help with this rattling noise

[emann]

so after work i managed some time on the guitar and went over all suggestions advised here i think.

- checked frets with rocker...no wobbling on the 8th to 7th or 9th fret...in fact no wobbling on any fret when tested at the high e string side

- gave two quarter turns on the truss rod but no change. Was going to try a third quarter turn but felt the allen key getting quite resistant to rotation so I stopped. Since the sound remained at these two turns I went back to the original position by 2 quarter turns clockwise this time

- adjusted the saddle height by 3 quarter turns this time to increase the height off the frets and as yet no change.

I can also say that this week we had some higher temperatures as the days this week were mostly sunny at a higher than normal temperature as well - this in view of some comments related to weather.

I am now quite unsure what to do next..maybe best have it checked with a luthier...or other suggestions maybe.

 

[Freeman Keller]

Emann, you have received a lot of advice, most of it pretty good. I approach things a little differently - I like top measure EVERYTHING before I do ANYTHING. I understand the relationship between the various parts of a setup and how one thing affects the others. Here is how I go about both the evaluation and adjustment phases of a setup - might help you with yours.

Basic Setup

There are a couple of threads running right now where questions have been asked about leveling frets, making nuts and other setup related topics. I’ve commented a bit and I’ve received a few private messages asking about aspects that we’ve been discussion. I thought maybe it was time to...

www.tdpri.com

If you feel it might be helpful, that thread has been turned into a pdf that you can print the pages you want and take out into your shop. I can e-mail that if you would like.

 

[Boreas]

so after work i managed some time on the guitar and went over all suggestions advised here i think.

- checked frets with rocker...no wobbling on the 8th to 7th or 9th fret...in fact no wobbling on any fret when tested at the high e string side

- gave two quarter turns on the truss rod but no change. Was going to try a third quarter turn but felt the allen key getting quite resistant to rotation so I stopped. Since the sound remained at these two turns I went back to the original position by 2 quarter turns clockwise this time

- adjusted the saddle height by 3 quarter turns this time to increase the height off the frets and as yet no change.

I can also say that this week we had some higher temperatures as the days this week were mostly sunny at a higher than normal temperature as well - this in view of some comments related to weather.

I am now quite unsure what to do next..maybe best have it checked with a luthier...or other suggestions maybe.

I would put the truss rod back where it was and actually measure the relief there. You don't need much. Instead, I would try raising that saddle a touch and see what happens. If it doesn't do anything, and the crown profiles on the 8 and 9 frets are good and centered, you may not have a fret or even a neck problem. Could be saddle-related, or as others have said, sympathetic vibration virtually anywhere on the guitar. The video only shows you playing the bad note. You may want to post another hitting a few frets above and below the 8th fret so we have something to compare the bad one to.

How does it sound through an amp?

 

[emann]

two other videos.

all frets played and as advised rattling is only on 8th fret. this is acoustic only

Acoustic

This is on the blues junior iv amp:

On amp

will have a look at that pdf later on as well.

 

[plusorminuszero]

It may be time to try to determine if the
new plank has a wolf tone somewhere around
c. I am in belief that the neck, esp. on solid bodies,
is responsible for 70% of the balance of the tone.
Every instrument has an area where a few, usually
adjacent, notes, sound weaker. Sometimes the balance
yields one weak note. Fine acoustics are tuned to fall
in around F#, in the case of classicals. Sometimes G#.
Jimmy Foster-I think that's his name- specialized in tuning electrics to avoid wolfs. I cannot recall if he went for a specic tone range for the vamp area. He has his story posted somewhere online.

Have you tried pushing hs against a wall, or solid surface?
Does the hs flutter around c? Play every c position, and hard.
Especially bass notes. Forget the amp for such issues. I suggest that you strip the guitar down, remove components and listen for the sound. Play every note. Find the vamp range. Does it focus on C?

This is interesting. I hope it isn't your new neck, but if it is, all you can do is try it on a different body.
But the weakness for that note will come through nonetheless.

 

[Boreas]

I don't think it is fret related. To me, I am hearing unpleasant, sour overtones both acoustically and amplified. Did you fiddle with the saddle at all to see if it makes a difference? If you can, post some good pix of the bridge and saddles. Perhaps a loose adjustment screw or spring - either height or intonation screws.

 

[tewiq]

Just listened to your vids, off the wall ,check the tuners to see if theres a loose nut or washer.

 

[PhredE]

I think Boreas and tewiq are on to it.
Sounds like something vibrating sympathetically (and)/or a loose bit of hardware somewhere.
The fact that it can be heard clearly without amplification should be a giveaway.
Go over the guitar and check to see that every nut, screw, bolt, etc. is cinched down (don't gorilla tighten anything though!)

Common culprits are: bridge and saddles (saddles screws, saddle springs, maybe even the fit and torque of the bridgeplate mounting screws, etc) and like tewiq mentions, check the tuner retaining nuts too. I had weird sounds like yours just from having a loose tuner.
It's possible it's some other screw elsewhere, so the more you check the better odds of finding/fixing.

Be sure to check the surface of that 8th fret under the high E to make sure there are no small gouges or roughness which can throw the ability of the smaller unwound strings to vibrate.
That fret surface should be very smooth (and everywhere else for that matter).

Edit: Another one that is a known problem for a lot of Teles, are the mount screws on PUs. Sometimes, the fit/pieces have to be tweaked or reworked using rubber tubing or by added bigger/stronger springs, etc.

 

[cousinpaul]

I had a mechanical buzz at a certain frequency that was driving me nuts. I eventually traced it to my clip-on tuner. Doh!

 

[emann]

OOOKkkkkkkk!!!!

so after tweaking the truss rod a bit here and the saddles a bit there with the thought that this was due to the temperature increase we had last week, the rattling remained. I left it on its own these two days and not even played a bit.

Looking back at the forum today I took on the exercise to check the common culprits...and low and behold noted a tuner slightly loose and also the lock knob of the A string quite loose. Before I did anything, asked one of my kids to play the 8th fret and whilst the sound was ongoing with this rattle I grabbed the neck with my hand and the rattling stopped. So I tightened the tuner and played again...less rattling. Then tightened the lock knob and played again....ALL RATTLING IS GONE.

I played it now for more than an hour and still no rattling and this thinline is back to all its glory. I am almost inclined to say now that most probably this could have been some form of resonance between the frequency of the 8th fret and something loose in the neck?

thanks to all for your suggestions and hope this thread may be of help to someone as well.

 

[PhredE]

Congrats! I'm glad the problem was found and fixed.

 

[Boreas]

OOOKkkkkkkk!!!!

so after tweaking the truss rod a bit here and the saddles a bit there with the thought that this was due to the temperature increase we had last week, the rattling remained. I left it on its own these two days and not even played a bit.

Looking back at the forum today I took on the exercise to check the common culprits...and low and behold noted a tuner slightly loose and also the lock knob of the A string quite loose. Before I did anything, asked one of my kids to play the 8th fret and whilst the sound was ongoing with this rattle I grabbed the neck with my hand and the rattling stopped. So I tightened the tuner and played again...less rattling. Then tightened the lock knob and played again....ALL RATTLING IS GONE.

I played it now for more than an hour and still no rattling and this thinline is back to all its glory. I am almost inclined to say now that most probably this could have been some form of resonance between the frequency of the 8th fret and something loose in the neck?

thanks to all for your suggestions and hope this thread may be of help to someone as well.

Sounds to me like it was entirely the tuner! Good pick-up!

 

[tewiq]

Always , start with the easy stuff , if that doesn't fix it ....then look for the harder stuff. I had this same buzy problem once on one of my builds. It was a tuner as well. Glad you got it sorted .