Uneven volume of guitar strings when plugged in
Ive been facing some issues when recording with my Ibanez GRG 170DX. I noticed this recently, as I got a Scarlett Solo interface. When I record my guitar, the input volume from the lower E string is much more than the high E string. If I increase the input volume on the Solo, the parts with the low string starts clipping.
Because of the lower volume on the high strings, tapping and hammer on and pull offs don't sound clear.
I read in some places that it could be because the pickups need to be remagnetized. I haven't changed my strings in a few months, so could that also be a cause?
PS: My guitar is around 6 years old.
Edit:
I checked Reaper, and even tried Audacity, this issue persists on both of them. I even plugged in my guitar to my Zoom G3X processor and the issue exists here as well, so the issue is probably with my guitar and not my interface.
Update:
I changed my strings to a new set, theres a lesser difference now, but its still there, if Im picking with the same force, the low E string gives a -12dB output but the high E string gives -18dB output.
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Guitar pick-ups do not all sound the same, some are bright, some are not so much. Add to that, the weight of the strings,(heavier strings generate more signal) the distance between the strings and the pick-ups, and even the place where the string is picked, (noticeably brighter close to the nut). All this needs to be balanced out in order to achieve an even response.
Another possibility is a defective pick-up which would require replacement. Also might be a good idea to check the capacitor in the tone circuit.
To add some potential solutions:
You can try getting a compressor (between guitar and recording device) to even out the levels from different string volumes. Keep in mind that this could change the tone, which might not be a bad thing. Doesn't cure the problem at its source but I'd say this is a common work around.
Could be string gauge. Especially if you have a mixed set of lighter gauge strings with heavier bottom strings. But I would assume that you know what strings you're using. See: How does string gauge affect a guitar's sound and playability? If you do change the gauge of the strings I recommend getting it set up because it would affect the tension on the neck (therefore string height, potentially leading to playability issues).
Hope that helps! Best of luck
I fixed my issue, thought I would post my solution here in case anyone faces a similar issue. Thanks everyone for the suggestions, some of them helped. I made two main changes:
I changed my strings to a new set because earlier it was a mix of different string gauges.
I found that my action adjustment on my bridge was a bit higher on the High E string side than the Low E string side. This probably caused the strings to be far away from the pickups, so the volume was less. After lowering this and checking the volume I found it to be back to normal.
Initially I didn't suspect it was a pickup distance issue as my pickup height is not adjustable. Turns out the bridge height was, which is what caused the issue. As pointed out in the comments, my pickup height was actually adjustable, I just wasn't aware of how to do it. For anyone else facing this issue, I would recommend a combination of adjusting their bridge and the pickup height since a balance of both would be needed to fix the volume issues while not resulting in fret buzz.
Thanks for the help!
Highly doubt it's the remagnetized thing. It could be:
(a) The distance between the strings and the pickup is too much/too little, in which case you could try adjusting the pickups.
(b) You're using pedals/software that, for whatever reason, is artificially amplifying the bass (though I'm certain you would've realised this by now if that were the case).
As someone else stated, you could probably get away with countering this by using a Treble Boost, unless the discrepancy in volume is big.
I have now the same problem as above and I think I might figure it out. I purchased acoustic strings (phosphor bronze wound), which will lead to a slow tone on the higher strings.
I can't tell exactly the physical explanation, but I didn't find this solution on this thread and I think it may be useful.
This is almost certainly not anything to do with pickups needing remagnetising - that is a very rare thing, especially these days.
There are two far more likely causes that you can quickly check and fix:
It is almost certainly something in your recording chain rolling off a lot of your treble response, so check every component carefully. This includes tone pots inside your guitar. When you turn your tone control fully one way then fully the other sites anything change? If not, the tone pot is faulty. Does anything different happen with all pickup selector positions?
Pickup distance to strings - this is far less likely, but easy to check and amend. Is the treble end of your pickup much further away from the strings? Turn the screw to raise it up. This will make a difference, but possibly not as much as you describe.
Even if you can't find a cause, you could add a bit of treble boost to cure the problem.
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