|
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | Hi Everybody,
About 3 weeks ago I bought a 1982 1111-1 and I love it. I have played it every day and the sound is unbelievably beautiful. Today I played it for about an hour then switched another guitar. I picked up the "O" about 15 minutes later and the high E string at the 12th fret now "squeeks". Every string at every fret sounds great, but this one has been possessed. It's like the note is rubbing on the fret and making a squeeking noise. I hadn't been playing any differently leading up to this, and when it is not being played it is safely resting on a stand. Any opinions or advice?
Thanks,
Rick |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2004
Posts: 137
Location: Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire | Did you change string gauge? Lighter strings might shift the neck a bit and lower the action. Maybe its adjusting to its new home, different temperature, humidity etc? It might need a slight neck adjustment. Give it time. Some thoughts......... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453
Location: Texas | The 12th fret wire may have popped up a tiny bit at the edge of the fretboard on the high E side so that the pressure &/or the vibration of the string on the fret is moving it minutely up and down in the slot. That might explain a squeeking sound only on that note.
I know what I'd do to try to fix it, but I'm so certain that there are better methods than mine, let's wait until one of the more experienced, patient (and successful) amateur luthiers pops in here with advice. 
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | Thanks for replying and advice Iglupickin and Standing. I'll see how it plays over the next few days and may have to take it in for an adjustment. I'm really getting attached to this guitar and will hate to leave it in someone else's hands even for a couple of days. Thanks again, Rick. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453
Location: Texas | I learned the hard way; if the guitar came from a drastically different climate (especially humidity) than yours, it can take many weeks (or even months) to fully acclimate and stabilize. If you know (or suspect) that to be the case, I would suggest (from painful experience) that you wait until you are confident it has completely settled down before having any major work done to it.
Also, you mentioned that you leave it in a stand when not playing? Is the relative humidity-level in the room fairly stable and somewhere in the 35%-60% range? Insufficient, excessive or highly-fluctuating humidity can shrink or expand wood, including the fretboard, and that can cause frets to move, loosen, or even pop up. I live in a notoriously humid climate, but in the winter when the forced-air heat is blowing, I run a humidifier in my cave, and I also have a humidistat on the wall to verify that it's working properly. If you can't do that, you might want to consider keeping your guitars in cases with case humidifiers. (They can be purchased or home-made)
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2004
Posts: 137
Location: Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire | Some other thoughts:
- Did the prior owner change the strings and put a slightly lighter gauge before you bought it?
- agree with Standing on letting it acclimate for a bit.
- Adjustments can vary in need and making an adjustment now may over-compensate later making it a fighting battle to get it where you want it.
I notice some variations in the necks in my herd sometimes from environmental changes (winter to summer, etc) and/or not playing one guitar enough which tends to alter the relief in the neck a bit.
As I've gone from Martin Bronze (.012-.054) to D'Addario (.012-.053) on my Collectors SSB although just a slight lighter bottom end, I will see some of the relief in the neck change but not enough to warrant changing bridge height or making a neck adjustment until its settled for a while.
Not an exact science but patience is the key before over-reacting to it. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | Thanks again for the advice to both of you. The guitar was shipped from a similar climate (I live in NW Indiana). It arrived with a 'new' set of D'Addario Lights (which I also use on my Elite 2078AX), and even though I loved the sound of the new 1111-1, after playing it for 3 days straight, I changed the strings to Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze Lights (I have been using these on all of my other guitars for about 4 months now -Martins & Gibson- and really like the sound and feel). So, that could be part of the problem. For the past 2 years, I have kept all of my guitars on hangers or stands in a small sound-proofed music room in my basement. I have a hygrometer in the room, and the humidity is a steady 40 percent.
I really appreciate your feedback and advice. I will wait for a couple of weeks (or a month?) before making any decisions as to adjustments. The guitar seems to be totally fine everywhere other than that one note on the 12th fret. Thank you again for sharing your experiences. Rick |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | sounds like a raised 13th fret. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | damon67 - 2015-03-04 11:03 AM
sounds like a raised 13th fret.
My 2¢...
On my first Orange Flamer, I had a raised fret the caused a buzz in the same neighborhood.
After reading about brass and rubber mallets and the like...
I placed a Dime on the fret and pushed-down with the thumb.
It took a little bit of force, but it cured the problem. And the problem did not return.
Just thought that I would share some repair advice. 
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | I used a rubber mallet on the PF22 |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | if you have a straight edge that is just over the length of 3 frets, you can 'rock' the straight edge with the suspected raised fret being the middle of the 3 to check it.
The short side of a credit card works if you don't have anything better. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | Thanks everybody, tomorrow I will start with the straight edge, then the dime, and then the rubber mallet. I'll post a report with my findings. Thanks to all for your advice. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | Hi guys, I took the 1111-1 to 'surgery' this afternoon and didn't have any luck. The straight edge was nice and flat showing me there wasn't much difference between the 11, 12, and 13th frets. I then tried OMA's dime therapy, and the arthritis in my thumbs wouldn't let me press hard enough, so I went to the rubber mallet. I taped off everything to only expose the 12th. I solidly supported the neck and placed the small, round, flat 1/2" steel end of a tack hammer on the area of the 12th in question, and over the next couple of minutes I gently, but firmly struck the opposite end of the tack hammer four times. No damage to the fret, fretboard or neck. I tightened the strings and the 'squeek' was still there. After saying a few ribald expletives, I checked every other string and fret, and all is well except number 12 on the high E.
If anybody has other ideas, I'm willing to try most anything. If not, I will wait a few weeks and take her to a luthier and see what he says. Thanks to everyone for your ideas and suggestions.
Rick
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6994
Location: Jet City | As I said above, it sounds like a high THIRTEENTH fret. If you're fretting at the 12th, it's a high 13th that would make it buzz/squeek. If you were trying to push in the 12th, that wouldn't fix it, but it could make it worse.
So when you check with the straight edge, you should be checking the 12/13/14
I know I said I used a mallet, but I don't endorse that.. There are other tools better designed. Really I would suggest the luthier and that he to a crown/level job for you. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | Thanks Damon67. Back to the drawing board. I'll put the straight edge on 12/13/14. More later..... |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | I put the straight edge on 12/13/14 and they looked even. But I did my mallet treatment on 13 as I had done to 12. Again, no damage, but no change either. Looks like a job for the professional. Thanks again Damon67 and everyone else. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
June 2011
Posts: 50
Location: Utah | I would take it in and get the frets leveled. Good next move it seems like. Sorry about your issue. Those kind of problems just annoy the hell out of a person sometimes. Hope it gets solved for you quickly. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
December 2008
Posts: 1453
Location: Texas | Just out of curiosity; do you hear any of the "squeaking" sound if you repeatedly press and release the string at that fret without plucking it at all? I only ask because it's more common to hear someone describe a "buzz" than a "squeak" when frets need leveling, (but anything's possible.) Even after using the rubber-mallet (which is what I was afraid to admit would have been my first attempt at a "solution." ) the fret could just be popping right back up. Even if it appears to be perfectly-leveled, it may not be solidly seated. If that end of the fret wire is moving/vibrating at all in the slot (or against the binding if it is a bound neck), it may need to be glued and clamped-down or replaced (and then leveled.) Either way, any decent luthier should have no problem diagnosing and fixing it. Good luck!
|
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | Hi Guys, thanks for your comments and interest BrickGlass and Standing. You are right, BG, this is annoying as hell. Standing....I just pressed on the note without picking and yes, the same noise is there. After thinking about what you asked, Buzz vs Squeek, it dawned on me that I probably called it a 'squeek' because the note is so high on the scale. I might have called it a Buzz if it was a lower note. I have had experience with buzzing frets, and even once had two loose braces in a Gibson that created quite a bit of buzzing throughout (the remedy on the first was a neck adjustment, and the second was a re-glue job). I don't normally play so high up on the neck, so when I first hit the high E string on the 12th it sounded like a small bird squeeking. The guitar still sounds beautiful, the harmonics are perfect (even on the note in question), but then there is that annoying "squeek". Wish I could buy all of you guys a cup of coffee for your help. Thanks again. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | I was wondering about the squeak rather than a buzz, too. A high fret is pretty easy for me to diagnose. Usually it's in the area where the neck joins the body, but not always. Fret and play every note on that string, going higher and higher until you hear the same note on two different frets. The higher fret is the one that's raised, causing the string to skip a note.
I don't know if I described that very well, but if you fret and play every note from low to high on the high E string, you'll figure it out. Good luck and let us know what you find. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | More news..... I took the 'O' to the repair Tech at GC this morning. He has done work for me in the past, and has done a good job. He put the eagle-eye on it and said it needs a partial fret dressing from the 12th down. You guys were right. Supposed to be ready for pick up Thursday. I'll let you know how it comes out. Thanks again. |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2013
Posts: 101
Location: NW Indiana | March 20, just got the 1111-1 back from the luthier. They did a great job redressing the frets. I can't believe how wonderful this 33 yr old guitar sounds. I have several guitars, including a Martin 000-28, and I think this Ovation has the nicest sound of them all. Life is good, and I'm a lucky man. |
|
| |
Help?
