Vibratin' strings

[picknslap]

You know when you play a note that is the same as one of the open strings (IE. E, A, D or G for standard tuning) that the open string vibrates a little? (I forgot the exact name for it).

Well my sterling has it bad, someone told methat it was because the bridge didn't have alot of mass, and that a new bridge would fix it. Well, that makes sense, but I don't want to change the original Music Man bridge. So what are some other fixes for this problem?

 

[midopa]

If you don't mute any of the other strings while playing, the strings will vibrate, be it a tiny modulation or a big nasty one. Changing the bridge is nonsense, as the stock MM ones are great and do their job perfectly. Plus, doing so would most likely lower the re-sale value a bunches. Simply mute the other strings that you don't play with your fretting hand.

 

[picknslap]

yeah I do that, but when I play some of the more technical songs, where I don't have the extra fingers to be doin that all the time, it get's kinda annoying.

 

[dlloyd]

You know when you play a note that is the same as one of the open strings (IE. E, A, D or G for standard tuning) that the open string vibrates a little? (I forgot the exact name for it).

Well my sterling has it bad, someone told methat it was because the bridge didn't have alot of mass, and that a new bridge would fix it. Well, that makes sense, but I don't want to change the original Music Man bridge. So what are some other fixes for this problem?

It's called sympathetic resonance.

Was the person who told you that someone who sells bridges? Because what he told you was categorically wrong. At best he was misled himself, at worst he was trying to mislead you.

There is only one fix for this and it's technique-based, I'm afraid. You've got to mute the strings you're not using. The most likely source of your problem is your right hand and using a floating anchor type of technique is the best fix. Adam Nitti described this best in an article he wrote for Bass Player magazine a couple of years ago...

http://www.adamnitti.com/bass_player_02.shtml

There is another possibility, that you are worrying too much about something that nobody else is hearing.

 

[mike not fat]

The Adam Nitti article is interesting. I use my right thumb (picking hand) to rest on the E string while playing A or D strings, so it avoids the E to ring as i don't play it.

I use the ring finger of my picking hand to mute the A string while playing D and G strings (the thumb stay on the E). Of course if I want to play with three fingers (but it's rare), it will be the little one that mutes the A.

While playing E or A string, the D and G are muted by the bottom of the fingers.

While slapping, i use mostly the left hand fingers to mute the strings i dont play. Sometimes I also use the ring finger or little one of the plucking hand.

While playing with a pick it's also the left hand that is the more usefull, but when you play D and G strings, you can mute E and A with the palm of your picking hand (you can also use it to play palm muted chords).

Changing the bridge will never avoid an open string to ring if it's note muted, so you can keep your MM.

MNF