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Topic: "zingy" strings |
John Steele
From:
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 11:52 am |
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Over the years I've played a couple of steels which have the tendency to get zingy on the 3rd, and sometimes the 4th string. By zingy, I mean it elicits a thin metallic tone which doesn't match the others. You have to very conscious while picking them, and even then sometimes you can't avoid it.
Do you think that's something which is inherent in the instrument, or could it be remedied by a change of pickups ?
- John |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Jonathan Cullifer
From:
Gallatin, TN
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 1:25 pm
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| I have had older strings do that, and grooved changer and roller nut rollers can cause that. Usually, for me, it means that the strings are too old and it's time to change them. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 2:44 pm
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John Many years ago I bought an MSA Semi-Classic and the third string always sounded thin I had Larry DiMarzio wind a custom pickup for me before he went into mass production It gave the guitar a nice midrange nasal sound which I like but still the 3rd string was thinner sounding,I moved from New Yawk to Dallas soon after and The MSA people made another pickup for me which was really nice of them[Great People] still the 3rd string was too thin,My theory is that the guitar had a plywood body that might have been it? or maybe the way the bridge/changer was attached to the body? I eventually sold the guitar to buy a first run Sho-Bud Lloyd Green which had more of what I was looking for I don't think it's the string itself but a design thing...Just guessing. 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 2:45 pm
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John by Zingy do you mean slightly buzzing?
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 3:29 pm
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| The sound that I have experienced is more of a high-pitched, ringing overtone. Is that what you are referring to, John? |
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John De Maille
From:
On a Mountain in Upstate Halcottsville, N.Y.
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 3:38 pm
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| I've had that happen occasionally on my steels. Usually, the third string IS the culprit. I back off on the tension of the string and rotate the bridge string roller 90 or 180 degrees and drop a very small bit of light machine oil on the roller and string. Most of the time, it clears it up. If it doesn't, I'll just change the string. I'm not sure what the problem is, though. It could be from the string wearing out, over the roller. Or, it could be the roller wearing out and getting deeper. Or, the roller or axle getting worn, I'm not sure. It happens less on my RusLer steel, than on my Zum. Maybe, because the RusLer's bridge rollers, roll on their own bearings over a stouter shaft, I don't know for sure. But, rotating the roller and oiling it and the string, does work.... for a while. |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 3:48 pm
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| Change out that string and check the top of the finger for grooving. Also as mentioned turn the roller nut a quarter turn or so and try a drop of oil on it. I like to use a very fine emery board that has an even finer board on the flip side to gently polish out the grooved finger radius. You can cut the board into strips that are only as wide as the top of the finger radius. They're also flexible enough to follow the contour of the top of the finger. |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 8:32 pm
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You might try a different guage string too. Go up and down a point and see if the problem persists.
Clete |
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Jeff Evans
From:
Cowtown and The Bill Cox Outfit
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Posted 11 Apr 2010 10:46 pm
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| Quote: |
| . . . eliminate some of the zzzinggg by putting foam behind the roller nut under the string to deaden the odd harmonics . . . |
I've seen a version of this solution – weaving material around the length of string from the tuning peg to the roller nut – before. The material may have been pipe cleaner or other coated wire.
| Quote: |
| You might try a different guage [sic] string . . . |
That one may not be so readily available on precisely set up instruments with interdependent throws. |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2010 7:09 am
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| It has been my experience that the zingy sound or sitar-like sound that is commonly heard is a result of one of two things: too much string-changer finger contact at the point of separation or excessive side play in the rollers. It is easy to determine which by holding the roller to the side and see if it goes away. If changing the string doesn't help, more commonly it is that the changer finger either has a groove or has worn a bit flat and the string does not leave the finger "fast" enough causing excessive contact and vibration in that area. The cure usually is to re-establish the original radius which must be done very carefully (I use 400 grit wet/dry paper followed by a dremmel polish) and much care must be taken when performed on the guitar to keep the fine metal powder that results from getting down into the axle which basically ruins it. |
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John Steele
From:
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 22 Apr 2010 9:05 pm
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Sorry to be so long in getting back on this. Thank you everyone, for your thoughts. I took everyone's advice at once, changed the strings, lubed the rollers.. although I didn't find anything amiss on the changer end. The problem seems to have gone away. I'm inclined to think it was bad strings. They weren't old.. perhaps just old before their time.
Thanks again, everybody.
- John |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 22 Apr 2010 9:08 pm
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I know the feeling  |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 23 Apr 2010 8:33 am
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| I changed out a string about a week ago that was startin to zing a little. when I removed it and gave the end that hooks onto the changer a little bend, it broke. I can tell by that zing or overtone that a string is about to go and now replace it before it breaks. |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 23 Apr 2010 10:14 am
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My first ShoBud back in '72, did this. It was new, so there were no grooves in the fingers. I finally eliminated the zing by placing a small piece of leather between the back of the finger and the ball-end string windings. Have no idea why, but just getting those windings off the finger was the key. I kept losing the little leather piece whenever a string broke, so I replaced it with a small piece of Dr. Scholl's Moleskin, which is like soft felt on one side, and an adhesive on the other.
Edited to add; 3rd string only. |
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Larry Bressington
From:
Nebraska
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Posted 24 May 2010 7:44 pm
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I have that problem with the 4th string the most, i polish the burr out of the finger with 'Brasso'.
I'm open to other suggestions too on that, it seems like i have always fought that on all guitars??
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A.K.A Chappy. |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 24 May 2010 8:58 pm
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Cut a small piece of aluminum out of a soft drink or beer can and put it on the finger underneath the string. If the zinging goes away, you have a groove worn in the finger. This is also a quick fix on the job to get you through.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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Carson Leighton
From:
N.B. Canada
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Posted 25 May 2010 2:30 am Contact problem
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| The main cause for "zingy" strings is a contact problem...If you hear the zing on the open tuning but not while using the bar,,the problem is most likely at the roller nut. Other than that is either ready to break at the changer end, or it is a contact problem where the string meets the finger,,at the radius...Try this: Remove the string from the changer,,give it 1 to 1 1/2 turns (twist) and rehook it..Always try to put the last turn on the winding of the ball end pointing either up or to the side..That keeps that sharp point from making contact with the finger..If the problem is still there,,trying using a string of a little larger diameter,,about a thou. or so...By the way John,,didn't I meet you out at Lindsay a few years back...?...Regards,,,Carson |
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