Jtv59 D-string 4th-string Odd Sound Like Reverb

[edstar1960]

My JTV59 is on 1.71 flash.  I have noticed that the D-string (4th-string) seems to be louder, more prominent than the other strings, but more importantly, it produces an odd sound, almost like it has it's own reverb. 

I connect the JTV59 to my HD500 via VDI, and this odd sound appears when all effects are off and I am just using an amp model.  The low E, and A sound normal, just the string sound coming through, but the D has this pronounced reverb/echo, almost like it is a plucked D on an acoustic guitar.  On some guitar models, particular the SEMI pos 3, this can almost sound like it has a flange effect on the notes played.

 

I also have an odd overtone that is apparent on the high-E which is like a very quick echo or twang, so you don't get just the plucked note. This is noticeable when compared to a plucked note on the same fret position for the B string. There is something else added when plucking the same position on the E.  This can occur on the open or on any fret position.

 

However, the D string "solo-reverb" or "acoustic-twang" sound is very prevalent, and comes through on all models.  It gets accentuated when playing an AC15 model, as the vox trademark bark becomes a really annoying mid-range honk with the D string.

 

I wondered whether anybody else has experienced this or something similar?   I hope I have described it well enough as it is difficult to put it into words.  I will try to capture it in a recording and post for review. Thanks in advance.

[guitarno]

   Yes, I have noticed this also. I also have a JTV-59, and I have had this happen with some guitar models / HD500X patches. It seems to me that my 59 has a resonant peak at about F# - so if I play a note or chord that uses the 4th string at the 4th fret, that note really overpowers the other notes and verges on feedback. Not the howling "mic in front of PA speaker" feedback, it just resonates that note and it's louder than it should be. It's also resonant at other notes but not as much as that one spot.

 

 

   I don't know if this is an anomaly of the guitar modeling, or if it's just an acoustic resonant frequency of my guitar, or what. I haven't figured out exactly how to deal with this yet. I have tried to turn down the volume of that string in workbench and that helps a little. I was thinking I should use a narrow band EQ module on the HD500, and create a notch filter at this frequency.

 

[Charlie_Watt]

You can check by running with the Mag pickups only.  No Modeling.  Most guitars have some resonant frequencies that show up on a particular string / note.  Very often an open B string. 

[edstar1960]

Thanks guitarno.   I seem to get this resonance on pretty much all of the D (4th) string.   I will see if mine is worse when F# note is played.  I have certainly noticed it often sets off the A string - and I get a droning A in the background if I am not careful about muting my unplayed strings.

[edstar1960]

Thanks Charlie.  I will double check with the mags,  but I thought I had done that last night and the "resonance" on the D was coming through on the mags too,  I will try it again tonight.

[Charlie_Watt]

If it's on the Mags then it's mechanical.  You may be able to figure out what it is and damp it with some foam.  Check the Alternate tuning selector and the model switch.  Both can be loose and vibrate.  Also damp the strings above the nut.  This often helps a lot.  With a JTV it can be something loose inside as well. 

[edstar1960]

Thanks again Charlie.  I checked the mags and the odd sound is not there.  Atfer a few more checks I noticed that it is very prevalent with LESTER POS3.  Just hitting an open D produces it.  When compared to an open A, the open D sounds very nasal (like its caught a cold) or boxy, and as the note fades there is a slight fizz that kicks in.  Very annoying.  The high E exhibits a similar quality.  If I play an open B, then an open high E, there is some distinct difference between the tones, the high E sounds more nasal or boxy.

 

I have adjusted my string volumes in Workbench thinking that it might help, but although it has reduced the volume of the offending strings, this strange nasal tonality is still clearly there.  When using models with 2 pickups selected (usually the pos3 option for each) it really stands out and there is a slight flange effect to the notes played.  I have compared it with the mags on the JTV59 - when in middle position and both mags on - I have played the open D and fretted notes and it sounds nothing like the Lester model pos3 which introduces this nasal tone and flange effect, and it's also present on the SEMI pos3 and the CHIME pos3.   I am wondering if I have a faulty piezo or if its a design fault with the bridge.  It really ruins my enjoyment of playing the JTV59 because it is so obvious.

 

I think my next step will be to upgrade to the latest flash levels and see whether that fixes it.  If it doesn't then I am not sure what I will do.

 

Just for completeness of documenting what I have done, here are the string volumes I set my JTV59 to:

 

6th E - 0.85

5th A - 0.65

4th D - 0.60

3rd G - 0.80

2nd B - 0.90

1st E - 0.75

[guitarno]

I agree that re-flashing to a different firmware version would be a good test. It's possible that it may be an artifact of the model(s), or maybe the version of firmware that is loaded got corrupted somehow. If different firmware doesn't change anything, it is possible that it's a bad piezo. There have been a few posts here with users that have run into that. I'm not sure how to test for it. Is your JTV59 still under warranty? You may want to open up a support ticket on this with Line 6 if you don't find an answer soon. They may be able to help determine the cause & fix for it.

[edstar1960]

Upgraded to v2.0 after some problems but TELE, STRAT and SEMI models pos 1,3,5 sounded very weak and thin so could not really hear them well enough to see if problem fixed. Rolled back to v1.9 and volume and depth restored to those models and the odd sound on the D string seems to be gone or at least very much diminished!  So did I just have a faulty v1.71 flash install? Or did something change between v1.71 and 1.9 to resolve the issue or mitigate it?  I suppose I could try rolling back to v1.71 again to see if the problem re-appears?  I might try that if I find the time.  As expected the Acoustics are much different because I now have the HD versions which have divided opinion and I am unsure what I think about them at the moment.  I was accustomed to the v1.71 sound and had worked hard to get them to sound good through HD500 and my B210D, so now they have changed I will have to tweak some more to get optimum sound - at the moment it sounds like too much body noise coming through, which is not quite what you would expect for a mic'd acoustic - but I am certainly no expert and maybe I will grow to prefer the new sound and when I roll back will not like the pre-HD sound.

 

Anyway - sorry to ramble - the odd noise on the D seems to have gone with the flash upgrade - but unfortunately it now seems more pronounced on the high E on some models - maybe another reflash is called for?  I really don't understand how a software upgrade can sometimes work perfectly and sometimes almost work and introduce slight imperfections or odd results with modelled sounds.  I would have thought it either worked or it didn't.  I can't get my head around this "almost worked" scenario.  Plus you never know if you have got slightly imperfect flash install !!

[wankieguitar]

I find the resonance on the equivalent frequency of the 'D' string 4th fret F# on the J200 model so bad as to almost render the model useless.

However the resonance occurs on the F# at the 9th fret  on the 'A' string and on the 'E' at the 14th so it has to be a flaw in the J200 patch.

Is there a 'pitch map' or something like that in its programming?

This occurs only on the J200 patch.

I play the acoustic direct into a mixer, but the problem is still evident when I send the J200 thru any preset on my HD400

The adjacent frets are OK. I have a Variax700 and a 300 and the same patch is O.K.

 

It would be nice if this could be improved.

[chstd]

Do you have the same problem like us? Please check this topic, we uploaded some audio samples, if you have the same problem, please write down so we can all see how many people have this problem on their devices on the same topic.

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/6764-do-you-have-the-same-problem-with-6th-string/

[israz99]

I have the same problem in my 89F, I bought the guitar on august and I must say that I did not notice this noise until a couple of months ago, I can tell if it was there before or not. The noise is on the 4th string mainly when a do palm muting in the first 5 frets or the string is not fretted. The noise is not there when I use the mag P/U and is specially noticeable when using distortion although in some clean tones I can hear it too. The 5th and 6th strings doesn't have this problem.

 

I tried this week to fix it by changing the regular slinky strings for some half round strings, it reduced the problem a little bit but it is still there. Now I want to try Elixir Polyweb which supposedly help reduce finger squeak and also try other suggestions posted in this forum.

 

I will try to open a ticket so we can be more and more. This is a great guitar but this problem makes me want to get rid of it and maybe I'm screwed and this doesn't really have a fixed but I'd like Line & to at least give an official answer about what is the real problem.

[chstd]

They will help us if we make them to hear our problem, everyone raised a ticket to line 6 and send them an audio sample with also our topic's link so they can see us on the same page..Please raise a ticket and paste this link below too...

 

http://line6.com/support/topic/6764-do-you-have-the-same-problem-with-6th-string/

 

And please write down your problem to this topic too...