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guitar string mystery.

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:38 pm
by Russ Gannicott
Here's a weird one...In the studio yesterday we were trying to record some electric rhythm tracks by micing up a valve amp cab. For some reason we kept getting a nasty clipping noise on the attack of every chord. You couldn't hear it from the speaker, only on the monitors or headphones. We tried several guitars and it turned out it was worse the older the strings. It didn't happen at all with new strings, but the older they were, the nastier the clipping. Any idea why this should happen? Old strings usually just sound dull...what is it that happens with age that makes them do this? Could they become magnetised above the pick-up poles?

Answers on a postcard.......

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 9:54 am
by Jon G
Are you sure the mic imput gain gain isn't set too high? There's a fair bit more welly coming from a guitar amp than from a voice or acoustic.

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:55 pm
by Russ Gannicott
Thanks Jon. Still does it with up to 20db of pad applied on old strings. As I said, new strings, no problem? Weird eh?

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:58 pm
by Jon G
The older the strings, the more likely they are to be haunted. I would have the amp exorcised, rub the strings in garlic and that should solve it.

Or maybe just new strings.