Sitar-like drone/buzz on my JM's G string

Guitard

Ok, so I've had my Jazzmaster for a few weeks now. Changed the stock pickups out for a Seymour Duncan "hots" and I'm loving pretty much everything about it...haven't touched my old Gibson for a while now. However, there's one irritating problem....I get a constant weird high pitched droning...almost sitar like, on the 3rd/G String. Fretted or open, there's the sympathic twanging sitar sounding drone. Its maddening! I've tried raising the saddle height...just makes the string higher of course, moving the string around in the slots, but the ol' sitar sound is still there. I installed Graph Tech saddles...great, but STILL the noise is there. Anyone else come across this problem. Now, here's the weird part....previous to getting the Jazzmaster I had a Jaguar and the G string did the same exact !@#$ thing! 😠

Malik

Check every fret. You might be getting some freak harmonic. Other than that, I'd suggest picking a bit further from the bridge, see if that makes a difference.

Pedro

If it happens with string fretted and open I guess it can't be the nut. And if you've tried raising the action and it still happens with the string open it can't really be a high fret.

Could it be the G-string resonating either behind the bridge or between nut and tuning pegs? My jag had an annoying faint squeal that decayed quickly but was noticeable when playing quick chord strikes or whatever. Turned out it was the top E ringing on between the bridge and string anchor. Easily sorted by wedging a teeny bit of tape or whatever in right at the ball end of the string to damp it. Try sticking tape over the strings at both ends, behind nut and bridge, to damp them and see if it makes any difference.

Good luck!

Rick

that happens on a lot of guitars with the G string. it's also worth mentioning that it isn't a problem specifically associated with jazzmasters. it happens on my les paul copy. i've never really figured out what it is. try using a wound G and wrap it all the way round the tuner post

Aug

Didn't I already answer this question? 😕

Guitard

Augustus_McCrae said: Didn't I already answer this question? 😕

Perhaps you did, and I did a search on the topic before I posted. all I could find were posts about fret buzz etc that didn't match up with the symptom. If you did answer something specifically about this somewhere in the hundreds of posts on this forum then forgive my redundance. Maybe you'd care to be helpful and direct me to where you answered? Thanks.

Aug

Let me get this straight...you're getting this buzzing/droning sound on the G string in the open as well as fretted?

And no matter where you fret, it still buzzes?

Rick

it's not fretbuzz, if that's what you mean. it usually sounds like it's coming from the bridge or beneath the pickgaurd. somewhere around that area. as if something were rattleing slightly with certain types of string vibration (in this case, the G string), even though it only does it with the G string and not other strings making any of the the same frequencies

Aug

well, ####...that's perfectly normal...and you won't hear it plugged in...moving on... 😁

Rick

there's nothing to move on to. this was the point of his thread. i agree it won't really sound out through the amp. but it isn't a standard feature of what the g string should be sounding like, albeit acoustically. it does also seem to kill sustain. and he still has the problem. but i would agree with you, it's best to forget about it, because there's nothing that can be done

Guitard

Augustus_McCrae said: well, shit...that's perfectly normal...and you won't hear it plugged in...moving on... 😁

Its NOT fret buzz, and yes it happens no matter where I fret on the G or open. I CAN hear it plugged in as well as FEEL it, its resonant buzzing droning...like a sitar. I will move on. This forum is obviously more of bull session and posturing outlet than a good place to get information about these guitars.

Gavin

Guitard said: I will move on. This forum is obviously more of bull session and posturing outlet than a good place to get information about these guitars.

If that's your attitude you can piss off then.

Rick

all i did was try to help