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Pickups not picking up D flat...(!)


The Craqster

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Let me preface this by telling you what guitar this is on. It's an ash-bodied superstrat with the EMG 89-SA-SA configuration, with a single volume and tone, as well as a 5-way blade selector. (All stock).

 

Yeah, so I was cranking some Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and hit a rather dull-sounding D-flat. Not cool. I figured I just hit it wrong, so I repeated the line--same thing happened. The note was rather quiet and muffled, also had a bit of static, and only when this note is played. (no matter where it is on the neck, even the octaves have this same issue). I unplugged from my amp and played it acoustically with my ear next up against the body. No problem, the notes were all consistent. I plugged back in and tried all three pickups--same thing on all three. That said, I'm also playing straight into a Drive 30W solid state amp.

 

Have any of you heard of something like this happening? Is it possible that this is an amp issue?

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I'm no electronics wizard, but I DO know that a pickup works because the strings disturb the pickup's magnetic field and create a signal. So if the strings vibrate properly as you say they do acoustically, the pickup should work.

Maybe it's the amp/speaker having issues with that particular frequency. I'd try plugging the guitar into a different amp and see what happens.

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Ditantkool...

Yep...that is what I like about them though....you reach a point after listening that it all comes together and you are like whoa!...the new CD is quite a different direction for them but I think it is VERY good. These walls is addicting and Octavarium is a masterpiece, hehe.

6 degrees is still their crowning jewel in my opinion though. :D

Good luck troubleshooting your problem.....almost sounds like a pick up issue to me.

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Originally posted by GuitarRules

Ok....why the mad faces, hehe?


I am a huge DT fan and like ALL of there work...all of it. I jts really like 6 degrees....than Scenes from a memory, images and words, yada yada. Its all very very good. I am an addict ok, lol.



I liked 6 Degrees a lot, too.

Blind Faith is such a killer track. :eek:

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Originally posted by Distantkool

Let me preface this by telling you what guitar this is on. It's an ash-bodied superstrat with the EMG 89-SA-SA configuration, with a single volume and tone, as well as a 5-way blade selector. (All stock).


Yeah, so I was cranking some Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and hit a rather dull-sounding D-flat. Not cool. I figured I just hit it wrong, so I repeated the line--same thing happened. The note was rather quiet and muffled, also had a bit of static, and only when this note is played. (no matter where it is on the neck, even the octaves have this same issue). I unplugged from my amp and played it acoustically with my ear next up against the body. No problem, the notes were all consistent. I plugged back in and tried all three pickups--same thing on all three. That said, I'm also playing straight into a Drive 30W solid state amp.


Have any of you heard of something like this happening? Is it possible that this is an amp issue?




I'm not a lawyer.....but Have you tried changing the pickup battery?
I'm not a lawyer....but have you tried changing the pickup height?

I'm not a lawyer but....I hope its not an issue with the drive amp. I was just about to buy the 12ax7 one for practice.




eg120_big.jpg

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Originally posted by robt57

And see if it still occurs.


Is this a new guitar, or and old one with some different strings or something ?


It's a 2003 with fairly old Elixirs. I'll try tuning it down, but I doubt that will make a difference. No matter where I play the note on the neck, it makes the same muffled, buzzy tone.

Originally posted by sertivide-grazy

I'm not a lawyer.....but Have you tried changing the pickup battery?

I'm not a lawyer....but have you tried changing the pickup height?


I'm not a lawyer but....I hope its not an issue with the drive amp. I was just about to buy the 12ax7 one for practice.


The battery was the first thing I changed. I haven't fooled with the pickup height, but I can't imagine what difference that would that make. The amp is a Drive CD300R-8G, like the amp below but with 8 built-in effects.

480743.jpg

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Originally posted by sertivide-grazy


I'm not a lawyer....but have you tried changing the pickup height?

 

I was just thinking about this post. Active EMGs have bar-magnets, not pole-pieces., so the whole pole-piece height issue has never been something I had to worry about.

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It could be that the guitar's resonant frequncy is Db and the note is being cancelled out. This is known to happen occasionally on some guitars and basses. You could try clamping something on to your headstock adding a little mass and see if that may help with the problem and then try a more permanant solution if it is what is causing you trouble.

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Originally posted by Pope on a Rope

It could be that the guitar's resonant frequncy is Db and the note is being cancelled out. This is known to happen occasionally on some guitars and basses. You could try clamping something on to your headstock adding a little mass and see if that may help with the problem and then try a more permanant solution if it is what is causing you trouble.




That is why I asked if it started after a change of some kind or if it was a new aquisition. But I didn't want to say it, so as not to induce any panic. ;)

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Originally posted by Pope on a Rope

It could be that the guitar's resonant frequncy is Db and the note is being cancelled out. This is known to happen occasionally on some guitars and basses. You could try clamping something on to your headstock adding a little mass and see if that may help with the problem and then try a more permanant solution if it is what is causing you trouble.

 

But why would it be cancelled out only when amplified? I have a decent ear for music and there is no change in volume when played acoustically.

 

By the way, I tried tuning down and experienced the same problem with the note.

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