Buzz off!

michelew
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 3:24 am

This is one of those "do you experience this too or am I imagining things?"-type threads.


I've been playing my nylon string guitar a bit lately. Often with a capo. I'm experiencing some buzzing and I think I've finally tracked it down to the capo. It doesn't seem to happen when there's no capo. I'm finding I need to get the placement and tension of the capo, a Shubb, just right or I get some buzzing, sometimes it's fairly minor but still annoys me. On the first fret it's been extra tricky getting it just right.


Have you experienced that yourselves? Are nylons more prone to it?

Just comparing notes.

Thanks

Shel


Hydroman52
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:16 am

Hi Michele,

I once took a steel string guitar in to the instrument hospital for adjustments, and, a few days after it was released, it developed a buzz at the first and second frets on the A or D string (can't remember which). I called up the guitar doctor, and he told me to bring it back in for some more adjustments. After I got it back a week or so later, the buzz was gone, and it never came back.

This happened a year or two ago, and I can't remember exactly what he did or even which guitar it was. I do remember that it was one that I was frequently tuning back and forth between Double Dropped D and Standard tunings. When I revealed this to the doctor, he seemed to understand what he needed to do. In all fairness, the guitar wasn't buzzing when I tested it before I left the hospital the first time. I'm thinking the fix was compound like fret dressing, tension rod adjustment, and/or saddle work.

Hydroman52


thereshopeyet
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 8:37 am

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Image


thereshopeyet
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 2:22 pm

Yep similar problems here.....re-stringed two classicals this past week, both buzz with a capo......grrrrrrrrr...%#^@%$@ :angry: :S :(

My third classical hasn't been played much since the same problem occured after restringing it a while ago.....pfffffffffffff..... :evil:


michelew
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 5:46 pm

Now that you mention it Nessa, I don't remember it buzzing before I restrung my classical, which I did recently.

Of course it's not just the need to adjust the capo that's frustration; the need to remove the capo, adjust it, retune, remove, adjust, retune...etc. Perhaps the capo is stretching the strings more each time it is replaced and then the buzz comes back.

I've just ordered a planet waves NS classical capo. It has a dial that allows you to adjust The tension in-situ. I'll let you know how that goes.

Thanks.

M.


thereshopeyet
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 5:55 pm

Classical guitars don't have a truss rod do they, so how do you account for changes in the neck?
I think because nylon strings don't exert he same tensions on the neck that a steel string neck is subjected to.

I read that some classical manufacturers put a graphite bar in the neck to stiffen it but it's not adjustable.

Anyway I wondered if neck changes when the old strings were removed would result in changes to the classical guitar action?
Did you use the same make of stings, that might cause a difference, maybe change like for like?

Why don't take the strings off and try restringing again.
Just in case something odd happened during the restring.



michelew
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 6:59 pm

Hydroman52 wrote:
Hi Michele,

I once took a steel string guitar in to the instrument hospital for adjustments, and, a few days after it was released, it developed a buzz at the first and second frets on the A or D string (can't remember which). I called up the guitar doctor, and he told me to bring it back in for some more adjustments. After I got it back a week or so later, the buzz was gone, and it never came back.

This happened a year or two ago, and I can't remember exactly what he did or even which guitar it was. I do remember that it was one that I was frequently tuning back and forth between Double Dropped D and Standard tunings. When I revealed this to the doctor, he seemed to understand what he needed to do. In all fairness, the guitar wasn't buzzing when I tested it before I left the hospital the first time. I'm thinking the fix was compound like fret dressing, tension rod adjustment, and/or saddle work.

Hydroman52
Hydro,

Thanks for sharing your experience. But, I'm really hoping that it's not a neck movement issue since my classical (Hofner HM 83) doesn't have a truss rod. It does have an ebony strip in the neck to stiffen it that is suppose to ensure the neck doesn't warp too much and protect the neck from warping for much longer. Since it has nylon strings, I'm assuming that fret wear isn't an issue either.

The buzz doesn't seem to occur when I'm not using a capo, even when I'm barre-ing up the neck. I guess that's because you can adjust your barre-ing pressure to eliminate the buzz without making the strings sound too sharp.

So I'm assuming at this point that the strings just need to settle in and in the meantime I need to keep making fine adjustments to the capo and tuning until it's in tune and there's no buzz. I'm hoping the new capo (Planet Waves) which you can adjust in-situ will lessen the frustration.

Dermot,

Thanks for the suggestions. Yep, no truss rod. Given what a pain in the proverbial it is to restring and settle the strings, (tune, tune, tune, tune, tune, (etc)...and repeat), I have NO desire to start again. I also ensure that there is NO slippage and no sound from loose bits of string vibrating against the guitar body and headstock (I use a tuck method at the bridge and methods at the headstock that eliminates absolute movement). Actually, the video did give me another method for attaching the string at the headstock, so thanks for that. I'll employ it next time.

I'm using high tension classical strings (which is what it came with). The brand has changed, however. They are from Albert Augustine (blue). Andes Segovia endorses them (his photo is on them) so they can't be too shoddy, right?! :)

Perhaps I need to stretch them more manually. I. Might try that.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, observations and advice.

M.


thereshopeyet
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:48 pm

Hello Michelle

I am interested in your buzz scenario and what might be causing it.

When you mentioned that it doesn't happen with finger barre's I got to thinking.
Since it happens with the Capo I had a look at capos and came up with this:

NS Classical Guitar Capo

It has a micrometer tension adjustment to assure buzz fee capoing.

I realise that the guitar worked fine before with the capo you are using and that it doesn't answer the what's changed question.

Maybe you could experiment with your capo tension, how well that's your mission ;)

The fact that theres a capo designed to eliminate the buzz would imply buzzing is likely with a capo-ed classical guitar.

So maybe all along you've had a very unique guitar !!

Until you broke it :S :S :ohmy: :dry:

:laugh: :laugh:


michelew
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Sat Mar 09, 2013 8:42 pm

Thanks Dermot. Yes I'd come to the same conclusion that the NS Classical guitar capo might help. You must have missed my response to Vanessa.

I suspect the issue is due to the new strings being stretch by the capo itself.

I'll let you know whether the new capo helps.

And....NOT broken! :) :P :P. ... Perhaps it's in need of a doctor (though I don't think so). Perhaps a saddle adjustment is needed, but I hope not. But,... I would have thought that buzzing was less likely as the neck curved with age, that the saddle might need to be lowered instead. As I'm not a luthier I really have no idea. Regardless, I'm hoping it's a string settling issue. That works for me. ;)

thanks

M.


Hydroman52
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Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:01 am

Michele,

Check out the "Big Buzz List" here:

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Hope this helps,
Hydroman52


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