My vg strat is doing strange things. In normal or 12 string tunings, everything works fine, regardless of guitar emulations ( strat, tele, humbucker, etc.). However, when using drop d, g, drop b, everything except 12 string, I get notes sounding like I'm using a pitch shifter on those notes above the fifth fret. I rarely use the other tunings so I do not know if this is common or not. Great guitar, love them sounds and action, but not sure if I have a problem that will get worse with time. Any ideas anyone?

Flat battery is the first thing to check.

I put new batteries in and have same problem. 12 string and baritoe seem to fine (they were before), but the other timings sound like I 'm playing two notes now. Seems to be a bleed through problem. Other people have had this problem, but I have not heard about a solution or if it causes a complete failure. Any ideas?

I have a VG, and the only time I have heard anything like the sound you are describing is when playing at low volume and the acoustic note can be heard as well as the emulated note.

I assume you have eliminated this as the cause; if not, crank it a bit, or use headphones, and see if the problem goes away.

I have the same problem with my VG strat. In open G tuning the high E string plays two notes at once. It's very noticeable. I don't use alternate tunings so it doesn't matter to me. Otherwise the VG strat is a great guitar. Still, it shouldn't do this. Maybe there is a flaw in the Roland unit.

Have you tried lowering the passive pickups on the treble side? It could be that you're getting a bit of the passive circuit in with the synth circuit.

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the problem is strongest with the open G tuning, and with the high E string. with the other tunings I don't really notice it. There is a slight doubling with the lower strings in open G, but nothing like the high E string; it sounds like two separate, distinct notes.

At some point I'll take it to my luthier and have him work on it.

I can't remember, does the VGStrat have seperate outputs for the standard and modelled sounds?

It sounds like a bleed through from the standard pickups side of the circuit. Make sure the traditional pickups aren't sounding.

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

One output Adey, thats exactly what I thought, bleedthrough. So suggested pickup lowering to reduce their volume.

Why would it only occur on one setting though? Why would it have not been present from new?

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One thing is for sure - if I turned up to see my tech with that under my arm muttering about electrical problems, he'd probably go pale and hurriedly put up the "closed for lunch" sign..

I'm guessing that a dedicated Fender service tech would be needed to put that right if it is faulty. Probably a guy with a purpose built high tech diagnostic rig as well. I once looked inside a Line 6 modelling guitar - nightmare..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

As I mentioned above it's still worth completely eliminating the possibility that it's not the acoustic sound of the (standard tuned) note being heard together with the emulated sound of the (alternate tuned) note.

What you are describing sounds exactly what you would expect to hear if the acoustic sound of the string can be heard at the same time as the emulated sound, and when I am playing my VG at low volume I hear it too. Crank it up, or wear headphones, and - as you would expect - it disappears.

I apologise if this sounds too obvious and nothing to do with your problem, but I have never had a problem like this with my VG. I've messed with all the pickup heights plenty of times (to get optimum tone, balance the volume etc) and also been under the hood (scary). I don't see how it could be bleedthrough (the 'M' rotary switch isolates the passive pups) unless yours has been wired incorrectly - and if this were the case you'd have lots of other issues as well.

the two distinct notes come through the amp, so it's not from hearing the acoustic (unaltered) string along with the rolanded note.

the standard pickups should be separate from the Roland pickup, so I don't see how one can bleed into the other, but then again I have no idea what's going on inside this guitar!

My guess is that the roland pickup is taking the high E string and processing (or whatever it does) the original note and the artificial note and sending that signal to the amp. But really, I don't know how these synthesizers work.

Still, I love the VG strat -- it's the most versatile strat ever made, right? It's also my telecaster, my 12 string, my humbucker strat, and my acoustic! And a few combinations of the above! 12 string tele, etc.

I'd take it to a Fender dealer and have their tech look at it. I've never had to use Fender aftersales so I have no idea how good they are, but you'd expect them to have some form of service capability for the Roland system - it is after all fitted to one of their products (even if now discontinued).

Speaking of which, I've not yet found a convincing reason why the VG is no longer in production. Personally I think it is a fantastic guitar, and for someone like me who plays a wide variety of music in a covers band it is (IMHO) unbeatable. After a few mods to bring it to the spec I prefer (and get rid of the things I don't like, such as the blue battery light) it's now pretty much the only guitar I use, and my other Strat - a 1989 MIJ '62 Reissue, bought new, and an excellent guitar which has given two decades of faultless pleasure - is now virtually retired.