Dissonant notes on certain strings - What could cause this?

[Jaymond]

@Jaymond
Check that every nut and screw is snug. I had a similar issue with a (not PRS) guitar.

TLDR
Remove the knobs and make sure that the nuts are snug. I'd also look at the tuners and tuner knobs.

Longer story
This was on a bucket-list guitar that had developed an annoying resonance - almost like a zinging sound, just on the upper three strings, just in the upper frets. This is very similar to what I hear in your video.

After checking all the regular points of contact (nut, bridge, frets) and then checking intonation and relief, adding fabric to mute the strings above the nut and below the bridge, I just gave up and went on to play other guitars. Occasionally, I'd pull it out because it is a very special guitar, and I couldn't imagine parting with it. Each time, I'd put it away because it was too annoying to play. After years of this (I've had the guitar for nearly three decades), a few months ago, I discovered that the nut securing the tone control pot was just a little loose. As soon as I tightened it, the annoying zinging sound went away.

Best of luck with your guitar.

I understand your frustration, I’m starting to feel that way too. This was supposed to be a special guitar, bought with inheritance. Well done for sorting out your issue! I’ll check to make sure there’s no loose screw or nut I’ve missed.

 

[Jaymond]

Just to update anyone who's interested, I tried swapping the saddles on the G and high E string and the issue is still present on the G. I don't think the saddles are the cause. I'm going to get it booked back in with the tech guy but I'm not confident that this will ever be solved - at least not for less than the price of a brand new guitar.

 

[show_a_little_faith]

Just to update anyone who's interested, I tried swapping the saddles on the G and high E string and the issue is still present on the G. I don't think the saddles are the cause. I'm going to get it booked back in with the tech guy but I'm not confident that this will ever be solved - at least not for less than the price of a brand new guitar.

Sorry that it's proving so difficult to figure this out. If your local tech still isn't able to fix it, you might consider sending it off to the PTC. Since you bought it used there's no warranty, so you'll be on the hook for shipping both ways plus whatever the cost for the actual fix. But I'd be confident that it will get fixed at least

 

[Jaymond]

Sorry that it's proving so difficult to figure this out. If your local tech still isn't able to fix it, you might consider sending it off to the PTC. Since you bought it used there's no warranty, so you'll be on the hook for shipping both ways plus whatever the cost for the actual fix. But I'd be confident that it will get fixed at least

Yeah I think I might have to do that as a last resort. Hopefully I'll be able to contact them to discuss the issue and get a quote beforehand as I don't think this is a standard fix. My fear is that I'll pay loads of money to get the trem/frets/neck/nut sorted and it turns out to be the electronics or something else causing the problem.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who commented with suggestions. Even if the issue isn't sorted I still learned a lot and my guitar is better set up now than it was!

 

[Rider1260]

What gauge strings do you use ? and is this your first 25" scale guitar ?
I only say this because I recently got a CU24 that came with 9s and set up like I set them up it was a bit buzzy for that lack off a better term sounded killer but had a fizz to it , just changed to the normal 10s for me and all is well for me now,( I also polished he frets so who knows) , I Know CU24s can play great with 9s but my heavy handed playing needs a bit more meat to be happy

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

Just to update anyone who's interested, I tried swapping the saddles on the G and high E string and the issue is still present on the G. I don't think the saddles are the cause. I'm going to get it booked back in with the tech guy but I'm not confident that this will ever be solved - at least not for less than the price of a brand new guitar.

Yes, we're still interested and we want to make sure your issue gets figured out and fixed.

That said, I'd notify the seller and ebay and ask for some kind of refund/discount, given that this issue was not disclosed and so far it's not a simple "adjust this and it's fixed" kind of problem. Take it to a tech. See what he says, but the sooner you let the seller and ebay know the better chance you'll have if a legit repair is needed.

You clearly made video of the problem so make sure you tell the that was done before you took it to the tech. I wouldn't mention any adjustments you have made, necessarily but now am thinking that perhaps the seller jacked that bridge up like that trying to fix the problem and ditched the guitar when he couldn't. If it becomes a major repair, I'd consider asking for a refund. I know that doesn't get you a guitar, and these things are almost always fixable, but at least you're covering yourself just in case.

 

[Jaymond]

What gauge strings do you use ? and is this your first 25" scale guitar ?
I only say this because I recently got a CU24 that came with 9s and set up like I set them up it was a bit buzzy for that lack off a better term sounded killer but had a fizz to it , just changed to the normal 10s for me and all is well for me now,( I also polished he frets so who knows) , I Know CU24s can play great with 9s but my heavy handed playing needs a bit more meat to be happy

This is my first 25" scale guitar, my only other is a Les Paul. I use 10s although at the moment I have 10.5s on there because I thought a larger gauge string might help with the issue.

 

[Jaymond]

Yes, we're still interested and we want to make sure your issue gets figured out and fixed.

That said, I'd notify the seller and ebay and ask for some kind of refund/discount, given that this issue was not disclosed and so far it's not a simple "adjust this and it's fixed" kind of problem. Take it to a tech. See what he says, but the sooner you let the seller and ebay know the better chance you'll have if a legit repair is needed.

You clearly made video of the problem so make sure you tell the that was done before you took it to the tech. I wouldn't mention any adjustments you have made, necessarily but now am thinking that perhaps the seller jacked that bridge up like that trying to fix the problem and ditched the guitar when he couldn't. If it becomes a major repair, I'd consider asking for a refund. I know that doesn't get you a guitar, and these things are almost always fixable, but at least you're covering yourself just in case.

You're right, this is probably worth while doing. I'll see if I get anywhere going through ebay.

Again, thanks for all the help and suggestions everyone!

 

[kipkohl]

Is it possible that the bridge is not seated perfectly on the tremolo screws? In your photos it looks like the screw heads are lined up height-wise, but photos lie sometimes. I thought initially that maybe the grub screws that set the saddle height might not be making good contact with the bridge body, but your experiment with switching saddles would seem to discount that. Also, could it be a bad set of strings? I don’t remember if you addressed this already.

 

[Jaymond]

Is it possible that the bridge is not seated perfectly on the tremolo screws? In your photos it looks like the screw heads are lined up height-wise, but photos lie sometimes. I thought initially that maybe the grub screws that set the saddle height might not be making good contact with the bridge body, but your experiment with switching saddles would seem to discount that. Also, could it be a bad set of strings? I don’t remember if you addressed this already.

It could be possible. This is my first guitar that isn't a fixed bridge so I'm not exactly sure how to check. I think the screw heads are lined up - the guitar is with my local tech at the moment so I can't say for sure.

I've checked the grub screws on the saddles and changed the strings so it's not that.

 

[Jaymond]

I thought I'd post an update as it's been a little while.

I just got the guitar back from my local tech and he hasn't been able to solve the issue. He tried changing the tremolo springs to higher tension ones, replacing the grub screws in the saddles, adjusting the neck relief and action, checked for high frets, checked the nut... no use. In response to the question above about the tremolo screws I'll post a photo - they aren't lined up perfectly but I don't know if that would be enough to be an issue or not. The screws aren't fully in focus but I think you get the idea.

https://imgur.com/a/WxaPPGM

So I'm out of ideas and ready to give up on it. I'm even starting to doubt myself by wondering are guitars with tremolos just meant to sound like this? My only thoughts now are it must be something electrical; either the wiring or the pickups or the coil split tone control... I don't know.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

Geez, that problem is SO obvious in your video... guess I'm just surprised that it wasn't an easy fix for a tech. I assume you're across the pond somewhere but it might be time to contact PRS. And no, that is not normal for a guitar with a vibrato.

I don't hear it being electrical but just unplug it or turn the amp off. You should still be able to hear it. The noise I hear sounds like when a string is too low and so it's natural vibration when picked is causing it to hit frets above the fretted note. That's usually a simple saddle adjustment though. If your tech couldn't fix it, maybe time to call PRS. That is what it sounds like, though.

 

[kipkohl]

Those screws don’t looked aligned, but also don’t know know if that misalignment is enough to cause a problem. I’d try getting them evened up height wise and see what happens. John Mann’s site has the procedure for doing that….I think. VERY IMPORTANT…do not have any string tension on the bridge if you do this. The screws have been known to shear, so be gentle. Also, I believe the correct height is 2mm to the bottom of the screw head.

 

[Davey]

I thought I'd post an update as it's been a little while.

I just got the guitar back from my local tech and he hasn't been able to solve the issue. He tried changing the tremolo springs to higher tension ones, replacing the grub screws in the saddles, adjusting the neck relief and action, checked for high frets, checked the nut... no use. In response to the question above about the tremolo screws I'll post a photo - they aren't lined up perfectly but I don't know if that would be enough to be an issue or not. The screws aren't fully in focus but I think you get the idea.

https://imgur.com/a/WxaPPGM

So I'm out of ideas and ready to give up on it. I'm even starting to doubt myself by wondering are guitars with tremolos just meant to sound like this? My only thoughts now are it must be something electrical; either the wiring or the pickups or the coil split tone control... I don't know.

Jaymond,
I believe there are a few problems.
If you are planning on keeping this guitar, I don't know how good your tech is, but do you have another guitar tech that you can go to? I ask because the bridge screws in this picture are not even and they should be.
That is probably not the cause of your "dissonance notes" but it is a setup issue that will contribute to more/other issues. There are notches in those screws that the bridge must "seat" into to properly function.

I ask about another tech because I think your guitar is not set up properly. Any fret buzzing at the 12th fret and above is usually too much neck relief (your guitar neck needs to be close to straight or have the slightest bow). Not enough bow and the strings will buzz or sound "dissonant" in frets 1-5. Too much bow and the buzzing will be at the 12th and above frets which is what you have.

It really appears judging by the bridge screws that you need to have this guitar looked at and set up by a good guitar tech.
I'm not knocking your current tech, but some are better than others and it's important to find someone who knows proper setups.

Find someone who can go thru the entire guitar start to finish with a good and proper setup. During that setup, they should find if there is anything wrong with any of the guitar components (nut, saddle, truss rod, bridge, bridge screws, frets, etc.)

Best of luck and keep us informed on what you find.

 

[Jaymond]

I’d prefer to keep this guitar if there’s a possibility of getting it fixed. No offence to my tech but I do feel like he didn’t know the cause and so just tried some generic adjustments in the hopes that they worked. I’ve filled out the contact form to get in touch with PRS but am still waiting for a reply. Hopefully I’ll hear back soon. Failing that I might take it to an official PRS supplier and see if they can do anything.

 

[Bogner]

I’d prefer to keep this guitar if there’s a possibility of getting it fixed. No offence to my tech but I do feel like he didn’t know the cause and so just tried some generic adjustments in the hopes that they worked. I’ve filled out the contact form to get in touch with PRS but am still waiting for a reply. Hopefully I’ll hear back soon. Failing that I might take it to an official PRS supplier and see if they can do anything.

Your Best Bet Will Be To Send It To PRS For Repair.

 

[Davey]

I might take it to an official PRS supplier and see if they can do anything.

Try asking friends if they have a tech they trust or call your closest PRS dealer and ask if they have a tech in house or can recommend one.

 

[Stephen J.]

Sorry, I haven’t read every comment in detail, but this is an amplified problem, right? You don’t hear it when the guitar is played acoustically?

If not, I do think it is an electrical problem.

If it is present, even when not plugged in, I would check for something loose in the pickup cavities, the control cavity, or even the truss rod.

 

[Jaymond]

Sorry, I haven’t read every comment in detail, but this is an amplified problem, right? You don’t hear it when the guitar is played acoustically?

If not, I do think it is an electrical problem.

If it is present, even when not plugged in, I would check for something loose in the pickup cavities, the control cavity, or even the truss rod.

I can't hear the issue when played acoustically - I don't know if that's because it's not there or if it's just too quiet to hear it unamplified. Originally I suspected an electrical issue but it seemed wise (and cheaper!) to check it wasn't just a setup issue first. Now I'm back to thinking it's electrical - either the pickups or something else. I don't know how I'd go about testing this though which is why I'd like a PRS tech to have a look at it. Although from the responses here it seems like the bridge still needs looking at too.

I haven't had a reply from PRS yet and it's been over a week so I need to get back on to them.

I've checked the cavities and there doesn't seem to be anything loose in them.

 

[show_a_little_faith]

I can't hear the issue when played acoustically - I don't know if that's because it's not there or if it's just too quiet to hear it unamplified.

Maybe this is overkill, but you could try putting a pre-amp'd mic right up close then listening back at volume