL the screws holding ANY hardware to the body and neck. Everything should be snug.

How's the fret wear? How's the humidity in the house? The cold and low humidity can wreak havoc on necks right now. Our worship leader's acoustic showed these same systems on Sunday morning.

 

[Clint 55]

Ime, the sitar sound comes from a bad break angle at either the nut or saddle. This is corrected by filing the slot to a more level angle or a more sharp angle. Usually you'll want a more level angle for the nut to get good contact all the way through the slot and you can use a sharp break angle to fix the saddle. If you don't have any room to lower the action down at those points, you might need to change the parts. You can add material in there for a shoddy solution but I don't like doing that. Changing a saddle is an easy fix, changing the nut is more hassle. Since the sitar sound is when fretted, I would bet the problem is at the saddle so that's good.

 

[Blille]

Thanks folks! :7:

I checked for loose screws etc.

When I'm off work I'll adjust the action up a bit and if that doesn't do it, I'll check the truss rod.

I didn't make the connection with the string change since it was a couple weeks ago but that plus the constant temperature change may have definitely changed things.

 

[ErikH]

Truss rod, then action. If you adjust the action and then have to adjust the truss, you'll have to adjust the action again. Best to start with the truss rod and only have to adjust the action once.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Are both the height adjustment screws on that saddle making firm contact with the bridge plate?

The E string on my Warwick bass had an odd buzz to it. It took me awhile to discover one of the height adjustment screws was barely loose, because there's a set screw that holds the saddle in place.

Before you mess with the truss rod, capo the 1st fret, hold down the 15th, and see how much relief there is. IME, most of the time you get funky buzzing in the middle of the neck when the truss rod needs adjusting.

Other things I'd double check are the spring on the saddle's intonation screw, the nut slot, and the saddle for burrs.

 

[devastone]

Sounds like that saddle lowered itself, probably a loose height adjustment screw. Should be easy to figure out if you have something to measure with, distance from the bottom of the string to the fret at the 12th fret should be consistent. If you don't have something to measure with I highly suggest getting a machinist's rule.

 

[Blille]

Thank again folks! I did a 1/4 on the truss rod and it was better then did another 1/4 and I think it sounds good. Now I need to adjust the action (because I did that first like a moron) and maybe spend some time to fine tune.

I’m pretty surprised by how much it had changed. The gauge was the same across the top four and just one lower in the bottom two (36/46 to 35/45) and went from round to flat which I thought would make up for the slight difference. And I live in California so while the weather changed it’s not extreme.

My current theory is that my cats messed with my truss rod while I wasn’t looking. They are crafty.