Chords sound wavey can someone help!

[guitarbin]

Hi there,

I just bought a 1996 50th ann. fender strat and finding that when I play bar chords they are sounding wavey it is not a long sustaining even tone. I checked the intonation and all is OK, the frets don't buz. Is anyone having this problem? Could it be the pickups causing this sound to happen?

Thanks,

Bruno

 

[markb]

The pickups could be too close. Try fretted noted on the low strings from the 10th fret up to about the 15th and check with a tuner for pitch. If the pickups are dragging on the strings they'll be out. This is the condition known as "stratitis". This guide from Fender gives a good starting point for pickup heights.

 

[Rocket]

Do you have "clean power" issues in your house? Ground problems? Fluorescent lighting?
Single-coils sometimes react strangely to loose electrons & dirty power issues.

 

[guitarbin]

Hi Markb,

Thanks for the tip I will check this and get back to you, but I'm almost sure the pickups were setup as per Fender's requirements. I have also noticed when you pick a string separately it has that wavey sound effect. I really appreciate the help on this because I'm currently in the studio recording and it's making me crazy.
Thanks,

The pickups could be too close. Try fretted noted on the low strings from the 10th fret up to about the 15th and check with a tuner for pitch. If the pickups are dragging on the strings they'll be out. This is the condition known as "stratitis". This guide from Fender gives a good starting point for pickup heights.

 

[ShortBuSX]

How does it read on a tuner? Is that also wavy?

Does it do this on only a couple of strings?

 

[guitarbin]

Hi Rocket,

I'm having the same problem at home and the studio and yes the power is clean, no fluorescent lighting. Thanks,

Do you have "clean power" issues in your house? Ground problems? Fluorescent lighting?
Single-coils sometimes react strangely to loose electrons & dirty power issues.

 

[guitarbin]

On the tuner now that I'm thinking back it does go back and forth and sometimes making it very difficult to get it right on. The problem is more on the 3, 4 and 5th strings. Thanks,

How does it read on a tuner? Is that also wavy?

Does it do this on only a couple of strings?

 

[ShortBuSX]

On the tuner now that I'm thinking back it does go back and forth and sometimes making it very difficult to get it right on. The problem is more on the 3, 4 and 5th strings. Thanks,

Then as mentioned above, your pickups are too high...and Im also guessing you have raised pole pieces.

 

[Spudman]

Your guitar is junk. Just send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.

Your pickups are too close to the strings I'll bet.

 

[player]

Your guitar is junk. Just send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.

Your pickups are too close to the strings I'll bet.

is that the official quasi- evil smile there Spud?

 

[guitarbin]

I have tried to lower the pups and still having the same problem, it seems to be on the 4th and 5th string when playing a D chord on the 5th fret you really hear that wavey uneven sound. Any other ideas?

Your guitar is junk. Just send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.

Your pickups are too close to the strings I'll bet.

 

[Spudman]

First thing to do is deck the pickups. Run them down until they are flush with the pick guard. If that doesn't change things then you may have a sympathetic resonance in your tremolo springs. Take the tremolo cover off and stuff cotton or something similar under and around the springs and see if the problem dissipates.

Otherwise...your guitar IS junk and you'll have to send it to me for disposal.

How old are the strings? Have you set the bridge intonation?

 

[guitarbin]

Hi Spud, do I need to deck all the pickups or can I just do the bridge pickup? The strings are new, I was using 10-46 gauge and was told to try 10-52 gauge hoping it would fix the problem, I guess not. As far as the springs they are new springs and I will try to put cotton underneath and see what happens. Thank you all for your help on this.

 

[Spudman]

Hi Spud, do I need to deck all the pickups or can I just do the bridge pickup? The strings are new, I was using 10-46 gauge and was told to try 10-52 gauge hoping it would fix the problem, I guess not. As far as the springs they are new springs and I will try to put cotton underneath and see what happens. Thank you all for your help on this.

Deck them all.
Typically what happens with Strats is that there is so much magnetic pull from all 3 pickups that they distort the string vibration after you pick it if the pickups are too close. Symptoms include, loss of sustain, warbly sound, notes sound out of tune and chronic constipation. The neck pickup is probably the biggest contributor to this because the path the vibrating string makes above the neck pickup is wider than at the other pickup positions.

When you lower the pickups the guitar will sound more open, woody and you might even feel the difference in how it plays. I know I can.

If your problem resolves because of decking then start raising the pickups back up 1 or 2 screw turns at a time. Play the guitar for a while before making more adjustments. If you are patient you can find the sweet spot this way and you wont incur the same problem.

 

[SuperSwede]

Another nice trick when it comes to setting up your strat pups is to keep the middle pup lower than the neck/bridge... its makes the in-between sounds quackier (proper word!?)

 

[markb]

Deck them all.
Typically what happens with Strats is that there is so much magnetic pull from all 3 pickups that they distort the string vibration after you pick it if the pickups are too close. Symptoms include, loss of sustain, warbly sound, notes sound out of tune and chronic constipation. The neck pickup is probably the biggest contributor to this because the path the vibrating string makes above the neck pickup is wider than at the other pickup positions.

When you lower the pickups the guitar will sound more open, woody and you might even feel the difference in how it plays. I know I can.

If your problem resolves because of decking then start raising the pickups back up 1 or 2 screw turns at a time. Play the guitar for a while before making more adjustments. If you are patient you can find the sweet spot this way and you wont incur the same problem.

Spud has it right here. The way to set up a strat is to set optimum height as per pickup manufacturer at the bridge pickup. The middle and neck units are then adjusted for balance. As they sense a larger string movement they will be lower. Having the neck pickup too close is usually what causes your issue.

By way of illustration compare a Fender Esquire to a Telecaster. The Esquire will usually have more sustain (all other things being equal) purely because there is no neck pickup dragging on the strings. The same goes for Gibson Juniors and Specials.

 

[Sylvia]

Your guitar is junk. Just send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.

Your pickups are too close to the strings I'll bet.

LOL No! send it to me... my other 13 guitars are getting lonely and bored.

 

[guitarbin]

Hi Spud, I got it and it's all thanks to you my friend:bravo: The pickups were way too high actually the bridge pickup was the problem. Thank you all for your advises :rockon:

Rock on

Deck them all.
Typically what happens with Strats is that there is so much magnetic pull from all 3 pickups that they distort the string vibration after you pick it if the pickups are too close. Symptoms include, loss of sustain, warbly sound, notes sound out of tune and chronic constipation. The neck pickup is probably the biggest contributor to this because the path the vibrating string makes above the neck pickup is wider than at the other pickup positions.

When you lower the pickups the guitar will sound more open, woody and you might even feel the difference in how it plays. I know I can.

If your problem resolves because of decking then start raising the pickups back up 1 or 2 screw turns at a time. Play the guitar for a while before making more adjustments. If you are patient you can find the sweet spot this way and you wont incur the same problem.

 

[Spudman]

Hi Spud, I got it and it's all thanks to you my friend:bravo: The pickups were way too high actually the bridge pickup was the problem. Thank you all for your advises :rockon:

Rock on

I'm glad it worked out easily.
When I was on the road many years ago my main guitar started sounding crappier and crappier. I had no idea that jacking the pickups up near the strings would do that. Since then I'm careful to keep them low on Strats. The guitars just seem a bit more alive when I do.

 

[marnold]

When I was on the road many years ago my main guitar started sounding crappier and crappier. I had no idea that jacking the pickups up near the strings would do that. Since then I'm careful to keep them low on Strats. The guitars just seem a bit more alive when I do.

Yep, even with my Area 61s theoretically you can get them up close and personal with the strings. Nevertheless, I just think they sound better backed off. The Fender or pickup designer height recommendations are just that--recommendations. Rough guesstimates. The rest is up to you and your ears.