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Post subject: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:48 am
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Hi All,
I'm a 40 year old perpetual beginner, and just picked up a Mustang I this past week. I was playing on an early 90's 15w Frontman Reverb, so this Mustang is just an amazing upgrade for me. I absolutely love the amp, but I seem to be noticing an issue...and I can't determine if the issue is with my guitar or the amp...so any insight from Those Who Know would be greatly appreciated.

Just for some background...I am playing an off-the-shelf Squire. My volume pot seems to have an issue where it causes the sound to cut out when dialing between 2 and 8...but at 1, 9 or 10 the volume is just fine.

My issue with the amp is this... Regardless of the setting, there seems to be a subtle, but distinct, "Fuzz" sound as soon as I hit any string. The sound isn't overpowering, and I seem to be getting all the variety of sounds from the amp, but it is definatly there.

Since I have no way to determine if it is, in fact, the guitar (without buying a new one to test)....and since I really have nothing to compare the sound to, I really am at a loss of how to troubleshoot this.

I get this phantom Fuzz even on the very clean settings...but my untrained ear is easily fooled, so I'm not certain I'm hearing things correctly.

I suspect it is probably my guitar....but I sorta need to figure this out before my 30-day return period runs out.

Okay..thanks in advance for any insight. Please let m know if I can provide any futher info to help troubleshoot this.

...of course, it is entirely possible that my ears have been infected by nefarious killer nanobots from space bent on world domination....so if that's the case, just let me know.

Thanks


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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:51 pm
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Hi GenericJeans and welcome to the forum.

First of all, have you checked the 'obnoxous tail end distortion' thread here http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=49789&start=15&sid=5707377932014811eccbe565fef33814?
stratquebec posted a clip there with fuzz problem here http://download.maxt.com/stratquebec/MustangAccoustic.mp3 so if you hear something like that, it is not (only) your guitar, it's mustang.
Guys at Fender said they're working on it. I hope it is a software problem so they can fix it because I mostly play clean so this fuzz can really be annoying sometimes.
If it sounds worse in your case, it might be your guitar, cable, grounding issues, or maybe your amp is malfunctioning.
however, you should upgrade firmware on your amp, it might help.

good luck :)


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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:22 pm
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Thanks for the speedy response...
I did check out the thread you suggested...and frankly...they might as well have been speaking in Latin...cuz I didn't understand much of anything.. :)

From what I did gather, it sounds like the issue addressed is occuring in the "space" where the note begins to diminish....whereas my issue seems to be immediately after picking the string....almost as if it is the "first" sound out of the amp, then immediately followed by the intended notes and mods.

So, short of either bringing it into a music shop, or bringing home a different guitar, would there be any other way to test this?

It really isn't a problem, and since the throngs of crazed fans only exist in my head, I really don't intend on replacing it....unless, of course, it turns out to be "broken" somehow...

(I'm sorta hoping its the guitar...cuz I'd sure like a new one to go with my new amp!)


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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:09 am
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oh, then you should take the amp to store and/or try a different guitar.
Some people said that when they use some kind of boost pedal, the sound distorts heavily so it looks that input is kinda sensitive. I wouldn't know because I have medium output pickups plus I lowered them some more.
Maybe your pickups are too hot or too close to the strings...or something is wrong with your amp. or maybe it's just a loose screw somewhere :)


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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:06 pm
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Hi GenericJeans, pretty sure exactly what you`re describing is a classic characteristic of all the Mustang line. Your Amp is not broken.. it's perfectly fine.. as one tech-guy explained in a thread a few hour ago, its to do with the DSP chip inside these Amps and when the note decays the Amp loses focus and has to distort the note slightly. Seems it cannot be fixed w/o a hardware upgrade... but I love the sound myself and Fender must of as well.. else they wouldn't have made the Amps this way .. hope it helps.

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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:02 pm
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Connect the guitar to your sound card line-in and check how it sounds.


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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:28 pm
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First, if the Volume pot is not working correctly that is the most suspect. A setting of 8 or 9 is going to send a "hot" signal which can overdrive the amps volume. (this is how you get a "crunch" sound on many amps. See below for more on the settings of the guitar volume:

Now . .. .

There are many things that can be causing this. It does not seem to be the "tail end" disortion but if I understand correctly this happens on the "pick attack" or at the front of the note/chord.

Since you say it's been awhile since you played I will suggest a couple of basic things. I don't mean to offend you if this is too basic but sometimes the easiest is the last thing tried.

Disclamer: I play through the Mustang V head so I'm not too familular with your amp but these suggestions should be good for just about any amp.

You have four knobs to adjust the sound VOLUME. Gain, Volume and Master AND the volume knob on your guitar.

The Volume knob on your Guitar is the first increase in volume in your sound chain. This should be set at around 5 on a 1 to 10 scale to start with.

The Gain knob is next and adjusts the "preamp" volume. This is the second increase in volume. This sould be set at 2 or 3 to start with.

The Volume knob is next and adjusts the Volume for THIS PATCH only. It should be set to give sufficient volume but for now MORE than the Gain knob by 2 or 3. ( so let's use 8 for now.

The Master knob is last and sets the overall maximum sound level. All patches will use this as the Maximum output. ( as you build/use patches the Volume knob on each patch will be adjusted so that no one patch has too much or too little volume). Set that at a comfortble level - maybe 5 or 6.

Pick a clean amp (Twin, Deluxe, Champ ) with NO efx - no compression, no distortion, no reverb - no 'nothin!

Pick a note then hit a chord. You should have a nice clean tone. If not, then you are best to try the guitar in a different amp (even if it is a trip to the store). If you get a clean tone in a different amp then, yes, it's time to swap out the amp, or at least take it to the store where you purchased it for them to test (or send it back if it was purchased through the mail).

You could try a firmware update first - the manual will expain that.

Just remember that with the Gain knob lower than the Volume knob this will give you various settings of clean to crunchy sounds.

The Gain knob higher than the Volume knob will give you a distorted sound (like what you seem to be hearing now) . The higher the gain and the lower the Volume the more the distortion.

AND as you increase the Volume knob on the guitar you can effect the amount of crunch and/or distortion. It is kind of a pre-Gain - Gain.

I hope this gets you pointed in the right direction.

Blessings, Bo


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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:20 pm
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+ 1 with what Gary Baker said ^^^^^

There's a good chance the volume pot is salvageable.

I suggest that you buy some "contact cleaner" from Radio Shack (yes, it's not cheap) and then, using the small tube that comes with it to spray some cleaner inside the pot then work the knob back and forth to work out any oxidation on the wiper inside the pot.

There's an opening to the inside of the pot located right under the solder lug terminals.

If you have a Squier Strat, you'll have to remove the strings and then the whole pickguard/pickup assembly (gently!) to get at the pots.

If you have a Squier Tele, lucky you... just remove the 2 screws that hold the control plate and gently lift it out.

Be sure to be careful and not scratch up the guitar and the cleaner may not be the best substance to get on the guitars finish. I'm just sayin'...

dude


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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:53 pm
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I've noticed this too. More so on complex sounds like 9th notes.

My analysis is as the amplitude decays, the sample time is not high enough on the DSP, therefore it's not reconstructing the note properly. If the theory is correct I should be able to turn down my volume on my guitar so the input is small and reproduce it. Also it should happen on all the models.

If it only happens on one model (I was using Twin, clean), then there could be a problem that is fixable in software.

I turned the reverb (all all effects off) and it made no difference.

It sounded more like a sampling problem rather than an over applification of a small signal (i.e the opAmp front end hardware).


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Post subject: Re: Not sure about my problem...
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 10:42 am
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Wow...thanks everyone, for all of the great info...(especially Gary Baker!...very informative in its own right.)
I will take everyone's suggestions and see if I can isolate (and confirm) my problem.

For reference, I did update the firmware and the FUSE software..

I was sorta hoping I wouldn't have to take any equipment in to a GC, but it looks like I may need to in order to figure things out.

Thanks again!


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