More likely to get sitar sounds with flats than rounds?

**Tal_175** · 02-07-2020, 03:05 PM

Typical occurrence. I do the intonation of a guitar with flats. Suddenly one string has the sitar effect regardless of where it's fretted. I move the saddle a bit, it goes away.

My understanding of sitar thing is if the string has a wide area of contact either at the bridge or at the saddle, it's length changes subtly as it vibrates. This is because surface it's contacting isn't even. The point of it's contact at the (say) saddle changes as it moves in the contact area. So you get changes in pitch and overtones a bit like a vibrato pedal.

That means when you use flats, the tape surface is prone to create a wide area of contact, when you move the saddle it catches or comes close to the crevice between the tapes which limits possible variation of the contact area. Does that sound reasonable?
In fact come to think of it, I hear that sitar sound coming from double bass's as well often.

**Marty Grass** · 02-07-2020, 05:21 PM

Sounds like file will fix that.

The nut and the bridge should have a V shaped slot with the apex of the V's pointing toward the fretboard. The string should not rattle in the slot.

Imagine the slot is half a cone. It flairs sideways and down. The tips of the cones are closest to the fretboard.

**neatomic** · 02-07-2020, 06:07 PM

i'd say more likely to get sitaring if you switch between flats and rounds and gauges..the term sitaring relates to the string buzzing in the bridge saddle slot...when it has been cut too deep..whether by file or with wear...roundwounds will wear the slot differently than smoother flats will..also going up and down gauges will affect...

try a bit of graphite in the slots..or some very light sanding/filing...if the slots too deep then you have to sand saddle top

also sitaring mostly occurs on high e&b plain strings...which are all the same regardless of flat or roundwound sets anyways

cheers

**Tal_175** · 02-07-2020, 06:20 PM

Seems like may be I shouldn't have assumed that this is a general issue with flats. Though I'm pretty sure I had this issue with more than one archtops stringed with flats.
The recent issue I had which prompted me to create this thread involves a guitar with a thomastic bridge I bought new and installed a couple of years ago. I filed little notches in the middle of the saddles to prevent strings from moving before I installed it. It's possible that I didn't do a very good job with some of the saddles. May be that's causing the intermittent sitarring issues.

**neatomic** · 02-07-2020, 06:31 PM

not familiar with thomastik bridge!...but if its rosewood or ebony...you can just lightly sand the top of saddle and gingerly cut new slots...

if its a tuneamatic bridge you mean..then you can also file/sand the top of the plated brass/ss saddle...tho some light sanding in slot might work..and graphite is recommended always

this pertains to sitaring effect..other string buzzing problems can be caused by many other things..nut slots...nut to tuner angle..saddle to tailpiece angle, etc etc

luck

cheers

**Marty Grass** · 02-08-2020, 10:05 AM

Two sounds I'm not a fan of usually are the sitar effect (form of buzzing) and the string slap from too low of an action when playing with any energy.

Having said that, there are those who like those sounds, at least so it seems, especially the latter. I say they must like it because they don't fix it.

Sitar sounds are great on a sitar or playing a single note solo run. Then the buzzing should be played proudly.