ShortScale.org

A little bit of a weird topic, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I've noticed some sympathetic vibrations of the vibrato springs when I'm sitting around and playing my Mustang unplugged. It's most noticeable for me when I play an F# on the "A" string, at the 9th fret, but I get a similar sympathetic resonance in the vibrato springs whenever I play any F#, although some strings / locations on the fretboard are much worse than others.

Has anyone else noticed this? Do you notice it with the same notes, or does it occur with a different note on your Mustang?

you are definitely right! mine does it as well on the F#. actually, F# anywhere on the guitar seems to do it. lol, seriously strange.

I've always noticed that the springs on strats tend to resonate a bit but never noticed it on the mustang.

Dunno if its a problem for you but I saw a neat little trick to killing spring vibrations somewhere. You just pick up some of that tubing that you run to and from fish tank filters and pumps, choose one that fits snug but not tight in the spring, and slot that in there. Job done.

I never got that on my Mustang but i've had it happen on Strats and even Superstrats. An old trick is to put a cotton bud inside each spring.
Definitely weird how particular notes resonate more noticeably, off topic but particular notes are more a problem resonating with cabinet enclosures.

That they resonate with a particular note/frequency isn't surprising... that's just the springs' resonant frequency, based on material/density/tension. It's exactly how sympathetic strings work on instruments like the sitar, producing their rich polyphonic tones. Huzzah for physics.

I've never noticed it, but does the spring vibration translate to the amplified sounds at all?

Ankhanu wrote:I've never noticed it, but does the spring vibration translate to the amplified sounds at all?

i don't remember it doing so on either of my mustangs, or if it happened i didn't notice.

stewart wrote:

Ankhanu wrote:I've never noticed it, but does the spring vibration translate to the amplified sounds at all?

i don't remember it doing so on either of my mustangs, or if it happened i didn't notice.

So why is it a problem requiring a fix?

STUART/STEWART FITE!

Hit him Stewpot!

Kick him in the goolies Stu!

Stuart wrote:

stewart wrote:

Ankhanu wrote:I've never noticed it, but does the spring vibration translate to the amplified sounds at all?

i don't remember it doing so on either of my mustangs, or if it happened i didn't notice.

So why is it a problem requiring a fix?

does it require a fix? think it was just a curious question, not causing him any trouble or owt.

benecol wrote:STUART/STEWART FITE!

Hit him Stewpot!

Kick him in the goolies Stu!

sorry to pour water on the prospect of a good feud but I was just asking 'cause i didn't understand.

Some people say oh yeah it happens; and here is how you fix it will cotton or rubber tube and other people say yeah it happens but it doesn't effect the plugged in sound. Just wondered why bother fixing something that you can't hear when it matters.

I'm not really one for the wobbly stuff my self anyways.

It's unbearable on Floyd Rose equipped guitars for me. You can't look at the bridge without hearing a little "ping".

never noticed it, but when i play an electric guitar, i play it plugged in so...

Like the behind the bridge string resonances on a Jag or Jazz, or the spring ring on a Strat, it's just one of the quirks of that particular design, and it's no big deal to me.

If it bothers you enough, and you play unplugged a lot, then some cotton balls or rubber tubing would probably sufficiently damp the springs to clear the issue up. Again, it's just a sympathetic vibration or mechanical resonance, and the F# note is just "exciting" a F# resonance in the springs. I was just curious if anyone else noticed it or not.