M. Mavis string resonance at 12th fret
M. Mavis string resonance at 12th fret
Hey all. I’ve been playing the hell outta my Modest Mavis ever since it arrived but am noticing something that baffles me when plugged into an amp. Acoustically it’s damn near perfect. I couldn’t think of anything I’d change about it but when electrified the notes of the high (treble) strings, while playing slide specifically, tend to choke out at the12th fret and above. It’s hard to explain. It’s like the notes are really weak and have virtually no sustain at all. It’s most noticeable on the first and second string high on the neck. I’ve tried raising the pickup. That helped maybe a tiny bit but not much. I’ve tried several string combinations. Same thing. Minimal change at best. I’m stumped. Is the pickup weak? I also wonder if a slightly higher action would help. I do tend to put a little downward pressure on the strings when playing slide. That usually provides a bigger sound with sustained. As it is it came, the strings are fairly low right now.
The funny thing is this issue is much less noticeable unplugged. In fact, it’s almost perfect in that regard.
I dunno. I’d like this thing to be optimized for live gigs with a band but I’m struggling getting the sound I need.
Any thoughts, tips or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
Unfortunately I’ve already tried raising the pole piece and can’t hear or feel any discernible difference. This effect I’m getting is when playing slide and not when fretting notes at or above the 12th fret. So I don’t think it’s a fret issue. A confusing thing for me is that I don’t have this same issue when playing a slide note lower down the neck. It’s only the upper part where the notes become anemic and lacking sustain. I’m at a loss here.
Hello. Try adjusting/raising the pole pieces under the high E and B strings. Also, go up a size to a heavier gauge string to avoid running off and/or choking the string/note.
If the problem occurred when playing unplugged, a high fret above the 12th would likely be the cause. Having your frets leveled would fix this problem. From what you describe, I would try adjusting the pole pieces first.
Hope this helps. Peace️