Yucky ringing noise from guitar strings

  • Thread starter Thread starter thebigcheese
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I've pushed down on the section of string between the bridge and the thing that holds the strings, but that didn't eliminate the noise. The strings don't touch the bridge except for where they're supposed to... I mean, it could be a pickup, I guess, but it sounds very string-related. I do get a bit of a buzz from the pickups hitting the side of the hole they're in, but that is a distinctly different buzz that I don't care about because it doesn't impact the sound coming through the amp.
 
Sounds like it's vibrating at the saddle to me, like what most Wilkinson bridges do. :p

Could be a loose saddle screw or screws or saddle retainer clip, wee dollop of nail varnish or get a Tonepro's. :D
 
Sounds like it's vibrating at the saddle to me, like what most Wilkinson bridges do. :p

Could be a loose saddle screw or screws or saddle retainer clip, wee dollop of nail varnish or get a Tonepro's. :D

If that were the case it would more than likely do it on all notes on that that string.easy way ti check is to stuff a bit of blue tac on the saddle to damp any vibration. If it's the saddle slot it would be all frets.
 
+1 on checking every screw, etc.; vibrations travel and can seem to emanate from somewhere else from the actual source. I had a buzz on my Strat that seemed to come from where the neck joins the body, but it turned out to be that the handle on my trem bar was loose.
 
Dirt Frets

I highly dout this is your problem, but, Once upon a time i used some lemon fretboard crap to shine my fretboard, i just slacked the strings off and cleaned it up, soon after i started getting ugly pitchy notes out of it.
It turned out to be dirt/residue on the strings were causing harmonics to sound. like little dirt frets stuck to my strings. i changed strings and *poof* everything was ok.
like i said, its probably not your problem, your strings look very shinny, however this might help someone else out, maybe.
Peace World
Tremaine
 
Sounds like it's vibrating at the saddle to me, like what most Wilkinson bridges do. :p

Could be a loose saddle screw or screws or saddle retainer clip, wee dollop of nail varnish or get a Tonepro's. :D
Maybe I'm just confused about what you mean by saddle... do you mean the bridge? It's a Gibson Nashville bridge. Where would I put the blue tac for that (and where would I get it)?
 
Maybe I'm just confused about what you mean by saddle... do you mean the bridge? It's a Gibson Nashville bridge. Where would I put the blue tac for that (and where would I get it)?


Yes, the bridge saddle, where the string sits.

The blue tac was muttley's idea, damn good one too.

I take it he means to just stick a blob to the bridge saddle and see if the vibrations stop.

Gimme ten, I'll fish out a Nashville and post some pics.
 
In the top pic you will see the little black clips to check, check everything on the bridge for anything loose. A little backward and forwards play in the saddles is normal, unstrung of course.

and no muttley I didn't do the slot job with a still saw, that's what the tech in our local music shop passes off as workmanship, we don't get on much. ;)
 
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Ah, ok. So... what is this blue tac stuff and where do I get it?
 
Oh, so that adhesive putty you use to hang stuff on walls? That's easy enough to find.

I've tightened all the bolts and screws I could find, but no luck so far, so I guess I'll try to sticky tack. I've try resting my hand across the saddles and pushing down a bit, but that didn't change anything, either, so I dunno. If I tighten the truss rod and raise the action, then I'll have really high action at the body and low action at the top, which I don't really want (ideally it would be all fairly low, but at least consistent).
 
So one thing I've noticed--and might help narrow down what the problem is--is that the noise is there no matter how hard I pick the D string, which leads me to believe that it's not fret buzz. It does seem to be more noticeable with a pick, too.
 
Well, after reading about nuts on that site, it does seem that my nut slots may be a little wider than they should be. The ringing also seems to come from that area when I put my ear close to the guitar. Buying the nut is relatively inexpensive, but getting it installed is kind of costly... is it a fairly simple process?
 
Well, after reading about nuts on that site, it does seem that my nut slots may be a little wider than they should be. The ringing also seems to come from that area when I put my ear close to the guitar. Buying the nut is relatively inexpensive, but getting it installed is kind of costly... is it a fairly simple process?

Well, it happens a bit with the first fret or two, actually.
So which is it?
 
No no, I just meant that the ringing is still there when I am fretting notes at the first and second frets, not that the ringing was coming from the first and second frets.
 
I have tightened everything he mentions and more... it's just so hard to pinpoint the noise. On the one hand, it sounds like it comes from the nut, but then when I fret things, it sounds like it comes from somewhere else. The action at the bridge is set very high and I've loosened the nut on the truss rod almost all the way, but the ringing is still there and I'm still getting some fret buzz if I hit the strings with any real force, so I have to wonder if the ringing is related to that--and if so, how can I possibly get rid of it with the bridge almost all the way out already?
 
No no, I just meant that the ringing is still there when I am fretting notes at the first and second frets, not that the ringing was coming from the first and second frets.
If it's happening with fretted notes, it's not the nut.
 
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