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I'm going mad (Guitarist is 'hearing' something)

I

iceshaft07

Mar 4, 2007
141
0
#1
Hey everyone. My guitarist and I play a bunch of songs. For a while, this happened with just one song, but we wrote a new one last night, and it happens with that one.

He insists that he is hearing something. Me being a computer repair person (not quite a technitian yet), I have been trying diagnose what he is describing.

He can't describe it anymore than it sounds different. He also says that it is always with the E, F, and F# on the D string (frets 2, 3, 4).

With both songs, the notes I play are whole notes.

It is not note bending, I hooked it up to my tuner. I would really have to try to bend the note for him to notice it.

It is not fret buzz. (I purposly played causing fret buzz).

The intonation appears to be within reason.

I thought I might be plucking the note before I actually fret it, but that would not make sense because there are other long notes in the song. This happens when I switch from A on the A string (fret 0) to E, and when I switch from E to F# on the D string.

He says he hears it with my finger picking, but not plucking with a pick.

This one is really interesting. If I play D on the A string (5th fret) then E on the D string (2nd Fret) then F# on the D string (4th fret); he hears it on F#. On the other song, I play C on the A string (3rd fret), A on the A string (fret 0), and then E on the D string (2nd fret). This tells me I am not having problems switching between strings.

song 1
|--------
|---2~4~
|5~------
|---------
Hears it on F#

song 2
|-------
|-----2~
|3~0~--
|--------
Hears it on E

Could someone please recommend something? This is driving me crazy!
 
#14
jschwalls said:
sounds like he is hearing "IT" on the last note... are you sure you are muting the prior note... it could be causing some issues....
Click to expand...

I don't see how muting the prior note is the problem in the first example. One note is on the second fret, the next is on the fourth fret of the same string. It's impossible for it to continue to sound.
 
#17
Very interesting.

I'd say try different basses and different amps out just to see if its really your bass.

The one thing that comes to mind is that certain bass frequencies cause other objects in the room to vibrate. For example snare drums are prone to rattle if you hit the right note (this depends, of course, on a whole list of variables).

Might try recording it so we can listen?
 
#20
Maybe a deadspot? although hitting it with a pick and fingers i dont think would make much difference to the dead spot it would sound dead and rattly whatever you hit it with it... He could just be dropping hints that he wants you to always use a pick though.. :confused: why i have no idea..
 

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