Technique Question about ringing sound on OM

[Barry Canada]

I am rather new to the OM and find that the strings have a ringing sound to them as they vibrate against the frets. I suppose this is to be expected considering the long scale length of my Weber Sage OM. Should I be picking lightly in order to avoid this ringing twangy sound? Or is this what should be expected as the OM sound quality?
I find the twangy sound is diminished if I pick closer to the bridge? Any suggestions or comments are appreciated with respect to technique.

[jdsobol]

I am rather new to the OM and find that the strings have a ringing sound to them as they vibrate against the frets. I suppose this is to be expected considering the long scale length of my Weber Sage OM. Should I be picking lightly in order to avoid this ringing twangy sound? Or is this what should be expected as the OM sound quality?
I find the twangy sound is diminished if I pick closer to the bridge? Any suggestions or comments are appreciated with respect to technique.

Any kind of buzz or ring like that indicates a problem with your set-up. There are several possibilities: the action could be too low at the nut or the bridge; the fingerboard or neck could have a dip, a rise, or back-bow, causing the strings to hit a fret all along the board or just at particular places; or finally, and this is easiest ts fix, the strings could be ringing between the bridge and tailpiece. This last is fairly typical on mando-family instruments and needs to be muted by threading a piece of leather or felt through the strings at the tailpiece end to stop the ringing.

You should do a process of elimination to isolate exactly where the ringing is so you know if you're just looking at muting the strings behind the bridge or a more complicated set-up chore.
JDS

[Barry Canada]

Thanks JDSobol,
I don't think it is a set up problem. Maybe I am not expressing myself properly with respect to the proper description of the sound in question.
Maybe the question I should pose is the following:
If the pick stroke is the same strength as a mandolin pick stroke should I expect the longer string length inherent on the OM to
Hit the fretboard and thus have some added metallic sound? I seem to have adequate clearance along my fretboard without any buzzing!
Thanks for your help..

[Bertram Henze]

If you pick hard enough, the long strings can hit frets and - more likely - each other. This is a common feature of most long-scale instruments with paired strings. Just listen what mine does...

[foldedpath]

Barry, do you play with a very heavy attack on mandolin? If so, it might be what Bertram mentioned, about dealing with a longer scale length. On the other hand, guitar players don't have that issue with similar (or longer) scales and similar string tension, so I'd suspect either a setup issue or a problem with choice of string gauges.

What's the scale length on your Sage, and what gauge strings are you using? There is no actual standard for "light" or "medium" gauge strings for an OM because the body construction and scale lengths differ so widely. Manufacturers like D'Addario, GHS and others just shoot for some general middle area with their packaged OM sets, but it doesn't mean it will work ideally with your own instrument. Some of us have to make up our own string gauges to hit the sweet spot in playability, tone, and power.

For what it's worth, I use packaged D'Addario J80's on my 22" scale Weber Yellowstone OM (.012, .022, .032, .046), but I toss out the .012's and replace them with .013's. The stock .012's sound and feel a bit wimpy compared to the other strings. I don't hear any fret buzzing on my Weber OM with this string set, and it would drive me nuts if I did. There is a characteristic "chorrnngg" sound from the double strings, which is exactly what we want with an OM or 'Zouk, but no actual fret rattle.

Anyway, without knowing what strings you're using, I'm just tossing the idea out there, that you might be using strings that are too light gauge, either for the instrument or your playing style.

[Bertram Henze]

guitar players don't have that issue with similar (or longer) scales and similar string tension

True. That is because they have single strings, not pairs.
In one of the session venues I frequent, they have a bright neon sign just opposite my usual chair. In its light, I can see both my G strings flollop about (like in a strobe light) and touch each other occasionally. It happens, but of course not with a guitar.

[foldedpath]

True. That is because they have single strings, not pairs.
In one of the session venues I frequent, they have a bright neon sign just opposite my usual chair. In its light, I can see both my G strings flollop about (like in a strobe light) and touch each other occasionally. It happens, but of course not with a guitar.

Well, the OP was talking about the strings buzzing on the frets, not against each other. And that shouldn't happen unless there is something wonky with the setup, like not enough neck relief, a too-low saddle, or a high fret. Or strings that aren't heavy enough gauge.

If I ever heard my strings buzzing against each other, not the frets, it would drive me nuts. But that's just me. I know there are 'Zouk players who like to hear a lot of jangle in the sound. I think it's just a personal aesthetic choice. I basically treat my OM like a mandolin on steroids, and I don't like hearing any extraneous buzzing, just the pure string tone.

[allenhopkins]

I'd try raising the bridge -- perhaps just shimming it with a couple pieces of card stock, as an experiment -- and see if the "ringing sound" is diminished or eliminated.

Description's a bit puzzling. "Ringing" = "buzzing"? Or not?

Twelve-string guitar players seem to be able to get by, without their strings clashing with the pairs.

[zoukboy]

There is a characteristic "chorrnngg" sound from the double strings, which is exactly what we want with an OM or 'Zouk

...

Ah, it warms my heart to see a word I coined in use. Must be the recovering English major in me.....

[foldedpath]

...

Ah, it warms my heart to see a word I coined in use. Must be the recovering English major in me.....

Yep, I got that from you. Probably from an old post somewhere.

[Barry Canada]

Thanks to all of your for your suggestions. My Weber sage has a 24 inch scale length. The sound seems to be from the strings hitting one another as opposed to buzzing against the frets. I don't know what string gauges or on the OM. Which gauge sang string brand would you suggest with this information?
Thanks again.

[zoukboy]

Any kind of buzz or ring like that indicates a problem with your set-up.JDS

I suppose it depends on whether one likes that sound or not... ;-)

Recording Engineer: "There's something buzzing on your instrument."

Roger: "Dude, it's a buzzouki!"

Recording Engineer: "I know. I SAID, THERE'S SOMETHING BUZZING ON YOUR INSTRUMENT."

Roger: <forehead hits microphone>

[Bertram Henze]

Twelve-string guitar players seem to be able to get by, without their strings clashing with the pairs.

Tell that the 12-string player who haunts our sessions - jangling all over the place.
But I agree that it is not quite clear exactly what noise we are talking about here. Ringing is welcome, fret buzz not. I like the slightly rough ringing for its resemblance of an electric guitar tube amp sound (gain open).

[Pete Braccio]

Hi Barry,

Weber's website recommends 44-32-22-12 as string gauges for your octave.

Pete