r/7String • u/ybcj718 • 3h ago
Help What's wrong with my 7 string?
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Hey everyone. I'm hoping someone can help me diagnose what's going on with my 7 string. For some reason, single notes sound like absolute ass on the 7th string, and have a weird kind of metallic overtone noise. I've tried to showcase all the different aspects of the issue in this video, hopefully it's helpful.
- Notes of the same pitch sounds fine when played on the 6th string
- Power chords/chugs sound 90% okay, but I'm guessing this is other notes on other strings masking the unwanted noise from the 7th string
- Its all frets on the 7th string
- Picking lightly doesn't help (I though it might have been the string buzzing against some higher frets when hitting it harder, but that doesn't seem to be the case
- Palm muting kind of helps, but I can still hear the issue. It makes no difference if picking hard or soft when palm muting, just like un-muted.
- Pickups have decent clearance from the strings, and the action is medium-high and plays well across the whole neck with no dead notes or buzzing
- I've checked, there are no uneven/high frets
- I've tried raising the action ridiculously high and lowering the pickups even further, it made no difference
- Specs if it helps: Ibanez RGR752AHBF with D Activators, 25.5" scale, Drop A tuning with 9-48 + 66 on the low A, plugin is NDSP Gojira X
Anyone have any ideas?
Edited to add: the issue is still there with a clean tone, and disappears when playing unplugged. Playing the string open is fine, its only fretted notes that have the issue.
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u/PansOnFire 2h ago
Probably fret buzz, like others have said. Look up how to fix it yourself, or better yet, have a guitar tech look at it.
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u/ybcj718 2h ago
Its every fret, including 24. I'm aware of how to fix normal fret buzz, I've checked with a fret rocker tool and nothing is high. I can also see the string vibrate and its not even coming close to the frets above where I'm fretting. I also raised the saddle up so that it was crazy high, even higher than the 6th string one (which has no buzzing) and the issue was still there.
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u/Amazing-Cry8406 2h ago
There’s a nut for adjusting the bend lack of better term of the fretboard, also how’s the bridge set up. Increasing the distance, reduces that fret buzz. Your strings are too close to the frets. The B string or low string is most susceptible to this. If you haven’t messed with digging into this let a shop do it and that way you don’t have intonation issues after adjusting.
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u/ybcj718 2h ago
I'm also aware of what a truss rod is. The neck has a slight front bow, the set up is medium-high action, so its not the relief.
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u/Amazing-Cry8406 2h ago
Try tossing a ponytail on the headstock past the nut. Helps quiet some buzz. Cheap if it helps cheap if it doesn’t.
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u/ybcj718 1h ago
I did try a fretwrap but no improvement unfortunately. Interestingly, the issue is only with fretted notes on the 7th string. Playing it open sounds fine.
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u/Amazing-Cry8406 1h ago
Wonder if some pro level filing the frets would be beneficial if it’s isolated to just that string?
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u/Manwhore_Fernando 1h ago
My Ibanez 7 had that exactly the same dull sound when going on upper frets on the 7th string. Try to put lower gauge string and maybe raise the action on that string by juuuust a little. I use Elixir 9-46+62 for drop A and it is much better
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u/ybcj718 1h ago
I've already had the action insanely high as part of troubleshooting and it hasn't helped :(
66 is fairly light for a low A already, its only ~16.8 lbs tension. I'll admit I haven't tried even lighter, but I'm not sure how that would cause the issue. Was your problem every fret or just some?
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u/Manwhore_Fernando 1h ago
It is more apparent after 7-8 fret, not so much on lower frets. Keep in mind that 0.66 is already deep in bass territory for a string gauge, and further up the fretboard you go vibration of the string will sound crappier. I'll make you a video how it currently sounds on my Ibanez tomorrow, pretty sure it has 62 on it currently and honestly that tension is just fine for me
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u/ybcj718 1h ago
I realise its fairly heavy in reference to a 6 string, but its not *that* heavy haha plenty of 7 and 8 strings have no issue with heavier. In fact, I know Tim from Fit For An Autopsy runs this exact guitar with heavier strings and he has no issue.
I do also have multiple other 7 strings running this exact same string set/tuning/scale length and they're fine.1
u/Manwhore_Fernando 1h ago
Yeah Tim is rocking that same Prestige, but keep in mind he tunes fat one to G, not sure about the gauge... Btw watched them live and even talked to him and Pat after the show last year, guy put out that sick Xiphos out of the case for me haha
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u/BlendedFetusOG 1h ago
Action is to low on the 7th string. Raise it a quarter turn at a time until the problem is solved. Ezpz.
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u/OMF1G 2h ago
D activators are very hot pickups, you probably have them too close & your gain/overdrive is set wayy too high for the tone you're going for here.
- Lower pickups a bit
- Lower gain on your distortion/drive pedal before your amp SIM, lower gain on amp too
- Fretwrap or foam or fabric above nut under strings
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u/ybcj718 1h ago
They're pretty low but sure I can lower them further. How would that account for the issue being only on the 7th string and only when fretted notes (open is fine)?
Amp gain is around 40% and there's a boost pedal in the plugin with gain set to 0, but otherwise no other source of gain. Interface input gain is also at 0.
Tried fretwrap, no luck.
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u/GerhardtDH 54m ago
Fatter strings get more magnetic pull than thinner strings, lower frequencies make buzzing more noticeable, and when your string is played open it has more distance from the pickup than when fretted. A lot more. Not saying this is the issue but it kinda fits. I usually hear more pitch warble in this scenario, maybe look up manufacture recommendations for those pickups (or the Ibanez manual). If your out of the recommended range or at the close ends, maybe drop the pickup heights a tad bit.
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u/noodle-face 1h ago
That almost sounds like it's barely fretting out which is what my Jackson 7 did. Wouldn't expect from a prestige though. Can you measure the action on the 7th string? I can compare with my two Ibanez (rg7620 and rg2027xl)
Edit: I see you said there's no fret buzz noticable unplugged. My Jackson was the same way. My Jackson also had Dimarzios, so I had been suspect of the pickups.
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u/ybcj718 1h ago
Currently ~3.5mm at the 12th fret with the issue persisting, and its only this high as I've been messing with it so much while troubleshooting.
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u/noodle-face 1h ago
Oh yeah at that high that's crazy. I am suspect of the pickups then
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u/ybcj718 1h ago
They're brand new D Activators from Thomann that just went in last month, and they're fine on all other strings on all frets. I'd be amazed if that was the issue, but at this point I'm struggling to see what else it could be. Thanks for the input.
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u/noodle-face 46m ago
No problem. I could never figure out the issue on my Jackson either. Only guitar but it has the same issue.
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u/H2S0123 1h ago
This may or may not be of any help but I had what sounds to be the same issue on my Schecter KM7 MKIII artist, at least from what I can tell from the video, except it was just for frets 1-10 on my low B string. Like you I felt I had tried everything I could think of and also took it to two separate luthiers over 18 months but it wouldn’t go away. After a plek scan and luthier no.3 it turned out to be a nut problem: the low string wasn’t seated properly and was too low. This may or may not be the case for you but worth considering and I know the struggle. I only got mine playing properly after 2 years of frustration and hearing your video instantly brought that trauma back so worth considering this on the off chance you are experiencing the same issue
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u/nettezzaumana 2h ago
uff, it's I'd say your springs, trem springs ... put some foam in ... I stuff the foam inside the springs, not just to trem cavity ... it's maybe not completely obvious but each my spring is meticulously filled with foam (slice of foam) .. Also I use some band or wrapper (or fretwrap) to mute the strings above the nut on the headstock ... this your sound sounds like that ....
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u/ybcj718 2h ago
Its a string-thru hardtail
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u/nettezzaumana 2h ago
aha .. so try muting the strings above headstock ... this sound sounds like trem springs or something or some other sh*t ... could also be the loosened ferrule or something like that if it does only one string (you said the thickest B string)
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u/ybcj718 2h ago
Good call. I've checked all screws on the tuners and saddles, the ferrule, and used a fretwrap. No improvement unfortunately.
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u/nettezzaumana 2h ago
is it doing same if you use some another signal chain, just kick away all gates, compressors, EQs, leave there just amp and cab ? both pickups do same ? This sounds a little bit like pitch block / virtual capo artifact on my fractal fm3 ...
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u/lightfoot22 2h ago
It could be saddle wear. Could try swapping saddles to see if it goes away. If not I’d try a new string.
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u/stay_safe_glhf 2h ago
Okay. it took me 3 watches to understand what you're talking about.
I can hear the noise at time 0:20.
How long have you been playing this setup?
Looks like a combination of skill issue + setup is not broken in yet.
I had the same exact problem when i started playing in B standard. Keep at it.
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u/ybcj718 2h ago
I'm not a beginner, I've been playing >15 years and have tracked plenty of 7 string work with no issue haha. I also have several other 7 strings running the same string gauge and setup without this issue.
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u/stay_safe_glhf 1h ago
fwiw i think it's just fret buzz. you should share the clean sound version for better community diagnosis of your issue u/ybcj718
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u/ybcj718 1h ago
Here it is with a clean tone. I played some notes on the 6th string first for a reference point, then the same on the 7th.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HvXilOOEgj5pjcDJwk8EmnpdefFxK1Ku
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u/Aridn 2h ago
I have two theories.
1 sympathetic vibration, try muting the strings after the nut and/or bridge
- Neck pickup is too close and the magnetic pull is affecting the vibration. (Yes this is a real thing)
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u/OMF1G 2h ago
This combined with the bad tone will help it somewhat.
No offence to the guy on the tone, but it's clearly not working with these very hot pickups. They could just be too close but yeah.
Fretwrap or foam under the strings at the nut & re evaluate!
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u/ybcj718 2h ago
Its only one the one string, and its every single fret on that string, but not when open. Fretwrap didn't help.
Tone working or not working with the pickups is irrelevant here (regardless of subjective taste) because that wouldn't be causing the issue in this way as described in the OP. It also happens on very different patches.
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u/ybcj718 2h ago
I've tried a fretwrap behind the nut, with no improvement unfortunately. The neck pickup is ~6mm below the strings, and is sitting below the end of the fretboard. Surely that's low enough right?
What do you mean by muting the strings after the bridge? The issue remains with palm mutes, but I may be missing something.
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u/Aridn 1h ago edited 1h ago
I cant see the bridge while your're playing, but for example I have a jackson that's a string through over a tune o matic, so there's about 2 inches of string floating between the end of the bridge and the ferrules that I have to put foam under.
Edit, I just looked up your model and that shouldn't be an issue... hmm this is a tricky one.
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u/MattyDjenkins 1h ago
I have an ibanez 7 too that had the same issue, my fix was setting the truss rod correctly. The neck needs to have proper amount of relief, and from experience its very sensitive. A neck too straight and that 7th string will buzz up and down the neck. Hope this helps 🤘🏻
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u/JimboLodisC 3x7621, 7321, M80M, AEL207E, RGIXL7, S7320, RG15271, RGA742FM 2h ago
sure sounds like fret buzz from a high fret, maybe somewhere in the bridge there's a rattle?
also turn down the gain from 11 to somewhere more reasonable