Annoying High E string with Reverb...

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Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by zhivago » Fri Oct 09, 2020 12:17 am

I've been meaning to post this thread for a while,

am I the only person that experiences a high-pitch/whine/shrill sound when I play a note on the E string with reverb on?

The high pitch sound follows right behind the note, and at high reverb settings it is very fatiguing. :fp:

This is playing the note clean, with no distortion or overdrive and holding it to sustain, without even applying any vibrato.

This happens with both my HOF minis, and my Walrus Fathom.

Anybody get the same thing? ???
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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by jorri » Fri Oct 09, 2020 3:20 am

Sounds like a resonance?

Perhaps is from amp or guitar but only becomes noticable, though Ive has some verbs for example spring reverbs that have a resonance peak.

Or some kind of distortion happening perhaps which produces one. Hard to say without audio. Whatever my feedbacky problem was it got better using the effects loop as verbs added distortion.

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by zhivago » Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:36 am

I'll try and record a clip over the weekend.

It is odd, as it happens through my amp, but also if I record direct into Garageband.

???
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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by fuzzjunkie » Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:39 am

I can’t say that I have, and I always use high end reverbs with EQ parameters, so I can remove frequencies that bother me.

Is it something in a certain frequency range that you could notch out with an EQ?

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by ElephantDNA » Fri Oct 09, 2020 9:45 am

Reverb has a tendency to bring out frequencies that aren't as apparent in the dry signal. This can specifically affect treble frequencies. This is why in the studio people will try to isolate a snare without much cymbal bleed since cymbals can also be unflattering and treble-ey with reverb.

My suspicion is that this is a sound that your guitar makes dry but it isn't as apparent to the ear. The other option is that it's a fault of the reverb or your settings on it that is adding too many weird high end artifacts. Personally I would approach it by adjusting the guitar and reverb settings first prior to messing with eq.

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by tune_link » Fri Oct 09, 2020 11:06 am

I've had a HOF and currently use the Fathom. Never heard a sound like what Zhivago is describing out of either pedal. My guess would be what others have said already in that it's a guitar thing that the reverb algorithm in one of those pedals is picking up on and amplifying.

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Oct 09, 2020 11:17 am

I don’t, but yeah reverb can definitely accentuate unflattering things.

If it’s subtle ringing from behind the bridge or nut it can magnify it.

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by zhivago » Sun Oct 11, 2020 11:24 pm

Hey guys,

many thanks for the replies, :)

I recorded a short clip on my iPhone to demonstrate what I am hearing....sorry it took so long, I ended up coming down with a bit of a cold yesterday so I didn't do much playing.

https://youtu.be/kx_TivqUFws

I start on the high E string and later on play a note on the B to show that it is less/almost unnoticeable there.

The problem occurs with two HOFs and the Fathom, so I am thinking the suggestions that the guitar does it is maybe on the right track...but then again this happens with my SG, Les Paul and ES345...hmmm....could it be sound behind the nut or bridge that occurs when the string vibrates? Maybe I should try some foam under the strings on both ends of the guitar?

I tried EQing it out with a GE7 Boss, but I think there is not enough parameters to it...it ends up dulling the sound a lot.

At the moment I am inclined to just avoid the high E string when I am writing guitar parts. It is rather unfortunate through, I as it will hamper my chord options a bit.
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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by somebodyelseuk » Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:29 am

Reverbs tend to emphasise the higher frequencies, just like you would hear if you were playing in a room with no furniture.
If yer reverb has a low pass filter, start at about 5k and bring the frequency down until it stops being annoying.
Putting a separate eq pedal after thereverb probably won't work so well, because it will affect ALL your signal, when you really only want to tweek the reverb.
Ultimately, if you can't tweek the reverb, you may have to get a reverb with eq/tone/filtering included.

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by fuzzjunkie » Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:09 am

zhivago wrote:
Sun Oct 11, 2020 11:24 pm
Hey guys,

many thanks for the replies, :)

I recorded a short clip on my iPhone to demonstrate what I am hearing....sorry it took so long, I ended up coming down with a bit of a cold yesterday so I didn't do much playing.

https://youtu.be/kx_TivqUFws

I start on the high E string and later on play a note on the B to show that it is less/almost unnoticeable there.

The problem occurs with two HOFs and the Fathom, so I am thinking the suggestions that the guitar does it is maybe on the right track...but then again this happens with my SG, Les Paul and ES345...hmmm....could it be sound behind the nut or bridge that occurs when the string vibrates? Maybe I should try some foam under the strings on both ends of the guitar?

I tried EQing it out with a GE7 Boss, but I think there is not enough parameters to it...it ends up dulling the sound a lot.

At the moment I am inclined to just avoid the high E string when I am writing guitar parts. It is rather unfortunate through, I as it will hamper my chord options a bit.
Hmmm. How low is your action?

I ask for 2 reasons.

1) that sounds like a scratchy harmonic from the E buzzing ever so slightly against a fret, that is being accentuated by the reverb and you don’t hear it played clean.

2) if it’s happening on all 3 of your guitars, it shouldn’t/couldn’t be the same bridge/nut issue because they’re all different. It could be how close the fretted E is to the neck if you have the same action setup on all 3 guitars.

Perhaps that’s not the issue at all, but that’s what it sounds like to me.

Edit: I suppose it could be the E string itself? Maybe try a different brand/gauge if it’s the same on all 3 guitars? If the action isn’t low enough to cause the ringing?

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by zhivago » Mon Oct 12, 2020 1:00 pm

somebodyelseuk wrote:
Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:29 am
Reverbs tend to emphasise the higher frequencies, just like you would hear if you were playing in a room with no furniture.
If yer reverb has a low pass filter, start at about 5k and bring the frequency down until it stops being annoying.
Putting a separate eq pedal after thereverb probably won't work so well, because it will affect ALL your signal, when you really only want to tweek the reverb.
Ultimately, if you can't tweek the reverb, you may have to get a reverb with eq/tone/filtering included.
Indeed, that was the problem I was facing with the EQ post-reverb. :(
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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by zhivago » Mon Oct 12, 2020 1:03 pm

fuzzjunkie wrote:
Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:09 am
zhivago wrote:
Sun Oct 11, 2020 11:24 pm
Hey guys,

many thanks for the replies, :)

I recorded a short clip on my iPhone to demonstrate what I am hearing....sorry it took so long, I ended up coming down with a bit of a cold yesterday so I didn't do much playing.

https://youtu.be/kx_TivqUFws

I start on the high E string and later on play a note on the B to show that it is less/almost unnoticeable there.

The problem occurs with two HOFs and the Fathom, so I am thinking the suggestions that the guitar does it is maybe on the right track...but then again this happens with my SG, Les Paul and ES345...hmmm....could it be sound behind the nut or bridge that occurs when the string vibrates? Maybe I should try some foam under the strings on both ends of the guitar?

I tried EQing it out with a GE7 Boss, but I think there is not enough parameters to it...it ends up dulling the sound a lot.

At the moment I am inclined to just avoid the high E string when I am writing guitar parts. It is rather unfortunate through, I as it will hamper my chord options a bit.
Hmmm. How low is your action?

I ask for 2 reasons.

1) that sounds like a scratchy harmonic from the E buzzing ever so slightly against a fret, that is being accentuated by the reverb and you don’t hear it played clean.

2) if it’s happening on all 3 of your guitars, it shouldn’t/couldn’t be the same bridge/nut issue because they’re all different. It could be how close the fretted E is to the neck if you have the same action setup on all 3 guitars.

Perhaps that’s not the issue at all, but that’s what it sounds like to me.

Edit: I suppose it could be the E string itself? Maybe try a different brand/gauge if it’s the same on all 3 guitars? If the action isn’t low enough to cause the ringing?
Hmmm...ok...the setup thing is making sense...I have all three guitars set up pretty much the same...the action is medium-low...you can put an extra hard plectrum underneath the high E on the 12th fret and it will almost hold it there.

The strings themselves could also be the culprit...all three of my Gibsons have D'Addarios 10-46...

I will investigate more...to begin with I will raise the action a bit and see if it goes away...fingers crossed!

Many thanks for the input from everyone. :)
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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by ludobag1 » Tue Oct 27, 2020 2:13 am

as i heard in your soundclip it could be the reverb setting too that made the frequency of the hight E ringing more and be more present ,
at home sometimes my reverb make me go crazy i find it sometimes ice picking ,to much présent ect cause at low level the signal is not the same as hight volume level (gain increase with volume and can mask some band freq)
i have not rigging like that but sometime beguin of feedback ect ,change the verb setting ,or the reverb (amp or box ?)to see if it change the trouble ,sometimes reverb can be hard to ajust cause string ,key made it really present and it is with the set up you have to cut it to avoid frequency ringing when you don't want it (it is not easy cause change the overall sound to be more pleasant for one string or few keys )

i use a reverb tank or a surfybear for my playing mostly surf garage(fuzz and verb are hard to set up too sometime big headache) i haved some troubles with the boss frv1 (digital interfact)on the setting i used with (sold from fews years )don't know the market of reverb effect but some can be the same thing ,at the setting you want it it can react bad

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by lamp » Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:11 pm

It sounds like physical oscillation related to your board, basically it’s too neat, try putting the reverb pedal slightly misaligned ;D :shifty:
Sorry, I can’t offer anything constructive!

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Re: Annoying High E string with Reverb...

Post by zhivago » Tue Oct 27, 2020 1:05 pm

I'm focusing on the setup of the guitar at the moment...there were a few more replies in this thread, but we had a site crash a few days ago and they are missing.

I ordered a different brand of strings of a heavier gauge t see if it is some sort of fret buzz...of course, with my luck, the strings have gone missing, even though Royal Mail says they delivered them. :fp:

I've been playing different chords in the meantime to get around the ringing problem.
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