• From: Massachusetts
  • Registered: 2010-09-29
  • Posts: 14

Topic: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

I hope everybody is having a good holiday weekend!

So, I've been playing an old, hand-me-down guitar for quite some time now (off and on, I have a lot to learn and I'm not superb at playing or anything) and this Christmas I finally got a new one to call my own. The price range was minimum, considering I'm somewhat of a beginner and really can't dish out a lot on a really good guitar.

So anyway, I got an Epiphone Hummingbird Artist LTD. It's a beautiful guitar, about $250, etc. I'm noticing the E and A strings (6 and 5), mostly E though, are sounding a bit.. I don't know, echo-y? The E string especially makes a kind of tapping noise on the fretboard, so when i have to let go of that string it sounds a little weird and makes some unwanted noise. It's really hard to explain in words.

The point of my rambling is to ask the question if changing the strings to something better other than the strings it came with would fix this small problem. The action on the guitar is decent. If I could make the strings a bit closer to the frets that would be awesome but I don't think that's possible, so I can deal with that.

Any advice would be much appreciated. I'd like to make this guitar sound as good as I can for the price I payed.

Allison

Allisloth's Website

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  • From: Mentone, Ca
  • Registered: 2009-01-10
  • Posts: 1,367

Re: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

Congrats Alli. Nothing like a new axe to keep you motivated. There are a few factors that could be causing string issues. The strings could be old. Maybe they are a diff gauge and type than you're used to. A set up may be in order. Changing the strings is easy so maybe start with that.

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!
  • From: Massachusetts
  • Registered: 2010-09-29
  • Posts: 14

Re: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

Awesome, thank you smile

If the strings don't change anything, would you recommend taking it to a music shop and getting it looked at to see what can be tweaked to make the play a bit better?

Allisloth's Website

  • From: Louisiana
  • Registered: 2008-11-06
  • Posts: 863

Re: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

We have some great folks at our nearest guitar shop. If it were me I would let them look at it first and they would give me honest input on what the guitar needed. Maybe a   set up or maybe just new strings. That way the set up could be done before the strings are installed if needed.

When the Power of Love overcomes The Love of Power the world will be a better place.

deadstring's Website

  • From: massachusetts
  • Registered: 2010-10-18
  • Posts: 1,674

Re: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

Isn`t a new set of strings part of a setup anyways.A good setup may do wonders,especially on an epiphone.Epiphones are notorious for being poorly set up.They also come to life really nice when they are setup well.Good luck on yours

Enjoy Every Sandwich
Nothing In Moderation  -- Live Fast. Love Hard. Die Young And Leave A Beautiful Corpse. -- Buy It Today. Cry About It Tomorrow.
  • From: Louisiana
  • Registered: 2008-11-06
  • Posts: 863

Re: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

joeyjoeyjoey wrote:

Isn`t a new set of strings part of a setup anyways.A good setup may do wonders,especially on an epiphone.Epiphones are notorious for being poorly set up.They also come to life really nice when they are setup well.Good luck on yours

Isn`t a new set of strings part of a setup
Could well be. I am not sure.

When the Power of Love overcomes The Love of Power the world will be a better place.

deadstring's Website

  • Registered: 2011-07-31
  • Posts: 11

Re: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

Maybe the string has two "speaking lengths" when it is fretted in the middle area of the neck.
The section of string from the nut to your finger on the fret may also be ringing a tone - tho quieter than the string segment from finger-on-fret to the saddle (where you expect the good ringing tone).  When you lift your finger off the fret to play a fretted note somewhere else, that secondary, unplanned string sound then disappears; but is heard again when another note is fretted near the
middle of the neck - and another upper (unplanned) string-segment tone is heard.

This is possible (but I can't say for sure).  New strings probably would not help.  Various techniques with both hands could lessen the secondary string-ring tone, but that may be months of playing
technique.   But, still, a set of good "M" strings are only $5 and you can change strings and try it.

Good luck with that handsome guitar!

Live to play, play to live!
  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,704

Re: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

all the above replies have merit. when i first read your post, it occurred to me that you needed to change the string gauge and a new set of strings was required,
the ones already on have been there since manufacture and lots of people have played them and left their skin acids
on them, so get rid and pop on a new set. next take your guitar in to a guitar doctor for true set up, he will advise you on the best gauge strings to use new guitars normally have a heavy gauge, so try a lighter one.

have a happy strum in 2012...above all....enjoy

phill

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • From: Sydney, Australia
  • Registered: 2006-03-29
  • Posts: 10

Re: String Sound? (New Guitar, Advice Would Be Much Appreciated)

Sounds like you might have some fret buzz there. If you bought it at a shop, take it back & ask to have the neck setting checked, it might be set a little far back. They will probably do it free. If you didn't buy it from a shop, take it to a luthier & ask the same thing. It also may need the saddle height shifted up or down a whisker. These are the main 2 features adjusted during a "set-up". Whatever you do, do not play with these settings yourself, get an experienced person to do it. A luthier will charge up to $100, usually more like $50.

Western Sydney, NSW, any Drummers or Female Vocalists want a jam, message me please?

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