I've got Aloha strings on my 2 Oahus, and I don't know what on my new Bear Creek Weissie. When tuned to open D, al three of these guitars rattle on the 2nd string as I move up the neck. Even when I play the second string separately, it rattles. And yes, I am damping behind the bar and applying enough pressure on it to not get any rattle from the other strings. Putting a wound second string on (a .20), takes care of it nicely, but I'd like other options.
Has anyone else had this problem? What have you done about it?
9 Comments |
 | Grizz says:
2/10/2012 6:32:39 PM
Hmmmm Interesting dilemma. I have Aloha strings on everything but my Wessie and no problems. What is really weird is that it is on all three guitars. I believe that Bill uses John Pearse but i could be wrong. I would call him and find out. I doubt that they are Aloha strings. That being said, it is something other than the strings.
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 | Slidennis says:
2/11/2012 5:48:08 AM
That is interesting Liz. From what you have described you can 1) count out the nut since you are damping behind the bar 2) the height of the 2nd string since it does the same when played solo. Putting a wound string solves the issue so I would venture a guess that the slot in the saddle may be a tiny bit too wide for the unwound string. That's merely a guess. But you could try a simple experiment. Slack the unwound string and place a bit of tissue under it at the saddle just to make it a little wider but not dampen the string. See if that does it. How does the bridge pin for that string fit? Does it bottom out? It's hard to diagnose from a distance.
Dennis
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| Grizz says:
2/11/2012 6:29:52 AM
The thing is Dennis, it is happening to all three guitars.The Bear Creek being brand spankin' new. Now he tunes down 1 1/2 steps from open D but i have noticed rattles when Ed plays live.I think Liz has a ghost. lmao
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 | Liz Williams says:
2/11/2012 7:15:09 AM
Thanks for your thoughts, Dennis and Mike. I'm starting to think it's my playing. Or, as Mike points out, my guitars might be haunted. Hey, it happens. ;-)
I like your analysis, Dennis. I'll mess around with foil and tissue and report back. I was wondering if the relatively small diameter of the second string is the culprit: since it sits between a fat wound third string and a thin first string. Maybe that's why the wound .20 works. I also thought I'd try a bigger gauge on the second string - Like an unwound .20. But that doesn't answer why it's happening for me and not for anyone else. I have tried increasing the bar pressure to the point that I pull everything out of tune, and even that doesn't work.
I *must* be haunted.
I asked Bill and he said D'Addario strings is what he likes, and that the Pearse strings have bigger cores and you have to watch out for them. But, Grizz, if you use them on your Bear Creek, they must be OK, so maybe he meant to watch out for their beefier sets.
Bill is sending me the string gauges he put on the guitar, so that will help. He also said this exact buzz sometimes happens with open D, that the folks at National Guitar and he have talked about it a lot and that National is the one that came up with the wound .20 or .22 on the second string.
A forumite sent me a message and suggested I get together with someone local for an in-person session, like Brad Bechtel. I think that's a great idea, and will send him a pm. I hope he has ghost-busting equipment and a therapy background.
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| Grizz says:
2/11/2012 7:40:19 AM
Brad is an excellent idea. Isn't Bill himself somewhere in your vicinity? Another on would be Bill Asher. Samantha's son. He's out on the left coast somewhere. hehehe I have had long conversations with the people at John Pearse. Now you know that not only does Bob Brozman work with and endorse the Bear Creek but he is also a consultant for John Pearse Weissenborn strings. Did you know that John Pearse bought the rights to the "Weissenborn" name and tried to pull a "Gibson" and really pissed some people off. He did manufacture for a while but my understanding was the quality was, shall we say not very good. They were being manufactured in Europe. I have seen one for sale on e-Bay and had the price been better it would probably be here. So I guess the point i am getting at is that I do trust the JP strings. I use the 3160's which are 015-018-027w-038w-048w-060w on my Wessie only and have been for over a year now with no issues. I have but will not use these on my Oahu's. I will continue to use the Alohas. I may have to take that back after i try Ed's tuning. lmao
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| Slidennis says:
2/11/2012 7:45:18 AM
Right Grizz. I'm just trying to put some thoughts out there and see if something sticks.
Liz, Is the buzz more pronounced closer to the 12th fret. That's where the string is the most flexible, the farthest away from the anchor points at the end. So it could also be a meter of that string needing more pressure at that point of the fretboard.
A heavier string, like that wound .020 would be less prone to such deflection.
I get some buzzing if I use a lighter weight slide like a ceramic or a lightweight steel slide. I have to push a bit more than usual to keep it under control. But you've probably tried that.
I'm playing a GT-SM Wessie so I haven't gone beyond an .018 on that one but I have heavier strings on all my other lap instruments including the squareneck resonator I tune in D. That may be the way to go.
Just trying to help a fellow player.
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| Grizz says:
2/11/2012 9:06:37 AM
Hey, i just tuned the Bronson to B (Ed's tuning for Homage and Shallow Brown) with the Alohas. A little mushy but not bad. I'll let you know later if there are any issues when i try playing (hacking),
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 | jacknj says:
2/11/2012 9:19:21 AM
Hey Grizz:
Might be time for a baritone Weissie.
Jack
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| Grizz says:
2/11/2012 9:37:15 AM
Hey Jack, I would love one and a Kona Rocket as well but alas, too many instruments too little money. hehehe
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