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Several people already answered this one, usually along the lines
of "get flatwound strings." However, if you don't particularly care
for flatwound strings, what are you to do? Well, I just wanted to
mention that having less squeak is definitely a matter of technique
and you can minimize it by knowing what you are doing. Strings
usually squeak when you're changing positions on the neck and you
drag the fingers along the strings. You can try actually sliding
from one note to another when changing positions - that'll minimize
the chances of squeaking. Also, try to play more things in one
position, rather than shifting around. A lot of it also depends on
your touch - there are ways of touching a string so it won't squeak
as bad. Vary the touch - rather than keeping the hardened tip of the
finger on the strings, keep the fleshy, softer part of the fingertip
on the strings when you're changing position. You just have to
experiment, and be conscious of it when you're playing. A lot of it
will become second nature after you do it for a while, and you won't
even notice you're doing it. Finally, as several people have
noticed, some string squeak is inevitable when you're playing the
guitar, and if it's in small doses, it can actually be pretty cool.
I remember hearing Angus Young making the squeaky noises, and
thought 'yeah'!
Ivan
--- In , cobalt <Christophert@s...>
wrote:
>
> Ok, this is probably a really dumb question, but it's one that I've
been
> pondering for quite a while.
>
> When I listen to the guitar lines on records, the guitar is always
very
> clean. You hear nothing but notes...
>
> ...But when I play something, the squeaking of my fingers on the
strings
> as I slide them to and from notes is really quite pronounced.
>
> Is this a question of technique? Or is it a question of the equiment
> being used to record the guitar?
>
> What's the trick to being squeak-free?
>
> -c*
