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Ping? on high E

Joe M

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Sep 22, 2020
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Newbie here so forgive me if I'm in the wrong forum. I just brought home a beautiful R9 yesterday, fantastic guitar. Played it, both in the shop and at home, with the strings that were on the guitar, no problems. Today, as I usually do with any new guitar, I put my preferred strings, GHS Nickel Rockers, on the guitar. Same gauge as the strings that were on the guitar, which I'm assuming Gibson, and the high E has this piercing ping sound when played, both open and everywhere up the neck. It really isn't a "ping", but that's the best word I can think of to use. Sorta like a real high-pitched piercing tone that is the same note as the fret where it's being fingered. Wasn't there with the original strings. Really don't want to take the guitar back to the shop if it's an easy fix that I could do myself. I'm guessing it has something to do with the saddle since the sound is all over the neck, not just open, which would eliminate a problem with the nut. Full disclosure, this is my first "good" Gibby, I'm a Strat and Tele guy, mainly. :)

I have no problem with setups on any Fender, but the LP is a whole different animal, obviously. So, before I even start to mess with the guitar, any insight as to what the problem may be, and, is it an easy fix? Or should I just bite the bullet and take it back to the shop?

Thanks for any advice, and, please be gentle.....:dang
 

Minibucker

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Jan 12, 2003
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Could be one or more of a number of things. It could be some slight fret buzz because of low action or not enough neck relief. The saddle slot could be filed wrong...maybe too much room/depth for the string or a burr that's contacting it when it vibrates. Or the rear of the nut slot could be making slight contact because of the downward angle it makes with the headstock as it goes to the tuner.
 

El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
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Here is a little fix from my tech ,take the string out of the slot a hair to the treble side of the slot . I always wondered why my tech set up my R Les Paul's this way and it is because of this ping type sound . This will lessen the ping and make it better .
 

Joe M

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Sep 22, 2020
Messages
12
Here is a little fix from my tech ,take the string out of the slot a hair to the treble side of the slot . I always wondered why my tech set up my R Les Paul's this way and it is because of this ping type sound . This will lessen the ping and make it better .

Thanks Gringo, I did do that and the ping went away. Took it a little farther and raised the saddle a bit and.....ding, ding, ding, all gone. Don't know why the noise wasn't there with the original strings, but, at this point, I don't care, it's "fixed"...:dude:
 

El Gringo

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Thanks Gringo, I did do that and the ping went away. Took it a little farther and raised the saddle a bit and.....ding, ding, ding, all gone. Don't know why the noise wasn't there with the original strings, but, at this point, I don't care, it's "fixed"...:dude:

Awesome and so glad I could help to get rid of dreaded pings . My tech has been doing this for me for a while and at first I was like he is going blind or something and then he kept on doing it and of course at first I would re slot the string and then after a while out of curiosity I tried the way he set it up and I was instantly impressed . Just goes to show me that pros know what they are doing !
 

Joe M

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Sep 22, 2020
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Awesome and so glad I could help to get rid of dreaded pings . My tech has been doing this for me for a while and at first I was like he is going blind or something and then he kept on doing it and of course at first I would re slot the string and then after a while out of curiosity I tried the way he set it up and I was instantly impressed . Just goes to show me that pros know what they are doing !

Just in case my last post wasn't clear enough, after I raised the saddle a bit, the string was fine back in the slot. Thanks again for kinda, sorta pointing me in the right direction.
 

Minibucker

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Awesome and so glad I could help to get rid of dreaded pings . My tech has been doing this for me for a while and at first I was like he is going blind or something and then he kept on doing it and of course at first I would re slot the string and then after a while out of curiosity I tried the way he set it up and I was instantly impressed . Just goes to show me that pros know what they are doing !
I'm wondering if I should just replace my high-E saddle with one that has barely a scratch/starter notch for the string to sit in.
 

El Gringo

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I'm wondering if I should just replace my high-E saddle with one that has barely a scratch/starter notch for the string to sit in.

I have heard of folks doing that as well , or you could just use the technique from my tech .
 

Minibucker

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I have heard of folks doing that as well , or you could just use the technique from my tech .
Just to clarify....he lifts the high E out of its saddle slot and lays it on the un-slotted portion of the saddle to the right?
 

Minibucker

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yes, just a hair towards the treble side
Any issues with the string popping back in when you bend? If this is the case, I'd probably rather just get a new saddle and do the shallow starter-notch.

Has there ever been 'shallow V-notch' saddles?
 

Triplet

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I think I'd enlarge it a hair (literally) and de-burr sides and bottom. Worst case - you replace the saddle, anyway.
 

Joe M

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Sep 22, 2020
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Guys, just wanted to make sure my last post was understood.....I did try putting the string out of the slot in the saddle and the ping went away. In my mind, that just meant that the string, in the saddle slot, was sitting too low. Made sense to me to just raise the height of the saddle, and that's what I did and it worked. Now the string is back in the slot in the saddle and there is no ping.
 

Minibucker

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Guys, just wanted to make sure my last post was understood.....I did try putting the string out of the slot in the saddle and the ping went away. In my mind, that just meant that the string, in the saddle slot, was sitting too low. Made sense to me to just raise the height of the saddle, and that's what I did and it worked. Now the string is back in the slot in the saddle and there is no ping.
Yeah as I mentioned it could be string buzz on frets, in that case it may be an issue with string7 height/action, neck relief or maybe even some fret leveling. But the saddle slot can often be a source of 'sitar'-like overtones on the high E string for some, that's where erratic contact/slot or burrs can come in.
 

El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
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Any issues with the string popping back in when you bend? If this is the case, I'd probably rather just get a new saddle and do the shallow starter-notch.

Has there ever been 'shallow V-notch' saddles?
Never , it has never popped back in the saddle and i bend them like crazy .
 
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