My high E sounds like a sitar?!

[Kimling]

Hey
As the title says: my high E sounds like a sitar on my LS150.
I've tried adjusting the bridge, adjusting the tailpiece, adjusting the trussrod, putting clear nail polish on the saddles of the bridge which all in all have made my guitar play great, thre's just this one issue I can't seem to get rid of?
My conclusion is that it must be the nut, but is it something I can fix myself?
BTW I've put 11's on it and adjusted it afterwards, but it came with 10's from the factory. Can this be why the nut is acting up?

Kind regards
Kim

 

[marcusnieman]

Hey
As the title says: my high E sounds like a sitar on my LS150.
I've tried adjusting the bridge, adjusting the tailpiece, adjusting the trussrod, putting clear nail polish on the saddles of the bridge which all in all have made my guitar play great, thre's just this one issue I can't seem to get rid of?
My conclusion is that it must be the nut, but is it something I can fix myself?
BTW I've put 11's on it and adjusted it afterwards, but it came with 10's from the factory. Can this be why the nut is acting up?

Kind regards
Kim

Yup, it's the nut....I just went thru that on one of my new guitars. I play 11's as well and if the string slot isn't wide enough and has to much of a V profile in the slot to allow the string to rest down in it, you'll get some additional vibration in the slot - adding an undertone to the string's ring. In most cases 11's will fit without a problem but some factory nuts are actually cut for 9's and 10's

It's an easy fix but you want to go easy on it. Stay away from files because you don't want to overdo it. Emory paper folded in half slid back and forth in the slot should do the trick. Do it just enough so that the string rests down in the groove.

Or you can take it to your guitar guy and let him do it if you don't want to hassle with it.

 

[ACY]

Hi!
Check out if one of your saddles is easily moveable. Then play your E-string and hold the saddle with your fingers. So you can find out if it has something to do with your bridge/saddle.

Nut: Do you have that effect only open played, or on all frets? If that effect?s on all or some frets it has nothing to do with the nut!

cheers, "ACY"

 

[marcusnieman]

Hi!
Check out if one of your saddles is easily moveable. Then play your E-string and hold the saddle with your fingers. So you can find out if it has something to do with your bridge/saddle.

Nut: Do you have that effect only open played, or on all frets? If that effect?s on all or some frets it has nothing to do with the nut!

cheers, "ACY"

Right....good call ACY. I was just assuming that it was occuring on an open string as mine was. :wink:

 

[Kimling]

It's both when I hit the open string and when I fret a note

 

[ACY]

So get your ear close to the neck and listen where it?s coming from. It can be a saddle, it can be the neck (if it?s too straight, or strings too low), it can be pickup mounting springs, .............................!

I?m sure you?ll find it!

good luck, "ACY"

 

[Kimling]

It sounds as if it is coming from the nut?

 

[andyscott]

Handy and very cheap tool for nuts (and let's face it, we all like our nuts tweaked from time to time.):

http://www.monteallums.com/enut_tuning.html

Scroll down half way to 'nut slotting tool'.

 

[mlivingstone]

Try sighting the nut from the headstock end for a rough idea if your top E nut slot is cut too low. A more scientific approach is to hold down the string at the third (I think) fret and check the gap between the string and the first fret with feeler gauges (do a quick search on line for the correct specs). I've some buzzing (open and fretted) on my LS150 - the G string nut slot has been cut too low which I've yet to address but doesn't cause a problem amplified. Otherwise and excellent guitar. The only remedies are to fill in the slot with a mix of superglue and bicarb of soda (for strength) and re-cut the slot - or a new nut. As soon as I track down a good guitar tech in my area I'm going for the latter. Definitely worth the expense to get the setup 100% on this guitar.