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Post by jangarrack on Sept 17, 2018 8:22:03 GMT
Hi Craig, I think it could be the string vibrating against the fret/s above where you are fretting the string... try and place a finger above the fretting finger on the string to effectively deaden it above the fretting position... I had a similar thing and thought it might be a loose truss rod but it was the sting vibrating against a fret above the note... it particularly happened on one guitar on the low e on a certain fret when I plucked the a string.. of course I could be talking gibberish too. This sounds like a problem I experienced some years back on a Martin where the fret buzz was coming from a fret back up the fretboard between where I placed my finger and the nut. I had never heard of this happening before and probably would never have identified it myself as the cause had it not been pointed out to me. It was resolved by minimal tweeking of the truss rod.
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Post by Craig on Sept 17, 2018 9:20:05 GMT
Hi Craig, I think it could be the string vibrating against the fret/s above where you are fretting the string... try and place a finger above the fretting finger on the string to effectively deaden it above the fretting position... I had a similar thing and thought it might be a loose truss rod but it was the sting vibrating against a fret above the note... it particularly happened on one guitar on the low e on a certain fret when I plucked the a string.. of course I could be talking gibberish too. This sounds like a problem I experienced some years back on a Martin where the fret buzz was coming from a fret back up the fretboard between where I placed my finger and the nut. I had never heard of this happening before and probably would never have identified it myself as the cause had it not been pointed out to me. It was resolved by minimal tweeking of the truss rod. That's an interesting one, I'll investigate it tonight thanks. Craig
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Post by robmc on Sept 17, 2018 10:17:01 GMT
jangarrack, in my instance, if I tweeked the truss rod it eliminated the noise at the original position but if tightened it could happen on a note up the neck and if I loosened it could happen on a note down the neck... I then checked it on another guitar (a Brook) and I found after some trial and error that I could affect the same noise if I bent the string slightly in a certain position. I say could as I very nearly 'dialed it out' completely so that it would never really be an issue. My conclusion was that it was an anomaly that could occur at a certain very specific frequency at a very specific point along the neck that caused the string to vibrate freely between the note and the nut, an odd one. It may also be down to the very minimal neck relief I had on both guitars.
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Post by jangarrack on Sept 17, 2018 15:31:35 GMT
robmc you are right, at the time when I experienced this problem, the neck had little if any relief. If I remember rightly, I believe it also may have been strung with 11s instead of the usual 12s at the time, but don't know if that is really relevant or not.
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Post by robmc on Sept 17, 2018 18:17:48 GMT
I found as soon as I discovered the cause it didn't bother me half as much! They are living breathing things after all, good luck in tracking your niggle down Craig.
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Post by PistolPete on Sept 17, 2018 18:50:15 GMT
I recently had an unexplained lower frequency buzz threat was caused by the parts inside a worn out machine head vibrating in sympathy, so depending on tues agree of the instrument (mines in it's late forties) if you've ruled out other caused that might be worth investigating.
The frustrating thing is that even worn out it was still keeping it's tuning well, so I had no other clues as to the source of the buzz.
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Sept 17, 2018 20:40:51 GMT
Well I can't play the mp3 but it seems it could be sympathetic resonance of a loose part. I had a similar problem on the strat I had. A certain note would produce a weird extra sound and I couldn't find it at first. Turns out I had a screw loose on the pickguard.
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Post by PistolPete on Sept 18, 2018 9:12:22 GMT
I recently had an unexplained lower frequency buzz threat was caused by the parts inside a worn out machine head vibrating in sympathy, so depending on tues agree of the instrument (mines in it's late forties) if you've ruled out other caused that might be worth investigating. The frustrating thing is that even worn out it was still keeping it's tuning well, so I had no other clues as to the source of the buzz. Ah, I see auto-correct wreaked it's havoc on this without me noticing. What I meant was:
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Post by scripsit on Sept 18, 2018 9:28:22 GMT
Check your machine heads: I've had strange rattling noises on only some notes which were eventually traced to a loose washer under the capstan of one machine head.
Kym
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Post by Craig on Sept 19, 2018 12:19:22 GMT
Thanks everyone, Lots of ideas to check out when I get a chance (or get to Halifax)
I should say that this is a newish guitar and the makers have been great about it, I just don't want to ship it back to them if it can be avoided.
Craig
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Sept 19, 2018 12:38:17 GMT
Craig,
Play all of the notes you can on your guitar on each string and write down where it happens and if loud or soft. If it's all A notes then it's probably a resonance issue with something - you just have to find out what, which as Keith says can be tricky.
If it's to do with neck shape and a possible back bow/high fret behind or above the fretted note then it will be due to where you fret the note. As the fifth fret on the first string is the loudest problem buzz try tuning the first string up to F and see what happens when you play the fifth fret which is now Bb. If the buzz still happens here then I'd suspect frets but if the problem has moved down to the fourth fret - now the A note - then it's a resonance issue on the note of A.
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Post by Craig on Sept 19, 2018 20:11:57 GMT
Craig, Play all of the notes you can on your guitar on each string and write down where it happens and if loud or soft. If it's all A notes then it's probably a resonance issue with something - you just have to find out what, which as Keith says can be tricky. If it's to do with neck shape and a possible back bow/high fret behind or above the fretted note then it will be due to where you fret the note. As the fifth fret on the first string is the loudest problem buzz try tuning the first string up to F and see what happens when you play the fifth fret which is now Bb. If the buzz still happens here then I'd suspect frets but if the problem has moved down to the fourth fret - now the A note - then it's a resonance issue on the note of A. Thanks for the suggestions Dave, I just tried your suggestion and tuned it up to an F and the rattle occurred at the 4th fret. Weirdly though it doesn't happen if I try and use a capo so I can narrow it down! Craig
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Post by bobcarter on Sept 19, 2018 20:59:16 GMT
I think others are talking about the same thing, but it sounds like "back buzz", that is the vibration of the string behind the fretted note between that and the nut.
While it's vibrating, touch the string behind the fret with your right hand. If the noise stops, that's what it is! I had that once and it was driving me nuts trying to figure out what it was.
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Post by Craig on Sept 19, 2018 22:23:50 GMT
I think others are talking about the same thing, but it sounds like "back buzz", that is the vibration of the string behind the fretted note between that and the nut. While it's vibrating, touch the string behind the fret with your right hand. If the noise stops, that's what it is! I had that once and it was driving me nuts trying to figure out what it was. I don't think it is that, I've generally been damping all six strings behind the fretted 5th fret, I'm beginning to suspect the truss rod. Craig
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Sept 20, 2018 8:22:04 GMT
Craig,
Tap the back of the neck to check for any truss rod rattle - I suspect it will be something else resonating though. Sounds like it's an A resonance, try tuning the first string mid way between E and F and see which fret produces the buzz. When you say that capoing gets rid of the buzz can you be more specific - i.e. where are you capoing? With the string tuned to E what happens when you Capo at the first fret, then at the second fret, etc up to capoing at the fifth fret, and then repeat the capoing with the string tuned to F.
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