High E string tone issue on gs mini-e koa plus

[ichelms]

I’ve noticed a unique issue (not sure I would call it a problem) on my gs mini koa. The high E string, when struck with a flat pick, seems to have a rapid change in tone as it rings out. It’s hard to describe in words, but I would compare it to the familiar “whaa” sound… only backwards. It reminds me more of a cat’s “meow”. The string initially rings out with what I would describe as the expected/normal tone consistent with the tone of the other 5 strings, but then very quickly becomes much darker. The volume also seems to decay more quickly than the other strings. It’s almost like the top absorbs the kinetic energy of the string so fast that what I hear quickly becomes almost exclusively overtone. I don’t notice this dynamic tone issue when I finger pick much at all, and when I strum, the strings kind of blend in together so much that I can’t really hear it, so it’s mostly a flat-picking thing.
I suppose my main question is: Is that normal for koa when used as the top wood? I know that hard woods tend to have a dampening/compression-type effect in comparison to the softer woods when used as a top. The weird thing though is that the other strings don’t seem to do that, and I’ve also noticed that when I get new strings on that it’s only as I get up to pitch that I really notice it. This makes we wonder if my guitar (at least the high E) prefers the tension of a light or custom light set of strings.

[DennisG]

I wouldn’t call that normal with koa or any other top wood.  But, as a solution, I would start with the simplest and cheapest by replacing that one string.  I’ve experienced weird anomalies with defective strings.

[Earl]

When you say "high E string" do you mean the sixth (bass) string or the first string (treble e, higher pitch)?  Does the same thing happen when you fret the string at the first few frets?  What about when you get to the higher e note fretted on the fifth string?  Does this still happen if you tune all the strings down a half-step to Eb?  Or standard pitch but a bit above A440?  Those are the quick and easy diagnostic steps that I would take, in addition to swapping out the string in question.

What you describe may be what some folks call a "wolf tone".  Certain tones can ring out loudly but have little sustain.  The energy releases strongly but decays almost immediately.  There can also be dead notes, where the volume simply does not match up with adjoining strings or notes.  Every guitar has some stronger and weaker notes at various places on the fret board, but usually they are not terribly noticeable. 

Guitar vibration is extremely  complex - just search for "Chladni patterns" to get some ideas.  Or look at this simulation of guitar surface vibration and sound radiation:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOTh1GRegvA).  I agree with Dennis;  this is not something inherent to koa or any other wood.

[Edward]

Try at different positions up the neck.  Could be one high fret, could be a bad e string (rare but does happen), or could be that guitar sounds better/[poorer with a particular gauge string.

Edward

[ichelms]

Thank you all. I'll be doing some tinkering with string gauge, tuning, and checking out other areas on the fretboard to see if the open E note sound on my first string is unique to that string or if I can recreate it elsewhere. I'd rather not have to stray from standard tuning, but we will see. I'd never heard of a "wolf tone" before. Looking in to that now... Thanks again.

[Melee]

Where you able to run some tests and determine what was causing it?