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Trouble with acoustic

Lost StarLost Star Posts: 13
edited November 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
anyone can help me?

I dunno what to do but on my guitar the high E is always twangy and i tried adjusting the neck but to no avail
i dunno what to do
You can walk, you can talk, you can fight
But inside you've got something to write
In your hand you hold your only friend
Never spend your guitar or your pen
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    I'd venture to guess your string is fretting out, most likely up towards the nut. If that is indeed the case, replacing the nut or filling in that slot are the best options...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • enharmonicenharmonic Posts: 1,917
    Watch putting that neck under too much tension, you could snap the truss rod and that would suck.

    The nut could be the problem. The action at the bridge could be the problem. Do you have a reliable tech in your area?
    new music: http://www.myspace.com/blackbirdsymphonique

    old music: http://www.myspace.com/slowloader
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    If it twangs when you're playing the open E then it might be the nut.
    But if you're fretting it, then the nut is out of the picture because the fret you're playing at is now the nut.
    The bridge saddle might be too low on just that one string, or you may have some worn frets, usually at the lowest five frets. If the fret is too low at the 5th one, for instance, the string will hit the frets somewhere along the fretboard and buzz, in which case you might need a fret dressing by a tech. Not a hard job for a tech.

    Try the open E, then play each fret on the way up the board. Then tell us where the twang stops, then you can report back to us.:D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • Lost StarLost Star Posts: 13
    I don't have the guitar right now it's downstairs but

    When I do play the open E it doesn't twang only when I fret it maybe about the 3rd fret it gets twangy it's a fairly new guitar Takamine'.

    i'll report back when i have more info

    thanks for the help guys :)
    You can walk, you can talk, you can fight
    But inside you've got something to write
    In your hand you hold your only friend
    Never spend your guitar or your pen
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Lost Star wrote:
    When I do play the open E it doesn't twang only when I fret it maybe about the 3rd fret it gets twangy it's a fairly new guitar Takamine'.


    It definitely sounds like it's fretting out... that basically means that the string's vibration is bouncing the string off frets higher than where you're playing. A low nut slot could still be the problem, since the guitar is fairly new... doubt the frets would be worn that bad unless it had been played hard for a few years. I'd take it to a good tech to look at the nut and the neck curve.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    A few things to look at.

    Old strings tend to buzz. They bend a tiny bit and weaken where they sit on the fret, which makes them sit closer to the frets. Especially nearer the nut where you play open chords. It may just need a set of strings if they're old.

    Did this just start happening? It may be seasonal.
    One thing that happens as winter approaches is that guitars dry out, and the neck and flat top move a bit. A dry guitar will buzz because there's a bit of movement, sometimes a hump in the fretboard where it joins the body.
    All acoustics should be in a case most of the time with a guitar humidifier if you live where the heater is on, or in a dry climate!
    Take the guitar and sight down the neck into the light and look physically for straightness, or a hump around where the neck meets the body.

    Play one fret at a time and find the exact spot where it starts to buzz. It may be a loose fret that sits up a wee bit higher than the others. Get a tech to fix that. take a short metal straightedge and rock it around on the frets and feel for high spots to spot this.



    Your neck may need a tiny bit of tweaking to add a bit of relief. (Loosen the truss rod nut, not tighten). Don't do this yourself unless you have some experience. I guess you already did, and as long as you do it in tiny increments and account for each turn so you can put it back, you can experiment.



    The coolest quickest and delightfully cheesiest repair?
    Loosen the string, and put a little piece of paper under the string at the saddle, (Or nut). Fold it to double it if you need more height. If this stops it, then you need to raise, shim or replace the nut, or just play it like that until you get around to it!

    Like MIG says, if this is new, it may be warranty. Takamine has a good warranty, but rehumidify it first before you take it in. Taylor and Takamine are obsessed with humidity, for good reason.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • enharmonicenharmonic Posts: 1,917
    If it's a new guitar, you probably just need a setup. Thank goodness :)
    new music: http://www.myspace.com/blackbirdsymphonique

    old music: http://www.myspace.com/slowloader
  • Lost StarLost Star Posts: 13
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    A few things to look at.

    Old strings tend to buzz. They bend a tiny bit and weaken where they sit on the fret, which makes them sit closer to the frets. Especially nearer the nut where you play open chords. It may just need a set of strings if they're old.

    Did this just start happening? It may be seasonal.
    One thing that happens as winter approaches is that guitars dry out, and the neck and flat top move a bit. A dry guitar will buzz because there's a bit of movement, sometimes a hump in the fretboard where it joins the body.
    All acoustics should be in a case most of the time with a guitar humidifier if you live where the heater is on, or in a dry climate!
    Take the guitar and sight down the neck into the light and look physically for straightness, or a hump around where the neck meets the body.

    Play one fret at a time and find the exact spot where it starts to buzz. It may be a loose fret that sits up a wee bit higher than the others. Get a tech to fix that. take a short metal straightedge and rock it around on the frets and feel for high spots to spot this.



    Your neck may need a tiny bit of tweaking to add a bit of relief. (Loosen the truss rod nut, not tighten). Don't do this yourself unless you have some experience. I guess you already did, and as long as you do it in tiny increments and account for each turn so you can put it back, you can experiment.



    The coolest quickest and delightfully cheesiest repair?
    Loosen the string, and put a little piece of paper under the string at the saddle, (Or nut). Fold it to double it if you need more height. If this stops it, then you need to raise, shim or replace the nut, or just play it like that until you get around to it!

    Like MIG says, if this is new, it may be warranty. Takamine has a good warranty, but rehumidify it first before you take it in. Taylor and Takamine are obsessed with humidity, for good reason.



    Thanks Bob i'll definately look into all aspects of this
    You can walk, you can talk, you can fight
    But inside you've got something to write
    In your hand you hold your only friend
    Never spend your guitar or your pen
  • Lost StarLost Star Posts: 13
    Well it looks like it was the string after all
    I changed it,.. just a bad string i guess

    thanks again for all the suggestions much appreicated
    You can walk, you can talk, you can fight
    But inside you've got something to write
    In your hand you hold your only friend
    Never spend your guitar or your pen
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    I neglected to remember that you can occasionally get a string that just wasn't baked right, and can vibrate very unpredictably... that may have been your problem. It's not a common problem, but it surfaces every so often. Either it doesn't hold it's tension right, or unevenly... or it has weak spots in it's length that allow it to vibrate excessively. That may have been your problem.

    If, as the new string breaks in, you start seeing the problem again, you may still need a neck adjust or nut shim. As your strings break in, they become a tad more flexible, which might push it enough towards the fretboard that it frets out again. But if your new string lasts with no problems, you have it beat. For now.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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