Source of Buzz/Rattle?!?!?! Luthier Question

[Blue in VT]

Allright all you guitar repair types I need alittle help/advice.  I've had an annoying Rattle near the bridge on my OM-03BW since I got it a couple of months ago....I hear it when specific notes are played and if I tap the top near the bridge.

  I've been round and round trying to figure out what it is....I checked to make sure the ball ends of the strings were seated right.  I replaced the shimmed saddle with a new bone one sanded perfectly flat, I made sure the bridge itself was seated tight....I even had a "tech" check out the braces for me when he was doing a set up to make sure they were tight.  However....the rattle kept coming back!!!!.... ....humidity certainly seems to be a factor in wether it rattled or not...on humid days I would have to tap harder to get it to rattle if I could at all....drier days had the thing rattling with almost every note...

So the other night I loosened the strings and pulled them out so I could reach inside and feel all the braces myself...and I think I found the culprit.  That little brace the arrow is pointing too seems to be slightly loose where it contacts the X brace...its not like the whole thing is loose but the last inch or so has a little bit of give.  Could this be the Problem??

If so...is this something that I can deal with myself???  Probably not right... ... Is this a pretty simple fix for someone who knows what their doing?

any advice would be appreciated



Blue



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[CF Larrivee]

If higher humidity makes it more difficult to produce the rattle, I would think it would have to be either a loose brace or bridge plate. It is also possible that that there is a "dry spot" somewhere on a brace or the plate where glue did not fill in, causing a tiny air space between the brace and top where there is no glue. The brace can feel tight, yet there is is a buzz because of the air gap. I'm just throwing out ideas. I would have a good repair person check it out and if that doesn't solve the problem, then get in touch with the factory. Good luck.

[NotConvicted]

how did you take the photo?

did you check the tuners?   one of my guitars has the gotoh open gear tuners that have a press fit washer on the headboard; one or more of the  washers generally start to vibrate every 6 months, which is annoying but easily fixed.

[jeremy3220]

At least it's not the hog top!

[Blue in VT]

If higher humidity makes it more difficult to produce the rattle, I would think it would have to be either a loose brace or bridge plate.

This sounds right to me...it is really just the end of that little brace that flexes a fration of an inch but I would guess with the right frequency vibration would get it moving.

how did you take the photo?
did you check the tuners?  

I can't take credit for the Photo...that is actually from the Fret.com web site...I just copied it to indicate the suspect brace.

Its not one of the tuners as the sound clearly originates from around the bridge area.  thanks for the sugestion though...

At least it's not the hog top!

  No kindding!!!  I'd be much more stressed about his if it was!!!  this BW guitar has been shipped across the country at least 3 times so it is certainly possible that something has worked itself loose...I just hope its a fairly easy...and cheap fix!!!



Blue

[TrinityGuitars]

Blue,
      I does sound like you have a loose brace. What you are describing fits the bill. It is not that hard to repair but I would not try it yourself. A repair person can verify this by sliding one of there thin knives under the brace. If that can be done it needs to be re-glued.
Good luck
Jim Holler. Luthier

[jwb]

Blue,

on the loose brace.  I had an OM with the same issue...it was a section if the X-brace that was loose.  It drove me nuts changing saddles and setup just like you.  I had a luthier reglue it once we figured it out.  It sounded even better once the reglue was done - and no more buzzing!

Justin

[NotConvicted]

do you have a strap button at the bottom of your guitar? i had a loose strap button (actually a washer underneath the strap button) that would resonate with D played anywhere on the fret board and would rattle when the top was tapped.   took forever to figure out what it was.  tightening everything solved the problem.

[Blue in VT]

 

Thanks all for the suggestions and advice...I'm heading up to the "big" city tommorrow....thats Burlington....and will drop it off with a repair tech then for a check up and hopefully a fix.

to all

Blue

[big ring]

Sounds like a brace or a bridge plate to me as well... but more like a brace than anything.  Just because a tech couldn't "see" anything does not mean that part of a brace is not loose.  If it happens when you play the guitar, press down on various parts of the top while the buzz is happening to see if it disappears at any point.  If so, then you've located the spot and know where to point the tech for a repair.

[Blue in VT]

 

Thanks again all...I dropped Shelia off at the Luthier yesterday...I have to say he didn't want the opinion of a mere mortal like myself...kind of an -CENSORED- actually....plus he said it would be at least a week before he could get to it...and that I should call to remind him next weekl so he didn't forget...

the whole transaction didn't instill much confidence.....sigh



Blue

[unclrob]

Can you find another tech.

[Blue in VT]

Can you find another tech.

I wish I was closer to you Unclrob... ...

I know of another guy I like better but he is away on Vacation for the next month.... ....must be nice.  We will see how this transaction turns out....maybe he was just having a bad day... ....but I will go with the guy I know better when it comes down to it in the future.




Blue

[Hoser Rob]

....plus he said it would be at least a week before he could get to it...

I'm not so sure that's a bad sign.

You know what they say about contractors.  If they can do the job tomorrow at 8 AM, you may not want them to be the ones to do it.

It's not that easy to diagnose these sort of things "over the phone", and the best thing is to let the guy have at it.  The fix for a loose part on the top ... and if it rattles when you tap it that's probably what it is ... shouldn't be that difficult.  It'd often just involve injecting some glue.  But finding it can be time consuming.

I know it's frustrating to wait but it's just one of those things that can take time to diagnose.  Hope it works out soon.

[Blue in VT]

Hoser,
(great name by the way....eh?)   

thanks for your input...I'm giving the guy the benefit of the doubt....for now... ...everyone I've talked to recommended him...so I'm sure hes just busy.  What annoyed me the most is that I told him exactly what piece of wood is loose....its just the last incho or so of that small brace that can flex about 1/8 inch when you push on it...but he didn't want to hear my opinion....

I'm sure he knows better than me...but his "bed side manner" could have been a bit better...IMO



Blue