Scrybe's Little Mods of Horrors!

The heavier, tighter string also doesn't exhibit as much of the phenomenon where the pitch goes up right after the attack, going back down as the vibration dies down. (All strings do this, always, it's just a lot more noticeable with slack strings.)

Slack strings tend to be the lighter gauges => more axial displacement on attack and vibrational => more variation in tension through the motion of vibration (reason for pitch change) => more complex vibrational modes => more harmonic energy

The heavier, tighter string also doesn't exhibit as much of the phenomenon where the pitch goes up right after the attack, going back down as the vibration dies down. (All strings do this, always, it's just a lot more noticeable with slack strings.)

Slack strings tend to be the lighter gauges => more axial displacement on attack and vibrational => more variation in tension through the motion of vibration (reason for pitch change) => more complex vibrational modes => more harmonic energy

Does simple tension come into play, increasing the stress on the neck and thus raising the strings? Or is that overly simplified?

Does simple tension come into play, increasing the stress on the neck and thus raising the strings? Or is that overly simplified?

High tension mean more energy in less offset from rest position (also increased due to greater string mass, as higher tension is often associated with heavier strings). The less the string moves, the closer to ideal fulcra are the (end-) points of flexure. Also, the less the vibrational offset, the less the tension varies over the cycle of vibration. That will produce non-linearities that lead to higher order harmonic vibe components.

If you mean does tension increase neck relief (bowing) and lower the potential for buzz, the answer is "no" for my discussion: I am assuming the relief is corrected and optimized for the string set. => low action. Counter to popular newbie belief, a properly set up guitar with heavy strings can have lower, buzz free action than can a properly set up lightly strung guitar.

Something about which I wonder: In electrics, strong pup magnet fields may induce two dimensional axial vibration, with resolved components both in parallel to the fretboard (low buzz potential) and perpendicular to fretboard (higher buzz potential).

Something about which I wonder: In electrics, strong pup magnet fields may induce two dimensional axial vibration, with resolved components both in parallel to the fretboard (low buzz potential) and perpendicular to fretboard (higher buzz potential).

I gotta admit; I rarely know what you're talking about Greg.... I still enjoy reading it though!

Well.... Not to let a good potential 'conversation starter' like what's in the quotations go....

Weaker magnets, like AlNiCo II's have less string pull which allows the string to vibrate for a longer period of time
in a more natural way.
While pups that have stronger magnets, such as AlNiCo V's, generate more string pull.... resulting in a somewhat
'electronically dampened' action if the string/magnet proximity is too close.

(Somehow, I'm guessing that you know all that though ~ :wink: )

Though, since you did say "may induce", I'm going to assume that you mean without an outside force acting upon [it] (the string) other than the magnetic field generated while plugged into an amp that's on.

In which case - Diming everything leads to some fantastic feedback! :D

Ken

String height over the pickup has a bigger effect on the magnetic pull on the string than the magnet material does.

String height over the pickup has a bigger effect on the magnetic pull on the string than the magnet material does.

You need to try some pickups with neodymium magnets. Don't try playing with your teeth; they'll suck the fillings right out of your mouth. And you can stick the guitar to the fridge, which might be convenient at times.

String height over the pickup has a bigger effect on the magnetic pull on the string than the magnet material does.

Perhaps.... Except that the magnet material has a greater effect on tonality than string height over the pickup does.

That is to say that simply by lowering an AlNiCo V SC pup in a Strat, wont make it sound like an AlNiCo II SC pup.

On a Strat, the pups need to be adjusted to their optimum performance height.
*The closer to the strings - the better the performance*
That's the simplified equation.
The biggest other thing that factors into that is magnet strength.

With Alnico V magnets, you can't get too close to the string or else bad things will happen.
Weaker magnets like Alnico II's allow you to get closer to the string without things going haywire.
*Remember - closer is where you want to be*

Lowering an Alnico V pup will reduce tone and performance.
Yes - you'll lessen the string pull effect.... you'll also have a pup position that's pretty lackluster and lifeless.

Seymour Duncan has a signature Fender Esquire patterned after his very own 54 Esquire in which he shaves some
of the neck cavity down to lower the strings closer to the pup. (Which was probably an Alnico III on his original;
he puts a SD SC in his sig model which probably uses an Alnico II)

They each have their different tonalities:
Alnico II SC's in a Strat are usually said to be 'Darker' sounding than the usual Alnico V's.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that they are 'Dark' sounding.... that's more of a comparitive to the brightness of the V's.

PAF HB's had Alnico II magnets and they are generally refered to as having a 'Sweet' tone.
And.... they do! :wink:

Of course, there's also the number of windings and the gauge used for the winding....
That's for a different discussion though.

Suffice it to say that by lowering the pup away from it's optimum performance height, you will be reducing magnetically
induced string pull, although lessening the.... ummm.... 'power' of the pup as well.

Having weaker magnets allows you to get closer to the string for optimum performance while reducing the string pull problems.

I guess what I'm trying to say is: that lowering the pup is not an option in my book :twisted:
(Though with a 5 pos pup switch, it may be nec. to lower the mid pup out of optimum to accomodate the 2 & 4 positions)

Ken

Okay - Let's try this again....

I decided to research the pup height thing a bit....

First off; Pup height is a personal thing determined by the guitar/string gauge/owner's tonal preference/limits of overall pup balance.

I have always started adjusting my pup heights on the high e string side.... finding where I like that, then it's just a matter of adjusting the rest of the pup to balance out;
Closer under the high e, slanting furthur from the low E.

So - I just grabbed my 88 Strat off the wall and decided to re-set the neck pup (the one I prefer to use most).

This time, I stared on the low E side and dropped it as far as it could go before the screws came loose.
This would asure me that the pup would be as low as I could get it....
I then just adjusted for an overall balance on the pup as a whole.

This resulted in my high e side being 1/32" lower than my previous setting.

I plugged in and as I had suspected, it resulted in a loss of performance, liveliness, and sparkle....
on my usual volume setting.

So - I turned the guitar volume up one number (from 2 to 3 :shock: )
and lo and behold - a much more pleasant tone did I hear!

I found this:
http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/news_story/a/news_id/e/1640

And as the article says, by lowering the pup (slightly), what I experienced was more warmth, more wood, a slight increase in dynamic control (I'd have to be able to play with the guitar volume up to 10 to be able to really determine that), and mostly a much more 'airy' tone.... much like describing an 'airy' sounding acoustic guitar. (I play pretty darn clean).

I really can't say what to do with HB's, as I have never owned a guitar with HB's....
On Strats though.... there's a very limited window to play with.
You can't really lower the high e side all that much because you wont be able to compensate in the balance.
The low E side can only go down so far - then you have to balance from there.

As you can see - there was only 1/32" of difference between what my ears percieved to be the optimum pup height and
what is pretty much absolute zero for the lowest setting.

Now I have to readjust ALL the pups! :roll:

Let the experiment continue! :D

Ken

Keeping your volume way down results in the loss of some highs. Somewhat like turning your tone knob down a little. That said, it's good to turn your amp up as loud as you want it to get and control it with your guitar controls.

Keeping your volume way down results in the loss of some highs. Somewhat like turning your tone knob down a little. That said, it's good to turn your amp up as loud as you want it to get and control it with your guitar controls.

Yeah; I like to turn the volume on the amp up (this ones set at 10.... a GOOD tube amp could probably do with 7/8).

I can't play really loud here, so 2 on the guitar is almost grounds for arrest!
Having an amp cranked with the volume down on the guitar results in a much better dynamic control....
especially with my clumsy fingers!

As for a loss of highs.... I play a Fender! :wink:

Ken

Update.....

all modding is currently on delay while the work area has become a temporary greenhouse for the next week or two. :roll:

El Cheapo Acoustico has been temporarily saved from a refinish on account of CitizenNoir naming him Cervantes. I may change my mind, though (not about the name, about the paint!!! and the top will be left as is, aside from possible inlay touch up).

Swampy (or an improved version thereof) has now been given an official (and blody kewl, if I may so myself) name. But you'll have to await the presentation for that one, I'm afraid (it's killing me, I desperately wanna brag about it, but name+pics would be much better, trust me).

Plan to do some electrical work as soon as the greenhouse has become a workshop again, so pics might be up in a week or so.

I've seen her garden - this is not a waste of space! Two weeks for seedlings is definitely worth it.

I've seen her garden - this is not a waste of space! Two weeks for seedlings is definitely worth it.

And I would surely agree to that. Good work, Scrybe.

Update:Swampy 's body turned up today. :mrgreen: (Uh, it really isn't necessary for me to bold the 'update' bit when its follwoed by this, do I? It kinda 'flags the post' for itself...)

This kinda shot always make me go a little weak.......

Now, that's one darn sexy body....

Vanilla Ice Cream......

If only Picasso had been this talented....

In a response to Gibson's Robot Guitar, Fender release the amazing self-balancing Superstrat...

With neck (temporarily borrowed from Rosencrantz, not the final one!)

I've seen her garden - this is not a waste of space! Two weeks for seedlings is definitely worth it.

My "blues bench" (What? I have no back porch...)

That is awesome.

And the guitar is cool too!

What body are you going to use with the neck you are buying from me???