individual string volume

[i want a d100]

Recently my 81 g37 started to do a funny thing, the 2 smallest strings have started to drop both in volume and sustain, the sustain especially,i have looked at everything i can think of and it all looks ok, the nut,saddle,pins,machines,and bridge lift, everything seems unchanged.This problem has cropped up before with a black dv6 that i had, no one could figure it out. I finally got rid of it.My g37 never had this problem before, it's been sitting unused in it's case for about 3 years, it even seems to come and go while i'm playing it. The neck size and shape make this my favorite to play, does anyone have first hand knowledge of this problem? Someone has had a undersaddle pickup in it at one point, the hole for the wire is still under the saddle.Also the saddle height is almost flush with the bridge on that side.

 

[geoguy]

I would assume you've actually answered your own question . . . perhaps the saddle is now to low to drive the guitar top.

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I agree.
Have the guitar looked at.
It may be ready for a neck re set.
How is the humidity where you live?
Have you been keeping the guitar humidified at 40% to 60%?

If the saddle is too low, you won't have the break angle needed for the best sound.
If the neck is pulling up, this will change the angle and cause the action to become high.
Lowering the saddle will only work for so long and then you run out of usable saddle.

Try looking down the neck of the guitar. See if the top of the neck aligns with the top of the bridge or if the neck angle looks like it is aiming lower than the top of the saddle.
If this is the case, it's time for a neck re set.

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

If it had an undersaddle pu that was removed without filling in the slot and recutting it...of course the saddle is too low...in that case, it may only need a new saddle cut. :wink:

 

[i want a d100]

No i don't think it needs a saddle slot recut, they used a much shorter saddle when they had the pick up in it, i took it out and i used a backup saddle i had used prior for another 6 string i had, no i have not been keeping it moist, here in the winter it dries right out. About the neck, it looks right on to me, recently i was playing with the neck, i would put pressure on the headstock backword just a bit, it seemed to make the 2 smallest strings louder,i tweaked the truss rod a bit and it did indeed help a little.I'm just not sure where to go next, i had had the guitar before and after the pickup was installed, it seemed to me it sounded just a little bit clearer up high before the pickup was installed.There are not many if any guitar mechanics way up here in northern maine.

 

[geoguy]

Perhaps send a pm to Frosty, he might be able to suggest someone to work on your guitar . . . I think he is also in Maine, although maybe not as far "nawth" as you are!

I was just working near Eastport & Calais last week . . . finished up just in time, to avoid this week's snowstorm.

 

[adorshki]

Replacing the saddle is a good test but the saddle should be profiled for the guitar it's in. For example if it's too low on the high strings then you might still have too shallow of a break angle on those strings to get the right volume. Also if the replacement isn't perfectly flat on bottom it's not transferring all the vibrations to the top. Or is there any kind of "crud" in the slot which might be preventing the saddle from making full contact? Also you WANT to keep the guitar humidified properly in that environment, you don't want it to get too dry.
GOOD LUCK!

 

[cjd-player]

it even seems to come and go while i'm playing it.

i would put pressure on the headstock backword just a bit, it seemed to make the 2 smallest strings louder

That suggests to me that the saddle is not making good contact with the bridge. It may actualy be moving in the slot while you are playing.

The bottom of the saddle may not be flat and it may be rocking while you play.

Or the bottom of the saddle slot may not be flat and the bottom of the saddle is.

Either way it sounds to me like the saddle is not making good, uniform contact with the bridge.

Check that the saddle bottom is flat both along the length and across the width.

Also check that the saddle slot in the bridge is flat.

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

Get a new bone saddle installed that is the correct height and fit.
I bet your strings will come back to life.

 

[adorshki]

That suggests to me that the saddle is not making good contact with the bridge. It may actualy be moving in the slot while you are playing.
Also check that the saddle slot in the bridge is flat.

Great call! Hadn't even thought about the slot itself may be the problem!

 

[tacoma001]

Also...verify that the bottom of the saddle is at 90 degrees in relation to the sides (square), and it should slip into the slot and not rock back and forth...Jim K

 

[kostask]

No i don't think it needs a saddle slot recut, they used a much shorter saddle when they had the pick up in it, i took it out and i used a backup saddle i had used prior for another 6 string i had, no i have not been keeping it moist, here in the winter it dries right out. About the neck, it looks right on to me, recently i was playing with the neck, i would put pressure on the headstock backword just a bit, it seemed to make the 2 smallest strings louder,i tweaked the truss rod a bit and it did indeed help a little.I'm just not sure where to go next, i had had the guitar before and after the pickup was installed, it seemed to me it sounded just a little bit clearer up high before the pickup was installed.There are not many if any guitar mechanics way up here in northern maine.

Has the guitar shown evidence of shrinking in the top? This would be most evident in a change in the relief of the neck, or perhaps a change in the amount of "hump" behind the bridge. Have you noticed fret ends sticking out more than usual? Is there an increase in tendancy to buzz?

Lack of humidity can cause the guitar top/soundboard to shrink, which will alter the break angle of the strings at the saddle. If the saddle was a little on the low side to begin with, it may cause enough of a change in the break angle to create the problem you are describing.

In winter, due to the low temperatures, and the use of heating, many homes dip into the 20-30% (down to 12% at my house during this latest cold spell in Calgary) humidity range, and eventually, the top shrinks due to this. If you know that the guitar "dries right out", you should consider putting the guitar into a small enclosed space with a room humidifier set to 40-50%, and see if the two high strings come back to the tone you expect. If they do, then you need to come up with a permanent solution to humidifying the guitar in a reliable manner. Letting it "dry right out" is certain to create problems in the future, and they can end up being expensive ones to fix.

Kostas