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Topic: Steel Question |
Ron Cote
From:
Braintree, MA, USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2017 4:44 pm |
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| MY SHOBUD HAS SOME BUZZY STRING'S UNLESS I PUSH DOWN HARD ON THE BAR, AND SOUNDS LIKE A SITTAR. I FEEL THAT EACH ROLLER SHOULD BE A DIFFERENT DEPH FOR EACH STRING. IS IT ONLY ME WITH THIS PROBLEM? |
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Rick Abbott
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2017 5:10 pm
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There are gauged rollers available.
Maybe you need a drop of oil on each roller to dampen some vibration. I have to do it about once a year. Just a thought.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Wakarusa 5e3 clone
1953 Stromberg-Carlson AU-35 |
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Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2017 5:06 am
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This is common on just about every steel out there. I have gauged rollers on my Williams and it still does it to a small degree at the first fret. You just have to press a little harder.
_________________
Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
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Ron Cote
From:
Braintree, MA, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2017 5:56 am Buzzy Strongs
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| THANKX I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME. |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 16 Aug 2017 6:30 am
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Yes, buzzing with light bar-handling around first frets is quite normal. On E9 the two first strings are thicker than 3d string, and gauged rollers on string 1 and 2 can make quite a difference when it comes to even out the string-height under the bar.
Push the bar down and move it on the strings, to eliminate both the buzzing and to keep the strings in tune. Moving the bar off of the high strings you don't pick, is part of normal technique that also reduce the buzzing-problem.
As a more extreme example: my preferred PSG tuning is "Extended E" with intermixed strings - thick strings in between the thinner strings, which is impossible to play "buzz-free" regardless of bar-pressure without gauged rollers. So, I modify some of the rollers for variable depth - make them slightly eccentric, so I can put on a wide range of string-thicknesses and still keep all strings in tune in open position and perfectly even height under the bar. Only have to check the eccentric rollers' height, and angle, when I change the thicker strings. |
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Jeff Harbour
From:
Western Ohio, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2017 9:53 am
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I've also had this happen after switching string brands... even though the gauges were identical!
In that case my instinctive natural bar pressure was producing a third-fret buzz on the C6 neck, I think it was the 7th string.
So, experiment not only with various string gauges... but also with different brands of the same gauges. Something should work. Gauged rollers are a neat concept, but most problems can be solved without them. |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Indiana, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2017 1:22 pm
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| Others have addressed the problem from a string guage(s) perspective. It is also extremely common to have the dreaded "sitar" effect arise from a groove on a changer finger. |
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Rich Upright
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2017 7:22 pm
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I use a 1" 12 string bar on my D-10. Heaviest you can buy. Looks silly, but what a tone! Great sustain & zero buzz.
_________________
A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag. |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2017 8:21 pm
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Yep, me too, love the heavier/longer 1" dia. bar. It took some time to get used to it, but now the bar just seems to float on the strings without much effort.
I'm getting improved sustain and less bar chatter. No guaged rollers on my Carter or Sho-Bud.
A fringe benefit is less tension in my neck and shoulders. YMMV.
I will admit that lifting the 1" bar is more difficult, but I was never good at that even with the 7/8" bar. |
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Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2017 8:19 am
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| Georg Sørtun wrote: |
| ... Push the bar down and move it on the strings, to eliminate both the buzzing and to keep the strings in tune. Moving the bar off of the high strings you don't pick, is part of normal technique that also reduce the buzzing-problem. |
Ron, this note that Georg shared is important. Technique trumps gadgets (guaged vs. all the same size rollers).
Have a look at videos where you can see the left hand. Notice higher strings covered when a passage includes them, but they are not covered for phrases that use only the lower strings. BTW, I understand the importance of doing this, but I'm not that good at it.
Move the bar towards you for passages that use just the lower strings. Move it away from you for phrases that use the higher strings.
Experiment with applying pressure towards the nose of the bar. Not a lot of pressure... you don't want to raise the pitch with bar pressure. Use just enough pressure to get a nice tone and sustain. Try it at different positions on the neck. See if you can get a clean sound without "bar-chatter" at fret 1. At fret 13 focus on matching the pitch one octave up. Too much pressure will make the notes sharp.
It's a subtle thing... "Grasshopper, you need balance."
I use a 1" dia. bar that that is 3-3/4" long. Probably not correct to call it a "12-string bar," but it will cover all 12 strings if you have that many. When moving the bar towards me I have to be careful to avoid detuning strings 9 and 10. This is true using a 3-1/4" long bar, but the effect is exaggerated with the longer bar.
BTW... Dunlop makes decent stainless steel bars, available from the forum store, ACCESSORIES link at the top of the web-page. For comparison:
• Dunlop 920: 7/8" X 3-1/4", 7.5 OZ.
• Dunlop 921: 1" X 3-3/4", 11.0 OZ.
I'm not saying you should use a particular bar. That's a very personal thing. I'm using a 1" X 3-3/4" bar, but that's a recent choice. I might do better with a 3-1/4" long, 1" dia. bar. It's easy and fun to collect them. I liken it to a drawer full of old holsters  |
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Joe Ribaudo
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 17 Aug 2017 10:26 am
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The string buzz on my Super Pro go noticeably worse after a recent string change. Used to mainly hear it on 2 & 3 string and only at first fret. Now it's moved up the neck a bit and it's affecting 4 & 5 as well. I went back to boomers after using a different brand for a while and I'm really hoping it's a string gauge/tension issue - I also removed and cleaned the rollers and doubt I replaced them in the same order.
_________________
Sho~Bud Super Pro, Fender Concert, NV400, Orange, (LP's, Tele's, Gretsch, Burns, etc...) |
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