fret noise, how to reduce

  • Thread starter Thread starter daddymac
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I noticed string squeaks in one of Jack Johnson's most recent songs. It pisses me off but I get the feeling he was trying to do it. Sounds like shit to me
 
mx_mx said:
I noticed string squeaks in one of Jack Johnson's most recent songs. It pisses me off but I get the feeling he was trying to do it. Sounds like shit to me
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I really don't mind hearing some string noise. I suppose it depends on what your shooting for in a recording though.
 
to answer the thread...I agree with skill as the numero uno answer. I play the chords in a loop until I get it right and sometimes lasts for an entire practice sitting.

speaking for the rockers, GHS Boomers new out of the package first playing are the gold standard. I put a new set on before any show as even day olds I tend to break performing, blame Murphy.
 
ez_willis said:
Lot of whining about Elixirs but nothing coming in the way of recommendations.

And it seems stunning to me that people don't like the sound of new strings.
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The solution is technique. Nothing else will do it. When your not freting, you shouldn't be touching the string. (Unless your muting, but that is a whole other thing.)


As to the sound of new strings, I LOVE the sound of new strings. That's why I hate Elixirs. They NEVER sound like new strings. They suck. Sure they sound the same for a long time, but they always sound like shit so why would I want to spend twice as much on them.

If you want strings which last longer, then you should try D'Addario EXP's. Because D'Addario actually makes their own strings (Elixir doesn't, they buy them from one of the big string manufacurers and just dip them in that crap) they can coat them before they are wound, so they actually sound very close to real strings. They still cost twice as much, though, so I still don't know that they are worth it.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
The solution is technique. Nothing else will do it. When your not freting, you shouldn't be touching the string. (Unless your muting, but that is a whole other thing.
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As usual,you are full of shit.All smug and no real answers.Get over your
self.(Your "your" needed punctuation,and your freting could use another
tee!)
Elixers are good strings.Especially for those of us with moist hands.I don't
like them on electric because they break.On acoustic they are very good
and well worth the asking price.
Send me one of your guitars and I will try it on stage for a night and give
it an honest review,until then,quit talking with your mouth not full.
 
I use Elixirs on my acoustic. I go through a set every 3 months or so. Paying an extra few dollars for a set doesn't really break the bank.

You'll find that certain things work for certain people, and I'm not just talking about strings. There are bands that you like that other people won't like. Some people like white bread, others wheat.

Stuff that is subjective like this is pointless to argue about.

When I started using Elixirs I noticed a dramatic decrease in string squeak. I am not someone who is striving to be a really good guitar player, I use it to write songs. Using Elixirs was easier for me to correct the problem than invest the time to work out the incorrect technique.

Either use Elixirs or don't, I really could care less.
 
SHEPPARDB. said:
As usual,you are full of shit.All smug and no real answers.Get over your
self.(Your "your" needed punctuation,and your freting could use another
tee!)
Elixers are good strings.Especially for those of us with moist hands.I don't
like them on electric because they break.On acoustic they are very good
and well worth the asking price.
Send me one of your guitars and I will try it on stage for a night and give
it an honest review,until then,quit talking with your mouth not full.
Click to expand...




You do realise, don't you, that as soon as you start corecting someones grammar on the internet that you've lost the fight, right?


Elixirs suck, end of story. They sound dull and lifeless from the second you put them on the guitar, which is not how I want my guitars to sound. You want to use them, fine, but I think they suck.


As for technique being the answer, well, people have been making records without string squeaks for decades before Elixirs came around. Using a crutch will only mean that you never actually learn how to play. Hell, I can barly play anymore, and yet I can still manage to make recordings with no squeak. If me and my Verbal Kint gimp hands can do it, then anyone should be able to learn to do it.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I like the sound of Elixers, and use them. The old Microweb ones were darker by far than the more recent Nanowebs. Either will reduce string noise, but obnoxious string noise is caused by technique problems, and can not be cured by strings. If you fret precisely, and strum confidently, string noise is not a problem. A little string noise is, in fact, part of how guitars sound. Listen to guitar-driven music, even by masterful players, and you will hear string noise.
 
mx_mx said:
I like the Verbal Kint reference
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You should see my hands after I've been trying to play for an hour. It is an obvious reference.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
It is technique. I use steel strings on my acoustic and electric, and I make no string noise. I remember I used to, but then I figured something out about 5 years ago.
I think if you move on top of the strings with your fingertips, there’s a lot less string noise, but if you are sliding a lot of palm on the strings there were be string noise.

I think Elixirs sound bad. They have no midrange. It’s just upper high end and bass. They might match up to certain guitars and sound good I guess, but for my experience they sound bad. They would probably sound good on an older jumbo, but for crappy new guitars like Taylors, they are a bad match. And most people who play Taylors use Elixers, and thus the epidemic of horrible acoustic guitar tones of the 2000's.
 
Don't play much acoustic, and most of my electric playing is through distortion (where if I do squeek, which is rare, it sounds cool). I tend to squeek a bit when doing barres on acoustic, in that case I just lick my fingers.
 
I wonder if more people here hate elixers because of the sound or because lots of people like the way they sound.

...let's pretend the polywebs don't exist though, for the sake of the children.
 
scurrier said:
I wonder if more people here hate elixers because of the sound or because lots of people like the way they sound.

...let's pretend the polywebs don't exist though, for the sake of the children.
Click to expand...


I hate the sound. And I will only sell nanowebs, because they are not quite so bad, and because if I don't sell them, people give thier money to someone who does.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
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