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Topic: Whining plain strings on my dobros - help! |
Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2011 6:21 pm |
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I am a heavy picker on my dobro/resophonics and as a result eventually the first two strings always wind up whining (or brighter and raspy sounding). Also, I have been experimenting with different gauges on those strings with really no very good solution.
I have not yet tried 'V' cuts on the bridge for the strings. Is there anything I need to worry about in cutting them? Any other ideas?
Thanx,
Jim
ps- I have this problem on both the maple and ebony bridges. |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 12 Apr 2011 1:59 pm
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What string gauges are you using?
It does sound like something's not fitting properly, but it could be the nut or the bridge. Can you have someone else listen closely while you play to determine where the whining sound is coming from along the string (i.e. from the nut or the bridge)?
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Dave Thier
From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2011 3:41 pm
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I pick pretty hard myself. I use a .017 on the D and .018 on the B and get pretty good tone. Try what Brad recommended. Avoid the V cuts in the bridge. The strings should be about 1/2 way into the bridge and the slots should be burnished and break toward the tailpiece. The strings should not bind in the slots.
Dave |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2011 8:17 pm
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A little more info for you: The 'whiney' string sounds are the same open and any where up the neck with the bar - so must be bridge sloting problem. The whine goes away if I take string out of slot and set on top of bridge, next to slot.
I am using .017 for first, and .019 for second, also different brands: D'Addario, George Ls, SIT, others.
Different bars: Shubb, BJS, etc, Also regular and brass fingerpicks. Have I forgotten something?
Have NO similar problems with the wound strings.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 13 Apr 2011 6:56 am
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Have you tried using lighter gauges? Even for a dobro, that's pretty heavy. The GHS and D'Addario sets I use have a .016 and .018 for the first two strings.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2011 2:07 pm
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Yes, I was using .016 and .018 until they began to whine, then I went to heavier to try to get a mellower sound,which is what Jerry Byrd always suggested on electrics.
Maybe somebody from Beard guitars could chime in and recommend something?
Thanks for all the suggestions so far.
THanx,
Jim |
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Dave Thier
From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2011 2:44 pm
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Jim, some additional info may help here.
What brand/maker of guitar are you playing?
Who did the setup and when was it done?
Have you always had this problem with this guitar or did it start recently?
It really sounds like a setup problem as setup is so crucial to a good sounding resonator. It is hard to troubleshoot these things from a distance.
Dave |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2011 4:26 pm
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I have several reso guitars, but the ones I am playing the most currently are the Wolfe resoport, Tut Taylor Virginian, and the Jasper Rosewood. Wolfe and Taylor have never been touched set-up wise except for an occasional realignment of the spider to keep the fretting precise. The Jasper (a local maker in Loiusiana) had the bridge changed from a maple to a Beard ebony capped / preslotted a few months ago. None of these guitars had this problem at first. It seems to me the more I play the more noticeable it gets. Maybe, and I hope not, it my ears hearing the treble funny.
I also have a Guernsey, another Wolfe, Dobro 7 string (factory made), and a Hudson cedar body custom, and a Dobro metal body (33?) and none of them have this problem. However, I do not play them out in jams or stage shows where I am picking hard.
The v notch idea was in an old article by John Dopypera (one of the inventors of the Dobro) who gave detailed drawings of how to notch a bridge.
So with you guys helping, the problem may get solved and simply, I hope.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Dave Thier
From:
Fairhope, Alabama, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2011 4:47 pm
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What a great collection of guitars Jim! I'm not sure I can explain what is going on. If it only occurs on the guitars you pick hard, maybe there is something in your pick attack that is causing the unwanted sound.
Dave |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 14 Apr 2011 7:07 am
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Are you getting this whiny sound on ALL your guitars or on one specific guitar? If the same thing happens on all your guitars, then look at how you're attacking those particular strings. It's unlikely that guitars from three different makers would exhibit the same problem (unless they're being played by the same person).
Do you know another player in your area? Have him or her play the guitar and see if you hear that same whiny sound in their playing.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Jim Bates
From:
Alvin, Texas, USA
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Posted 14 Apr 2011 1:50 pm
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Another update with some new info: After playing the Wolfe Resoport for a couple of hours last night, the second string seems much worse now compared to the first string. I think it is probably the slots binding, if the string is too big, and buzzing (or rasping) if the slots are too big. To test this, when the string is lifted from slot and set on the bridge top the sound is pure (no buzzing or rasping sounds).
There is no one in my area that plays dobro/reso guitar that I am aware of. There is a Bluegrass club called BABA (Bay Area Bluegrass Association) thta has backroom jams and stage shows the 3rd Saturday each month. Maybe I can find another 'aggressive' dobro player to try my guitars.
I will experiment with the notched bridge on one guitar and see how the overall sounds works out.
Thanks for all your comments and suggestions.
Thanx,
Jim |
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Don Barnhardt
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 15 Apr 2011 9:56 am
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| Two things. From your description your string slot might be too deep. That can distort your sound but it would probably make your sound dull. You might want to try sanding down your bridge insrets to the point you can barely feel the string slots and gradually re-slot them. You might want to try heavier strings too. I'm a heavy picker and use .018 and .020 for first and second with a wound third .026-.029. Good luck. |
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