Help with string noise

688 · #1 05-22-2010, 04:46 PM

So I'm new to the nylon/fingerstyle picking and I've been playing with a NS34CE for a few months now. The guitar sounds great unamplified - the string noise is hardly noticable. However, when I plug it in all I get is the noise my fingers make scraping across the bass strings as I move. I'm currently playing the D'addario Pro-arte EJ44LP (lightly polished) which is supposed to reduce this noise, but I don't hear a difference.

Any thoughts on how I can reduce this noise? I really don't drag my fingers THAT much

I've already reduced it as much as I can with the EQ settings.

Thanks.

robot · #2 05-22-2010, 05:19 PM

Hello, nylon strings need lots of space to vibrate. If you nut is smaller than 2 inches a very sensitive touch is needed. Try a gentle touch. I hope this helps. Nothing is worse than guitar problems.....I understand your frustration.

688 · #3 05-23-2010, 06:54 AM

Thanks Robot - I'm working on it!

robot · #4 05-23-2010, 01:08 PM

No problem, You have a very nice guitar. I think it is a matter of posture and hand position more than anything. I have the same problem and have been looking for a shortcut, but have never found one yet.

688 · #5 05-23-2010, 01:47 PM

Thanks to Andrew Wasson on Youtube, I found a video of him explaining his nylon guitar rig and he mentioned that he uses a compressor/limiter...I pulled my Boss CS-3 out of my electric pedal board and plugged it in and set the limiter low and voila - much much better sound. I still had to tweak some other settings to get everything to sound more natural, but I'm extremely happy with the results.

So right now my rig (and audio path) is:
Taylor NS34CE
Boss (Monte Allums kit modified) CS-3
Fishman Aura Spectrum DI (still pondering returning...sounds really really good, but it's way expensive for how much I'm going to use it, but may keep it for the Tak steel string acoustic I have that needs all the help it can get)
Roland JC120

Play2PraiseHim · #6 05-24-2010, 06:06 AM

How about a link to that you tube video. Thanks

688 · #7 05-24-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Play2PraiseHim

How about a link to that you tube video. Thanks

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAbkZzZ0tzU

Livingston · #8 05-25-2010, 01:07 PM

I've been using La Bella Pro Classical Guitar Studio strings...they are a nylon flat wound string. No string squeak. The major trade off is that they do not produce as loud an acoustic tone as conventional round wound strings. I mostly play my nylon string guitar plugged in, so this is not an issue.

One other thing I do before recording on my steel string, is to soak my fingers in warm water for a while. This softens the skin a little and helps reduce string squeak.

Darryl

688 · #9 05-25-2010, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Livingston

I've been using La Bella Pro Classical Guitar Studio strings...they are a nylon flat wound string. No string squeak. The major trade off is that they do not produce as loud an acoustic tone as conventional round wound strings. I mostly play my nylon string guitar plugged in, so this is not an issue.

One other thing I do before recording on my steel string, is to soak my fingers in warm water for a while. This softens the skin a little and helps reduce string squeak.

Darryl

The water idea sounds good - thanks!