Question LukeIII - Flageolet On the 5th fret gone!

[Steff]

Hi all.

I bought me a new LukeIII in April this year. After some time the flageolet tones on the 5th fret were gone. Changed the strings ( I'm using Elixir 0.9-0.46) but no luck. Flageolet on the 7th and 12th fret works brilliantly well.
I really love this guitar apart from this little issue.
Any bright ideas anyone?

Thx. Stefan

 

[DrKev]

Flageolet! Not a term we often use around here but I know what you mean ('harmonic' to the rest of you kids).

Anyway, flageolet/harmonic at the 5th fret does not ring when the neck pickup is selected. It's totally normal for any guitar with 21/22 frets as the neck pickup is positioned directly under where the 24th fret would be, i.e. the 24th fret flageolet/harmonic node point. As the string does not vibrate at that position (because your finger is on it) there is no output from the neck pickup which is only sensing that part of the string. The 5th fret flageolet is identical to the 24th fret flageolet, i.e. same frequency and same vibration pattern, so no output from the neck pickup.

It's not a problem, it's just physics and like I said it happens on any guitar where the neck pickup is under the 24th fret position. Any other pickup selection should sound just fine.

Harmonic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[threeminutesboy]

As you know Flageolet in French has another meaning, thanks for clarifying I really couldn't understand what a white bean has to do with a Luke III unless the guitar was from Toulouse

 

[seagate]

As you know Flageolet in French has another meaning, thanks for clarifying I really couldn't understand what a white bean has to do with a Luke III unless the guitar was from Toulouse

And here I thought a flageolet tone was what you got after too many of the aforementioned beanz...

 

[cionian]

And here I thought a flageolet tone was what you got after too many of the aforementioned beanz...

lol

 

[roburado]

I was thinking beans too.

 

[DrKev]

I first thought small recorder-like flute but then had an inexplicable yearning for beans for my dinner. Just don't sit next to me on the metro today.

 

[jzeijen]

@Steff: I understood the word flageolet, had an immediate flasback to my classical guitar lessons as a kid (that's were the term flageolet is used frequently).

Don't let the others distract you with their stories about GAS

 

[ErnieJohn]

learn something new on here everyday

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I had no idea what this term meant until everyone chimed in!

 

[mark2c]

Hi all.

I bought me a new LukeIII in April this year. After some time the flageolet tones on the 5th fret were gone. Changed the strings ( I'm using Elixir 0.9-0.46) but no luck. Flageolet on the 7th and 12th fret works brilliantly well.
I really love this guitar apart from this little issue.
Any bright ideas anyone?

Thx. Stefan

I have never used Elixir strings on a Music Man, but have had similar issues with them on other guitars.

In the mean time, using Slinky's or my new fav Cobalt's and .008 - .010 relief and a minimum of 3/64 Treble and 4/64 bass every single one of my guitars from MM, including three Luke 1's ring loud and clear with full clarity harmonics.

 

[Steff]

Hahaha. You guys made me laugh and many thx for the feedback! There is indeed a difference depending on the selected pickup. However the harmonics on the 7th and 12th are sigificantly louder and clearer than on the 5th fret. Anyway might try different strings.
Again thx a mill for your comments . Steff