General Question about single-not tone difficulties

W

WannaAxe

Member
Hi - hoping for some help. I have been playing guitar on and off for about 30 years, sometimes with years of no playing in between. I have a renewed interest, and I am finally starting to pay attention to my "tone." I recently purchase a JEM, as well as a new Axe-FX II. I also have an Ibanex JS1000 and a Fender strat.

I guess the issue I am having is with over-driven/distorted sounds - single notes. Without uploading a sounds sample, I will try to explain my issue. Perhaps it is normal, and I am just too unaware and inexperienced to know better... So when I play 12th fret on G string (Just fret the note, or play the harmonic), clean tones are great. Again, no vibrato, bending, etc. Just playing a single note or harmonic. But choosing any type of overdriven/distortion patch causes this single note to makes a warbling-type of sound. I wish I cound describe it better... it sort of wavers, or flutters? This happens on my JEM, my Ibanez JS1000, and my Fender stat - on any pickup. Clean sounds fine, but any of the overdriven/distorted patches produce this effect. Technique is fine - no other strings are ringing or open. I am plugged directly in to the Axe-FX 2, and listening through headphones.

Power chords sound great. Other notes on different strings sound good as well. They do exhibit a bit of this behavior, but not as pronounced or irritating.

So is this "normal," and should be expected with distortion? Or could there be other issues (intonation, issues with guitars, etc?) Or can it be compensated with other effects? I just had all my guitars professionally setup - new strings, action, etc. I couldn't be happier with the way they all play. And clean or unplugged they sound great. But I can't play a "single" note through any of the distorted patch that doesn't sound bad to me- especially on the G string.

Thanks!
 
Does this also happen after you've put a fresh set of strings on? I had this problem with one of my guitars and I couldn't work out what the hell it was. Someone suggested I put on fresh strings and voila! The warbling went away.
 
If I am not wrong I believe that could be due to that the pickups are too close to the strings. And since you say it mostly happends on the g-string it could be that the pickup pole on that string is too high, causing a too heavy string pull, causing that oscillating strange sound. Try to lower the pickups, and especially the neck pickup.Lower it alot just to see if it makes a difference. This is normally more common with single coils and is called "stratisis" or something similar. This should not happen that easily on humbuckers, I believe. And especially not if you have low output style pickups and the same is true for some active pickups because they don't need/have strong magnets.
Good luck!
 
It sounds like your input level for your guitar is set too high within the Axe FX 2. Did you do the whole "tickle the red" procedure? If you did that with your Strat, it may be that your higher gain pickups (on the Jem, instance) are causing "clipping" which is the sound your describing, I think without actually hearing it.

Look up "Ticking the red" and redo the process with your JEM guitar as those Evolution (or Breed) pickups are VERY hot compared to the other guitars you have. Give it a go and report back!
 
Thanks all. Strings are brand new. I did try to lower the pickups - no real change, other than dropped volume. I will next try the "tickle the red" procedure.

It is actually odd - I can hear the "warble effect" with no distortion, but very faint - it actually sounds like multiple higher harmonics are getting mixed in, but not "in sync"
 
do you get the same problem with the AxeFx in GLOBAL BYPASS mode? (Turn it up loud if you need to hear it better, but make sure you turn it back DOWN before you exit Global Bypass).
 
I think it is more of a harmonic thing - if I roll back my tone know to kill the highs, it seems to be minimized. I am just wondering if this is normal for a distorted sound.
 
I have the exact same thing across 12 Les Paul's with a variety of pickups, regardless of height, across over 30 amps and via both of my Axe II's. It's not an Axe problem, though it's so much more noticeable on the Axe. I put this down to the Axe being hooked up to monitors and everything else being hooked up to cabs.

I couldn't tell you what it is but it's there at home, at my studio and at my shop. Even with guitars off the wall at my store in to the amps there, it's the same deal.

It's pretty easy to just tweak patches, amps, whatever and get rid of it though.

My only real guess was that it's shitty power in my area as my home, studio and store are all within 20 minutes of each other and I'd eliminated everything else.
 
I have a Jem too. I got that sound when my action was set too low. The string would lose sustain and hit the frets above.
 
jgparker59 said:
I have a Jem too. I got that sound when my action was set too low. The string would lose sustain and hit the frets above.
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Just what I was going to say. Check and see if it happens with less gain,take your high gain patch and turn the gain down. 3 things it could be,pickups to high ,which you tried or action to low. Not to be a dick ,but picking technique plays a big part when action is low. Try not digging in so hard ,see if that changes any thing.If it does ,it would mean your g string is buzzing out a bit.I had a similar problem,it was driving me nuts.What I did was learn to do a better fret job and dressing.Did change up my picking technique a bit.But I play with very low action 3/64 at the 12th fret with straight neck ,no relief. Playing off and on 35 yrs
 
jeppekristoffer said:
If I am not wrong I believe that could be due to that the pickups are too close to the strings. And since you say it mostly happends on the g-string it could be that the pickup pole on that string is too high, causing a too heavy string pull, causing that oscillating strange sound. Try to lower the pickups, and especially the neck pickup.Lower it alot just to see if it makes a difference. This is normally more common with single coils and is called "stratisis" or something similar. This should not happen that easily on humbuckers, I believe. And especially not if you have low output style pickups and the same is true for some active pickups because they don't need/have strong magnets.
Good luck!
Click to expand...

Stratitis is more common with single coils in the neck position. If you are already experiencing the problem, and you simply lower your neck pickup in an attempt to eliminate it, you may still hear it. I think, but I am not sure, and I'm sure someone will correct me, and possibly sternly rebuke me too, but once the set of strings that is on your guitar, becomes magnetized because your pickups were too high, simply lowering your pickups tonight, will not eliminate the problem. You must ALSO change to a fresh set of strings.

SO, what I am saying is, lower your neck pickup first. There are probably a zillion websites to tell you the optimal height. Then change your strings. Your problem will probably go away, until that set of strings becomes magnetized again. But you could get weeks out of the strings before it is a problem. Hence, whenever you are going to record or play a gig, and solo on the G-string, you'll want a fresh set of strings first.....

I have an Ibanez Sabre 540S and I've installed Classic Seymour Duncans that have staggered pole pieces. They are actually stacked humbuckers that look like classic strat pickups. The Stratitis is terrible on that guitar, unless I put new strings on it. So, I always do before a performance.

The rest of my guitars have humbuckers in the neck position, and those are not typically known to cause an issue.

One respondant suggested lighter gauge strings. I don't know if that will help with this issue or not. But I went from 9-42's for 20 years, to 10-46 for about 3 years, and now I'm using 11-54's and my intonation has never been truer. High notes have never sounded more "on the money". I don't have any warble.

Good luck and Godspeed.
 
One more thing to think of: Technique. Are you muting the unused strings? IMO that's the big difference between experience guitarists and newbies. The new guys let all kinds of strings ring whereas the experience guitarist has a good muting technique when soloing.
 
Hey if you want to hear a top pro player, allowing this problem to remain unfixed on his guitar, drag this to the guitar solo at 3:40

Elton John - Have Mercy On The Criminal - YouTube

Davey Johnstone has toured the world and collaborated to create some of rock's most memorable tunes over a 40 year career. This was from 1986, and I cringed the first time (and subsequently every time) I hear it.

"STRATITIS" with single coil neck pickup!!!!!!
 
Since it's highlighted at the 12th fret it could be beat frequencies between the intended note and the string ringing behind the fretted note (nut to 11th fret). Have you tried a different fingering and using fretting hand fingers to mute the string behind the fretted note? Overdriven tones are just going to compress and highlight everything.
 
Don't know if it's been mentioned, but move away from any electronic device/appliance you may be near, or turn it off. Ceiling & oscillating floor fans are a big culprit here and will cause the exact sound you are describing if you are sitting too close to them (and it is most noticeable on distorted single notes, especially the higher you play on the fretboard).
 
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