Weak E String

[Major Tom]

I have a Fender Performer guitar(similiar to strat, Japanese made from mid 80's). The high E string sounds weak; both acoustically and amplified. It has way less sustain and power than the other strings. I use 10-46 gauge strings. I've tightened the neck screws, tried changing string height, tried adjusting the Trem spring tension, removed and remounted the bridge saddle, the truss rod seems to be adjusted O.K. I have noticed similiar results on other guitars that I have played and own, but not to this degree. Any suggestions ??

[Treeline]

Adjustable pole pieces on the pickups?

Try letting out the screws on the center pickup first, 1/8 turn, just under the e-string and see what happens. Mark them before you fool with anything so that you can return them to their prior settings if you need.

You might also have a nut with too deep a slot cut for the e-string; grabbing it instead of letting it rest over a break point. There are ways to address it, but you might want to take it to somebody for that. It can be built up with superglue and recut, but it's a real mess if it gets away from you.

[Major Tom]

This guitar has 2 pickups, non standard, splittable humbuckers, blade magnets I think...they are not accessible. Also, I forgot to mention B-4, I have the pickups low enough so that magnetism is not a factor.

[Tom Hicks]

guitars are like people as to their individual voices.If it won't sing its firewood.Don't be like the guy hanging on to the girl who dumped him.There are too many good axes out there waiting for your hands to make them speak.
Look at it this way,many guys wouldn't even notice the flaw.The pickier you get the better axe you want to play.

Tom

[peter miller]

I had that problem once and brought the pickups closer to the strings and whamo-Tone!!!!

[Tom Hicks]

I had originally thought the string was out of line with the pole piece of the pickup,but you suggest it has a blade style pickup,which wouldn't be a problem with allignment so much.

Tom

[vox]

I am not familiar with you guitar model, but a lot of less expensive guitars come with tuning pegs and bridge saddles which can kill your tone, if either of these are really light and flimsy maybe, MAYBE, changing them would fix the problem.

[Treeline]

If the pickup blade is too far away from the strings, then magnetism IS the problem. The high e string is the lightest gauge of any string; it has the least mass and will generate the least powerful magnetic field. Moving the pole pieces - or the blade - further away will make the signal weaker. Find a way to move it closer to the string. The magnetic field within which the string vibrates will be inherently stronger. Make that sucker LOUD. Now you should have a signal that can be worked with.

[Major Tom]

Thanks for the advice. One problem I did find was nut related, the nut was being shoved out of it's slot on the high E side, I guess from sweat, humidity or whatever, I fixed that, and the string sounds much better in the open position, hovever it is still weak in the "mix" when fretted. I tried raising the pickups but they will not come up a whole lot, I will have to take it apart and maybe put some longer springs in to get it up significantly closer. This is one of my secondary guitars, and the problem is not bad enough to turn it into firewood, but Tom Hicks does have a good point! Sound like a good excuse to head to the music store and look at some new axes!

[Treeline]

Hey, any port in a storm!!