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#1
03-30-2024, 08:48 AM
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Howling D
Playing a PRS SE Hollowbody. Noticed the other day a ridiculous howling tone overriding whatever else being played, and of course once I noticed it things seemed to get worse. Sounded like a high pitched overtone.
After some experimentation I found it only occurred when the open 4th string "D" was played, regardless of whether by itself or in a cowboy chord. Turns out it was the length of string between the nut and tuning peg that was vibrating sympathetically with the open 4th. Never saw or heard of that before, the only cure at this point is a piece of painter's tape wrapped around the string half way between the nut & peg. (No magic there, just all I had around.) Am I alone in this or have others had similar experiences? Fred 
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#2
03-30-2024, 09:03 AM
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It's very common for mandolin players to use rubber grommets, felt, leather, etc. on the string afterlength (the string between the bridge and tailpiece) to prevent sympathetic vibrations in this region from causing this. Obviously not a problem on a fixed bridge flattop.
On the forum-which-cannot-be-named there is a current discussion about the string region between the tuning machines and nut (or zero fret as might apply). Maybe this is called the forelength? Anyway I shared that I was at a 4-hour workshop with Mike Marshall a few years back at Wintergrass. He had rubber grommets on the strings at his headstock (as well as at the tailpiece). He told me he felt they were important at both ends. I use rubber grommets or a leather lace on all my mandolin and guitar headstocks. I also use them at the tailpiece (where applicable - no need or benefit IMO on a flatop guitar with a fixed bridge). I go to the hardware store and find rubber grommets that fit between adjacent strings. It's fun to watch them fly when I forget to pop them out before changing strings. The leather lace woven around and through the strings takes a little more time to do.
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"They say it takes all kinds to make this world - it don't but they're all here..." Steve Forbert - As We Live and Breathe Last edited by Mandobart; 03-30-2024 at 09:12 AM.
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#3
03-31-2024, 06:25 AM
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Mandobart might've nailed it.
Also, have you tried changing the string yet? I'd swap it out with the same gauge string first. If that fixes it, the problem was the string. If it doesn't, try a gauge or two heavier. If that fixes it, the problem might be the nut slot.
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