Starfire III - string wobble after lowering tune o matic

ONTariO

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
SORTED: Starfire III - string wobble after lowering tune o matic

Hello,

I have a Newark St Starfire III.

it was recently restrung, but sounds far too bright. I read https://reverb.com/news/tune-o-matic-bridge-troubleshooting and attempted to lower it, but didn’t loosen the strings beforehand. Now, the E and A string “wobble” when it is strummed, but all other strings remain taught. Do you think I need to adjust the screws on the saddle? Could they have been pulled while it was still under tension and the tune o matic moved?
 
Last edited:

Walter Broes

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
5,892
Reaction score
1,958
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
You're saying "it sounds far too bright" and also you attempted to lower your bridge - is the brightness unrelated info, or did you lower the bridge with hopes it would make your guitar less bright?!? (it won't!)

When you're saying your E and A strings "wobble"...what exactly do you mean?
 

ONTariO

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
You're saying "it sounds far too bright" and also you attempted to lower your bridge - is the brightness unrelated info, or did you lower the bridge with hopes it would make your guitar less bright?!? (it won't!)

When you're saying your E and A strings "wobble"...what exactly do you mean?

Hi Walter

Yes, that’s what I was hoping - it would go back to sounding more aggressive like it used to. However on reading more into this, it should have been the pickup I adjusted and not the bridge.

So if you were to run your finger across all the strings, the E and A move like they are not fully tuned up, despite being in tune, if that makes sense. The other strings are all perfectly fine. I adjust the tune-o-matic back to the correct position it was in before as I had marked it before I changed it.
 

kakerlak

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
2,354
Reaction score
128
Location
Oklahoma
Wobble, like not enough break angle over the bridge? Might have to live with higher action, unless you can take some relief out of the neck and raise the bridge back up.
 

ONTariO

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Wobble, like not enough break angle over the bridge? Might have to live with higher action, unless you can take some relief out of the neck and raise the bridge back up.

I should clarify they wobble they whole way up the fretboard
 

ONTariO

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
I went to take a video for you tonight of the problem, and it seems to have resolved itself. I wonder if it was just due to the strings being stretched smd
they have had time to recover?
 

matsickma

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
1,028
Location
Coopersburg, PA
Maybe what you are experiancing are "string pull" from the pickup magnet. Lower the pickup on the E & A string side and see if it helps.
M
 

swiveltung

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
425
Reaction score
79
Location
Pac NW
As mentioned, maybe with the strings lower the pickup magnet is making the string wobble. It happens with strong pickups, maybe it's happening on yours. Also, the closer the pickup is to the string the more bright it is. (That's a general comment though)
 

ONTariO

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
It’s happening again tonight and I haven’t changed anything! The E and A wobble when you strum it and keep going for ages. It’s like the strings are slack, but they are definitely in tune and if I keep tuning them they go tight and don’t do it, but are then out of tune!! They are the new XT strings. I’m tempted to whip them off and put EXLs on (as originally fitted) and see if that makes a difference. If I started with the E and A I would know right away. I tried lowering both picks ups and it made no difference.
 
Last edited:

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
It’s happening again tonight and I haven’t changed anything! The E and A wobble when you strum it and keep going for ages. It’s like the strings are slack, but they are definitely in tune and if I keep tuning them they go tight and don’t do it, but are then out of tune!!

Could it possibly be they're just a tad too short?
It occurs to me that since shorter string length requires less tension to come to pitch, maybe that's all that's wrong, and that by lengthening the speaking length(nut to saddle) by moving saddles back ever so slightly, it might cure the problem?
Is your intonation good on those strings all the way up the board?
If not, that would be another indicator of not-quite-perfect string length.
 

Nuuska

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
7,668
Reaction score
6,028
Location
Finland
Guild Total
9
Hello

Have you tried heavier gauge strings yet?
To me this issue sounds like the strings are too skinny.
 

matsickma

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
1,028
Location
Coopersburg, PA
Are you experiancing a frequency "resonance" where the string and another part of the guitar are reacting to the same fewquency and that vibration of each part reinforces each out. Just like when a hollow body guitar air cavity and the string resonate at the same frequency and the "howling" feedback occurs. In your case the resonance is some other part of the guitar.
 

Nuuska

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
7,668
Reaction score
6,028
Location
Finland
Guild Total
9
Does this happen with / and / or / without amplifier?
 

ONTariO

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2020
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
SORTED.

I took the strings (the new XT type from D'Addario) off and replaced them with the EXL115 type which came on the guitar originally. The guitar has all its “punchiness” and aggressive sound back and most importantly, no more string wobble! I’m going to write to D'Addario and tell them of my experience. I’m a bit frustrated that I bought two packs of the XT and have no intention of using them again! Thanks to all who took the time to respond and I’ll clarify that it was happening with or without the amplifier.
 
Top