Hi guys,

My strat is an American Deluxe 50th anniversary CE (the one with the gold harware), and there is an unpleasant harmonic that comes from under the pickguard, between the neck pickup and the neck itself, whenever I play the third string (G). Most noticeable when played open. But it will not do it if I would play a G note, anywhere else on the neck. It does sound metallic.

I have ever shown it to a tech and he said that it was a natural harmonic of the body...C'mon! I don't believe that one bit! Not coming from such an instrument. I'm ready to remove the pickguard and have a look for myself, but that's something I have never done.

Do any of you guys have a hint as to what to lookout for? Because I obviously have to remove the strings and won't be able to replicate the harmonic. Thanks.

First off look at your picking technique for that one string. How your right hand falls onto any string plays a major (if not the biggest) part of what you hear coming from your amps speaker. If you can make it go away by plucking differently then open yourself up to the possibility that it could be a technique issue.

Fear not, even if it is a technique issue it could be being encouraged or strengthened by any of the following reasons.

Assuming your string height is correct and the neck relief is set properly. And the funny sound only happens on the open G string.

1 Check your pickguard screws are tight. Not overly tight, just tight enough.
2 Check your saddle for that string. Swap the G string saddle for the Low E one and see if the noise goes away.
3 If its on the open note only. You need to check the nutslot. I'd suspect its worn wide. Luckily the check is easy for wide. Get a tiny piece of paper (3mmx3mm), fold it in half. Lift your string out of the nutslot whilst the string is tuned to pitch. Put the crease of the paper underneath the string so the string runs along the crease. Put the string back into the nutslot. Make sure the paper is not level with the front edge of the nut (side nearest the fretboard). You want it back from that front edge a tiny bit so you keep a good break angle over the leading edge of the nut.
4 It could be the nut slot height. With your 3rd finger, fret the 3rd fret. With your index finger press the first fret. If theres no gap between the top of the first fret and the underside of the string, you need a new nut. (thats the solution for 3 too)
5 Try wrapping something around your trem springs. A bit of cloth or something. Sympathetic resonance does happen, I've had problems with it. If having some cloth on the springs solves the problem, you can take the springs off, shove cottonwool inside em and put em back on.


If its not any of that its likely your fret tops, though it would be a peculiar shaped fret to only affect one string. Come back to us in that eventuality.

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Thanks for the reply. I can assure you it is not a picking related issue.
The nut has in fact been changed by the previous owner (and I still have the original). But the tremolo spings might be the culprits in my case. I will try damping them up tonight. As far as the overall set up, she down to Fender's specs.
I will post the results. Thanks again!

Try turning the guitar up-side-down and plucking the strings. Also you can "bump" the bout of the guitar with the heal of your hand without picking strings and if you can hear a rattle or the harmonic then there could be a wire/s touching something it shouldn't be touching.

Finally, I found a problem with my guitar odd buzzing sound to be a loose tuning key nut. In fact they were all somewhat loose.

If it makes that same sound when playing any note (other than open notes) its not the nut. If its only when open its likely the nut or the break angle of the string.

Make sure the string has clearance over the first fret. To do this hold it down at the second fret and bounce the string in between there and the nut. If it bounces then you have clearance if not then you have a low nut slot (or a high first fret).

If you have gone up in string gauges from stock then you might need you nut widened it could be muting the string.

After all that is tested if its not been done yet replace the string(s) and stretch in a new ones.

Make sure you have a decent amount of windings on the post to get a really good break angle off the back of the nut.

If you notice pinging when tuning then lube the slot with a tiny dab of light machine oil and detune and retune the string a few times. If after the guitars rested and it still pings then the nut needs looking at.

Put a drop of light machine oil where the string sits at the saddle. On each spring lube where it makes contact. If you have to - loosen spring claw tension before doing this.

Remember to use a tiny amount just to reduce friction to prevent the two parts binding or vibrating.

This will fix about 90% of problems.

To find all the other ones. You need to start holding screws, springs and strings etc while playing the offending string and listen up close with your ear and you will be able to track it down eventually. Your hand is a valuable tool in muting unwanted vibrations.

Well I have finally found where that noise is coming from. The string (G) is vibrating between the tuner and the nut. Quite far from my initial thoughts

Last week I upgraded my string gauge, going from 9-46 to 10-46. But I noticed that noise way before that. I have Sperzel locking tuners and the nut has been changed, as I mentionned before. So do I simply need to open up the slot on the nut a tiny little bit?

I have posted those pics before, but here she is again. I'm just so in love with her...!


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As I mentioned is the string wound down the tuner far enough to give a good break angle? how many winds 4/5?

With the string off make sure the tuner is not loose tighten it up if required.

As for the nut there could be a few problems. Firstly as I said above you need to make sure it is not making contact with any fret when being played open.
The other problems involve the string becoming grabbed and muted if the nut is too tight or vibrating in the slot if too loose.

Checking the nut slot:

A good nut slot should have a tiny flat area in the slot where the string breaks towards the first fret and then curve off towards the tuners. By de-tuning a wind and then lifting up the string from the tuner a side gently you can see how the nut rests in the slot and if there is a good curve. Compare the strings to each other.

As for the width good practice is to have the nut open wider towards the tuners. This will cause less tuning problems. On the side of the first fret you want a minimal gap here otherwise the string will slop around.

If the nuts slot is filed flat the nut can break at the tuner side and has the width of the nut to vibrate against which is bad.

A set of welding torch cleaning tips (files) can be used as an improvised nut file. You want to have an idea of what your problem is before starting. Use a set of (Digital) calipers to measure your string and the file.

All it takes is a couple of gentle perfectly level strokes and then some curved strokes towards the back of the nut to put the fall off curve towards the tuner. Filing too much will lower the action. Take it to a tech if its too hard for you. Remember if you butcher the nut it will have to be shimmed or replaced which will cost you more.

What an excellent idea. Never thought of that. Here is a really cheap set of Torch Tip Cleaners:

http://www.toughweld.com/uniweld/tip-cleaners

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Well Shockwarrior has covered it. Its the break angle of the slot. Personally I wouldnt touch it unless your prepared to change the nut out. Nuts are very delicate precisely cut things, that you'll develop a 6th sense for when you've done a few. It doesnt need widening out, nuts slots are generally cut a bit wider than a .010" set of strings needs. Reason being you dont want the string rattling against the side wall. Your better off to take it to a tech if you've never done it before.

That said the wind position onto the tuner is a good call too. Staggered height tuners are something I've never been entirely happy with. They just dont seem to exert enough down force. Though its usually on the B and high E that I notice it.

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