Recommend a Module for this tone...

[Kapo_Polenton]

Kapo_Polenton wrote:
I have two custom strats. One is fantastic (guy also makes his own necks and the one he did for me is bitchin) and the other has a mighty mite neck and doesn't blow me away (this is the one i suspect needs a better setup than i can give it)


Have the frets been properly dressed and crowned? If so, what's the issue? Too high or low at the nut? Does is need shims there or at the body?

In short, it plinks. There is high end and then there is plink.. it is alder body with KOA top so it will be on the brighter side (maple neck) but I don't get why it plinks. I cured the overly bright with a super distortion bridge and chopper in the neck but the plink drives me nuts. Also, nut is an LSR roller nut. I thought the issue might be the action and fretting out so i raised the action. The neck is fast and the frets were very well dressed. However, I hear a slight buzz on the high G B E strings which i think might be from the nut needing shimming or raising (just learning about this stuff in the last week so I am assuming) as well as the saddles possibly not being the best on the 2 point trem. (cheaper metal?) I absolutely love the look of this guitar. Sound however drives me nuts. My plan if i can rid it of the plink, is then to get another neck similar to N4 specs and get a luthier to swap out the neck for me. (the drilling and lining up neck holes is something i don't want to screw up) From what I have read, people have 2000$ high end strats that have this problem and often it can be nut, bridge, or the wood. I tend to think that the first two are more the offenders a lot of the time but I'm not sure.

 

[Mike P]

Kapo_Polenton wrote:
I have two custom strats. One is fantastic (guy also makes his own necks and the one he did for me is bitchin) and the other has a mighty mite neck and doesn't blow me away (this is the one i suspect needs a better setup than i can give it)


Have the frets been properly dressed and crowned? If so, what's the issue? Too high or low at the nut? Does is need shims there or at the body?

In short, it plinks. There is high end and then there is plink.. it is alder body with KOA top so it will be on the brighter side (maple neck) but I don't get why it plinks. I cured the overly bright with a super distortion bridge and chopper in the neck but the plink drives me nuts. Also, nut is an LSR roller nut. I thought the issue might be the action and fretting out so i raised the action. The neck is fast and the frets were very well dressed. However, I hear a slight buzz on the high G B E strings which i think might be from the nut needing shimming or raising (just learning about this stuff in the last week so I am assuming) as well as the saddles possibly not being the best on the 2 point trem. (cheaper metal?) I absolutely love the look of this guitar. Sound however drives me nuts. My plan if i can rid it of the plink, is then to get another neck similar to N4 specs and get a luthier to swap out the neck for me. (the drilling and lining up neck holes is something i don't want to screw up) From what I have read, people have 2000$ high end strats that have this problem and often it can be nut, bridge, or the wood. I tend to think that the first two are more the offenders a lot of the time but I'm not sure.

What type of bridge? Not a Floyd Rose, I assume, from your description?

Without knowing much about this guitar, here's what I would try:

1. Replace the trem springs with tight springs.
2. Replace the volume pots with 300k pots. If the issue persists, try 250k.
3. Try 10-52 and/or 11-56 strings
4. Replace the tuners
5. Replace the bridge with an Original Floyd Rose.
6. Replace the neck with a Floyd Rose cut nut shelf.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Sorry, forgot to mention it is a two point trem that is blocked and dives only. Not branded so I have no clue what it is. Looks very close to the type featured here: http://www.mightymite.com/Tremolo_Systems.html - mm1132B (black one featured). Seeing as the neck came from there, wouldn't surprise me if the trem did as well. Tuners are Sperzel locking tuners. So no floyd. That's why i was thinking of trying a real wilkinson v100 as it should slide right in. Would probably also have a better block. The existing one looks rather anemic.

I've heard tuners mentioned before.. how do they impact tone negatively? Or is it possibly the tuners causing the buzz?

 

[Mike P]

Sorry, forgot to mention it is a two point trem that is blocked and dives only. Not branded so I have no clue what it is. Looks very close to the type featured here: http://www.mightymite.com/Tremolo_Systems.html - mm1132B (black one featured). Seeing as the neck came from there, wouldn't surprise me if the trem did as well. Tuners are Sperzel locking tuners. So no floyd. That's why i was thinking of trying a real wilkinson v100 as it should slide right in. Would probably also have a better block. The existing one looks rather anemic.

I've heard tuners mentioned before.. how do they impact tone negatively? Or is it possibly the tuners causing the buzz?

Is it "buzz" or is a ringing "plink" sound? The ringing "plink" sound can be bad springs. I'd look for the tight Fender-style springs as opposed to the "loose" Floyd Rose springs and try that first.

It's unlikely to be the Sperzels. The tuners could have been a culprit if they were cheapies but I'd be shocked because Sperzel's are higher quality.

Unfortunately with something like this, it's a process of elimination.

PS - I avoid anodized hardware at all costs. It sounds awful.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I only had time to take a quick look last night but if i press the body down and push the neck forward (the way RAndy Rhoads used to do some of his dives), I think the open string buzz goes away. To me this means i might have to mess with the truss rod tonight to cure that problem. The other issue is indeed the "plink" or pinging sound. Like a really annoying tele might do. I also notice that this guitar really seems to bring out the mid frequencies so I might have to face the fact that this is the inherent tone of the wood on this one vs bridge. I guess if i can remove the buzz and the plink and what is left is a tone that i find too mid range heavy, then it is the guitar that has to go! I've also wondered whether or not the neck could be imparting some of that mid range on the overall tone but not sure i want to waste $ on a kick *** neck only to find it sounds like *** with the body once again.