Lil'59 and DuckBucker response while bending the high E string

[Burnhaven]

I just completed a setup on my strat after installing a new bridge -- it's almost decked with just a little down whammy action possible. Yesterday and today I tried many different pickup heights, something I hadn't spent much time on since buying the Everything Axe loaded pick guard last year. Everything is pretty good except when bending the high E above the 10th fret in positions 4 and 5. I can see the string moves in between the pole screws. Doesn't seem to be fretting out.
I'm beginning to suspect my compressor settings -- may try reducing the compression level and makeup gain. Or look for a compressor that can treat different frequencies in different ways ( Line 6 Helix has several compressors)

 

[Mincer]

Are you noticing a decrease in volume with those strings when the compressor is off? Always do these tests with the compressor off.

 

[Burnhaven]

Thanks I'll do that and test again tomorrow.

 

[Wound_Up]

Thanks I'll do that and test again tomorrow.

What's the issue? You never clearly stated what it actually is. Only that you see the string move between the poles and it's might be compressor settings.

What might be compressor settings? What about the string moving between the poles? There's no clear statement of the problem.

So, what's the actual problem? Can you state it clearly? All you said was that everything is good when you bend between this & that. And that​ you see the string move between the poles. And it doesn't seem to be fretting out. Then you say it might be compressor settings.

So, what issue isn't being caused by fretting out? What might be compressor settings? There's truly no statement of the problem. Only things you think aren't causing whatever problem it is you haven't identified in your post.

 

[Burnhaven]

The output of the high E string drops off radically when I bend it especially up above the 10th fret and it doesn't seem to matter how I set the pickup heights.. I was noticing it mainly on the 4th and 5th positions ...in other words the neck pickup or the neck combined with the middle but I'm thinking now it may be that I've got a compressor set for too much gain reduction and when the signal drops due to bending and the string moving in between pole pieces the compressor is just completely killing the volume.

 

[Mincer]

My thought is that it is indeed the compressor that is making this really noticeable.

 

[Burnhaven]

Yeah definitely sounds like compressor should be turned off when making this kind of adjustment... I've been experimenting with a compressor after the amp and speaker cabs ( this is in the line 6 helix ) ..somebody had a reason for trying that but I don't even recall what the reason was now ...so it would be between the speaker cab or impulse response after the amp and before the wet effects begin and then I've also got just a touch of compression at the very end with the LA studio compressor ( the modeled version of that) which I've been doing for a very long time I think I'm going to take the one after the amp and speaker cabs and move it to the very beginning of the chain which is the way I did it for many years in the past.

 

[Mincer]

Compressors can really be used anywhere in the chain (I like mine first), but when adjusting anything to do with dynamics (like string or pickup balance), well, a compressor will fight you the whole way.

 

[Burnhaven]

I removed the compressor after the amp/cab and put one at the beginning of the chain, set for very non-aggressive compression. Sounds much better now without the high E string bend choking out. Definitely need to do more study on compressors because I think they can be a great help if used correctly. With the Helix I can have the compressor parameters change with each snapshot ( a button press that can select more/less amp gain, more/less delay, and compressor on/off or change in parameters.)

 

[GuitarDoc]

You have a very excellent way of using lots of words to not express a single thing of concern.

Of course a compressor is going to affect your sound.
Bending a string in between the poles of your pup is also going to affect your sound (even without a compressor, or any other effect for that matter).

 

[Burnhaven]

If I'm verbose it's due to years of trying to convey a thought or question on the internet and having to reply to numerous comments until the other parties actually understand what the heck it is I'm after

 

[Mincer]

The Duckbucker, in particular, is a pretty 'weak' pickup, which gives it the sound it has. I love the sound, but with the poles being tiny, and only having half of them that a normal humbucker has (and I think, being wired in parallel) makes this more pronounced than a typical humbucker.

 

[GuitarDoc]

If I'm verbose it's due to years of trying to convey a thought or question on the internet and having to reply to numerous comments until the other parties actually understand what the heck it is I'm after

Being verbose, using an extraordinary amount of words to say nothing, doesn't necessarily convey a thought...usually just the opposite. It IS possible to be concise and to the point! A few carefully chosen words can be much more explanatory then a million random words.
(Totally understandable that so many others have such a hard time understanding what you are trying to say).

 

[Burnhaven]

Sorry about that ...I'll try to be more concise in the future, but I am glad that I got a better understanding of the impact a compressor can have