TVL JM and a weird, dead sounding G string

[patski]

Hello folks!

Picked up Dan Erlewine's book, been tweaking my TVL JM to get it to sound how I want it to. Learning A LOT in the process. Swearing a lot too, LOL

But no matter what, I still have a dead sounded G string. It sounds awful open, but it also sounds awful fretted. It doesn't ring out, and yet it has a harmonic coming off it that's really present. It's been through two string changes, so it's not the string. I have taken some floss to clean the nut slot, and maybe it was just me, but I *think* it sounded ok for maybe...10 SECONDS...and then went back to sounding dull.

Now I'm wondering if it's the saddle? This has a Mustang bridge. I have tried rubbing some pencil lead into the slot on the saddle, and it did absolutely ZIP. I have raised and lowered the bridge on the treble side and it hasn't helped.

Anything else I can try? Thanks all.

[spacecadet]

When you changed the strings, did you change the brand/type or just new of the same strings? If you didn't try different strings, I'd try that first. Also try a wound G if you haven't; I feel like non-wound G strings sound dead no matter what.

But if it's both open and fretted and it happens on *any* string you put on it, I'd say it's most likely the nut and you probably just need to file it a little more. I don't think dental floss is really going to do anything; you need a nut file sized properly for the slot.

I doubt it's the saddle. It's more likely the nut.

[Embenny]

If it sounds dead fretted, it is absolutely unrelated to the nut...the nut is acoustically inert the second you fret anywhere on the neck. Saddle/bridge/strings would be all the options I can think of. Do you have any other offset bridges you could swap around to experiment? Or is this your only JM?

[ludobag1]

like before past the first fret it is not the nut
fo me it is the saddle and du to description the string have not one point of contact on it but more then it not ring beetween two point saddle and nut but more then you heard zrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
inspect the saddle first ,try to invert it with other string like D (it could be a baad cut in the groove of it)
i have a mustang bridge that made my classic lacquer sound cheaty du that ,i have reput the stock bridge and it is really better ,i am not fan of mustang bridge

[Kent]

Yeah, look into the individual saddle. Don't bother moving the bridge around if all of the other 5 strings are positioned how you wish.

[spacecadet]

If it sounds dead fretted, it is absolutely unrelated to the nut...the nut is acoustically inert the second you fret anywhere on the neck.

Edit: oops, you're right - fretted, the nut wouldn't matter. But I have had poorly cut nut slots deaden open strings on at least 3 guitars I've owned.

[patski]

I used some dental floss because I thought there might be some dirt or crud in the slot. But it was clean.

Totally different brand of strings. I went from Ernies to NYXL.

This is my only JM I sadly do not have another guitar from which to snatch a new bridge.

I really want a Staytrem and get it over with, LOL But it's not a priority right now because $.

[patski]

So I managed to 'jump' the g string into the d string slot, and it does NOT sound dead.

If there is a badly filed slot in this saddle, how do I go about fixing this?

[sunburster]

I had a guitar that sounded dead when fretted and it was due to poorly seated frets. Only certain strings exhibited the deadness. The fix was a refret of the said frets. Unfortunately with MIM guitars the fretwork is often poor, and consequently such issues have a higher tendency to arise. Perhaps this is not your problem, but I'd have a luthier look at the frets just to be sure.

[oid]

If it is on all frets it is likely either the saddle or an issue regarding the low break angle of the JM bridge/trem not providing enough downward pressure for your new string. Try tuning the G up a half step, does it help? If so shim your neck and raise the bridge, this will increase the downward pressure and should solve the issue. If sharping the G has no effect it could be the saddle slot or the saddle is not making good contact with the bridge. Push down on the saddle, trying not to press the string as well, pluck the string, if the deadness is gone the bottom of the saddle is funky and the string is wasting energy making the saddle vibrate. This could just be some gunk between saddle and bridge, cleaning is all that is needed, or it could be a flaw in the finishing of the underside of the saddle/bridge beneath the saddle, flattening it on some 320 grit sand paper should solve it, or replacing it. If it does not affect the deadness it is likely the saddle slot and you need to take a needle file and refile it. If the underside of the saddle or the slot require anything more then a slight tweaking to get to work you may need to tweak all the saddles since this will lower the G string and you will need to lower the rest to match.

If it is on just certain frets, then it depends on which frets, this can be a setup issue and/or a fret issue or even some part of the guitar vibrating and creating a destructive resonance, it will require knowing what frets exactly. Even though this issue happens when fretted, that does not mean the nut is not the culprit of the dead sound open, you may have two separate problems here, never assume the nut is not part of the problem just because it happens fretted as well or you may find yourself chasing your own tail trying to solve the problem.

As an aside, increasing the downward pressure on the saddles can remedy issues with less then perfect saddles, so you may not actually fix the problem, or discover the true cause, but that may not matter. Raising the pitch of a string is a quick simple test and may solve everything, but you may want to pursue the issue further anyways to avoid future grief

This could also just be a string issue, sometimes you just get a bad string.