G String Warble / Flutter

[elgravos]

Wondering if anyone has come across this before: I rejigged my Jazzmaster for C standard tuning.  I'm using 12/56 strings and have re-setup / intonated the guitar properly.  So far so good.  However, when I play the G string (now tuned to D# with a 24 plain gauge wire) the notes just flutter horribly.  I can tune it fine at the nut and the harmonic at the octave, but as soon as it's played fretted it all goes south.  Doesn't even sound like a note it warbles so horribly.  All the other strings are fine and the action is generally good with no buzz.  All the mechanics of the guitar are in good working order (wilki bridge to LSR nut).  Is this just down to the physics of the scale length of 25.5 just being too short for this low tuning with a 24 gauge string?  I just went with the C standard for sh*ts and giggles so not really heartbroken about it, but curious to know if someone has figured out what is going on? 

I figure I'll drop the gauge a level go 52-11 and tune it to D standard in the hope that the problem will go away.

 

[Logrinn]

I've noticed that when you string a guitar and wind the string a couple of turns around the tuning post "by hand" (instead of doing it with a string winder), you can get this effect. It's really not a strange thing considering that when you do so you're actually twisting the string along itself. Compare it to a cable that gets twisted. It wants to unfurl to it's normal state. With the string now tightly in place there's no way for it to "unfurl" and the string instead makes a warbly sound. Often more pronounced with an amp set to distortion.
So just by loosening the string and reattaching it - with a string winder - this "flutter" often disappears.

And then of course there's that time when a string just is bad from the start. And the only way to fix it is to put on a new one.

 

[elgravos]

I have locking tuners on this one so not really something I can fix at that level; but (good) point taken on the possibility of a dodgy string.  Easy enough to check - though I will need to head over to the guitar store and pick up some spares.  I don't keep a lot of 12-56 packs handy!

 

[BigSteve22]

What strings are you using? Is the "G" plain, like in the EB2626 set?

I use very light gauge strings, and even so, I always find an unwound "G" to sound a little wonky. Maybe try a 24w, see if it make a difference.

 

[elgravos]

Roger that, plain 24 gauge string in the EB2626 - Not Even Slinky set.  Not a fan of wound G strings but not a biggie in this tuning so worth a shot...

 

[elgravos]

Quick update: replaced the plain string with a wound 24 gauge string.  Re-intonated - had to reduce the singing length by a good 5mm to  intonate the wound string.  Problem now solved, no more warble - fretted notes ring clearly and in key.  Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[BigSteve22]

Glad it worked out!  :icon_thumright: