Rattle and harsh metallic sound on single coils

    I noticed with my single coils guitars (stratocaster, Jazzmaster) that the sound was sometimes harsch and metalic mainly on the G string on some distored profiles. I found a workaround for this : I reduced dramatically the definition parameter in the amp section, this fixed the issue, which I had not with my LP on the same profiles.


    just my two cents ...

    Hello, no buzz at all, only some metallic harmonics on the G string wherever I fret, mostly in the Jazzmaster but this is a "known" issue for this model, no problem on clean sounds only on high gain or crunch sounds. A kind of subtle cythar sounding.

    Quote from paults

    You may be hearing the trem springs vibrations. They resonate at fixed frequencies, like a sitar.


    Some vintage strat lovers want this sound, and consider it to be part of what makes a strat sound like a strat.


    I think it can sound out of tune with gain sounds. I use a little bit of foam rubber in the trem cavity, to keep it from happening in my strats.


    good idea, will try

    Quote from DonPetersen

    I have a love/hate relationship with this phenomenon.
    Sometimes it's adding this wonderful spring reverb flavour to sounds, but if you need tight higain it can sound a little odd. :)


    +1 to the love/hate relationship


    I keep one of my strats stock for retro recording, with all the troublesome things that would keep me from wanting to use it live - noisy low output pickups, string trees, and springs that can freely vibrate.

    It might well be the springs as Paul suggests, but I have a PRS-like guitar with still bridge that does the same on certain positions. It's the buzz' parent: just a very light amount of a touch of the string on frets.


    And yes, sitar would be the first representation coming to my mind when I try to describe how it feels.
    Fascinating, at times :D

    Quote from Tube18

    I did push back the pole piece on all pups for the g string and it almost solved the problem. I learned that this is called the "stratitis" problem (google it).


    Stratitis is when the magnetism of the PU hinders the string to vibrate correctly.
    Solution is to turn down the PU.
    In some cases it can be enough to lower the polepiece of the G string, this is only if your PU has staggered polepieces.
    As for staggered polepieces: historically they were constructed this way to make up for the weak response od the G string in times when these were wrap-spun.
    Nowadays they aren't and consequently there is no need for staggered polepieces any more.
    Sadly some pickup makers still do it because guitarists think it's more 'vintage correct'.