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Unwanted distortion from new strings?


Truckstop
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Hello all,

I recently bought some La Bella stainless steels for my Blazer. I'd refinished it, and strung it using whatever strings I'd had on it before to make sure I'd set the guitar back up properly, electronics and so on, and it sounded perfect. Then I fitted these strings and suddenly I've got a really prominant distorted sound coming out of my amp.

It's definitely not my rig because I tested my Eagle through it and it sounds fine, but I'm still getting this distortion coming out of my Blazer. I've tried raising and lowering the pickups, I've sodded about with the adjustable pole pieces with no noticeable difference. I've raised the action as high as I dare to make sure its not some sort of fret buzz. I cant notice anything when I play unamplified and I cant feel any moving or loose parts on the tuners or the bridge and the distortion is more prominant the harder I play.

Is this a characteristic of new La Bella strings? Do I need to play the strings in more? They've probably had about 2 hours of play so far. I've never noticed any other brand of string sound this 'snappy' brand new (if it is a characteristic of these strings). I wish I werent so bloody skint so I could buy another set of strings and see if I have the same problem!

Anyone got any thoughts on this? It's driving me mental and I've got a gig this saturday and it needs to be sorted!

Truckstop

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Can you give any more of a description of the sound it's making? Is it a buzz?

Have you checked at the nut? Although I'm wondering if something in the wiring has come loose, unless maybe these are a lot brighter? Maybe try backing off the volume (on the bass) or the gain?

Edited by charic
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There's no buzz when I play quietly, but I have quite a robust fingerstyle and playing with a pick is impossible now as there's higher attack the buzz is very very obvious. It is literally as if there's a touch sensitive fuzz on in my signal chain!
Hmm, I havent looked at the nut. The strings may be a different gauge from the ones that were on it previously. But they're normal strings! .45 - .105! Dont think the nut wouldnt be designed to take the most common gauges ever! I'll have a look and see if they're sitting in there comfortably....

Yep, they appear to be sitting in there comfortably, no obstructions, clear of the first fret.

I think I might have to resolder everything. If I've still got it, I think I might need to try some new pickups maybe?

Truckstop

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Right, just took all the electronics apart and soldered everything back together nice and neatly and it seems to have done the trick! When I refinished the bass I only resoldered the pickups, so maybe some of the old joints had worked a little loose? After all, it is 30 years old maybe she just needed a little TLC?

Anyway, that seems to have sorted the problem out; distortion gone and now I can hear the strings properly and I have to say I like a lot! Plenty of bass, but with a nicely rounded crisp zing. I dont think I'll be getting them again though, they're nothing special and I think I prefer the feel of my usual Ernie Ball Slinkys.

Cheers

Alex

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