| Author |
Topic: Weird, strange and puzzling. |
Les Anderson
From:
The Great White North
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Posted 7 Feb 2007 5:41 pm |
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I sat in on a gig last night that had me scratching my head and thinking that I may have to splurge for another amp because my present one was giving off a very strange humming sound.
I had the great misfortune of being placed right in front of the bass amp (at least the steel was in direct line) (because the stage was very small) so I wore headphones that were plugged into my amp. Everything was great and dandy as long as I was playing, however, if I sat back for a bit and didn’t touch the strings, a strange humming would start to come through to my headphones. The longer I kept my hands off the strings the louder the humming would get.
On one session of humming I happened to lay my bar across the strings and the 7th string started a real loud zinging. I picked up the bar and the zinging stopped instantly.
It suddenly dawned on me that could it be that the sound frequency vibrations from the big bass amp was causing my lower strings to vibrate? I experimented a bit and sure enough, it was the bass amp that was causing my "lower" strings to vibrate enough (if I didn’t touch the strings) that the steel’s pickups were picking up the noise of the vibrating strings.
Has this ever happened to any of you other steelers? |
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Fred Justice
From:
Mesa, Arizona
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Posted 7 Feb 2007 6:09 pm
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sounds like microphonic reverb to me. Do you have spring reverb?
_________________
Email: azpedalman@gmail.com
Phone: 480-235-8797 |
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Bill Miller
From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
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Posted 7 Feb 2007 6:13 pm
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| I've had a similar problem Les. I double on six string lead and when I'd get up from the steel to play my Strat I'd notice a low frequency feedback gradually start up. I discovered my volume pedal was sneaking back on with all the vibration from the stage and the dance floor and the resonance from the bass was causing the steel to sort of play by itself. My first fix was to set a beanbag on the back of the volume pedal to hold it 'off'. But then I got a method from Keith Hilton to cure the problem with 'O' rings and now it stays put. |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 7 Feb 2007 7:30 pm
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I've had the same thing happen, including recently. I too switch between guitar and steel, and on a recent very small venue gig we had a LOUD low-frequency feedback onstage when I was on guitar, everybody holding their ears, and the guy running sound pulled back mains and monitors on every channel one by one before I realized it was the steel and backed off the volume pedal.  |
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Les Anderson
From:
The Great White North
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Posted 7 Feb 2007 7:53 pm
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| Fred Justice wrote: |
| sounds like microphonic reverb to me. Do you have spring reverb? |
I use my Fender, Princeton Reverb amp when giging in small establishments; however, my reverb was set to "0"
I know now that it was the vibrating strings on my steel that produced the humming from the amp.
I never gave any thought to my volume pedal sneaking back on from stage vibration. Jeez, even an old fart like me can still learn something new.  |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 8 Feb 2007 8:36 am ?
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Don't you use a volume pedal? Rule #3 in the steeler's book says...
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3.) Make sure the volume pedal is fully backed off whenever you're not playing! |
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richard burton
From:
Britain
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Posted 8 Feb 2007 12:02 pm
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OK, I'll bite 
What are rules 1 and 2 ? |
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Gabriel Stutz
From:
Chicago, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2007 12:08 pm
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If the hum only happens when you aren't touching the strings, I would assume it was a grounding problem. There aren't too many clubs around here that give even the slightest thought to clean power or grounding. It a rare place that doesn't buzz - either the stage lights are all on the same circuit as the outlets on stage or the stage is surrounded with neon or something isn't grounded. It drives me nuts.
Gabriel |
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Bobby Snell
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 9 Feb 2007 3:38 pm Big Bass Rig
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| While sitting next to John "Lunchmeat" Ludwick on a tight stage, I would position myself between his bass amp and the pickup end of the steel, even if that meant a slightly weird sitting angle, or leaning over while padding and increasing my volume pedal. My single-coils are not really microphonic---his amp was that loud. If your bass player is louder than death your mileage may be similar! |
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