"Sitar" sounds on the high E string...

I've tried adding relief by loosening the truss rod (a quarter turn 3 times over the last three days) and jacking up the height on the corresponding saddle screw...still sounds like Norwegian Wood on that one string.

Oh yeah, 2009 Hwy One Tele.

So it must be the nut (slot wore too low?) or frets i'm guessing. Looking at the frets they've got some wear- some light divot's under the strings and such. Maybe a fret dressing?

Thanks in advance.

Try a thin piece of cardboard under the string at the nut. It might help you nail down where the problem is anyway. Cheap and easy look at this link: Fast & Easy Nut Shim (http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Quickies/NutShim/nutshim.html)

Press the string down behind the nut. If it goes away, it's the nut. It could be too wide, or not enough break angle. The slot should be lower in the back. Also if the tree has a spacer in it, remove it and get the butterfly flush with the headstock.

If you have a stamped steel bridge plate on your guitar, make sure it isn't resonating against the body. Push the front edge of the plate down or shove a business card under it, pluck your e string and see if it goes away. It's a long shot but it actually happened with my Thinline, so...

I have the same problem but mine is with the D string. :(

Any thoughts that maybe the bridge is the problem? I have a tele with the vintage style 6 saddle bridge and I'm having the same problem. The neck looks fine to me and my ear seems to trace the problem back to the bridge -- that there's just something rattling in there.

I just got a new Wilkinson 3 saddle compensated bridge in the mail and will likely be switching it out early next week. I'll let you know if it changes anything for the better.

My suggestion: time to play Signed, Sealed Delivered before you fix it.

I had this too on the high E of my 2011 Am.Std. Tele. Drove me nuts until I filed a very shallow groove where the string broke over the saddle. Sitar noise gone :lol:

Make sure there is not a tiny piece of fluff or knap wrapped round the string from cleaning .It drove me nuts on my Baja until I twigged .

I have the same problem but mine is with the D string. :(

Sometimes the D (and the G) will get this issue if there isn't a string tree and you don't have enough winds on those tuners.

It worked for Keef...

+10 internet point for whoever can name the song..

Press the string down behind the nut. If it goes away, it's the nut. It could be too wide, or not enough break angle. The slot should be lower in the back. Also if the tree has a spacer in it, remove it and get the butterfly flush with the headstock.

No spacer-the tree looks like a laz-e-boy recliner from the side but one piece. But still buzzing after pushing.

If you have a stamped steel bridge plate on your guitar, make sure it isn't resonating against the body. Push the front edge of the plate down or shove a business card under it, pluck your e string and see if it goes away. It's a long shot but it actually happened with my Thinline, so...

Bridge is good

My suggestion: time to play Signed, Sealed Delivered before you fix it.

Hardest i've laughed all day-thanks man. Cornell didn't need no steenkin' sitar sound...
GI2nQ7gaVXg


Make sure there is not a tiny piece of fluff or knap wrapped round the string from cleaning .It drove me nuts on my Baja until I twigged .

no fluff.

Thanks for the suggestions folks. It's gotta be the nut. Out here in the sticks i'm gonna have to tough it out this weekend and get to a tech Monday. Wish i could think of some way to raise the little e string slightly (temporarily) and it still would sound decent.

...Wish i could think of some way to raise the little e string slightly (temporarily) and it still would sound decent.Li'l piece of folded-up aluminum foil works on my acoustic...

IME, nearly always a nut issue.
Slot too low, or if not that, likely needs a gentle, but firm 'horizontal' pull through a fair few times with an old string. Maybe an old string the next string size up.

usually sorts it for me.

Open strings, check your break angle at the nut or get a string tree. Fretted it's likely the saddles. Drove me nuts too until I took it to a reputable tech.
Cost me fifteen bucks and about ten minutes.

Thanks Telepath and Jeff R...

but The Bluesman PM'd me a solution that worked. Took a sheet of copy paper and folded it over. Then licked the crease so that when it was drawn through the nut slot it would make it wider-not deeper. I did this 8-10 times and the "sitar" was gone. It worked so well i did my other unwound string slots too.

I've been using a graphite lubricant called "Guitar Grease" for years-maybe it had built up on the inside of the slot? How the heck does a slot get narrower over time anyway?

Many thanks to The Bluesman and everyone else.

How the heck does a slot get narrower over time anyway?



dirt

& thanks for the ssd vid that was hot!

If you have not, replace the string and make sure it is aligned
from bridge saddle thru nut to tuning peg. Make sure string tree
is in alignment.

What's your string gauge?

Are you using after-market string T's?

I have a strat that was doing the same thing on the E and B, this was after a graphtec nut installation.

I had some tings going on the G, got that remedied (no charge) the neck relief was a bit off over time and then... I started getting the Sitar sound on the E and B.

I eyeballed everything, measured out the neck relief, string height, pickup height, everything.

Then I saw the problem. I had installed a flashy after market roller string T.

The E and B were pretty close to the body of the T and really not in the groove of the rollers. I swapped it for the original and the problem was resolved.

Now, the tele has a slightly different string spacing so it might not have been an issue on the tele, but it was an issue on the strat, which also has string T's,

I have also considered putting a Carvin neck on one of the Fenders. Those necks are angled back (14 degrees I think). Which eliminates the need for a string T.

I also had a Blade guitar that had graduated machine posts which also negated the need for a string tree.

Sitar sound on high E. this just started a few days ago and was irritating for sure. upon very close inspection I found a tiny piece of fuzz from my micro fiber cleaning cloth on the tuner side of the nut. It was snugly wrapped around the string. Removed it and sitar sound gone. Amazing something so small can make a difference.
Bob
http://colemancustomguitars.com