Eliminating (well, reducing) finger squeaks

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Christine K

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Anyone got good suggestions for reducing the noise caused by finger squeaks on the strings? I'm using D'Addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze light gauge. Recording through a B1 mic and using N-Track software. I could experiment with various strings. I did try a set of Elixir Nanowebs and that helped a bit, but I like the tone of the D'Addarios better. I was hoping possibly for some noise elimination techniques that I might try on the software end of things. My mic placement is usually somewhere around the 12th fret or so. I haven't found a spot further away that I like yet, so maybe experimentation in that direction would also get the mic away from the noise source a bit? Thanks a bunch! :)
 
I like a bit of sqeak.....makes it feel more realistic.

New strings are the most problematic (old strings are dull.....). PLay the guitar a bit before recording.

Look at your local music shop and see if they sell a spray to make the strings a bt slippery just to eliminate sqeaks - stay away from oil based products.

Also a De-esser can help eliminate some of the sqeak.

The best solution is excellent technique :)
 
Finger ease or Fast fret helps a bit.
Like Shailat said, the biggest culprit are brand new strings. You can never get completely away from it.

But it does sound cool sometimes as long as its not tooooo loud. ;)

The two products above will probably bring down the squeaks to an ok level.
 
You can work on your technique also. Don't hold down so hard on the strings when you are sliding to another position; let off on the pressure. Technique has a lot to do with it.
 
finger squeeks are a problem of mine. I found the other elixir strings sound better.. can't remember what they're called... but anywho, I also have worked hard on the technique side. I've shyed away from finger-ease type products because... well.. just because. Maybe it's worth a shot... hey.. I'm gonna go home and try some tonight!

With fingerstyle playing, I've noticed that the drop in volume compared to strumming makes it harder to hide the squeeks. So I've also been experimenting with mic placement. I try and put the mic further up the neck and then aim at the 12th. that way the fingers are way off axis.
 
Wet your fingertips by licking them or soaking in water for a few seconds - it softens the hard callouses and squeaks less
 
Christine K said:
Anyone got good suggestions for reducing the noise caused by finger squeaks on the strings? I'm using D'Addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze light gauge. Recording through a B1 mic and using N-Track software. I could experiment with various strings.

All the suggestions you have gotten should help. Technique is of course the best solution. One thing that may also help is using flat wound strings. They are more expensive, but should reduce string noise greatly.

Good luck with it!

TheBlues
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all the help guys! In the same vein as the "wet fingertips" theory, someone told me to eat buttered popcorn before playing, and then you can't believe how easy it is to slide around the neck! Hmmm, not sure this is really good for the strings or the fingerboard though. :D
 
Another thing I've heard, on this BBS I believe : rub your nose ( or your face ) with your fingers before playing and use the natural skin oil.
 
Yes, licking them if you are too lazy to get a little bowl of water - it really does work IF you have hard callouses on your fingertips., the water softens them and reduces finger squeak considerably. You don't start playing while they are still wet though ! It lasts for a little while; long enough to lay a track. I use the water approach myself - less fattening than having to EAT buttered popcorn. Might try using skin lotion to soften those babies, would probably last longer. Much better and easier to eliminate the squeak source than to try and filter out later. You could use a wave editor prog like Sound Forge, zoom in on the track and insert silence or reduce amplitude where the squeaks are, presumably in between notes. One other suggestion - If you are a quiet player, try playing louder, the squeaks will be softer in comparison, therefore less noticeable; very similiar to a higher signal to noise ratio...
 
Most of the standard stuff has been mentioned. I find it helps to actually soak your fingertips in water as hot as you can stand for about 5 minutes. (Christine, have someone check it to make sure its safe- peripheral neuropathy, don't you know) Then try some hand cream, just a little, on the fingertips, like vaseline intensive care. This will soften your calluses, and your fingers will be more sensitive and start to hurt sooner, but it helps. Flat wound strings will virtually eliminate the problem, but it sounds like you're picky about tone, and you may well be unimpressed. Best of luck.-Richie
 
Ground Control to Major Tom...(sorry, couldn't resist! :D )

Thanks, I'm going to try that water trick next recording. If it works for just that one track, it'll be a real help. I did do some editing of the spikes wherever there was a particularly loud squeak and for the most part got away with it (using N-Track). And yes my fingertip callouses are pretty thick, very un-lady like, but hey, I'm not in it for cosmetics!

Ahhh, Richie, we got in there almost at the same time! Thanks, and yes, I really like the tone of the particular strings and I change them fairly often (3-4 weeks). I really don't want to wait for them to get dirty and the newness falls off. I have not tried the flat wound strings, and since I started using these particular D'Addarios, I am hesitant to switch, the sound so nice on this particular guitar. My Martin on the other hand sounds better with John Pearse strings.

CK
 
You wouldn't like the sound of flatwounds - they sound deader than the deadest of dead strings,mellower than mellow, although no squeak. There is a reason (virtually)no one uses them except for that traditional "jazz guitar" sound.
 
get in the habit of incorporating better control when moving around the strings.

every time you move from the upper to lower (or vise versa)registers of the guitar, hover your fingers ever so slightly above the string(s). Eventually you will get so good at this that your squeaks will magically disappear

better technique beats popcorn fingers every time :)



*sometimes finger squeaks sound good like in Tom Petty -- song Breakdown
lots of sqeaking :)
 
go to your local army/navy surplus store and buy a bag of Blitz--for polishing metals...it contains two cloths--one is saturated with a very light tung-oil, the other is for wiping away the excess...tung-oil is great for your fret-board as well...I wouldn't advise using the product directly on the board, but some will transfer onto it...Blitz works great--extends the life of the strings, keeps them clean and responsive, easier to play..etc.
 
Just a thought... ...is the string squeal gonna stand out in the final mix? Are you just doing a guitar / vocal thing, or are you planning on incorporating more instruments? Depending on where you're going with the recording, the string noise may end up un-noticeable.
 
For the most part, they are solo guitar instrumentals, with "maybe" the ocassional vocal thrown in. But then I'd been listening to a few instrumental CDs this weekend and they were complete with what seemed like unaltered squeaking, so maybe I'm just too anal about the sound. I'll leave them in unless they're really obnoxious.

Thanks for all the advice, I got plenty to work with (technique especially)!
 
Rub your fingertips across your forehead.

It's fast, easy, and allways acsessible.

If your forehead is not oily enough, eat more McDonalds food.

GT
 
One thing I've done and have forgotten to mention here: I keep the ends of my fingers smoothed off with a fine/medium fingernail file. An emory (sp?) board would work. This helps a lot keeping the string noise down and it also helps a lot in my work at cracking safes with my left hand. Haven't been caught yet. Haven't been fingerprinted since I've gotten my good calluses and started filing them.
 
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