[Allen Garrow]

how close is the pickup to the strings? Sometimes the magnets if to close to the strings can cause weirdness.

~A

[Swever]

how close is the pickup to the strings? Sometimes the magnets if to close to the strings can cause weirdness.

It stays even with the pickups out...

I had exactly the same problem on two guitars when I tuned to A. Only moving up to 70's fixed it. Since you tune to b, you might get away with 60 or 65. You don't need to use bass strings, D'Addario makes strings up to 70 that you can buy as singles.

Yes, I can, but why should I? Most guys use light strings an have no issues with it. I like it how 60 feels.

Wtf!!!! It's a carvin! It's something close to top-end guitar. It seems to me that should work with any reasonable string gauge.

I'll record some samples soon

[Lethe]

If you google around a bit, you will find some Excel-sheets or onlinetools where you can calculate string tension dependent on tuning, string thickness and scale length. Try several string thicknesses and you will most likely find out that the tension on your low B is one to two kilograms less than the other strings if you buy a standard set.

In my eyes, that is the reason why this problem occurs so much. I can understand your frustration but before getting mad with carvin, you might want to consider the actual tension your particular string has on your particular guitar. And see if that tension is, no offence, reasonable.

[Swever]

I fully undestand this and fully agree.
But most 7stringers use lighter strings and have no problems. That is what maddens me.

[Suho]

Recently I did some web searching on the Buzz Feiten (sp?) tuning system, and in doing so found some interesting links about tuning. I don't have them on hand at the moment, but the summary was that the author of one really helpful article put the problem as follows:

to his ears, all basses (and this would make sense for the heavier B strings as well) tended to go sharp about 10-15% when first hit, especially in the first couple of frets. He would sometimes tune bands' basses down slightly below pitch when he recorded them to get the tuning more uniform among the members.

One key thing he mentioned, which I had not really done until just the past few years when I paid more detailed attention to how in-tune my instruments were at ALL fret-positions, was that when you tune your strings with a good guitar tuner, you want the open string to come up in the green zone of the target pitch (e.g. open B string) for 1-1&1/2 seconds at a minimum, after which the needle might go back to the below pitch range.

A big mistake many guitarists make, and I did it for many years, is to hit the open string and have the needle on the tuner spike up past the target green zone of the note, only to have it settle back down at target pitch. This might help you out, and I apologize if I am not as clear as the original article I read.

Of course, all the other advice about proper intonation and seating in the nut apply too. Also, the reason you get more spiking when the string is new is partially because of all the overtones as well. A dead string has far less of these jumping out.

[Lethe]

Alright, ready for some bogus physics everyone?

The reason this problem occurs might be that the heavier the strings get, the more mass is in motion when they vibrate. If you imagine the string at the point of maximum excursion, it is longer than when it is not swinging. Now, when the string is longer, there is more tension, and where there's more tension, the pitch rises.

This is hardly noticable on your low E-string even if you pluck it really hard. And the reason for that is the following:

Ever notice when you're tuning your guitar that the lower strings are a lot more sensitive to adjustments than the higher strings? Same principle. The lower the pitch of the string, the more sensitive it gets towards change of length. Try tuning your high E string to B and see how incredibly sensitive it is towards bending...it's almost unplayable.

The only thing you can do to offset this a little is using higher tension, aka longer scale or thicker strings.

And IMHO the only reason not more people complain about this is because they are not very perceptive to pitch. It is easy to overhear since it happens so quickly. I am not saying that everyone playing a 56 on low B at 25.5" is tonedeaf...but...you know.

[Swever]

But korn's A sounds faultlessly, and they use .56 if i'm not mistaken...

It seems my problem is not the string tension. It souns like the overtones are out of harmony with the main tone or something.

[guitarjitsumaster]

I use 9-42 gauge strings with a .60. The low E is 14lbs and the low B is 17lbs. So as far as tension goes .60 should be more then fine tension wise.

Personally I think it may be the pressure your applying while playing. Do you grip hard while playing? If you do grip hard against large frets you may cause it to go sharp temporarily. You have to use a more sensitive grip with larger frets.

Also it could be neck adjustment contributing. You had mentioned fret noise on the 7th fret?

These two things combined with possible intonation issues may be whats causing this.

[Leon]

have you tried playing through a better amplifier? no matter how well-setup and intonated your guitar is, if you're playing through an amp that can't handle those lower tones, they will always sound loose and undefined.

[Swever]

Personally I think it may be the pressure your applying while playing. Do you grip hard while playing? If you do grip hard against large frets you may cause it to go sharp temporarily. You have to use a more sensitive grip with larger frets.

It does not depend on how hard i grip. And it's most obvoius on open 7th

You had mentioned fret noise on the 7th fret?

i mean 7th string )) But i'm talking about insignificant amunt.

have you tried playing through a better amplifier? no matter how well-setup and intonated your guitar is, if you're playing through an amp that can't handle those lower tones, they will always sound loose and undefined.

Yeah, I wanted to say it much less hearable through a better amp. And it's almost unnoticeable while i play with the hole band with drums and bass. Still this shit can de heared very well when recorded.

Anyway a better amp just "hides" it a bit. It's not a problem of my crappy amp for sure because it's heard unplugged.