12 Fret e

Darrell Schmidt · From: Charles City, Iowa, USA

I CAN PLAY ALL AROUND THAT AREA AND THINGS SEEM FINE.AS SOON AS I PLAY ON THAT FRET,NO MATTER WETHER ITS JUST THE BAR FOR E OR USING THE PEDALS,THE SOUND SEEMS TO BE SPONGEY SOUNDING NOT RINGING CLEAN LIKE THE REST.COULD I BE USING THE BAR WRONG ON THAT FRET ALL THE TIME.
MAYBE MY EARS JUST DO NOT LIKE THAT E.
THANK-X
DARRELL

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Darrell, when the bar is on the 12th fret the strings are vibrating the same note on each side of the bar. Make sure that your hand is muting the strings on the key side of the bar. An old trick for getting a "chorus sound" is to play in the 12th fret without muting the strings on the key side of the bar...............JD

Joe Yednasty · From: CA

Make sure to keep fresh strings on that steel guitar, too!

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Darrell Schmidt · From: Charles City, Iowa, USA

Thank-x fellas!!
Fresh strings are a must with me and I will watch myself on the muting and see what happens.
Thank-x again:
Darrell

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Some guitars poop out after the 12th fret, but if you're ok at frets 13 and beyond, and it's really only happening AT the 12th fret, then I'll bet it's your left hand not covering the strings adequately. Check it out.

Roy Ayres · From: Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

If you will listen to the interview on the last track of the "Murph" album, you will hear Joaquin say that his custom-built steel sounded great if you stay away from the 12th fret. If the great Joaquin Murphey couldn't keep his axe from sounding dead at the 12th fret, then it has just gotta be the energy in the vibrating string being sucked off by something when the bar is dead center between the bridge and nut -- even when the strings behnd the bar are muted completely. I, too, have experienced this effect on some steels, while it is much less pronounced on others. I would conclude, therefore, that there is little Darrell can do about the problem as far as technique is concerned.

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Bob Tuttle · From: Republic, MO 65738

I agree with Roy. Once in a while you may run across a guitar that has a dead spot at the 12th fret. I've had a couple of them over the years. It's not something associated with a particular brand, but to the individual instrument. I didn't keep either of the ones I had very long.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

All steels do that - some more some less.
On Jay Dee's video he shows how he lifts up his left hand and un-mutes the strings in the high regesters to get a little more action out of the strings. I'm not sure if he does that at the 12th fret though.
I learned a lick from Gene O'Neal when I replaced him with Charlie Pride's band where in "Crystal Chandelier" he played I-IV-V7 arpeggios in the key of E on the left side of the bar at the 12th fret with the strings un-muted. It gives a sound like a chorus pedal. I still use that trick when that tune comes up in bar bands. -MJ-

Cal Sharp · From: the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN

And the key to that trick is to not move the bar at all once you've got it in the right place - no vibrato at all.

Darrell Schmidt · From: Charles City, Iowa, USA

Thank-x for the added help from everone.
Have things to try now and makes me feel a bit better.
I thought it might be my pickups.
there stock emmons i belive.

Terry Sneed · From: Arkansas,

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