PhredE
Friend of Leo's
Have you measured the pickup height (are they close to Fender specs)? If the other stuff doesn't elminate it, I'd lower the neck pickup and check again.
Odd Low Octave Overtone when playing high E and B string together above Fret 12
- Thread starter dougywarren
- Start date
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dougywarren
TDPRI Member
Still does it with the ceiling fan off. I tried headphones too thinking maybe something else in the room was vibrating but it's just coming from the guitar
dougywarren
TDPRI Member
I did check that. Lowed them to spec and then lowered them even a bit more to try it out. didn't change much other than some tone.
robt57
Telefied
Is there an acoustic guitar in ear shot?
dougywarren
TDPRI Member
there's a couple but it's not them. The overtone happens through headphones as well.
PhredE
Friend of Leo's
I was just checking the design of the saddles
Are any of your saddle pieces touching the bridge plate directly? or are the adjusting screws raised enough to get the saddle piece(s) up off the bridge plate?
Edit: Is it possible the bridgeplate mounting screws (the head) protrude and contact either: one of the saddles, or one of the saddle height adjusters?
Another thing I would try is to place some softer material object like a pencil eraser, a neoprene grommet/washer, etc in contact with E, B strings to deaden any possible sympathetic vibration behind the saddle (eg; between saddle and where it descends into the thru body).
I use an appropriated sized grommet wedged between adjacent strings (B and E usually) and it does a good job of taking care of weird sonic anomalies like that. I would try it at the bridge end AND up between nut and tuner/string tree too.
Best telecaster saddles on the market.
Fix the intonation on your tele with these compensated telecaster saddles from Bensonite - improved intonation, shorter set screws for improved feel, and slots to maintain proper string alignment. These saddles look, sound, and feel amazing.
www.bensoniteproducts.com
Are any of your saddle pieces touching the bridge plate directly? or are the adjusting screws raised enough to get the saddle piece(s) up off the bridge plate?
Edit: Is it possible the bridgeplate mounting screws (the head) protrude and contact either: one of the saddles, or one of the saddle height adjusters?
Another thing I would try is to place some softer material object like a pencil eraser, a neoprene grommet/washer, etc in contact with E, B strings to deaden any possible sympathetic vibration behind the saddle (eg; between saddle and where it descends into the thru body).
I use an appropriated sized grommet wedged between adjacent strings (B and E usually) and it does a good job of taking care of weird sonic anomalies like that. I would try it at the bridge end AND up between nut and tuner/string tree too.
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zsullivan38
TDPRI Member
Is it possible that the length of string between the saddle and ferrule is the perfect length to resonate with a specific note you're playing?
dougywarren
TDPRI Member
I'll give that a shot putting something behind the saddle. I had the stainless Bensonite saddles on there. No issues with them but thought just in case I could swap them out with the original Fender CS saddles and no change other than missing the feel of the Bensonites. I tried swapping a different brand of strings too and no luck. I checked under the bridge plate and nothing weird. Nothing lose I can find anywhere. Tried playing the notes that trigger the overtone and touching other parts of the guitar but nothing is showing up. I tried putting cloth in different areas of the fretboard between the strings and no luck either. Other than a fret job or changing out the pickups (which I don't want to do) I don't know what's left.I was just checking the design of the saddles
Best telecaster saddles on the market.
Fix the intonation on your tele with these compensated telecaster saddles from Bensonite - improved intonation, shorter set screws for improved feel, and slots to maintain proper string alignment. These saddles look, sound, and feel amazing.www.bensoniteproducts.com
Are any of your saddle pieces touching the bridge plate directly? or are the adjusting screws raised enough to get the saddle piece(s) up off the bridge plate?
Edit: Is it possible the bridgeplate mounting screws (the head) protrude and contact either: one of the saddles, or one of the saddle height adjusters?
Another thing I would try is to place some softer material object like a pencil eraser, a neoprene grommet/washer, etc in contact with E, B strings to deaden any possible sympathetic vibration behind the saddle (eg; between saddle and where it descends into the thru body).
I use an appropriated sized grommet wedged between adjacent strings (B and E usually) and it does a good job of taking care of weird sonic anomalies like that. I would try it at the bridge end AND up between nut and tuner/string tree too.
PhredE
Friend of Leo's
There had been some cases (not for me personally, but other issues with posters here on TDPRI) where people observed the same.
You have a std 4-hole bridgeplate? If so, I have seen recommendations by some of the best here suggest drilling two tiny holes in the other end of the bridgeplate (the two 'top' corners) and putting screws there to force it fully down at the opposing end*. Not sure if that's something you want to consider. If it were me, I'd try to deaden/mute the sections of the strings outside of nut<->saddle and see if you have any luck.
It does sound like, or related to, a sympathetic vibration. If you tuned your guitar a 1/2 or even a full step lower, and play the same notes on the same string(s) would you get the same effect? Hmmm. That would indicate if it were frequency-specific/dependent in which case dampening things would be the best course of action IMO.
Edit: sorry, been fighting autocorrect and my own sloppiness in posting here. ugh. I think you can see where I was going with that line of reasoning.. (apologies..)
* Credit to @Peegoo for that one. Although it probabaly isn't the culprit in this case and not necessary.
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Like the title says. Just heard it for the first time last night. Thought it was a power tube in my amp but then tried my Strymon Iridium straight in and it's there too with my Tele. If I play the high E or B separately, no issue. But when I play them both together on the same fret, ex: F# on the E string and C# on the B string, Fret 14, I get a weird low F# octave that appears. Seems to happen with both pickups, the more gain the more it emphasizes it. Fuzz really makes it really obvious. It's on the octave but it's not pretty. Swapped the strings out and nothing changed. What an odd issue. Open to suggestions? An odd Tele ghost?
Video of Tele and Iridium. You can here those weird low tones
Man that is obvious and weird!
Does it do it unplugged?
HAVE YOU CHECKED TO SEE IF THE TRUSS ROD IS LOOSE?
dougywarren
TDPRI Member
Truss rod seems fine. I just did a fret job on it and it didn't fix it. But if I hold the body to my ear I can hear the low overtone resonating slightly in the body. I do not hear it on the neck. If you've never held your Tele neck or body flat to your ear, its' crazy how loud it actually is hahaha. So my guess is it's not the pickups. But something in that guitar is resonating in a strange way. Glad y'all can hear it too in the video and I'm not crazy.
Did you try turning the truss rod just a bit to tighten it? I had a Fender Strat that had a weird vibration once and that was the issue, the truss rod was at neutral with no tension so rattling in the groove.
@dougywarren
All the usual suspects have already been mentioned here in this thread.
Try this: wrap a bandana twice around the headstock right behind the nut and tie it in place. This will deaden the strings suspented between the nut and tuners/tree. Sympathetic resonance can occur here and it can creep into the tone.
See if that alleviates the issue.
All the usual suspects have already been mentioned here in this thread.
Try this: wrap a bandana twice around the headstock right behind the nut and tie it in place. This will deaden the strings suspented between the nut and tuners/tree. Sympathetic resonance can occur here and it can creep into the tone.
See if that alleviates the issue.
dougywarren
TDPRI Member
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/awful-dissonant-overtone-sound-from-guitar-have-a-listen.287939/
Looks like this is happened before! Wonder if it was solved
Also, found this article. Seems relatable:
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/wolf-tone/
Looks like this is happened before! Wonder if it was solved
Also, found this article. Seems relatable:
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/wolf-tone/
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PhredE
Friend of Leo's
I was wondering if there was any progress. Yes, there are at least a few similar threads of similar reported problems.
One that I dove into was the case of a loose tuner retaining nut. It wasn't exactly the same symptom, but in the ballpark close. I've had that one myself too.
No luck in dampening the strings above the nut and behind the saddles?
Another thing to check is to make sure every saddle height adjuster screw is contacting the bridgeplate. They need to be seated cleanly and solidly on the bridgeplate.
Has any work been done to the guitar recently? If so, retrace anything that might have been tweaked.
One that I dove into was the case of a loose tuner retaining nut. It wasn't exactly the same symptom, but in the ballpark close. I've had that one myself too.
No luck in dampening the strings above the nut and behind the saddles?
Another thing to check is to make sure every saddle height adjuster screw is contacting the bridgeplate. They need to be seated cleanly and solidly on the bridgeplate.
Has any work been done to the guitar recently? If so, retrace anything that might have been tweaked.
PhredE
Friend of Leo's
The example used in that case is for acoustic instruments having interior air chamber(s) -- it doesn't really apply to your case.
A wolf tone can happen, but it's a different animal for an acoustic instrument (compared to electric).
A fret problem is one thing that could be problematic to both, but that's about it.
Thestripper
TDPRI Member
I had a similar thing happen to a Jazzmaster. It was also intermittent and was about to drive me crazy. In that case it was a loose fret, not really noticeable in any way except for a strange harmonic when playing two strings at once on it. I gave it to a tech who dropped some very thin CA glue along the fret so it soaked in and then re-seated the fret.
dougbgt6
Tele-Afflicted
I had something similar but with just the B string, turned out to be the groove on the saddle. Finally found it when I swapped chromed saddles for brass.
Doug
Doug
dougywarren
TDPRI Member
Interesting. I just did the frets yesterday but didn’t notice anything. Maybe an experienced tech would be worth looking at it
PhredE
Friend of Leo's
Before or after the problem manifested?
What does 'did the frets' actually mean? - Level, crown and polish? or just polish?
What do you use for your final polishing process/materials?
Edit: Can you take a couple decent pics and post them back here? Preferably a good side profile pic and one more or less overhead of the offending fretboard region..
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