Little problems with bending

[Matt]

I have a technique problem that someone may be able to help me fix. When I bend any given string, oftentimes on release I sound the open strings right above the one I am bending. This is not a problem when I am playing slowly or there are not multiple successive bends in whatever it is I am playing, because I can simply mute the open strings with my first or second finger while I bend. But when I have to play fast and do bends often, I don't have anywhere near the agility to use that technique.
For example when I try to play the short little solo to Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe", I hear open notes sounding all over the place, I don't have time to mute the strings, and it sounds like crap. I have the speed and everything to make it sound good except this.

When I release any note period the open string will sound softly. I wonder if this related at all to the action?

My action seems a tad bit high (my acoustic has an action that is practically on the fretboard-however it sounds fine), but since it is a prs guitar, I would like to think that it came the way it was supposed to.

Any advice?

[PRS]

Try muting out the other strings with your picking hand.:cool:

[cyberfret]

In addition to your right hand like PRS said, try using your first finger of your left hand to lightly touch the string right below the one that you are bending. That is if your are bending with your 2 and 3rd together or just your 2nd finger alone. If you are bending with your 1st finger, try and place your finger so that part it is lightly touching the string below the one you are bending. So you would be fretting the string with the far right side of the tip of your first finger (if you are looking at your hand palm up), leaving the left side to overlap and touch that string.

Watch the 2 videos at the bottom of the page below.
http://www.cyberfret.com/techniques/vibrato/page5.htm


My action seems a tad bit high (my acoustic has an action that is practically on the fretboard-however it sounds fine), but since it is a prs guitar, I would like to think that it came the way it was supposed to.
haha...not a chance. That would be nice if a music store at least got your guitar somewhat adjusted before it left the store. If you got this guitar recently, take it back an have them adjust it. For the price of a PRS, they should do that for free. If not, take it in and have your guitar set up (neck adjusted, intonation set, action set). If those are the strings that were on the guitar when you bought it, you should change those immediately anyway. When you have a guitar set up, you want to have it adjusted to the string gauge that you will be using on a regular basis, and to a new set. You don't want to have it set up to the set that has been on the guitar since leaving the factory.

Not selling guitars in playing condition is a big pet peeve of mine with music stores (including the one that I teach at). They will set it up if you ask, but other than that they won't. So they will sell guitars where the neck is bowed, and the strings are a half inch off the fretboard.......ahhhhhhh!!!!

--Shawn

[Sandman_96707]

You're pressing too lightly on the strings and you're pushing too hard when bending. I recommend heavier gauge strings because they don't react to the action of hitting it as easily, but it's not too much of a difference.