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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I'm having a problem with my 1866 Legend 12 string that I was hoping that someone might be able to shed some light on. Over the past month or so, I've been noticing a weird, almost distorted sound coming from the bass E and A strings. It happens mostly when playing open chords (especially G).
The problem happens when unplugged, so I've ruled out the electronics. I've changed strings several times. The guitar is set up to the factory specs almost exactly.
Another weird thing is that the problem seems to come and go, but it is there most of the time. Has anyone ever had a problem like this.
I've contaced Ovation about this also, but I thought that someone might have some ideas. |
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Joined:
August 2004
Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | Just gotta love a puzzle.
Ok hear are my nine questions:
Can you describe the distortion a little better. Is it clipping, like fuzz.? Or is it a harmonic thing like you are getting a strange balance of overtones? Or does it sound like you are getting an unexpected variation in amplitude?
You say it comes and goes, does this correlate to anything else like weather perhaps?
Do you ever notice it when paying just the individual strings? If so, does it change as you play a scale? Are you using some alternate tuning, you mention a G chord possibly as example of an open chord?
Does it happen if you play the same music capo'd up a fret or two?
Does it happen plugged in? |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | "Or is it a harmonic thing like you are getting a strange balance of overtones?"
Yes, that would be a good description. It's a bassy sound. It almost sounds like a "wall of sound" type thing.
"You say it comes and goes, does this correlate to anything else like weather perhaps?"
It's kept in a very controlled atmosphere. I keep the heat in the room right around 70 degrees and I use a room humidifier to keep the humidity consistant. The only time it's exposed to weather is when I take it on a gig.
"Do you ever notice it when paying just the individual strings?"
No, not at all. However it does happen if I play the two top strings together.
"Are you using some alternate tuning, you mention a G chord possibly as example of an open chord?"
It's tuned down 1/2 step, but it always has been and it's never caused a problem.
"Does it happen if you play the same music capo'd up a fret or two?"
Good Question. That's one thing I haven't tried. I'll try it when I get home.
"Does it happen plugged in?"
I can hear it when it's plugged in but it's hard to tell if the sound is coming through the amp or if I'm hearing it coming from the guitar. |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 26
Location: uk | just an idea...could be the bracing a little loose on the bass side, which may be vibrating of the soundboard...just a thought...I had that problem with a guitar...
Steph |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | Check to see if the nuts on the tuners are tight, I've had a few that got loose after awhile. Vibration maybe? |
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Joined:
June 2004
Posts: 271
Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | Try these 2 links
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Setup/BuzzDiagnosis/buzzintro.html
This one is to check your string tension..Make sure your string tension is 15 lbs. or greater... and that the strings are not to close to each other, to cause secondary harmonics that telltale as "Vibratos" AFTER you strum...
http://www.daddariostrings.com/Resources/JDCDAD/images/tension_chart.pdf |
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Joined:
January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Thanks for all of the responses. Last week, I changed from D'addario strings to Martin strings as a last ditch effort to solve the problem, but that did not work. I then decided to take little bit of relief out of the neck hoping that by straightenening the neck a bit I would increase the string tension a bit. I made the adjustment and put the guitar away for about a week because I've been to busy to mess around with it. Yesterday, I played it for a while and the problem seems to be gone.
Here is my question for some of you who know more about this than I do. Am I correct in my assumtion that a straighter next increases the tension on the strings, and does it make sense that this would solve the problem? |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 1900
| Tension is just tension, between point A and point B, regardless of the neck...
steve |
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Joined:
August 2004
Posts: 604
Location: Tampa, FL | While Steve's response is correct, it does leave a little of the picture out. Changing the neck relief will not affect the tension on the string. This tension will be whatever it needs to be in order to have your guitar in tune. But changing the neck relief could have a pretty measurable effect on the forces around the point at which your neck joins the body and the coupling of the string dynamics to the bridge. Let us know if this is a durable fix for your problem.
Good problem |
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Here's a new one