schertler dyn-g pickup

neill · August 2006

hi i have just purchased a schertlr dyn-g system. i've mounted it all correctly etc but keep having problems with buzz on the lower strings. i use a maurice dupont md 60 and have been using a simple bass practice amp at low volume and my old beast of a laney valve amp through the low impedance input. i haven't yet tried it through a pa.. any ideas from anyone? i've trid moving it around etc..

MichaelHorowitz · August 2006

Hi Neil...my guess is that the DYN maybe picking up some acoustic noise on your guitar. I'd check and make sure that the instrument doesn't have any acoustic buzzes...loose tail piece, fret buzz, etc.

Good luck!

'm

neill · August 2006

thanks michael, i'm sat with my guitar right now there is a slight buzz around the 5th fret on the g string but different to the buzz i'm getting off the pickup.. this occurs on all of the lower range of the guitar and is more a distorted sound rather than a buzz.. also the bass response seems too much... i've placed the pickup right next to the bridge at the bottom of the mustache on the tailpiece side is this right? the tone is beautiful but i still get a buzz like i said.. whats the general view of maurice dupont md60's? i bought it at samois last year and i absolutely love it . i'm a good player but a bit of a dunce when it comes to equipment.. also not that rich either so buying another is out of the question! also is there any other gypsy jazzers in sw england!?

Josh Hegg · August 2006

This is interesting because I play a Dupont MD50B and have had some buzzing like distortion with my Schertler Basik. I contacted Schertler and they replaced the pickup and it made a huge difference. Sounds much better but the one thing I noted. On my Dupont the pickup is so sensitive that it is picking up the top vibration and producing, what we call in the violin and cello world as, wolf-tones. On my other guitars that have thicker tops this does not happen but on the Dupont if I am not very careful about the placement of the pickup I get some crazy tones that sound like distortion at times.

Cheers,
Josh

neill · August 2006

thanks for that josh, it does sound exactly like a momentary distortion - and yes the term "wolf note" did pop into my head when i first noticed it though i couldn't remember exactly what it was! so you would recommend to keep trying different placements? i actually got mine from djangobooks - i really hope theres nothing wrong with it i only got it last week!

Josh Hegg · August 2006

I would try all sorts of placement for the pickup. Try every thing. Also the cord from the pickup will pickup some strange sounds as well and I have even taken some of the green stuff and tacked the cord down so it won't rattle.

Try this...I did this the other night. With out the pickup on play your guitar with your ear as close to the tailpiece as you can and still play. You will hear some crazy stuff going on that you don't hear 24" away! Then put the pickup on and listen for some of the same sounds coming through your amp. Move the pickup around and see what sort of tones you get by placement. It is an interesting experiment.

Cheers,
Josh

Bob Holo · August 2006

Wolf tones are a function of strong resonance modes in one or more of the vibrating surface of the device. If this is truly what it is - it should happen whenever you hit that note (regardless of which string you're on and which fret you're on) So - find a note that distorts - and then see if it distorts when played on other strings at other places on the fret board. If it does, then you have a bone-fide wolf tone.

If that's what it truly is - it could be tough because anything you do to get rid of it (IE, adding damping or bracing) will affect the overall resonance and sound of the guitar...

Try tapping on the sides, top & back your guitar with the tips of your fingers or joint of your thumb to see if anything rattles... you may have a loose brace or the start of a crack?? If so - it's best to know now. Take a look at Frank Ford's buzz diagnosis page:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier ... tbuzz.html

neill · August 2006

Hi thanks for your responses.. I've tried everything but stil getting heavy boomy bass response with a hint of distortion.. this occurs on the bass strings only. My guitar does have a couple of buzzy frets (low e around the 5th and g around the 5th) but this is not the sound that i'm getting from the schertler.. I'm going to try it on a pa system as well just to make sure it's not my amps.. How do I tighten the truss on my md60 as i can't even see if there is one?

neill · August 2006

I've also discovered that the schertler works perfectly on my normal fender acoustic, so it must just be that i still haven't found the right position..

neill · August 2006

Hi I've found that no matter how much I try I can't stop the buzz on the schertler.. also i've noticed that unfortunately there is some buzzing on the neck.. i've been to the buzz diagnosis site suggested and noticed that there is very little or no relief on my neck.. is there anyone who could tell me how to remedy this as i cant seem to find where the truss rod is on my dupont? should i fiddle with it or send it to a luthier? i don't know much about guitar repair and would hate to mess up my dupont as i love her so much!

please help...