dimarzio/ibz squeal?

[tt0511]

I am having trouble on my new RGT320 with the dimarzio/ibz on 1st string (thin E) bends on higher frets. What happens is the note sustains for about a second and then converts into this god-awful squeal, ...almost like feedback. It only does it on the 1st string on higher frets, ...say 19 or 20 up to 24. So, it only does it on the highest pitches.

Has no one else had a problem like this?? I thought for a minute that maybe the strings were rubbing higher frets above on bends, ...but that ain't the problem since it happens on 24 too. None of my other guitars do this so NO it is NOT my technique. I am not a pro, but I'm not a beginner either. I couldn't find where the post was, but somewhere I asked about this and got a comment that I wasn't fretting the note correctly. Well, it is certifiable that this ain't the problem. (I'm not trying to bicker here, ...I just want to take this away as an option to eliminate this as a possibility.)

Please help. I just can't believe no one else has had this problem. I don't know if it is a setup issue or if it is a pickup issue. I like the way the pups sound okay, they have a good tone, but maybe they need to be replaced? I couldn't adjust the pup height because when I unscrewed them, they just come loose. There are supposed to be springs/bushings underneath but I couldn't get them to adjust. So, I just unscrewed the pole pieces to a height of 3mm from bottom of strings when fretted at 24th fret.

This is just getting ridiculous. I can't play anything with a high e-string upper fret bend without picking the bent note every second to keep this terrible squeal from occurring. Makes it really hard to play satch or vai tunes since they go there a lot. I have a gig next week in which I'll be playing One Big Rush as a closing song, so I really need to get this figured out soon. Thanks.

[-Rhaab]

maybe your amp is too loud and or too much gain.
or try putting like some kind of padding or foam around the pickup which can cause feedback
I dont know if i have the same problem as you but when i fret the 8th and 9th fret on the g string after a second or 2 it goes into a harmonic, only on like 2 frets tho.
try turning the amp down, or gain down, or put some sort of padding around the pickup, mabe try a different guage set of strings. im not sure, just trying to help

[tt0511]

thanks for trying to help. I know I read a post by a guy who took these pups out, sanding the finish off the wood underneath, put a block of wood cut to the right height and mounted the pups directly and permanent rather than on the stock bushings. He said it improved tone quite a bit. That would "seem" to indicate that I shouldn't need padding under the pups, but anything is possible. I'm still fishin for someone who's had the problem. If I don't find someone, and if Dimarzio doesn't reply with a solution, I may try that. If it doesn't work I don't know what else to do besides swapping out pups. Grrr.

[Rich]

Did you check the clearence between the string and pickup while fretting the 24th?

[tt0511]

Yah. Supposedly the RGT has adjustable pups, but when I loosened the mounting screws the pups would just be loose and flail about. I read that there is supposed to be a compressible type bushing underneath to allow adjusting but I couldn't get them to expand by jiggling and didn't want to remove the pups to see. So, I adjusted the pole pieces to get the bottom of strings at 3mm above the poles while fretting at 24.

I wouldn't think adjusting the poles would cause this, ...and seems I remember it did this before I made the adjustment as well. I'm really stumped. I use a Line 6 Flextone III amp, and I've been using a Bogner model setting. The drive is up pretty high but it's nothing like a recto or marshall. And again, ...this is the only guitar giving me trouble like this.

[tt0511]

Steve w/ Dimarzio just wrote me and said it's a very unusual problem, but could possibly be caused by pole pieces if they are adjusted very high, or possibly a cracked bridge saddle if it's been overtightened. I don't think either of these is the case but I'll have to try to lower the poles when I get home and inspect the bridge saddle and see what I find. Very weird.

[tt0511]

Okay. Well, I think I've pretty much confirmed that it is NOT the pickups. I changed the e-string, but that didn't immediately solve the problem. I then backed off the pressure on the string retainer screw in the saddle a little bit. The string slid out of tune some, but I tuned it back at that lower pressure on the saddle and the problem certainly got better, though I'm not confident enough to say the problem is eliminated.

I bought this at a local store about 8 weeks ago. That's past the time frame they cover issues like this, but ibanez should since they cover it for a year. I think I need a new saddle for this e-string. How can I go about getting one without having to ship my guitar to another state to get it fixed? (I have a hard time letting it go, lol.) I'm sure it would probably cost less than that shipping anyhow assuming I had to buy one myself.

[tt0511]

I sent my 1st string bridge saddle in to Ibanez. They sent me a different saddle and the problem is now solved. Weird. There was nothing visable with the original saddle like a crack or defect, but the new saddle has it all patched up.

[brothersnowgone]

That is wierd...

[tt0511]

Yep. But, these parts are mass produced by a machine. And, machine production, like all production has tolerances. So, I'm thinking it could have just had some kind of funny quirk where the string rested or something that cause the string to do something weird with the saddle clamped down on the string. It is very weird, but at least I can now enjoy my new RGT!!!!!