Stickist.com :: View topic - String "clanking"

RandO wrote:

Hi All,
Well I have tried and tried to get my 12 string grand to sound right. I have twisted both ends of the truss rod, and at varying times in varying positions. I have taken all the strings off, made sure the neck was straight with a metal straight edge, then put it all back and started tweaking from square one.

No matter what I do I feel like strings 7 and 8 are just too far away from the board. They 'clank' all the time. If I try to adjust the truss rod at the bridge, eventually I get muffled or no notes in my lower frets (17 - 24) bass side, and sometimes melody side. If I go the other way I lose my notes on strings 1 and 2, around frets 6-8. I have sighted the board ala GH's video, and when it looks perfectly straight to me, strings 7 and 8 are still clanking a lot.

I don't know if the "action" is too low, too high, or what?? I have never played a stringed instrument before this, so I have no experience with the "feel" of the playing ( I can talk about drum heads and sticks for sure!!). I've been at it for a bit over 2 years now, and I bought this Stick last November brand new. It just never seemed to be right at these 2 strings, and when I try to adjust for them, I run into losing notes at different points along the board in different strings.

Yeah I know, I am all over the place. But that's how it feels to me. I actually feel like #7 and #8 strings should perhaps be 'set' at a different height than where they are?? I don't want to mess with the initial setup, but this has become pretty frustrating. Any insight or helpful hints would be MOST appreciated!

Author:	RandO [ Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:13 pm ]
Post subject:	String "clanking"
Hi All, Well I have tried and tried to get my 12 string grand to sound right. I have twisted both ends of the truss rod, and at varying times in varying positions. I have taken all the strings off, made sure the neck was straight with a metal straight edge, then put it all back and started tweaking from square one. No matter what I do I feel like strings 7 and 8 are just too far away from the board. They 'clank' all the time. If I try to adjust the truss rod at the bridge, eventually I get muffled or no notes in my lower frets (17 - 24) bass side, and sometimes melody side. If I go the other way I lose my notes on strings 1 and 2, around frets 6-8. I have sighted the board ala GH's video, and when it looks perfectly straight to me, strings 7 and 8 are still clanking a lot. I don't know if the "action" is too low, too high, or what?? I have never played a stringed instrument before this, so I have no experience with the "feel" of the playing ( I can talk about drum heads and sticks for sure!!). I've been at it for a bit over 2 years now, and I bought this Stick last November brand new. It just never seemed to be right at these 2 strings, and when I try to adjust for them, I run into losing notes at different points along the board in different strings. Yeah I know, I am all over the place. But that's how it feels to me. I actually feel like #7 and #8 strings should perhaps be 'set' at a different height than where they are?? I don't want to mess with the initial setup, but this has become pretty frustrating. Any insight or helpful hints would be MOST appreciated!

Author:	The_Afro_Circus [ Thu Mar 09, 2017 10:13 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
Sorry, it's really hard to imagine what you're dealing with just based on the text you've provided. Would it be possible for you to record a quick video with your phone or something to demonstrate what you're talking about?

Author:	Captain Strings [ Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:33 am ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
The rails are dressed to accommodate the excursion of those 2 large strings. They are the largest ones on the neck and require a little finesse - especially string 7 normally tuned to low C. It'll roll under your finger if you don't hit it straight down with the dead center of your fingertip and you have to hit it right behind the fret to get it to sound clean. And don't tap it too hard or it's large mass will cause excess excursion and fret rattle and maybe that's the clank you're hearing. It's different than any other string that way. Tap it soft and let the amp do the work - except on frets 1 and 2 where it requires just a little extra whack to get it going. String 8 - same thing but not near so much. It's one of those little idiosyncrasies every instrument has that require a little extra effort to get used to. My 2 cents.

Author:	jdt [ Fri Mar 10, 2017 5:27 am ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
Without hearing/playing your instrument I don't know if it's the same thing I experienced, but I posted a problem about clanking strings too. I took the suggestion of some folks here and tightened the truss nuts on the back of the fretboard, subtly altering the distance between fretboard and all strings. It mostly fixed the 2 clanking strings, but it also noticeably changed my interaction with all the other strings so that they required more force to play. Never having played any other sticks I have no idea what constitutes "normal" tapping force. Anyway, perhaps a truss adjustment will help. Greg has an excellent video on it, sorry, don't have a link. Probably on the stick.com site. - Dave

Author:	greg [ Fri Mar 10, 2017 5:52 am ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
RandO wrote: Hi All, Well I have tried and tried to get my 12 string grand to sound right. I have twisted both ends of the truss rod, and at varying times in varying positions. I have taken all the strings off, made sure the neck was straight with a metal straight edge, then put it all back and started tweaking from square one. No matter what I do I feel like strings 7 and 8 are just too far away from the board. They 'clank' all the time. If I try to adjust the truss rod at the bridge, eventually I get muffled or no notes in my lower frets (17 - 24) bass side, and sometimes melody side. If I go the other way I lose my notes on strings 1 and 2, around frets 6-8. I have sighted the board ala GH's video, and when it looks perfectly straight to me, strings 7 and 8 are still clanking a lot. I don't know if the "action" is too low, too high, or what?? I have never played a stringed instrument before this, so I have no experience with the "feel" of the playing ( I can talk about drum heads and sticks for sure!!). I've been at it for a bit over 2 years now, and I bought this Stick last November brand new. It just never seemed to be right at these 2 strings, and when I try to adjust for them, I run into losing notes at different points along the board in different strings. Yeah I know, I am all over the place. But that's how it feels to me. I actually feel like #7 and #8 strings should perhaps be 'set' at a different height than where they are?? I don't want to mess with the initial setup, but this has become pretty frustrating. Any insight or helpful hints would be MOST appreciated! Hi Rand, The divided truss rod makes this process more complex, but the same principles still apply. First, you can't straighten the board with the strings offand expect it to behave correctly when they are back on and tensioned up, because the string tension will create a bow and the action will be high. The truss is compensating for the string tension With the Divided truss if the top not it too loose it will create a hump at fret 7 when the ottom nut is too tight. Where do the strings fret out?

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String "clanking" https://www.stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12044	Page 1 of 2

Author:	jdt [ Fri Mar 10, 2017 7:32 am ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
To clarify my prior post, as it seems to be the opposite problem of RandO, some of my strings were too close to the fretboard, so I moved them further away with truss tensioning, making othe strings harder to "tap", but mostly solving the clanking problem. RandO says his are too far away, so different problem I guess.

Author:	Lee Vatip [ Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:52 am ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
If you want to skype, perhaps I can diagnose by seeing/hearing Steve

Author:	WerkSpace [ Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:28 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
I used to tap the strings pretty hard and things got noisy. Now, I let the amp do the work, while I relax and have fun. This allows me to play with less effort and focus on tone.

Author:	ReyStick [ Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:34 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
I tweeked my sticks even after emmet set it up . Granted I'm not a musician more of a noiseician but whatever works. My sticks are pretty straight so i dont mess with the truss rods so much, i raised the nut and adjusted the bridge for intonation, i was getting some funky noises when i first got them but it seems sticks like people have their own personalities. I am from the old school of this is what i have, make it work. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Author:	AnDroiD [ Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: String "clanking"
As Greg said, the truss HAS to be adjusted at full string tension, in tune. And while it's in the playing position you play it in. Even sitting vs. standing makes a difference. Once you have the neck straight that way, if 7&8 are still "clanking", try raising the two strings at the bridge one-half turn. And with the bridge (and flaps), write down the adjustment you made (I can't rely on my memory) so you know where you started if it doesn't work. Good luck!

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