Help with strange harmonic overtone

[rbmk]

Hi everyone,

I have an old strat copy that I've done numerous upgrades to over the last 10 years. After the most recent upgrade, it now has a strange harmonic overtone on the low E string when it is picked about an inch behind the neck humbucker. (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvl1eeycKEw). This is where I naturally pick when palm muting...and unfortunately, this strange overtone is most noticeable while palm muting. It did not have this before the most recent upgrade. I'm kind of at a loss for what to do after trying several things. Any advice on what this is or what I can do about it would be helpful.

The guitar started its life as one of these: https://reverb.com/item/9061583-ser...h084QFFEAQYASABEgKgU_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&pla=1
Neck = SH1
Bridge = SH14

During the most recent upgrade I:
Replaced a 2-connector SH1 with a 4 connector SH1 so I could split the coils
Replaced the bridge saddles with Graphtech string savers
Replaced the volume pot and knob
Replaced the 3-way toggle
Added to ON/ON mini toggles for coil selection
Shielded the entire cavity (and the underside of the pick guard) with copper tape
Replaced the 1/4 jack
Replaced/resoldered all wiring (including replacing the pot -> 1/4 with shielded cable)

Things I've tried so far (that haven't worked):
I don't have the trem, blocked, but I do have 5 springs keeping it glued to the body - I already had them deadened, but have added extra material - I'm confident the noise isn't coming from there
Taped the strings above the nut
Different gauge of low E string (I use 52 normally - have tried both 46 and 56 as well)
Putting the old low-E bridge saddle back on
Listened with a stethoscope to try to determine where the frequency is strongest (from what I can tell, it's actually coming from the string)

Other interesting things:
When the string is fretted, the noise goes away
As you can hear from the video, if you move the pick about 1 inch further toward the bridge, the noise goes away
(also from the video) It doesn't happen on the A string
The noise is heard acoustically even without amplification
Adjusting the tuning of the sting does not change the pitch of the noise (even if I tune it down to something ridiculous like B)

I know it did not make this noise before the upgrade, but I'm really baffled about what could cause this, considering the things I've changed.

 

[Despair]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

Could be a fret buzz. I had one I only noticed on the 2 & 4 positions of the 5-way switch on an HSH guitar, and then only on one amp. Absolutely maddening... I didn't keep the amp I discovered the problem on, thought it was an ugly overtone in the new amp and had to make up my mind whether to use the return period or not.

Tried adjusting your action higher on the low E? Or check for any tall/worn frets. Could even be the nut, if it only happens on open string. Can try fretting at highest fret and working your way towards the headstock and see where you can & can't replicate. (If it doesn't disappear when fretting highest fret, it's something else.)

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

Hard to tell from the video, but seems like the string is vibrating against something (a fret?) or vibrating in the bridge saddle. I suspect your nut or your bridge saddle, especially since you changed the saddle. You have pretty high action so fretting the string could put just enough pressure to eliminate it if it is the bridge saddle.
Have you considered shimming your neck a bit at the rear?

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

Start with a new string. It's the cheapest thing on the guitar, and the easiest to eliminate as the problem.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

Buzz and no sustain = fret buzz

Raise saddle

 

[Herby]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

It does act like it's the nut. Picking farther from the bridge gives you more string movement.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

It does act like it's the nut. Picking farther from the bridge gives you more string movement.

Oh...DUH

Fret buzz from neck pickup mag pull

More string movement = catches on field = slams into a fret

Solution: raise saddle and/or lower neck pickup on bass side and/or use a high-tension string of significant gauge (DR 54, maybe)

As to why fretting it helps... do you mean it kills it if already initiated? If so, yeah, of course it would. Or do you mean it only buzzes on an open string, but not ANY fretted notes? Then...you might be picking in a natural harmonic spot for a 25.5" string? Your finger might be dampening string vibration ever so slightly vs. open string, so it doesn't reach? Who knows.

You COULD also shim the neck, but for just one note buzzing that's kinda overkill and a last resort

 

[rbmk]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

Thanks everyone for your ideas and thoughts on this. Also - based on the responses, I think there was some confusion about what the actual problem was. That was my fault for not accurately describing it. The "lack of sustain" was being caused by me palm muting (the problem was most noticeable when palm muting) and the "buzz" was actually the vibrating string contacting the pick as I prepared to pick it again. The problem was that there was a strange, short lived, high pitched tone (in addition to the normal tone produced by the string's vibration) when it was picked in a certain manner at a certain location. It was kind of a "ching" like sound. Not sure how else to describe it....

Anyway, I don't understand how - but somehow this was a problem with the string. I had already tried different gauges of stings but hadn't tried a different brand of strings. The set I had on there were D'Addario NYXL 11-52. I tried lighter (46) and heavier (56), but they were always D'Addario. After trying lots of different things (including completely replacing the entire bridge assembly and re-doing some of the copper shielding in the cavity), I finally tried putting a Ernie Ball Slinky 52 on there...and magically the weird harmonic overtone is gone. I have no idea how a difference in string brand/type would equate to this problem - but clearly it does.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

Thanks everyone for your ideas and thoughts on this. Also - based on the responses, I think there was some confusion about what the actual problem was. That was my fault for not accurately describing it. The "lack of sustain" was being caused by me palm muting (the problem was most noticeable when palm muting) and the "buzz" was actually the vibrating string contacting the pick as I prepared to pick it again. The problem was that there was a strange, short lived, high pitched tone (in addition to the normal tone produced by the string's vibration) when it was picked in a certain manner at a certain location. It was kind of a "ching" like sound. Not sure how else to describe it....

Anyway, I don't understand how - but somehow this was a problem with the string. I had already tried different gauges of stings but hadn't tried a different brand of strings. The set I had on there were D'Addario NYXL 11-52. I tried lighter (46) and heavier (56), but they were always D'Addario. After trying lots of different things (including completely replacing the entire bridge assembly and re-doing some of the copper shielding in the cavity), I finally tried putting a Ernie Ball Slinky 52 on there...and magically the weird harmonic overtone is gone. I have no idea how a difference in string brand/type would equate to this problem - but clearly it does.

No magic involved

D-Addario has the fastest corrosion, highest breakage/wrap issues, and general dud rate in the industry among big brands

When I flipped guitars and did guitar tech work, whenever something felt "wrong" somehow with sound intonation strange noises "feel" etc, I learned to first check for their trademark color-coded ball ends... and almost always found em.

It usually went away on string replacement.


PS i ***loooove*** D'Addario, their rotted out strings are great for creating used-market bargains in hard to identify guitars. Pawn shop or GC gets a used trade in, it plays and sounds like crap, so they forgo research and slap a $99 or $149 sticker on it... and I get to buy another excellent but neglected 20-40 yo Japanese instrument for chump change

 

[Howlermonkey]

Re: Help with strange harmonic overtone

It was the nut and it's likely that the highest spot on the nut was not on the fretboard side but rather further in.

Drawing a new string across it likely removed the high spot.

The same exact sound often comes from floyd rose locking nuts when the highest spot isn't the "V" where the string rests. It causes the string to bang against one side of the V.