lost my twang!

[johnsmith]

Can somebody help please! I've been tearing my hair out (or what's left of it )since I changed strings on my Strat. Quite simply I've lost my twang on my bottom E and A strings. All the depth seems to have been sucked out on just these strings when I play my Shadows numbers using my G2.1u with my EFTP patches. The strings I've put on are Fender 10s-46s the same gauge that I've just taken off. I've stretched them and played them in a bit but the sound is still not right. Please can somebody help me to get my twang back?

[martyn]

Hi John,

Similar thing happened to me recently. I'd just put on a new set of 10s but the A and E sounded dull. I tweaked and adjusted until I finally checked the bridge saddles - one of the adjustment screws on each of the A and E saddles had slipped to one side at an angle. I gently pushed each back to a more upright position, using a screwdriver, then adjusted the tuning as the saddles' height had very slightly increased and the strings reverted to their intended sounds once more.

I can't quite fathom why such a minor non-vertical placing of these screws should affect the sound so notably, but there you go - sometimes things don't make much sense to me anyway.

Also worth checking the slots in the nut to ensure the strings are able to move freely - if they get even slightly snagged in their grooves, this can affect the tone.

May help - may not.

Cheers,
Martyn

[johnsmith]

Thanks Martyn I'll have a look!

[harley]

Hi John

you might also want to check the basics. Are the strings sitting in the trem block correctly, are they hooked under the trees? is anything sitting too high? sometimes it is easy to overlook the obvious

regards
Ian

[Deleted]

John

To be honest I tried Fender bullets and they did not sound as good as the Ernie Ball strings I had on it b4.

If its nothing simple change them and go for Ernie Ball or D'Addario.

www.daddario.com/DaddarioHome.Page?ActiveID=1740

www.ernieball.co.uk/products/category/574.1.5908.0.0.0.0

Good luck
George

[panchodiaz]

Hi John,
Are those strings "round core". In that case those kind of strings need to be bended or crushed before cutting the surplus to avoid unwounding.

[joeboy]

Hi John

If you are the same as most of us, when the strings are off you give the neck a good polish?

If this is the case? it's very easy to get a build up of fluff in the nut slots, on the bridge saddles etc, fluff will kill your twang!

[Rick]

Hi members,I have used Ernie Ball's 10-46s for decades and never had a problem.Best wishes,Rick.

[roymattblack]

I only ever used Fender bullets once.
They sounded like old tow ropes!
I've used Ernie Ball strings for around 20 years and they sound amazing.
2 days ago I fitted a new set of Fenders. (Moment of madness - attracted by the pretty packaging!)
Rubbish! Totally 'dead' tone compared to my old 'EB's'.
Ernie Balls are going back on tomorow!
I'd prefer to lose the £7. than lose my sound.
Roy.

[johnsmith]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions (keep them coming) I've checked out everything suggested so far but to no avail ,however I will invest in a set of Ernie Ball's tomorrow and let you know. It's really annoying when you lose "your" sound!

[strat64]

Hi John,

I allways make a sharp bend on the wound string s before I cut them, to get the best sound out of them!
Regards
Bo

[twang46]

Just a thought John

I once had a couple of "dead" strings in a pack of Dadarrios, never before or since, changed the strings & everything was ok

Cheers

Dick.

[murraysanders]

Hello John
It is probably just your strings , Fender strings have more nickle in them and do sound a bit dull , D'addario are made of highly magnetic rust resisting steel alloy , I think a string change will fix your problem , the new strings you put on are probably effecting the magnetic field around your pickups when you pluck in a different way than your old strings . every brand of string sounds different , you have to find one that suits you and stick to it . hope you fix your problem . best regards Murray .

[tuftyrock]

hi i used fender strings for abour 5 years until about a year ago and i found that the bottom E and A strings went dead very quickly i thought i had just a bad batch {bought 5 sets on the well known auction site}
so bought another set from a music shop put those on and found that the E and A were dull straight out of the packet
i started using ernie balls again and haven`t any problems since
always used to use either ernie ball or d`addario don`t know why i started using fenders probably seemed like a good idea at the time

[sixchannel]

MUst put in my half penn'orth on behalf of Elixir Nanowebs.
I have used 11s for years and no-one can accuse my soundfiles of being dull sounding. In fact on a recent one, I was asked if they had been new strings on as the tone on the bottom 3 was so 'bright'. They were'nt new - they were a couple of months old at the time.
They keep their tone for a long time too.
cheers
ian

[tonybiker]

Hi.

It could just be they are new and over bright. Do you change the strings on a regular basis? I know players who just use worn strings. I would give the strings a chance to wear in.

If you use a clean white cloth and run the string through it when they first come out of the packet, you will shocked how much dirt and grease comes off a new string.

Over the years I have used every make of string, and the sound difference is hardly that noticable. Like Ian, I use Elixir and they seem to last forever.

If there was such a thing as the perfect sounding string we would all be using the same make.

Tony

[noelford]

I have to agree about Elixir. They may seem expensive, but not when you discover how long they keep a great tone.

[Deleted]

If the saddle screws aren 't properly seated on the bridge plate it will affect the sound in a quite a marked way. I spend a lot of time ensurimg that they are all levelled correctly for the radius of the neck and made a couple of templates that can be laid over the bridge to ensure the radius is set right. The saddles nearly always move when changing strings so they do need attention.

I have always used D'addario strings... 11's on my Strats, 9.5's on my Gibson SG and when I have had a Tele 9.5's also. Have tried EB's and Elixir coated plus just about every other brand going and always come back to D'Addario.,

Jimbo

[DaveC]

Interesting to hear about Elixirs. I use Elixir Nanowebs on my acoustics and I swear by them.

I see that the electrics are available in 11s and 12s with a wound 3rd. Must try.

DaveC

[neil2726]

Fast Fret is good for wiping the strings over before and after playing - suprising how it allows your fingers to slide more easily and keeps the strings clean - so they last longer!

[shadowsRmagic]

I agree with neil2726 about Fast Fret but when I took my standard Strat to a luthier (probably younger than most members) for restringing he said not to use it on the maple neck cos it would get under the frets, if more experienced members haven't had a problem I would go back to using it again.

Steve

[noelford]

I've been using it for years on rosewood, ebony and maple necks with no problems whatsoever.

[tonybiker]

Hi.

I am with Noel, and baffled by the Luthiers comment. Millions of tins of the stuff has been sold and I have never heard that one before on maple or rosewood.

Tony

[johnsmith]

Hello everyone, John here again. Once again thanks for everyone's help but it seems I've had a "Duh moment" to quote another thread on this site. I've just realised the strings I took off were 9s not tens as I originally said hence the action on my guitar went very high so I'm off to stand in the corner and write 100 times "I must not put on 10s". Then I will take my guitar for a proper set up (never had one!) with a set of nines. I wondered why my fingers were so sore !!! Once again thanks for everyone's suggestions!

[shadowsRmagic]

RETURN OF THE FAST FRET – Why don't I ask people who know before changing anything? – another "DOH" moment !

[garystrat]

I too use Elixir Nanowebs and find they have great life expectancy and hold their tone. I put a set on for one of our clubs professional players C/S Marvin about a year ago, at the last meeting he told me he has still not changed them and he is gigging several times a week!

Being coated strings, its probably counter productive to use things like Fast Fret on them, just a wipe down with a smooth lint free cloth is all that is required. If one bought two or more sets Elixir used to supply a cleaning cloth, its a pitty they no longer seem to do so or give the option of buying them.

As well as seating the strings properly, I find that light machine oil applied with a cotton bud where the string passes over the saddle and something like Nut Source lightly painted in the nut slots helps keep the tone. I also tend to stick to the just short of two post lengths and bend method of re-stringing at the post end, on a vintage type post after the bend I usually leave about 10/12 mm to drop into the top of the post, making sure that the string winds down smoothly without any overlapping.

Gary

[rosemary]

Hi John
Thanks for starting this interesting thread and I'm glad you've solved your string problem. I noticed when I got my American Strat back from its first string change (a complimentary one as it was new last year), one of the screws was at an angle and I didn't think the strings had much resonance especially when compared to the Mexican Strat.

Then after I changed the strings myself (the first time I'd ever done it) the resonance seemed to improve and I think the screw might have even straightened out. Maybe they'd put a different brand of strings on it and it had nothing to do with the screw but it made a big difference. I used D-Addario 10s (but they'd also used 10s).

The last time I bought strings (which I haven't used yet) they were uncoated D-Addario and I currently have coated strings so I'll be interested to see if they make any difference. I'm a real novice at not only playing but also string changing etc. so it's interesting to read about the experience of other members.

Best wishes
Rosemary

[johnsmith]

Thanks Rosemary, after a proper set up and a set of 9's I'm pleased to say normal Hank tone has been restored. The problem was I'd inadvertantly put a set of 10's on a Strat which had been set up for 9's. Still it's a lesson learned! Many regards, John.

[joeboy]

Hi John

Glad you managed to fix it

[johnsmith]

Thanks Robert/joeboy and thankyou for your help,it was very much appreceiated. Regards,John.