JVM Forum

Hey guys, what do you make of this.

The High E on my Gibson 'The Paul' has a string seems to have a strange oscillation that does not appear on the other strings. Any ideas what could be causing it?

Checkout the attached MP3



The clips are:

1) The open E - oscillation
2) The open G - no oscillation
3) E played on the G String at the 5th Fret - no oscillation
4) E played on the E String at the 12th Fret - Oscillation

The strings are a little old but I do not remember hearing this before. I am on OD2 red (not a usual hangout for me) and this seems to emphasise the effect but I am hearing it on other channels also).

Hit me !

Stab in the dark I'd say drop your pickup(s) lower as the string may be interacting with the magnets.
Try the same test between pickups too for giggles.

Thanks Andy. It comes through on the neck PUP too but less emphatically.

My first thought was the Pickup also. I tried dropping both a little on the treble side but no dice ... tone still there. Weird that there is no hint of it on the adjacent string also.

It could just be a bum string but I have always had trouble 'keeping that guitar in tune' and I am wondering if it is because this 'beat' note is always there. I need to rip out the bridge pickup soon anyway and flip round the Duncan Triple Shot surround (which I have apparently installed upside down. That should not have any bearing on my issue but will mean I will reset heights again afterwards. I will change strings when I do the pickup and that may help.

Final thing for me is that the saddles have a slightly chewed look - dunno why. It may be that there is some kind of burr causing the tone but I haven't heard it quite like that before.

I too think the first thing to check is lowering the pickup, but the neck pickup will have more effect. I wouldn't rule out saddles or string condition.

Very strange. I am very curious, so please do post after you've sorted it.

Will do. Be a little while before I can look at it but I will come back.

Well it can't be much more than the string, saddles, nut, pickups or a simple oscillation in the space time continuum ...
leading to Milliways:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucNYLsjKaTQ&feature=plcp

You may be able to play support with disaster area !

Haha! Yeaaaaahhhh !!!!

Disaster Area were always one of my seminal influences and of course there is no truth to the rumour that the lead singer, Hotblack Desiato, is running an estate agent in North London.

I used to walk past the billboards!

http://www.hotblackdesiato.co.uk/

Anyway the answer to your question is of course 42

Just occurred to me ... I never responded to this. I changed the strings and the nasty tone went bye byes. Very strange but one for the books.

Thanks for getting back!

Yeah, funk/oxidization on the string. Bewewewewew
I say put new strings on and get them in tune is the first step anytime you want to sound your best.

Sounds stupid but sometimes you can take rubbing alcohol or even vodka and clean them in a pinch. Sometimes it only takes one playing session and they're done depending on the conditions

Not sure the vodka would make it as far as the string . I usually use a light string cleaner/lube like Kyser Dr Stringfellow which tends to keep the crud under control but makes a fairly foul Bloody Mary so is safe to keep around.

Nah, I have had had problems with old strings before but mainly around intonation, never warbly pitch like that which is why it totally threw me. Lesson learned!