D28 woolly bass notes

BigLicks67 · June 2017

I got a used D28 a while back which I love but I sometimes wonder whether the E string is not overly bassy/woolly sounding. I got the guitar used and it had had a Fishman piezo fitted by the shop for the previous owner. So, my question is do all D28's sound pretty Bassy or should I be looking at the nut/bridge saddle setup?

Lewy · June 2017

It should have a big bass for sure, but it shouldn't sound woolly. Especially if it's a straight braced standard D28, the low E should still have plenty of definition.

Could be a set up thing. Could be excess humidity? Over-humidified guitars sound woolly.

stickyfiddle · June 2017

It's generally a pretty bassy design, but my HD28 is supposed to be even more bassy than a D28 and that certainly isn't woolly. It is quite sensitive to different strings though.

What strings are you using?

BigLicks67 · June 2017

stickyfiddle said:

It's generally a pretty bassy design, but my HD28 is supposed to be even more bassy than a D28 and that certainly isn't woolly. It is quite sensitive to different strings though.

What strings are you using?

Martin phosphor bronze, Martin bronze or D'addarrio usually.

richardhomer · June 2017

'Woolly' isn't a characteristic I'd use to describe mine.

As @Lewy said - it could be over humidified.

BigLicks67 · June 2017

richardhomer said:

'Woolly' isn't a characteristic I'd use to describe mine.

As @Lewy said - it could be over humidified.

No, the sound is pretty consistent, irrespective of humidity levels.

richardhomer · June 2017

BigLicks67 said:

richardhomer said:

'Woolly' isn't a characteristic I'd use to describe mine.

As @Lewy said - it could be over humidified.

No, the sound is pretty consistent, irrespective of humidity levels.

I wonder what's causing it then?

BigLicks67 · June 2017

richardhomer said:

BigLicks67 said:

richardhomer said:

'Woolly' isn't a characteristic I'd use to describe mine.

As @Lewy said - it could be over humidified.

No, the sound is pretty consistent, irrespective of humidity levels.

I wonder what's causing it then?

Unless I'm being over sensitive to the guitar's natural sound then, my best guess is the saddle/bridge set up, but I don't know hence the query.

Lewy · June 2017

Could be a lot of things I guess. Best to get it looked at... but woolly is definitely not characteristic.

stickyfiddle · June 2017

I would maybe suggest not using phosphor bronze strings as tend to be a bit darker and less sparkly than 80/20 strings, but otherwise I'm not really sure what would cause it, particularly if happening with multiple different string sets.

Moe_Zambeek · June 2017

It may be a preference thing - I don't think Martin dreads have a particularly 'well-defined' bottom end. They have plenty of it but I find Martin dreads and d28s in general a little 'woofy' sounding. Can you try some more to compare?

Lewy · June 2017

Is it just the 6th string...do you detect the same going on on the 5th string for example? Same for open and fretted notes?

crunchman · June 2017

Try some D'Addario nickel bronze strings. I hated them as they sounded tinny and lacking in bottom end, but they might work for you.

Otherwise I would get the guitar looked at by someone who knows what they are doing.

TimmyO · June 2017

Honestly given that the OP used the phrase "bassy/woolly" this might just be a terminology thing.

Yes they have copious bass.

If you're used to the low end of a different type of guitar, or to say a Mahogany back and sides, then a loud D-28 with all its Rosewood power may in comparison sound like something you personally call "woolly" where someone else would describe that increased low end differently.

Are you able to record something with both it and something else for comparison and share ?

BigLicks67 · June 2017

Lewy said:

Is it just the 6th string...do you detect the same going on on the 5th string for example? Same for open and fretted notes?

6th string only. More noticeable when fretted.

BigLicks67 · June 2017

TimmyO said:

Honestly given that the OP used the phrase "bassy/woolly" this might just be a terminology thing.

Yes they have copious bass.

If you're used to the low end of a different type of guitar, or to say a Mahogany back and sides, then a loud D-28 with all its Rosewood power may in comparison sound like something you personally call "woolly" where someone else would describe that increased low end differently.

Are you able to record something with both it and something else for comparison and share ?

Maybe, it's just the brightness of my other guitars making it sound super bassy.

BigLicks67 · June 2017

Moe_Zambeek said:

It may be a preference thing - I don't think Martin dreads have a particularly 'well-defined' bottom end. They have plenty of it but I find Martin dreads and d28s in general a little 'woofy' sounding. Can you try some more to compare?

I tried loads at the time I bought it and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. However, when you are at home you can really zone in on the sound of a guitar.

Lewy · June 2017

Personally I think if it was the general voice of the guitar, the 6th string alone wouldn't stand out as such an anomaly. More noticeable when fretted means you can potentially rule out a problem at the nut. A shop-installed under saddle pick up (unless it's one of about six shops in the whole UK) has plenty of scope for a shit job having been done....that could be an area to explore.

Something else to try - what happens if you tune the 6th up or down from E - still dull? How about if you tune the 5th string down to E...what does that sound like (obviously taking into account that it will be quite slack....) does that go woolly? A rough way of seeing if it's a resonance issue (unlikely but little effort involved in checking).

Winny_Pooh · June 2017

Loose brace perhaps, its impossible to diagnose this problem over the internet unfortunately.

Adji · June 2017

You could try something like an 80/20 bronze as opposed to Phosphor Bronze. They have less lows, but you might find that the higher strings then aren't rich enough for you. Worth a shot.

AliGorie · June 2017

sound clip BK, nothing fancy just notes of norm / offending - eh = notes.
for loose braces we normally - damp the strings and tap the top systematically with a knuckle all over but focus around the lower arm of the X brace area. Listen for differences like a dull thud or hollowness to the knock.
otoh - hows the saddle profile and seating ?, check it.

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D28 woolly bass notes

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