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Post subject: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 5:01 pm
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Hi folks!
I recently bought a Player Series Stratocaster HSS with Pau Ferro neck, it came with .9 gauge strings.
I am not really a fan of .9 strings so I changed them for a .10 gauge D´addario strings. As soon as I did that, the guitar started sounding weird, chords sound muddy and piercing to my ears, for instance, maj7 add 9 chord sounds horrible; harmonics does not sound good at all when playing chords. And first three strings sound too thin, as if they were .8 strings.
I´ve tried using EQ to solve it but the piercing frequencies won´t go away, lowering bass, mids and treble won´t do the trick. These frequencies are reduced when playing with the Humbucker but they are still there.
I´ve also tried lowering the pickups, won´t work either.
I´ve checked everything, nut, bridge, neck relief, fret buzz, everything is fine.
I don´t know what is going on, help!


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 7:38 am
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OP write ; " I´ve checked everything, nut, bridge, neck relief, fret buzz, everything is fine. "

What about intonation ?
What is your experience in guitar set up ?

IMO you forget something or you did not do set up right.
What else ?


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 8:04 am
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Sounds like a defective pot issue.

Improper intonation is also another major factor.


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 8:09 am
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dd770 wrote:
Hi folks!
I recently bought a Player Series Stratocaster HSS with Pau Ferro neck, it came with .9 gauge strings.
I am not really a fan of .9 strings so I changed them for a .10 gauge D´addario strings. As soon as I did that, the guitar started sounding weird, chords sound muddy and piercing to my ears, for instance, maj7 add 9 chord sounds horrible; harmonics does not sound good at all when playing chords. And first three strings sound too thin, as if they were .8 strings.
I´ve tried using EQ to solve it but the piercing frequencies won´t go away, lowering bass, mids and treble won´t do the trick. These frequencies are reduced when playing with the Humbucker but they are still there.
I´ve also tried lowering the pickups, won´t work either.
I´ve checked everything, nut, bridge, neck relief, fret buzz, everything is fine.
I don´t know what is going on, help!


Check the ground wires beneath the pickguard.

Make sure the pots are properly waxed and the cavities fully shielded with copper foil.

If you're unsure about how to fix the issues yourself send back the guitar to the store for a complete setup.


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 4:23 pm
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Try a different set of strings. Maybe a different brand, but go to a reputable dealer to purchase them or order online from a reputable online dealer. Do not get them from Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Aliexpress, etc.

D'Addario strings are the most counterfeited brand of strings on the market it would seem.

Simply changing strings is not likely to cause grounds or pots to suddenly go bad, but may require an intonation adjustment, and possibly an adjustment to the tremolo.


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 4:52 pm
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chromeface wrote:
Check the ground wires beneath the pickguard.

Make sure the pots are properly waxed and the cavities fully shielded with copper foil.

If you're unsure about how to fix the issues yourself send back the guitar to the store for a complete setup.


This has *dick* to do with the OP's problem.

Back to kindergarten for you.

:lol:
Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 5:00 pm
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vinyl wrote:
Try a different set of strings. Maybe a different brand, but go to a reputable dealer to purchase them or order online from a reputable online dealer. Do not get them from Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Aliexpress, etc.


+1!

Our local Wong-Mart was selling bogus sets of GHS Boomers a few months ago. I took an empty outside wrapper of the real McCoy to the store and compared it to the counterfeit strings and they were an obvious knock-off......the typeset, the font, the graphics, and the colors did not match and there were two typos in the faux label's text.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 12:43 am
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vinyl wrote:

Simply changing strings is not likely to cause grounds or pots to suddenly go bad, .


+1000

Op need to learn how to set up guitar


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 12:44 am
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chromeface wrote:
dd770 wrote:

Check the ground wires beneath the pickguard.

Make sure the pots are properly waxed and the cavities fully shielded with copper foil.



:lol:


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 6:12 am
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Maybe I missed it but nobody is explaining what is going on here.

Per OP:
1. The guitar sounded ok.
2. After a string gauge change the chords sound "sour".

Why?

Because light-gauge strings put [X] amount of tension on the neck. When you tune up the strings to pitch, they are pulling on the bridge/saddles and the nut/tuners (tension). When you put a heavier gauge string on the same guitar, the strings pull harder on the bridge and nut than the lighter-gauge strings.

The difference in tension may require a different neck relief and you most certainly need to adjust the action, as heavier strings are thicker, and thus need to be slightly farther away from the neck. Since the strings are pulling harder on the saddles now, maybe they slipped a little out of position. All of that combined can lead to poor intonation which I think is the problem.

If you want to switch to 10's, bring the guitar to a qualified technician and it will come back sounding sweet again. Think of it like car maintenance. Sometimes you need to put a few $$s into your investment.

stratele52 wrote:
IMO you forget something or you did not do set up right.
What else ?

Bingo.

dd770 wrote:
And first three strings sound too thin, as if they were .8 strings..........
I´ve also tried lowering the pickups, won´t work either..


You can also adjust the individual pole height on a lot of pickups. I think a lot of people miss this step and it makes all the difference in the world. Ask your guitar tech if you're not sure how.


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Player Series sounding weird
Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 9:54 am
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Ghost of strings has it right.
You're fretting out a bit ,

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