Help! Majesty squeals subtly when palm muting

[Epiphany1415]

Hello, all. I have played my Majesties into various amps (PRS Archon, Kemper, Mesa) and have noticed that when palm muting, from time to time, it sounds like there is feedback at the tail end of palm mutes. When playing with a mix, you can't notice without trying, but when I tracked in the studio, the engineer and I both noticed it happening a lot. I have two Majesties and they both do it. I put tape on the trem springs, to make sure they are silent, but it is still happening. I don't saturate my gain channel hardly st all, which would be the main culprit for this normally. Anyone ever encountered this? If so, is there a fix or a diagnosis?

 

[bhull]

Double check you haven't kicked the mag/piezo selector to the middle position causing both to be active. I've done that without realizing it before.

 

[ErnieJohn]

I had this issue on a non EBMM guitar a while back, it drove me insane ! Could it be the pickup is a fraction too close to the strings? I ended up selling that guitar and didn’t put much effort into finding the cause of the annoying squeal. It had no piezo.

 

[Mick]

Check your tremolo springs, they might make some noise, little foam does the trick.

 

[DrKev]

This issue (or something similar) comes up once every year or so on the forum. And the solutions always escape my memory but there is no one answer (could be due one of multiple possible causes). I remember one person who posted a video and it sounded to me like a string harmonic from a combination of pick and muting position. Some people found it was the trem springs, I've heard people blame pickup mounting springs, loose saddle adjusment screws.

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[BrickGlass]

Definitely had that problem before long ago and it was the springs in the back. I stuffed some foam back there and it solved the problem. After a while I bought some coated springs from Floyd Upgrades and they are killer. They are made to eliminate the squeal and they work damn good. Some people will put some tubing inside the strings. Soft plastic hose type tubing. They'll cut it to be the same length as a spring and then stuff it inside the spring. Just have to make sure you buy hose that is small enough to fit inside the spring.

I will say that if you buy the coated springs I found that I had to file off the coating where the springs hook onto the bridge block and onto the screw claw. I was having grounding problems because the coating was not allowing the metal on metal contact. Took me forever to figure that out. Many swear words were thrown around for a couple days there.

Hopefully that is the problem and not something else because that is a really easy fix.

 

[tbonesullivan]

I have that happen on some guitars due to the location I am picking and muting. You could be creating a high pinch harmonic. It's also always possible that the strings behind the bridge saddles are vibrating.

Does it happen on both pickups or just one?

 

[Etudica]

I tried all of the tips and tricks to troubleshoot the same thing on my JPXI. Nothing seemed to get rid of it 100%. I've since adjusted my playing style a bit and force myself to mute farther back than I'm used to, pretty much right on top of the saddles. I still love that guitar to death and won't be parting with it any time soon.

Edit: Yep, pretty much what tbone just said before me

 

[thejone]

I think I can confirm your observation. To be sure sound files would be helpful. However, I think that the majesty is harmonically very different from the JP models. For example, some notes have rather short sustain on the Majesties g, h and high e-string between 14ths and 17ths fret. Further, with high gain the picked to went to an endless harmonic on the eleventh fret on the h-string on the Jp models. This is now on the 10 fret on the g-fret on the majesties. I really love these guitars (unfortunately very disappointed with customer service). I think Jp models and majesties complement each other very well. I think the squeals are some artificially created harmonics that are specific for the majesty. I have played the same song on different 7-strings and the effect only appeared with the Majesties. However, a bit less with the Monarchy. I think it also has something to do with the very selective tone production of the illuminators. Under normal circumstances I feel that they suppress noise from other strings by reproducing highlighting the loud strings over-ringing soft tones from the others. This in combination with the above mentioned, in my eyes, might be the cause for the observation.
Regards, J

 

[Epiphany1415]

Thanks, everyone. It is likely my pick attack/palm muting. It is a supremely solid guitar. I have noticed moving the volume knob from wife open to maybe 9.5/10 makes it go away almost completely. It would seem that either the pickup is too hot all the way open or that my palm muting is in the wrong spot. Thanks for the attentiveness! All were good suggestions.

 

[JamieCrain]

I suspect it is your palm technique given it’s happening on both majesties. To test the hot pickup theory, raise the bridge on one guitar (you can’t lower the pups). Also be sure to have the piezo off in case it’s a “plink” which can happen with harmonics.

 

[Fredjoyal]

I just bought a majesty 2018. And I played without amp for a week and I was worried because every time I was playing a low E chord or the note B. The guitar would vibrate a B note for a long time. So, I hoped that it would not be an issue once plugged. I was right, this guitar is poorly designed, something is vibrating in the guitar causing loads of feedback. I can't believe a 6 k guitar would be so problematic and doing feedback every time I do a riff with the low E.

 

[Mace13]

I learned something about palm mute palm mute palm placement from this thread.

I’ve had various ringing/harmonics on various guitars. Spring stuffing helped, putting a hair scrunchy through strings between nut and tuning pegs helped on some. Also some pickups ring out with high gain and high volume depending in amp etc. The Majesty seems less problematic with these things than the JPXI from my experience.