ampage Tube Amps / Music Electronics	For current discussions, please visit Music Electronics Forum.

ampage archive

Vintage threads from the first ten years

E String Vibrato

:

10/26/2005 7:19 PM

E String Vibrato

I'm getting a vibrato type effect on the upper registers of the high (pitched) E string on my Les Paul. The higher I go, the more pronounced the effect and it also seems to increase in the frequency of the vibrato effect.

It doesn't happen on the B string.

I checked my pup height and when fretted at the last fret I have about 1/16" on the bridge and about 3/32" on the neck pup.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

10/27/2005 8:53 AM

Bob:

Is this happening both amplified and unamplified? And if you play the same pitch on the B-string there is no vibrato... that would seem to indicate that the problem is with your guitar and not with the amp or the guitar electronics (a pitch is a pitch once it gets to the controls- right?)

I'm sure that you already tried replacing the string- if it was worn or kinked it might vibrate strangely. So what gauge strings do you use?

A real head scratcher...

10/27/2005 11:29 AM

Yeah it is a real head scratcher Steve.

I tried another Les Paul into the amp and the problem was not there. So it's the guitar.

If I play the same pitch on the B string the problem is not there. So it's the E string.

I can't hear it un-amplified, but I'm not positive that it's not happening as a Les Paul isn't all that loud without an amp. Now that I think about it, I could check it on a tuner to see if it modulates

It was late last night so I didn't have a chance to change the strings but I have a gig this Saturday so I'll change them tonight. Hopefully that will "fix it".

10/28/2005 1:12 PM
Bob DeRosa	When I changed the strings the problem went away. In 25 years of playing guitar I've never heard any effect like this from a "bad" string. This wasn't a subtle effect, it was like a tremolo effect was on.

10/29/2005 11:26 AM
Steve A.	Bob: Do you still have the old string? I was wondering if it had a kink in it, or something else which might explain the tremolo effect. Glad to hear that your guitar is fine! Steve Ahola

Page 1 of 1