Twang!

[Captain Jim]

No, I'm not really into country music. I changed strings on my Shorty a couple weeks ago... it always sounds "fresh" after a change. Elixir Nanowebs. I've tried other strings, but always come back to the Elixirs.

I keep 4 acoustics out and rotate playing them, so everyone gets some play-time. I put fresh strings on my Taylor 522ce 12-fret at the same time as the Shorty. The Taylor was delivered to our boat this summer, and went from the Pacific Northwest to Phoenix, and now to the Texas Gulf Coast (where the house stays pretty stable with relative humidity). The Shorty was with us on that trip, too. Last week, the 522 developed a "twang" on the high e-string on the second and third frets. Not a buzz, but an annoying "twang."

I made a slight adjustment on the truss rod and the twang disappeared. I could believe all the changes of climate could have been the culprit, and it was a small adjustment that made it all good again. This morning, the Shorty developed a "twang" - same string, same place on the neck! Before adjusting the neck on the Shorty, I looked down the neck, and it looked good. I did put a lowered saddle on there in September, but the sound has been great, and the action even better than before.

I was puzzled... no way that CF neck is supposed to move. I switched to a lighter pick (I usually use a 1.1mm) - just as twangy. Also, that high e didn't want to stay in tune. Since I haven't been able to find individual strings from Elixir, I pulled out an Ernie Ball 12 (I carry a couple, since that is the string I have historically broken in the past... but, haven't busted a string in a very long time). Took the Elixir off, put the Ernie Ball on... no "twang."

It's all good.

I haven't run into anything like this before, with a particular string getting "twangy." Or, an Elixir string crapping out with only a couple weeks on it (and not that much play-time on it, since I'm pretty good about rotating). Sorry for all the (quote)twangy(unquote) in this post, but I don't know how else to describe the annoying sound.

Did I get a couple bad e-strings or has anyone else had this happen?

Best wishes,
Jim

[kramster]

Probably boating through Phoenix messed with it

[Captain Jim]

Wasn't like I used it as a paddle.

[Captain Jim]

Next time the Shorty came up "in rotation," the twang was back.

I put the guitar back and played one of the Taylors instead... telling myself I'd check it later. A couple days went by, and I found myself just taking one of the other guitars off the wall.

The Shorty was in tune, but that twang seemed even more annoying. I sighted down the neck again, and it looked fine. I measured the string height - no issue. Checking the height at the 6th fret while pushing at the 1st and 14th frets gave me just a bit of clearance. (I do the "business card insert" there to check for proper height.)

I got out the 5mm allen wrench and loosened the tension more than before... the twang disappeared. I loosened it a bit further. The change in action isn't noticeable, but the sound is back to crisp and clear, with no twang.

To make sure it didn't come back again (??), the Shorty got the play time today. It's all good. If not, the next step would be to go back to a taller saddle, and I'd rather not do that.

With all I've read about the necks on carbon fiber guitars, I didn't expect that I'd have much use for a truss rod with the Shorty. I guess a slightly thicker neck and the ability to tweak the neck a bit with a truss rod is a good trade-off.

Love the sound from the Shorty!

Happy Holidays,
Jim

[billder99]

Interesting Jim. My WS1000 developed a buzz (maybe you would call it a twang), especially associated with the A-string, but also a bit with the low E and D strings. I looked at the action, saw nothing amiss as far as vibration of strings against frets, tightened all the tuners, inspected the battery/preamp for something loose, tightened the pickup jack, etc... still buzzing, I couldn't figure it out. The buzz was a real joy kill when playing the guitar.

On my last trip north, I took it into Blue Guitar in San Diego... some of the best techs around working there. The guy I met with said "First step is to change the strings." This seemed odd to me and I wanted to verify so I took the guitar with me and changed the strings myself. Voila! Buzzing gone. I did write a very nice note to the tech and the store owner thanking them.

I couldn't believe strings could be the cause... now the 2nd time I have heard this... must be fairly common. Reading your last post, I'm glad I have a truss rod!

[sirwhale]

Originally Posted by billder99

Interesting Jim. My WS1000 developed a buzz (maybe you would call it a twang), especially associated with the A-string, but also a bit with the low E and D strings. I looked at the action, saw nothing amiss as far as vibration of strings against frets, tightened all the tuners, inspected the battery/preamp for something loose, tightened the pickup jack, etc... still buzzing, I couldn't figure it out. The buzz was a real joy kill when playing the guitar.

On my last trip north, I took it into Blue Guitar in San Diego... some of the best techs around working there. The guy I met with said "First step is to change the strings." This seemed odd to me and I wanted to verify so I took the guitar with me and changed the strings myself. Voila! Buzzing gone. I did write a very nice note to the tech and the store owner thanking them.

I couldn't believe strings could be the cause... now the 2nd time I have heard this... must be fairly common. Reading your last post, I'm glad I have a truss rod!

I've not come across this with a guitar yet but definitely with mu ukuleles. A change of strings can sort out many problems