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Acoustic String Squeak

craiglab	Date: July 31, 2004 @ 10:29 AM Any suggestions on how to deal with string squeak when recording an acoustic guitar? My guitar is a 30 year old Martin D-35 (I bought it new) and I mostly use D'Addario (EJ-17) phosphor-bronze medium guage strings. I sometimes find the squeak when changing chord positions to be very annoying.
hueseph	Date: August 1, 2004 @ 4:26 AM Try using flat wound strings. It's pretty tough to get rid of that noise.
sqrlcub	Date: August 1, 2004 @ 2:37 PM I'm a classical guitarist and if you are recording flatwound strings will get rid of some of the squeek but not all of it. However, flat wound strings sound very dead right out of the package and just get worse as they are used. The best classical guitarists (John Williams, Julian Bream, etc) in the world still have the string squeeks when they record so I don't think it is much of an issue as long as it is moderated some. There are some other tricks that you can do but they will also deaden your strings. Most of them are based off doing something to the strings like waxing them with a candle.
DevonPowell	Date: August 1, 2004 @ 10:18 PM Try Elixir strings...they utilize nano and polyweb coatings that will reduce string noise. They are a tad expensive.
craiglab	Date: August 2, 2004 @ 7:33 PM Thanks everyone for the replies. I tried flat wound strings years ago and didn't like the sound of them. I have a set of coated strings that I'm going to try next time I change strings. I'll see how that works.
mindseepage	Date: August 10, 2004 @ 9:18 PM Hey Craig. I've been using a boom mic but a string from the celing will work just as well if you don't have a boom. If your right handed, place the boom over your right shoulder, with the mic pointed straight down and about head level. Place the mic about 8-12 inches foreward of your shoulder, so it is pointing down at the front of the guitar. This works wonders for eleminating those string noises and also the noise of a pick slapping against the pick guard.

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