Rescued By Truetone

Rick Nicklas · From: Verona, Mo. (deceased)

I must be one of the last stubborn Taurus's to get Jerry's TT's. I have fought the whining 3rd and 4th string for years and tried every single home remedy on this forum to cure the problem. I read a post a few weeks ago on a few of you who solved this with the TT's. To make a long story short I ordered them (19.5k for 12 string) and Jerry Roller offered his expert service to install them. Every couple of hours yesterday between chores I found myself running into my room and firing up the old steel to see if I was dreaming. This pickup gives me the fullest tone and sustain I have ever heard coming from my rig. What a beautiful balance and tone in each string. I was waiting to hear that 60 cycle hum everyone talks about but it is quiet as a mouse. The whining 3rd and 4th are really history now. Thank you Jerry Wallace and Jerry Roller (who also gave me a demonstration on how the B6th is supposed to be played). Problem solved, now I can relax and look at the area of light weight amps. Mike Brown, here I come.... ha ha

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Rick
Kline U-12, Session 500, Goodrich L-10k

[This message was edited by Rick Nicklas on 04 February 2006 at 06:54 AM.]

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I don't think it is a question or being stubborn or not. I love the TT's and had them on my Steel and wanted them on my Steel..but removed them because we have a regular rotation gig where the bandstand noise from the wiring and lighting is so bad I couldn't play either of my single coil Steels due to the interference, and I took them both one night.

I had a very good long conversation with Jerry about this and frankly at this time single coils are still not a "PLAY " anywhere PUP, I wish they were. Jerry's TT's are my #1 choice for overall tone.

I still have 1 of Jerrys pups in the parts box and will use it when I can but for now with the frequency of the rotation gigs the HB'ers need to stay on the guitar.

I could have dealt with the whining..but could not deal with the excessive noise from this particular room.

but ya never know what the future will bring..

t

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite

Jonathan Shacklock · From: London, UK

Rick, I'm glad you've finally laid the annoying string whine to rest. I don't want to put words in your mouth but are you saying that the whining 3rd and 4th was caused by a problem with your original pickup (magnets interfering with the strings' harmonics somehow?)? Or that the strings still whine acoustically but those unwanted high frequencies are excluded or softened by the True Tone?

You may have guessed I'm looking answers to the same problem and have also tried the usual "home remedies". It hadn't occurred to me that my pickup might be physically generating unwanted frequencies from the strings as opposed to just picking them up. (...?)

I imagine you're just happy that the problem has gone away

but I'm wondering if you've formed an opinion on the cause of the dreaded ringing.

[This message was edited by Jonathan Shacklock on 04 February 2006 at 10:45 AM.]

Andy Sandoval · From: Bakersfield, California, USA

I believe I replied on the original thread that Rick refers to and to reiterate on what I said there, The shrill soundin 3rd and 4th strings were so annoying at times that I didn't want to practice. For me, Jerry's pickups made the difference between a guitar collecting dust and one that is now a pure joy to play. I practice a lot more than I used to, not to mention Jerry's excellent service and product at a super reasonable price. I'm gettin ready to order another one for my C6 neck.

Rick Nicklas · From: Verona, Mo. (deceased)

Right on Andy... I had a well known humbucker that gave me a big clear full sound from my 12th string up to my 5th (B string). The next two strings up, especially the E string was always thin and whiney sounding. The problem only escalated with the volume pedal pressed on lead runs and chording. These notes did not balance out as they should. The only solution I had was to turn back the treble and presence and this just made everything else muffled. Now with the TT's everything comes out even volumes and nice full tones... I get all the treble I want but it is still a full pleasing sound. Two other nice surprises are the unbelievable sustain I am now getting and also the response from this pickup is so good that last night I played and had to keep my pre gain and post gain both at 2 or I would have blown the first rows out of their seats. Before this pickup I always had to repick notes that were to be sustained. Not anymore. I am now going to get myself a couple of Peavey 112's. The 500 really has two much power now with this pickup and it's too heavy also.
p.s. Johnathan... One of the first things Jerry told me was if the pickup did not work for me, just put it back in the box, send it back and he would refund my money minus the shipping.... You can't beat customer service like that... I am now a believer in this pickup.... and mine is quiet under all my playing conditions so far. I won't get rid of this pickup, I'll just tell the band we need to find a new place to play if I get some unwanted noise...ha ha
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Rick
Kline U-12, Session 500, Goodrich L-10k

[This message was edited by Rick Nicklas on 04 February 2006 at 04:28 PM.]

richard burton · From: Britain

I stop the 4th string whining at source.

This is my less-than-elegant anti-string whine device, it ain't pretty , but it works:

Rick Nicklas · From: Verona, Mo. (deceased)

I tried yours too Richard (the Kodak Film Container)... I also tried the shrink wrap covering from Radio Shack and the soldering of the wires wrapped around the ball-ring end....etc. etc. Even Joe Kline could not really put his finger on the culprit after reconditioning my guitar. He told me that he also suspected it to be the pickup.... I'm just glad I finally got this fixed and behind me. And the bonus is that I now have the tone I have always wanted throughout the entire note range of my guitar.

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Rick
Kline U-12, Session 500, Goodrich L-10k

Jonathan Shacklock · From: London, UK

Hi Richard, I've also tried your solution as well as the others Nick mentions as well as trying different brands of strings and polishing the fingers atc... all to no avail.

Just to be clear I'm talking about a loud and distinct harmonic ringing that is secondary to the picked note and affects the 3rd and 4th strings. Click here for a sound clip and listen out for the dog-whistle like pitch that occurs immediately after the picked note. I would not describe it as a problem with the tone of the pickup because the whine/chime/ring is audible when the guitar isn't plugged in. Rick and Andy, would you say this is this the same sound problem that was solved by your True Tones? Your descriptions of "thin and whiney" and "shrill" could be understood to refer to "excessive treble tone" as opposed to this specific ringing effect.

What I haven't seen discussed before on the forum is the possibility that magnetism from the pickup might be adversely affecting the vibration of one or more strings to the point where these unwanted overtones develop.

I'm going to call Jerry about his pickups anyway, they've had such a great reaction from the forum, but I may have a problem with fitting them to my MSA ( see http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum11/HTML/008323.html ) which is why I might not be able to try them out without major guitar surgery.

Rick Nicklas · From: Verona, Mo. (deceased)

Jonathan.... That first note sounds like a string vibration against a nut roller or possible something electronic to me... but the second note is the same as I was getting. I would hit my string and it seemed like a moment of compression and then it would whirl out into thin trebly sound. Both 3rd and 4th... both of my strings sounded like your 2nd note you hit but mine were twice as bad.... Anyway call Jerry and discuss this with him. He is a down to earth guy that will share his logic with you.

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Rick
Kline U-12, Session 500, Goodrich L-10k

Jonathan Shacklock · From: London, UK

Thanks for the clarification Rick, I will be sure to call Jerry. Great news that you've found a solution to this.

Andy Sandoval · From: Bakersfield, California, USA

Jonathan, that sounds pretty close to the sound I was gettin through my Carter. Turnin down the treble only muffled it some but it was still there. I no longer hear it with the TrueTone and there's an overall tone improvement in all the other strings as well, also the "electrical hum" that some complain about is so negligible that I don't even consider it.

jim milewski · From: stowe, vermont

I went to .015 for a little fatter sound, also the third string is a .012. My other Emmons has a heavier wound stock single coil pickup and it eliminates the whine completely. I'll also add that Fender Telecasters and Strats angle the pickup toward the bridge for the higher strings, it seems to me it should be angled the other way to eliminate the shrill on the high strings

[This message was edited by jim milewski on 06 February 2006 at 09:19 AM.]

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