high string "warble"?

[cheezemaster]

I recently picked up an Ibanez Artcore on the cheap. I'm noticing when I play the high E and B strings (either open or fretted), I'm getting a weird warble-y tremolo type effect.. like sound waves cancelling eachother out or something. It seems to be most prominent in the middle of the neck.

I heard a similar effect once when my pickup height was too high on my Tele, so I lowered the pickups (a lot) on the Artcore.. it seemed to help a little, but it still happens.. The bridge is a tune-o-matic with a trapeze tailpiece. All the parts seem to be tight and the neck releif/action seem fine.

Any idea of what's going on here? This is my first hollowbody electric, so it's kind of a new animal for me..

Thanks!

Cheeze

 

[Robert S.]

Re: high string "warble"?

Change the strings and check the intonation to see if the bridge saddles need adjusting.

 

[cheezemaster]

Re: high string "warble"?

got a new pack of strings at lunch! (i think it had 9s on it and I want something a little bigger)

 

[apj]

Re: high string "warble"?

every guitar will have this to a certain point if you pick at the natural mode frequency of the the note, basically, you're causing a node in the sound wave there, yes it basically is the exact same thing as tremolo, the waves are cancelling each other out, just don't pick there.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: high string "warble"?

every guitar will have this to a certain point if you pick at the natural mode frequency of the the note, basically, you're causing a node in the sound wave there, yes it basically is the exact same thing as tremolo, the waves are cancelling each other out, just don't pick there.

What? :scratchch

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: high string "warble"?

Yeah I'm a ilttle confused as to what that meant as well. I would try checking the action on the high strings. No harm in raising it a little to see if the problem goes away.

I have noticed (what I think is) the same problem on many, many electric guitars but only on the G-string, and I can't figure out any way to fix it so I just live with it on my Schecter.

 

[GoDrex]

Re: high string "warble"?

are you playing in a small room? with a ceiling fan? - just curious hehehe.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: high string "warble"?

That sound usually means its time for a string change and it usually happens on the high E first.

 

[Warheart]

Re: high string "warble"?

any fan in the room might cause that, perhaps even a computer fan!

 

[apj]

Re: high string "warble"?

What? :scratchch

It's a fundamental theory in the physics of music. Every string has several natural modes of motion all over the whole string, depending on where you pick along the string you excite that mode. When you excite the mode that has the same frequency as the note you are playing the two waves cancel each other out reducing the amplitude at that point of vibration, this is the same way that tremolo effect is designed to work by varying the amplitude so essentially you get the same effect.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: high string "warble"?

how far are both pickups away from the strings? it just sounds like p/ups being too close to me.
possibly a wiring fault, but i'm not feelin it.

 

[diggerbarnz]

Re: high string "warble"?

any fan in the room might cause that, perhaps even a computer fan!

Just wanted to say thank you for this! I recently got a variax 59 & until this afternoon was trouble-free...then had a bad warble on E & B strings
frikkin ceiling fan - you saved me a trip to the city Warheart!

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: high string "warble"?

It's a fundamental theory in the physics of music. Every string has several natural modes of motion all over the whole string, depending on where you pick along the string you excite that mode. When you excite the mode that has the same frequency as the note you are playing the two waves cancel each other out reducing the amplitude at that point of vibration, this is the same way that tremolo effect is designed to work by varying the amplitude so essentially you get the same effect.

This. Though I would say and/or add the natural modes of motion could be varied by amount of use, as continuous use will build up dead skin particles and other dirt on the string (along with wear on the string where it is fretted). The added mass and variable spots of thinning on the string would be because of this use. With a larger total mass and certain parts of the string being thinned from wear and use on the frets, I would predict that this would cause the natural modes of vibration to change over time. A possible explanation for why intonation goes bad with old strings.