Balancing the different level of ElectroGuitar strings sounds with Kemper

  • Hello everyone,

    I have one powered kemper with headrush 112 monitor. It seems that I have really different sound levels between guitar strings during a play.

    For example G string louder than from High E strings. So I wonder how can I balance this sound level differencies. I tried to use Graphic EQ after amp section by changing mids or highs but It dıdınt make me satisfied.

    Maybe compresor can work but I really wonder how can you manage this kind of behaviors to eliminate sound loudlines differencies between guitar strings.

    many thanks

  • Definitely not the Kemper. Pickup height and possibly saddle height are your main culprits.


    The saddles should roughly follow the radius of the neck. It's never perfect. I keep my B and high E strings slightly higher because....I like it that way.


    The pickup should slope away from the strings slightly (high E to low E). The guitar manufacturer should have pickup heights to use as a starting point and it varies based on the pickup. Fender is a great example (and resource). From their website:


    Quote

    Set too high, pickups can cause myriad inexplicable phenomena. Depress all the strings at the last fret. Using a 6" (150 mm) ruler, measure the distance from the bottom of the first and sixth strings to the top of the pole piece. A good rule of thumb is that the distance should be greatest at the sixth-string neck pickup position, and closest at the first-string bridge pickup position. Follow the measurement guidelines in the chart below as starting points. The distance will vary according to the amount of magnetic pull from the pickup.



    Bass Side Treble Side
    Texas Specials 8/64" (3.2 mm) 6/64" (2.4 mm)
    Vintage style 6/64" (2.4 mm) 5/64" (2 mm)
    Noiseless™ Series 8/64" (3.2 mm) 6/64" (2.4 mm)
    Standard Single-Coil 5/64" (2 mm) 4/64" (1.6 mm)
    Humbuckers 4/64" (1.6 mm) 4/64" (1.6 mm)

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • All the previous ideas can help to some extent. The root cause is related to string gauge. Traditional string sets are prone to a loud G string for instance. You can find info on the web related to Roger Mayer and Hendrix string gauges which were tailored for this reason. Fender sells a set that is supposed to balance out the loudness variation that you describe. I have some of these sets and they work pretty well. Although I sub the high E 10 with a 9.

  • All the previous ideas can help to some extent. The root cause is related to string gauge. Traditional string sets are prone to a loud G string for instance. You can find info on the web related to Roger Mayer and Hendrix string gauges which were tailored for this reason. Fender sells a set that is supposed to balance out the loudness variation that you describe. I have some of these sets and they work pretty well. Although I sub the high E 10 with a 9.

    From what I can find, Hendrix used a custom set:


    .010 / .013 /.015 / .026 / .032 / .038


    Lots of good stuff here:


    Jimi Hendrix's Guitar String Gauges | Stringjoy
    We get to the bottom of Jimi Hendrix's custom guitar strings and show you what gauges you need to get his famous tone.
    stringjoy.com


    I've been buying bulk strings from juststrings.com for several years. It's much cheaper....like $3 per complete set, with tax and shipping included. (I defy anyone to hear or feel the difference. They're excellent strings.) Good choice for custom gauging without killing your wallet.


    I've stuck with the standard gauges of 10-46, but at some point will play around.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • I use a pretty wide mix of strings depending on the guitar type, how they feel on the guitar, and the kind of music I tend to play with the guitar. String prices have gotten ridiculous IMO. Lately I have been buying bulk strings from juststrings. They're cheaper in comparison to most other strings and I can build my own sets as the mood strikes.