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Pick noise


Prague

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I have my pickups (single coil) set to the right height as per the manufacturer (Fender).

 

I am hearing way too much pick noise. It's enough to cause reverberations if reverb is on.

 

My thinking is that the pickups should be closer to the strings. Their vibrations would be louder than the pick noise.

 

Any further ideas?

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Picks, in and of themselves, cannot be detected by a magnetic pickup. Even the stainless steel ones that I got from Def Leopard are magnetically invisible.

 

You'll have to expand upon the discription of your problem.

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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What style of music do you play? More distortion makes this more noticeable. Is your pick at an angle to the strings? A perpendicular attack will produce the least noise though picking speed most likely will be reduced. If you are using a pick made of something like Tortex it will make more noise if picked at an angle than one made of celluloid :freak: or whatever Fender mediums are made of nowadays. Its weird that the scrape would be louder than the note though :(

Lyrics. Wasted space between solos.

I can't tell you, but I can play it for you.

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  • 2 weeks later...

i know exactly what he is saying (i think) ;)

 

When I max out the distortion on my amp, I get the same thing you are talking about.

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"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." John Lennon

 

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Originally posted by Guitarzan:

how close to the strings when the string is fretted at the last fret?

I can't remember the actual, but the rule of thumb is 2 stacked US quarters ($0.25) is the

height of the strings. Canadian quarters are close, too!

 

I'll measure it for an exact distance when I get to the studio.

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I like pick noise myself, I have a few different size and thickness picks including an agate pick and a plastic bread bag pick(for extra pick noise just for the fun of it when using lots of distortion).

 

I tend to hold it exposing the pointier edge as well as the rounded edge. The less pick you expose to the string the less noise! Its also cool to use your finger tips, and also to mash the strings with the middle of your index finger nail.

 

Steve

You shouldn't chase after the past or pin your hopes on the future.
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It probably has more to do with your picking technique than the string height. Particularly if you unintentionally slightly drag the pick across the wound strings on each stroke, it will make a lot of noise. Using a very thin or very thick pick can help... I don't know what type of tone you're going for but if you want a really rounded style like fingerpicking, try a felt pick.
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Originally posted by bpark@prorec.com:

Picks, in and of themselves, cannot be detected by a magnetic pickup. Even the stainless steel ones that I got from Def Leopard are magnetically invisible.

Factoid: most (except 1 or 2 very specific types of) Stainless Steels are non-magnetic.
Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need".
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I have this problem on my strat style 3 pickup models but not my 2 humbucker guitars.

 

I believe hitting the pickup cover on the center pickup makes a noise. The Blackmore story above may be accurate, I've heard similar tales. However, I really like the sound of the center pickup. Robin Trower said its his favorite too.

 

Another thing is that the center pickup is DIRECTLY BENEATH where your pick hits the string, not a problem on a 2 humbucker model.

 

Sooooo...do you like the center pickup? If yes, then adjust picking position; if no, then adjust pickup out of the way.

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Originally posted by Lee Flier:

Originally posted by billster:

Originally posted by Lee Flier:

try a felt pick.

They still make those???
Yeah, mostly for bass players.
They seem to prefer them over potatoe chips....

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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