Wolf tone
A note that sounds unstable or abnormally loud because a resonance within the instrument happens to coincide with that pitch, causing the note to beat or howl.
The energy intended for the note is instead absorbed or reinforced by the instrument's own strongest resonance, so the note either dies quickly or blooms unevenly compared with its neighbours. The usual fixes are changes to the mass and stiffness around the resonant part, such as a different tailpiece, heavier tuners or a small weight attached to the top. Where a single note behaves quite differently from everything around it, a wolf tone is the likely explanation.
Example: a note on the fifth or sixth fret that swells and beats while its neighbours are even is a wolf rather than a setup problem.
See also
Related
- PageDead spot
- PageFeedback
- PageResonant peak
- PageAction gauge
- PageAged finish
- PageBack bow
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley