FAQ's		Artist Interviews / Tips / Q and A's / Podcasts / Book Reviews

All the questions and answers that you see here
were asked by members of Access Rock to either
Mike Abbott or Analog Brothers Amps.

Remember to email any expert questions to experts@accessrock.com

Click On A Question:

>Floyd Rose Tremolo Problems

>Guitar is Buzzing

>Tinny Sixth String

>String Gauge for 7-String Guitar

>Which Electric Guitar should I buy?

>Playing Solo Runs

>String Bending Problems

>Intonation Problems

>Soloing - Getting a High-Pitched Squeak

>Schaller Tremolo (11-5-04)

>Scale and Chord Help (10-5-04)

>KE3 Jackson - Setting Intonation

SUBJECT: SIXTH STRING SOUNDS TINNY

Question: My 6th string was making a tinny sound, so I went and got new strings. But the 6th string still sounds tinny! Why is this? My guitar is only about 5 months old and I play 1-2hrs a day.

Cheers Mark.

Answer: This "tinny" sound could be caused by a number of things. I define the 6th string as the fattest string on the guitar. I hope you do also. Here's what I would do to troubleshoot:

1. Change the tinny string (no need to change all strings) - Once in a while, you do get a "bad" string. The string might sound dull or out-of-tune. I haven't heard a "bad" string sound tinny, but you never know!

2. String Gauge - If the guitar came with 010's (1st to 6th gauges - 010,013,017,26,36,46) and you changed to 009's, this will affect the sound of the guitar. The lighter strings will sound thinner. They might sound "tinny" if the nut and bridge slots were cut for 010's and you changed to 009's.

3. Nut, frets, or bridge - You play quite a bit each day. Since the nut, frets, and bridge are made of materials that wear over time, they could need some repair. It is possible that the nut slot or the bridge saddle for the "tinny" string might need filing or other repair work. Frets wear in the places where you play the most. If there is a worn fret, this can cause a string to sound tinny or like a Sitar (East Indian stringed instrument). These repairs should be done by a qualified repairman.

If you are unsure about any of the guitar parts I mentioned above, check out our guitar anatomy lesson. Please check out our lesson on string installation and intonation also.

Good Luck Mark, and thanks for using Access Rock!

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SUBJECT: SOLOING - GETTING A HIGH-PITCHED SQUEAK

Question: Hi, I was just wondering about one thing I've been playing for ages and can do any soloing at extreme speed but one thing that has always escaped me is the high pitched squeak (I know its not bottom e bends) :)that is done in solos I think its something to do with harmonics but no matter how hard I try I cant seem to do it... could you please help me - thank you, Danni

Answer: Thanks for the great question! This high pitched squeak that you mention can be executed a few different ways. I should say first that the amp, pedal, and guitar settings have a great affect on achieving this sound. Things to remember about the tone:

Amp -

1. keep the gain or distortion level high! This is necessary so that the guitar is very "live". Harmonics will be much easier to produce.
2. Bass - low, Middle - high, Treble - high. High means between 7 and 10, low below 5.

Effects -

1. Distortion Pedal - Same settings as amp (above), especially if your amp doesn't give you the sound you need. A great choice is:

Boss DS-1 distortion

2. Compressor or EQ - Set either pedal to a high level (volume). Compressor attack should be medium to high. EQ should have the mids boosted (400k, 800k, 1.6k) and some highs boosted(3.2 k, 6.4k).

Great choices are:

Boss GE-7 distortion

Boss Compressor

Guitar -

1. Volume - always should be on ten! This will give you max high frequencies.
2. Tone - On ten as well! same reason as volume
3. Pickup Selection - Bridge pickup definitely! Again this will give you max mid and high frequencies.

Now for the techniques:

1. Pinch Harmonics - These are done by gripping way down on the pick so that the side of your thumb and the point of the pick hit the string simultaneously. Picking the string in a specific area, between the bridge and the neck, will produce the high harmonic. Move around to find different harmonic pitches.

2. Natural harmonics - put your finger, lightly on a string(s) directly over the 3rd, 5th, 9th, 12th, 16th, 19th frets (without pushing down). Pick the string and lift the finger at the same time. Now you have a lot of things that you can try. Experiment a lot with different settings on the amp and pedals. Be sure to put your pedal (dist, compressor, EQ) between the amp and the guitar - this will make the guitar signal hit the amp harder which will give your sound more distortion (that's what you want).
Good Luck!

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SUBJECT: Intonation Problems in PRS ce-22 model

Question: Hello..
I have a PRS ce22 and I am having trouble with the intonation. I have the stop tail and it is set as far as it can go yet the fretted note is sharper than the harmonic.
thanks David

Answer: Hi - Thanks for the question.
This has definitely happened to me before, also. The most common reason for this is the neck has too much relief (it is curved too much). The neck should have a little relief in it, just not too much. Go to the PRS web site/truss rod page for more info on this.

This will give you a better idea of what I mean. It will also give you directions on how to adjust your guitar's truss rod properly. If you are not comfortable adjusting it, you should take the guitar to a qualified guitar repairman.

The other cause could be defective strings. I doubt that this is the problem since you say that all of the strings are sharp. Normally, it is the third string that causes problems. If after you check out/fix the neck relief, you are still unable to intonate, change all of the strings. Be sure to use the same gauge strings that were on your guitar when it was intonated properly. Please let me know if this takes care of your problem.

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SUBJECT: WHICH ELECTRIC GUITAR SHOULD I BUY? IT WILL BE MY FIRST.

Question: I keep getting different opinions on what type and how much to spend on my first guitar. I keep looking at the mid $300 range and some say go lower or higher.

Answer: Thanks for your question. I'm not sure if you have just started playing, or if you haven't even picked up a guitar yet. If you feel very strongly that you will stay with the guitar for many years, I would spend a couple hundred bucks more. Here's why:

1. Quality of parts - Once you are able to play fairly well, the parts of a cheaper guitar, like tuners and switches, will start to bother you. If you want a new set of quality tuners installed, it will cost around $100.
2. Tone - Less Expensive guitars are usually made from wood that is of lesser quality or has not aged very long. This will result in a noticeable lack of tone and a lot of times, a very shrill sound. Check out Access Rocks' Guitar Tone Lesson.
3. Resale - If you buy a Fender Mexican-made Stratocaster, it will fetch you a lot more $$ than an epiphone, or an ESP, and it would be much easier to sell.

ESP - From what I've heard and played, these are good guitars. I would recommend them.
Epiphone - I've played a few of the new models and wasn't overly excited about them. This doesn't mean to say that they don't make some good ones.

I would definitely recommend getting a Fender Mexican-made Stratocaster. They play and sound very good. Another nice guitar is the Schecter Diamond Series. This is more in the Gibson, two-humbucker tradition.
In general, do the research and take your time choosing a guitar. Get your hands on the guitars and play them, with and without an amplifier. Talk to other guitarists to find out what they like.
Good luck!

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SUBJECT: HELP!! MY GUITAR IS POSSESSED!!

Question: I have ESP/Charvel custom guitar and its loaded with EMG's. My problem is that I cant get it to stop buzzing when I remove my hand(s) from the strings. I have checked and re-soldered the contacts at all points. Still no luck. I'm not sure if it's a ground problem or ??? The buzz goes away when I turn the volume knob off on the guitar. Is there some sort of shielding or resistor I can remove this with? Any suggestions you can give me to rid myself of the buzz demon are appreciated. Or am I stuck with a guitar that's possessed?

Answer: Thanks for the inquiry. My first suggestion would be to isolate the problem to determine if the cause is: the guitar, the amp, or something else (cord, bad outlet ground, etc.). Be aware that you will always have an increase in hum and buzz when your hands are off the strings, particularly if you have the amp set up for high gain. So, a few questions for you to answer: Does this guitar have the problem with whatever amp it's plugged into? Do you experience the noise with the same amp and a different guitar? Have you swapped out cords, tried different outlets? If you determine from the above questions that the problem is definitely with the guitar, another set of questions. Did the guitar _always_ do this or did it start recently? Do you have a good battery (I'm assuming the EMGs are active); if the battery is low, the noise level will increase. Next, there is a possibility that your picking up hum from an external source; florescent lights, transformers, etc.. Does the hum increase or decrease depending on your position? Does one pickup have the problem more or less than the other? It could be a defective pickup. There should be a ground wire from some part of the guitars' wiring to the bridge; is it intact? Do your pickups have a small circuit card or a sealed module for the preamp? If it's a sealed module, the best you can do is to be sure all the connections from it are correctly soldered. If it's an open circuit card, check all the connections on it to be sure there isn't a broken component solder joint. The preamp module could be defective and the only way to find out would be to swap in a known good one. If everything above checks out and you still haven't solved the problem, you can shield the entire control cavity of the guitar with copper foil (the best solution) or shielding paint. The foil has an adhesive on one side and can be applied to all surfaces to form a sealed compartment for the electronics, which will usually reduce any picked up hum considerably. Let me know if this helps out or if the problem seems more related to your amp. We can proceed further from that point.

Regards,
Jim
www.analogbros.com

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SUBJECT: 7 STRING WARLOCK W/ FLOYD ROSE TREMOLO

Question: what size and make of string is the best for a 7 string warlock with a floyd rose tremol., My warlock is tuned to B>E>A>D>G>B>E what would be the best gauges to use.

Answer: Thanks for your question. First, the floyd rose tremolo is made for light string gauges, .009's or .10's. I prefer D'Addario strings, but you should try other brands since they do vary in sound and feel. Below are two 7 string sets to check out: A set of D'Addario .010's (from E thru B): 10, 13, 17, 26, 36, 46, 56 A set of Ernie Ball .009's (from E thru B): 9, 11, 16, 24, 32, 42, 52 Also, remember that you can always change the low B to something heavier. Korn's guitar player, "Munky" Shaffer, tunes the low string down to A and uses a .60. Steve Vai prefers a .53.

Regards,
Mike Abbott

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SUBJECT: Floyd Rose Tremolo - Problems bending

Question: To whom this concern,

I play the Kirk Hammett ESP model, (KH-2/Skull and crossbone inlays). When I bend a note on one string it lowers the pitch on other strings. This is a pain in the ass when I bend a note on one string and pick a note on the adjacent string at the same time. Both notes are sounded out of tune. Are there ways to lock the tremolo? Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Matt

Answer: Matt,
Unfortunately, this is a side effect of the floating "Floyd Rose" tremolo system. There is a way around it, although it will affect the ability to use the whammy bar completely.
Here's what you do:

1. Make a wedge out of a small block of wood (about 1" x 1"). Or you can use a 9V battery wrapped in electrical tape.

2. Take off the large rectangular plate that is on the back of the guitar. This will reveal the bridge cavity where the bottom of the bridge and the tremolo springs are.

3. Place the wedge in between the bridge and the part of the bridge cavity directly under the springs. This will brace the bridge so that it won't move if you bend or if you push the whammy bar down (the one drawback). You will still be able to pull up on the whammy bar. Eventually you can make a piece of wood that has a more precise fit and glue it in. For some detailed info and pic's on setting up a floyd rose, Click Here.

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SUBJECT: Playing Solo Runs

Question: Hi my name is Ryan Gens, I’ve been playing guitar for a couple years now and have just begun to solo. So far I can play pretty decent solos, but have BIG TROUBLE with runs. How do you do them? Do you use pentatonics?   Diatonics? Which is best for a rock/ metal style song? Do you coil? Play straight scale runs? I can’t figure it out. Also my instructor says that he likes to change keys and run. But I have no idea what key to change to, and what type of scale I should use. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

Answer: Ryan
Yes, you can use pentatonics or diatonics for runs. You can execute the runs many ways:

1. down-up picking - use alternating picking for picked runs - this will make the run sound smoother. Try different patterns up the scale (order of notes in the scale) - 123, 234, 345, etc.., or 1234, 2345, 3456, etc.., or 1231, 2342, 3453, etc.. This will give you more options besides 12345678.

2. Slurring - pick only the first note on each string. The rest of the notes are hammer-ons (low to high) or pull-offs (high to low).

3. Tremolo picking - strum each note of the scale about 4 or 5 times really fast. You don't need to play the whole scale, just use part of it.

Minor and Major Pentatonics or diatonics will work great for rock/metal. You should also learn many more scales - all minor diatonics (escpecially harmonic minor - used a lot in metal) and the modes of Major.

Changing keys and run - this is not necessary for playing great runs. What is necessary is practicing all of the scales that I mentioned until you have memorized them in many positions on the fingerboard, and until you can play them medium to fast speed using the techniques above. PRACTICE WITH THE METRONOME!

Here are some current lessons that you need to take on Access Rock:

Scale/Chord Relationships
Soloing Runs and Ideas
Open Position Guitar Scales
Take Your Solos Higher Page1 or Page 2

Good Luck!

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SUBJECT: String Bending Problems

Question: I have been playing for about 2 years. Started on an acoustic but just bought an electric ( Fender Fat Strat) . Trying to get into playing the blues but am having problems with bends. When bending up the string above the one I am bending likes to slip under my fingertip and gets caught up when I release it . Sounds like a pull off. How can I keep the upper string from sounding along with the string I want to bend. I try to use 2 fingers next to each other when bending. Help.

Answer: Bob,
This is a very common problem with players who are first starting to bend. There are two ways of bending a string..pushing or pulling.

When you push a string bent, the string(s) next to it should also bend. This is correct. If you bend with your 1st finger, use 1 finger to bend.. if you bend with your 2nd finger, use 2 fingers to bend, etc.. This gives you more power to bend the string and push the other strings out of the way. If you are pulling a string, follow the same rules.

One reason for the problem you are having is you need to build up more callous on the tip of your finger. This comes from practicing and playing bends a lot. Also, be sure that you fingers are pushing straight across the fingerboard, not in an upward direction at all. If you haven't already, take our beginning bending lesson

or browse other bending lessons!

Good Luck!

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SUBJECT: Schaller Tremolo

Question: I just have a question about changing strings when you have a floating tremolo. I have an old Jackson guitar with a schaller floating tremolo. Now when I bought the guitar it came with strings that are .009 to .042 gauge which is just fine, but recently I tried changing to .010 to .046 strings. When I did this I knew the string tension was going to be higher, but the strings are really really tight. There is about a half inch between the strings and the frets at the highest fret. Would I have to recalibrate the tremolo for it to be proper? There are a bunch of screws and other movable parts on tremolowhich I have no idea what they do.  I don't want to mess with the tremolo unless I know what I'm doing. a little advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: I am familiar with Floyd Rose floating tremolos, but not Schaller. As I understand, the Schaller trem is not routed into the body of the guitar, it just sits on top of the body. My advice would be to take the guitar to a qualified guitar repairman for set up. Ask other guitar players that have used the repairman to ensure that he has done a good job for them.

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SUBJECT: Scale and Chord Help

Question: I am haven a really hard time finding stuff on scales and chords more precisely what scales go over what chords and why any info on this would be totally appreciated.

Answer: We have two lessons that have the info you are looking for. They are Great Guitar Solos and Guitar Scale and Chord Relationships. You can find lessons easily by using our site search in the upper left corner of every page on Access Rock.

KE3 Jackson Guitar - Setting Intonation

Q:I have a KE3 Jackson w/ double locking Floydrose. I was told to adjust the bridge saddles back or forth so that the 12th fret tunes equal with the same string opened using a chromatic tuner. Is this accurate? After adjusting the intonation, tuning the guitar by harmonics is different than open string tuning. Also, the 6 saddles are labled 1 thru 3 (3 being the smallest in height) in sets of two. Would you happen to know the arrangements of the saddles to make for an accurate action adjustment? Thank you in advance. I just wanted to say, that this site is awesome! You guys are great!

A:Thanks for your question.
Yes. You do adjust the bridge saddles back or forth so that the 12th fret tunes equal with the same string open using a chromatic tuner. However, you should first set your truss rod and bridge saddle heights before you intonate the guitar.

Here's how you adjust the bridge saddle heights and truss rod:
First you should make sure that your guitar's truss rod is adjusted correctly. Here's how:

Install a capo at the first fret. If you don't have one, just push on the first fret for every adjustment.

Adjusting Truss - you should be able to adjust it from the head stock. There is a truss rod nut which you can see if you sight from the top of the head stock. If the rod is not accessible from the head stock, you need to take off the neck to get at the truss rod nut.

The tool you need is an allen wrench long enough to fit into the hole and still be able to turn it. This allen wrench should have come with the guitar. If not, you should go to your local guitar store, or hardware store, and get one.

When you adjust the truss rod, 'less is more'! Don't turn the truss rod nut more than a 1/4 of a turn at a time. If you do, it could damage the neck. Turn the truss rod nut counter-clockwise to add relief (more curve) in the neck. By the way, you do not need to loosen the strings to do this. After a 1/4 of a turn, check the action again. Repeat this process to obtain just a little relief in the neck.

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