bubbahotep2k3
New member
Has anybody else here had problems with string oscillation -- and does anyone have some tips to fix it?
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM
String oscillation is sometimes mistaken as "string buzzing" but it is more similar to a vibratto or tremolo effect in sound. That is, if you hit a note, say 15th freet high E string, its sound will "WAVER" going up and down almost like a sine wave. I took one of my guitars to a reputable repair guy and he told me that it is often very difficult to eliminate. He said you can get it if you pickups are too high (I guess the magnetism of the pickup pulls the vibrating string down) or even if you pickups are too low. He also mentioned some other factors.
EVIDENCE ITS NOT BUZZING (IN MY CASE)
In my case with the guitar un-plugged I can fret every note on every string without buzzing. This is mostly due to the fact that my action is somewhat high (7/64ths at the 17th fret on both the low E and high E strings).
MY GUITAR
My guitar is an Ibanez RG 570 DX with 3 seymour duncan pickups: (1) a 59 in the neck, (2) a Vintage rails in the middle, and (3) a Duncan Distortion TB-6 in the bridge. The guitar intonation is correct, and I use light strings 9-42.
** THE MYSTERY **
The great mystery for me is that the string oscillation will go away if I switch pickups with my 5-way switch.
For example, With the 59 neck pickup the high E and B strings have no oscillation, but the G string sounds bad.
However, with the Distortion in the bridge the G string sounds perfect but some notes on the high E string oscillate!
When the 59 and vintage rails are combined in the 4th position (no coil splitting) there is no string oscillation on the high strings at all (high g, b, e).
WHAT I HAVE TRIED....
Switching my strings to 10s (10-46) seem to lessen the problem -- but I do not want to play with 10s.
Raising the action and lowering the pickups works sometimes -- but never in such a way that all the pickups are free of oscillation
ANY IDEAS?
I really appreciate any help or ideas to address this problem.
Also misery loves company so any similar stories, if nothing else, are also appreciated. Maybe I should just accept this?
Sincerely,
Bubba
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM
String oscillation is sometimes mistaken as "string buzzing" but it is more similar to a vibratto or tremolo effect in sound. That is, if you hit a note, say 15th freet high E string, its sound will "WAVER" going up and down almost like a sine wave. I took one of my guitars to a reputable repair guy and he told me that it is often very difficult to eliminate. He said you can get it if you pickups are too high (I guess the magnetism of the pickup pulls the vibrating string down) or even if you pickups are too low. He also mentioned some other factors.
EVIDENCE ITS NOT BUZZING (IN MY CASE)
In my case with the guitar un-plugged I can fret every note on every string without buzzing. This is mostly due to the fact that my action is somewhat high (7/64ths at the 17th fret on both the low E and high E strings).
MY GUITAR
My guitar is an Ibanez RG 570 DX with 3 seymour duncan pickups: (1) a 59 in the neck, (2) a Vintage rails in the middle, and (3) a Duncan Distortion TB-6 in the bridge. The guitar intonation is correct, and I use light strings 9-42.
** THE MYSTERY **
The great mystery for me is that the string oscillation will go away if I switch pickups with my 5-way switch.
For example, With the 59 neck pickup the high E and B strings have no oscillation, but the G string sounds bad.
However, with the Distortion in the bridge the G string sounds perfect but some notes on the high E string oscillate!
When the 59 and vintage rails are combined in the 4th position (no coil splitting) there is no string oscillation on the high strings at all (high g, b, e).
WHAT I HAVE TRIED....
Switching my strings to 10s (10-46) seem to lessen the problem -- but I do not want to play with 10s.
Raising the action and lowering the pickups works sometimes -- but never in such a way that all the pickups are free of oscillation
ANY IDEAS?
I really appreciate any help or ideas to address this problem.
Also misery loves company so any similar stories, if nothing else, are also appreciated. Maybe I should just accept this?
Sincerely,
Bubba
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