Better tone and sustain on high’s

Mike Deroche · From: Townsend, MA

Hi, for the most part I think I have found tone settings that I am happy with, however I feel that my 3&5 grouping sounds almost dampened or just lacks volume and sustain compared to other string groupings. I have a Mullen G2 (assuming with a 705 pickup, not sure how to tell?), play through a Boss Katana 100 amp with a Hilton volume pedal. I’ve tried different settings on the amp EQ, but anything that I do to make the highs more present also brings some distortion. I have been considering swapping my pickup with a 710. Any thoughts if that will make a difference? I only have an about two years playing experience so technique probably plays a role in it as well. I just feel like I have to attack the 3&5 strings harder than the rest to get the volume and sustain to match the other string groupings and I don’t like the way that sounds. Does anyone have a similar experience?

Craig A Davidson · From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA

What amp setting do you have the setting on? That could be the issue. I use the clean setting.
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2013 Williams D-10, 2019 Williams D-10, 1970 Fender Twin, Evans SE200, Fender Tonemaster Twin, Hilton pedal, Jagwire Strings.

Michael Hill · From: Arizona, USA

I had the same issue. Bumping up the string gauge of string 3 helped.

Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Hi, Mike. You might try slightly adjusting the height of one side of the pickup -- either lower the bass side or raise the treble side.

Mike Deroche · From: Townsend, MA

Thank you all for the suggestions, I will give those a shot. The settings I use are similar to what I found on another post someone made on here. These seem to work well

Acoustic
Gain 0-9 oclock
Volume 12 oclock
bass all the way on
mid 2-3 oclock
treble 12-1 oclock
Boost off
reverb/delay about 9-12 oclock

I’m going to experiment with some other strings. I believe my 3rd string is .012 on this set, but I could be wrong

Larry Hobson · From: Valley Grande (Selma) Al USA

Mike, one idea would to find a steel picking friend and let he/she play your setup. Sort of ruling out operator error. Also you might try a different amp. Ruling out potential problems one at a time. Also any problems with the roller nut or a grove in the aluminum finger of the two strings in question might merit an inspection. Good luck !

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Those EQ settings for the Katana acoustic amp model look familiar. I know I tried it and the tone disagreed with me profoundly.

I would roll back everything. Get the bass closer to noon and the treble just under. That gives you some wiggle room with the mids, and you might be able to kick up the gain a little too. Run the amp model volume a little higher than the gain, and the master volume pretty high. Experimentally, take the Hilton out of the signal chain; just run from guitar into amp to see if it makes a difference.

You could also try using the onboard Acoustic Processor effect.

Thicker guage for string 3 is a good idea, as is pickup height adjustment or trying a different amp.

I use the clean setting with a Twin “sneaky amp” model in Boss Tone Studio. Lotta magic in that Katana box.

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

Has the guitar always had this issue ? Maybe switch string brands , try nickel instead of stainless steel , or vice versa . A better bar perhaps . Jerry

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

This usually comes down to three things, the pickup, the strings, or the changer. Is this a new problem? If so, it's probably not the pickup, as the degradation of a pickup is either very slow, or almost instanteous. (And rarely will it affect only two strings.) If the problem just appeared when you changed strings, it's almost certain that it a bad batch of strings. This is usually the first and easiest thing to address. The last problem may be the changer, as any roughness or grooving can hamper string sustain. Examine the finger tops very carefully, and do some careful polishing if there is any damage. One easy test is to move the strings slightly off-center on the top of the fingers, and see if the volume/sustain improves.

And if you're using a .011 3rd string, try switching to a .0115 or a .012 for a fuller sound.

Stew Crookes · From: Paris, France

As a Katana owner, I’d suggest trying out a different amp to see if that gets you what you’re looking for before messing with your guitar - it’s a far ‘fussier’ amp to dial in than many others. It’s certainly capable of great tone, it’s just a bit harder to find it in my experience (MkI 100 watt 1x12)
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