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Post subject: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Sat May 21, 2016 7:52 am
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Hello everyone, I have a Fender Deluxe Roadhouse Stratocaster with Texas Special Single-Coil. Guitar is great, easy to play, beautiful color, but... with distortion or overdrive middle or high gain the sound feels like vibration or ondulate sound (I hope that you understand me), in different string and fret the amplitude and period ondulate sound is different.
The distance between pickup and strings is correct, calibrate OK. I try with different strings (Daddario, Ernie Balls, Elixir, Fender), also I try different amplifier and effects pedals and nothing, the result is the same.
I was thinking that maybe the problems is the pickups, I bought Seymour Duncan SL1 pickup, bad sound again. My last chance is onboard preamp, maybe the circuit is the problem, but I don't want change all the electronic just to try, so... my questions is:
can you help me please?

I appreciate your help.

PD. Sorry for my English, is not my native language.


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Sat May 21, 2016 9:41 am
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You know you read distance between strings and poles pieces ( pickups ) with strings push on the last fret, not with open strings.

That's you do ?

Did you bought guitar new or second hand ?


Last edited by stratele52 on Tue May 24, 2016 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 9:25 am
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Been thinking about this for a few days. Quite possibly this is impossible to diagnose via internet, but here's some thoughts:

If the problem is the same with both Texas Specials and the Duncan (should it read SSL-1?), it's not the pickups.

Pickup height..? Try lowering the pups way below recommendations, that's an easy test.

The S1 switch in the "ON" position (down) bypasses the preamp (PCB). Plus, there are six tone presets in the preamp. If your problem exists with all settings it's not the preamp...

So, let's ask for more info. What kind of amps, pedals etc. have you tried in the signal chain?


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 5:28 am
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I had an undulating/oscillating sound with mine after I moved. It actually happened with all of my guitars, with or without distortion, and on both of my amps. I was finally able to track it down to interference being picked up from the ceiling fan in my room. It is an older house, and the fan is older as well. I tried a Furman line conditioner but it was no help, since it is being picked up by the guitar and not the amp. The only way to get rid of it in my case is to turn the fan off.

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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 5:36 am
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I'd guess the problem lies in the inboard pre-amp circuit. :?:

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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 6:01 am
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According to the Deluxe Roadhouse Strat Diagram, the S1 switch ON bypasses the PCB - that's why the "troubleshooting guide" in my previous post. Problems with S1 in both OFF and ON -> probably not PCB.
My first guess would be the S1, but if we get no more input from the OP, it'll remain a mystery.
(And I'm assuming the most obvious = battery has been ruled out...)

But this is quite a complicated witing in a relatively inexpensive guitar; there's rotary switch, PCB, S1, battery box... Plenty of possible break points, plus there are the external causes (ceiling fans, WIFI etc.).


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Sun May 29, 2016 9:38 am
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Thank you guys for your quick answers.

- The distance between pickups pole and string is like Fender manual: 8/64” bass side, 6/64” trebble side and not with open strings press the last fret. The same for Seymour Pickup.
- Guitar is new, I bougth 2014 in EEUU.
- Rigth, is Seymour Duncan SSL-1 (by the way, beautiful sound)
- About my equipment:
Guitar: Fender Roadhouse Deluxe Maple Fingerboard Candy Apple Red
Strings: Actually Elixir Custom Light 9-46, before different brand.
Amps: Laney LV300H and cabinet 2x12 Eminence Legend 1258 and Laney LG35R to play in home
Effects: Boss ME50, Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion, MicroAmp Booster.
jmattis: the battery is new :lol: I put off the battery, if S1 is on the sound is mute of course, if put the S1 switch off the strange sound appears again, always with some kind distortion or overdrive, clean sound is ok.

About foreign signal, the troubble happen in home, rehearsal room and the last week in a place were we play live.
I modified the height pickups, change the oscillating frecuency little bit, but didn't get good sound. Maybe I must to try different height until found the equilibrium.

I make video to show the strange sound https://youtu.be/4uSqaS6eVxU

Thanks again.


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 12:30 am
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First, a call for all other forumists: there's a fellow member in trouble, but the youtube vid has gotten only 20+ views at this time. Maybe check it, and see if you have better answers than mine. :wink:

Then for the diagnosis part:
Based on the vid (as far as I can see) you play the samples with S1 ON (down), selector switch in position 3 (middle pickup only), Vol & Tone full on @10.
(On the tone pot: They call it the tone "T1" in the diagram; actually it's the only tone in DlxRoadhouse, and located in the "normal" T2 position as the "normal T1" is the rotary switch for the PCB presets).
With those settings the PCB is bypassed, so I'm thinking the PCB is ruled out as the cause for the warble.

I'd like to know a bit more of your guitar's setup. Nut slot height, relief, action, and if the nut slots (shape?) and frets (level? properly crowned?) have been checked & adjusted properly. (I've encountered that sort of warble in less than half a dozen guitars in all my years fiddling with guitars - in all those the cause was setup related.)

And more about the warble, too: which strings warble, and on which frets?
Have you tested the guitar with other than those two Laney amps? (I've understood the problem exists with both your amps - if it's on the LV only, try another preamp tube.) Have you tested the amp(s) with another guitar?
Does the warble appear if you use the amp's clean channel with the Boss O/D pedal, nothing else in the signal chain?
What about if you turn the guitar volume lower & amp louder?

At this point, and just guessing here, I'd recommend forgetting the pickup height recommendations in the manual, and set the pups real low - start at the pickguard level & go from there.


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 2:38 am
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Good example of the sound on the Youtube video, Javier. Very vintage Steely Dan through my laptop speakers! Assuming it's practical for you to do so, the easiest way of solving this will be to substitute parts of your guitar/amp rig until the unwanted warble disappears. But other ideas include...

I'd have said it was the amp, except - looking back at your original post - you seem to have substituted that, also FX pedals. UNLESS you run a particular setting on your 2 Laneys which gives this sound? But I'm sure you've tried different EQ settings. And different guitar leads (unlikely, but not impossible)?

So if it's not the amp or pedals, it has to be the guitar. You seem to have tried different setups, but I can't quite see on your video whether the bridge is floating or not? Have you tried it both flat to the body and floating approx 3mm off it? Easily done with a few turns of the spring claw screws.

Again I can't quite see, but I assume you're using the 2 string trees shown? I've had problems with similar (but not identical) strange tones between tuner and nut (distortion only) and always fit/use 2 trees as a result. My problem has mostly come from the unwound strings, though - G especially.

Can you get hold of a different loaded scratchplate, off another Strat? Got a mate with an ordinary SSS Strat who'd let you take his scratchplate off and fit it to your Strat? It's only a minor soldering job to swap loaded scratchplates, and that way you could completely rule the Roadhouse electrics in or out. I know you've tried different strings generally, but if you change the scratchplate, use the same strings if you can carefully loosen/remove them, as you only want to change one component at a time.

All of this depends on how much DIY you're confident with, of course. It may be that you have to get a professional onto it, as diagnosing online is tricky! If you're anywhere near Cambridge (England) I have all the relevant bits we can swap over!

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 9:04 pm
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Thanks @jmattis to call strat friends.

About the video, S1 switch is off, I use just middle pickup because the results is the same in other pickups or mix (2 and 4 positions). One month ago I sent my guitar to technical service (Luthier) to calibrate and neck rectify. The action is a little more high than Fender recommended and the bridge saddle distribution is like the neck curve. About the string, warble appears in all strings and the most freet, specially G string between 8 and 17 freet.

I make guitar test in two Laney Amp, Roland Cube Amp, one tiny amp without brand (kid's amp) and directly from Boss Me-50 with headphones. Have you tested the amp(s) with another guitar? yes and sound great without warble.

I think that the warble be present in clean sound, but is imperceptible to my ear, and with overdrive or distortion warble appears with all the power. I lowest pickups to pickguard level and the warble still stay.

Also, I played in all conditions, with and without effects, the video is guitar and amp, nothing else, I rule out that the failure is the amplifier or effects.

I was record warble sample https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/546 ... artest.m4a

I was reading other post and web page, wath do you think about "Stratitis".

Thanks, regards from Chile.


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:12 am
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"Stratitis" (= too much magnetic pull between the pickups and the strings, causing warbly, out-of-tune sound) should have been gone when you lowered the pickups.

So, continuing on the diagnosis. One thing to note; it could be you have more than one thing that ain't right.

All pickups cause warble -> most likely not a broken pickup.
All strings warble, on most frets... This needs a little more info, but I'll risk a guess by the continuation "worst on G-string, frets 8-17". So, repeating a previous question, what is your neck relief?

The problem could be on the electronics department. I'm absolutely no expert on that section, so I'm on thin ice here. But it seems the PCB is ruled out, since the warble also exists when it's bypassed.
Also, the possibility of all pickups being faulty (plus the added SSL-1) is very small, so probably it's not the pickups. Looking at the diagram, it seems the rotary switch is also bypassed when the S1 is on, so my wild guess is (still) the S1 switch - provided that the problem really is in the wiring.
Edit: The PCB/rotary could of course be checked - maybe you could get the specified readings from Fender.

Another possibility is the setup. Your relief is still unknown...
And it seems you had some neck problems - what exactly did the luthier (or guitar tech, there is a difference) do? Are you sure the problem was fixed properly?
And then there are the mystery Strats, where some "outside the text book" setup fix makes a bad guitar great. I'm talking things like adding or removing a shim, switching to a wound G-string, fiddling with trem plate (screws & springs), foam padding pickups, securing saddle screws with Loctite etc.

And then there are the mysterious things. Ceiling fans, all computer gidgets, fluorescent (& neon) lamps, ground issues etc; all can cause problems - but your problem doesn't seem to fit the typical symptoms.

Reminiscing once again a lost forum friend, here's something to try. I've never had a situation where I would have needed this, so I have no idea if it actually works, but hey, it's an easy experiment:
Martian wrote:
How to synchronize your magnetic flux:
Lay the guitar flat on its back and with both hands, gently press down on all 6 strings until each string barely touches all of it's respective magnets and/or polepieces. This must be done with all three pickups simultaneously. Wait a second and then, slowly start relieving your hands pressure until the strings have been restored to their original position. Do this with every string change.


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 1:34 am
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Peter S wrote:
You seem to have tried different setups, but I can't quite see on your video whether the bridge is floating or not? Have you tried it both flat to the body and floating approx 3mm off it?

Again I can't quite see, but I assume you're using the 2 string trees shown?

Can you get hold of a different loaded scratchplate, off another Strat?

If you're anywhere near Cambridge (England)


What about my points, Javier, as above? Any use? Worth trying? Not the last one, obviously - I now see you're nowhere near Cambridge!!! (Although we have students from all over the world).

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:44 pm
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Hello, I tried all yours recommend and nothing.

- I put all pickups to pickup guard level and move search different height.
- I put the bridge floating approx 3mm.
- The guitar is calibrated, truss rod 0.01 inch measure with automotive feeler gauges.
- The distance between string and 17 freet is around 4/64", to avoid rattles I tried with more action.

Today I did a big test. Thinking in magnetic field and fase between pickups, I put out bridge and middle pickup, and I test just with neck pickup and the strange sound appears again. Later, I played with metal slide and the warble appears again, so freet, action, truss rod, no matter, I think that the problem must be the electronic.

Are you agree?


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 1:59 am
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OK, I assume you haven't tried a temporary loaded scratchplate swap (swapping for normal Strat setup). As you now seem fairly sure that the problem's electronic, that would be the easiest way to find out for sure!

Or in your big test, do you mean you're now sure the problem is the neck pickup, NOT bridge & middle? In which case, why not try your SSL-1 in the neck position? Not that there should be anything wrong with the Texas Specials, but I suppose you MIGHT have a bad one.

If it's the circuit, I can't help, as I have no experience of the S1 thing. I'd probably convert it to the normal electrics!

One other thing I don't think we've mentioned: Is the truss rod 'tight' in its channel? I know you've addressed the neck relief, but is the rod under some tension/compression? I have heard of truss rods vibrating if not...

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Roadhouse Deluxe sound strange
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:10 am
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I've been confused the whole time, but now I'm completely lost. :wink: All pickups warble or just one..? (One only -> possibly badly microphonic pickup.)

And at this point, I'm starting to believe the problem is not setup (including pickup height) related. Sorry if my advice put you through some extra work, but this way you've eliminated the easy&cheap fix options.

Anyway, the easiest way to check if the electronics cause the warble is PeterS's suggestion of trying on a new loaded pickguard. As I said before, the DlxRoadhouse wiring is complicated, meaning there's many possible "special" components that can break.

If that "loaded pickguard test" gets rid of the warble and thus you have to start hassling with the Roadhouse electronics, evaluate your skills and if in doubt, use a really competent pro.
On the S1; even though it's sophisticated and seems complicated, it's still just a switch. I'd guess the wiring was one reason why the OP chose this model, so converting to normal might not be desirable...
The S1 is a) known to have problems, b) cheaper and c) easier available than the PCB/rotary assy, so I would test with a new S1 first.

And sorry to bring more bad news, but any guarantee on the guitar was probably blown with that SSL-1 mod...


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