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Les Paul Traditional vibrating sound


HE1

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Posted

Hi all!

 

Got a brand new traditional last week, it sounds awesome and feels super but got 1 thing.

 

When hitting a double string tone like the G-B string on fret 12 or fret 14....i get a strange vibrating sound when my amp is on overdrive/heavy rock, when using the neck pickup (rythm). It gets worse when i put the tone lower of this neck pickup (in the lows like 0-4).

 

My practice amp is an Marshall MG30fx....used it with several other guitars where i didnt hear this strange vibration.

 

I started with the original Gibson strings and replaced them yesterday with D'addario's but this doesnt make a difference. I tuned my strings in normal e-a-d-g-b-e.

 

Anyone got suggestions what this can be? can it be the pick up or intonation which isnt right? Nothing is changed on the setup of the guitar.

Posted

Your pickup may be too high, or close to the strings. The strong magnetic pull can affect the string vibrations. Also, check your string height. You may have to raise it slightly due to your strings could be slightly rattling on the frets. One other thing is to look at the bridge and tailpiece. When the strings leave the stop bar heading to the bridge, do they touch the bridge anywhere but the saddles? If so then you will have to raise the stop bar until they don't :)

Posted

Your pickup may be too high, or close to the strings. The strong magnetic pull can affect the string vibrations. Also, check your string height. You may have to raise it slightly due to your strings could be slightly rattling on the frets. One other thing is to look at the bridge and tailpiece. When the strings leave the stop bar heading to the bridge, do they touch the bridge anywhere but the saddles? If so then you will have to raise the stop bar until they don't :)

 

The neck pickup doesnt seem to be too high at all compared to my other les paul models. The string action seems to be ok, actions is even a bit more than op my epiphone and rattling or buzz isnt there on the whole neck not mather how hard you touch the strings. I tested unplugged and i cant hear any noices which shouldnt be there.

Posted

Usually when you play only certain notes on the neck and get vibrations and rattles, it can be hardware issues. Try narrowing it down and see if the bridge saddles are vibrating, or if you use strap locks, they can squeak and rattle sometimes too. Also, see if your pickup could be rattling by tapping it or wiggling it. If you hear a rattle/vibration.....SOMETHING is moving at certain frequencies. Loose tuners, truss rod covers, pickguards, you name it. :) Good luck! PS if the sound is ONLY when plugged in to an amp, and on the high gain settings, I bet 10 to 1 that your problem is intonation. When your guitars open strings are in perfect tune, the fretted 12 fret note should read perfectly in tune as the same note. If it is flat, loosen the saddle screw to move it forward. If it frets sharp, tighten the screw to draw the saddle back. Retune after even slight adjustments and keep checking till each string checks out. Use a real tuner for this, not a cheap one or a built-in the amp tuner ;)

Posted

if you're too close to your amp you may be getting a harmonic "ring" or a wolf tone.

try facing the amp away from you, or getting behind it.

i have one of the older MG30s as an "emergency" backup amp, anywhere past 9:o'clock on the OD knob is so nasty that it causes all sorts of "extra tones", none of them good.

Posted

if you're too close to your amp you may be getting a harmonic "ring" or a wolf tone.

try facing the amp away from you, or getting behind it.

i have one of the older MG30s as an "emergency" backup amp, anywhere past 9:o'clock on the OD knob is so nasty that it causes all sorts of "extra tones", none of them good.

 

it doesnt mather where i play according my position to the amp.

Posted

strange thing is it only starts vibrating when i hit 2 strings.....when i only hit 1 string anywhere on the fretboard it sounds ok and in tune.

Posted

I would say intention because it's between 12 and 14th fret which is where you check it, so prob most notable and more common these frets. Try each string and all two tring combinations and then let's us k ow. Could it be a loose fret? Or a fret that is too high?

Posted

I would say intention because it's between 12 and 14th fret which is where you check it, so prob most notable and more common these frets. Try each string and all two tring combinations and then let's us k ow. Could it be a loose fret? Or a fret that is too high?

 

Thx for the reply, brought the trad back to the shop just today. The guy there also mentioned intonation so i let him tune it cause i dont wanna bug my precious guitar myself :) i let you know when i get it back.

Posted

btw here you can hear how it sounded hitting G-B on fret 12 and 14......

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9lqog5VgeU&feature=player_embedded

It sounds a lot like a microphonic tube (impossible I know, being the amp is SS). But, it leads me to think from the sound it is coming from a vibration that is sourced from the amp.

 

It is possible that the guitar is able to produce some frequencies that cause the amp to vibrate somewhere that your other guitars don't do.

 

It might also be possible that the combo of amp/guitar, that the amp is producing frequencies that cause some part of the guitar to vibrate or feedback.

Posted

It sounds a lot like a microphonic tube (impossible I know, being the amp is SS). But, it leads me to think from the sound it is coming from a vibration that is sourced from the amp.

 

It is possible that the guitar is able to produce some frequencies that cause the amp to vibrate somewhere that your other guitars don't do.

 

It might also be possible that the combo of amp/guitar, that the amp is producing frequencies that cause some part of the guitar to vibrate or feedback.

 

It almost sounds like a pinch harmonic to me. I think it's coming from the guitar. But you could be on to something too.

 

HE, What gauge strings do you have on your other guitars?

Posted

It sounds a lot like a microphonic tube (impossible I know, being the amp is SS). But, it leads me to think from the sound it is coming from a vibration that is sourced from the amp.

 

It is possible that the guitar is able to produce some frequencies that cause the amp to vibrate somewhere that your other guitars don't do.

 

It might also be possible that the combo of amp/guitar, that the amp is producing frequencies that cause some part of the guitar to vibrate or feedback.

 

what you mean being the amp is SS btw?

 

i excluded feedback think cause i played like 5y away from the amp while the volume of the amp not being very loud.

Posted

It almost sounds like a pinch harmonic to me. I think it's coming from the guitar. But you could be on to something too.

 

HE, What gauge strings do you have on your other guitars?

 

 

it really feels comming from the guitar idd imo.

 

I started with the shipped gibson 010 strings and replaced them with D'addario's 010's both sounding the same regarding to this issue

Posted

it really feels comming from the guitar idd imo.

 

I started with the shipped gibson 010 strings and replaced them with D'addario's 010's both sounding the same regarding to this issue

 

I would really eyebll the frets, they could be different heights and it's choking out....what was the action like?

Posted

what you mean being the amp is SS btw?

 

i excluded feedback think cause i played like 5y away from the amp while the volume of the amp not being very loud.

SS is short for solid state, so basically a microphinic tube is NOT a possible cause.

 

Feedback is not always a 'Jimi Hendrix' type of deal. What it sounds like it could be, is that the sound produced BY THE AMP is possible causing something in the guitar to vibrate, the become amplified.

 

Sinse it is only on certain notes, chances are pretty good that the particular frequencies are causing something to vibrate that normally do not.

 

It sounds much to loud to be caused by intonation issues to me. And it seems more likely it is the amp itself, and that the LP you have is just able to bring out certain frequencies the amp has trouble with.

Posted

SS is short for solid state, so basically a microphinic tube is NOT a possible cause.

 

Feedback is not always a 'Jimi Hendrix' type of deal. What it sounds like it could be, is that the sound produced BY THE AMP is possible causing something in the guitar to vibrate, the become amplified.

 

Sinse it is only on certain notes, chances are pretty good that the particular frequencies are causing something to vibrate that normally do not.

 

It sounds much to loud to be caused by intonation issues to me. And it seems more likely it is the amp itself, and that the LP you have is just able to bring out certain frequencies the amp has trouble with.

 

 

Have another amp you an try?

Posted

I would really eyebll the frets, they could be different heights and it's choking out....what was the action like?

 

if you mean buzz or rattle its completely free from that no matter how hard you hit the strings on the whole neck

Posted

SS is short for solid state, so basically a microphinic tube is NOT a possible cause.

 

Feedback is not always a 'Jimi Hendrix' type of deal. What it sounds like it could be, is that the sound produced BY THE AMP is possible causing something in the guitar to vibrate, the become amplified.

 

Sinse it is only on certain notes, chances are pretty good that the particular frequencies are causing something to vibrate that normally do not.

 

It sounds much to loud to be caused by intonation issues to me. And it seems more likely it is the amp itself, and that the LP you have is just able to bring out certain frequencies the amp has trouble with.

 

dont think the amp causes something to vibrate in the guitar....when i play 5y away and behind from the amp with pretty low volume it gives the same sound also, so the sound must come from the guitar rly.

Posted

if you mean buzz or rattle its completely free from that no matter how hard you hit the strings on the whole neck

 

 

U might think that's the case but the amp can pick up what your ears do not especially when u play with alot of gain.

Posted

it was idd the intonation.

 

When i went to the shop to get my guitar, there was actually a guy from Gibson europe there. He told me about intonation bladiebla and that there doesnt exist a guitar 100% tuned on the whole fretbord etc. He adjusted it and it was much better after that.

 

To completely solve it, i found out, is to tune it in standard tuning not on open strings, but tuning it on the 12th fret in standard tuning, so its tuned best on the frets where it was vibrating.

 

thx for all the replies.

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