I've never owned an electric acoustic with this type of pickup before and I'm wondering if that little wire under the bridge could be causing this? If so, what can I do about it? I noticed it there when I tried changing strings to see if it helped, but it didn't. When changing the strings I reached down inside to see if the bridge truss was loose, but it felt solid. The noise sounds like anywhere from a soft buzz to a very pronounced rattle, depending on the notes played. The odd thing is, it doesn't come through the amp if I plug the guitar in. I'd appreciate any help on this. This is my first "nice" acoustic and I'm kind of freaking out. Thanks!
mysterious noise in my new Breedlove
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navonski |
mysterious noise in my new Breedlove |
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Hello, I just bought an Atlas series AD25/SM I'm liking it a lot except for an annoying problem. I get a rattling sound from the bridge area when 2 or more
notes are played at the same time. It doesn't happen all the time, but it seems like certain combinations of strings and notes will cause it. There is no
fret buzz anywhere that I can find.
I've never owned an electric acoustic with this type of pickup before and I'm wondering if that little wire under the bridge could be causing this? If so, what can I do about it? I noticed it there when I tried changing strings to see if it helped, but it didn't. When changing the strings I reached down inside to see if the bridge truss was loose, but it felt solid. The noise sounds like anywhere from a soft buzz to a very pronounced rattle, depending on the notes played. The odd thing is, it doesn't come through the amp if I plug the guitar in. I'd appreciate any help on this. This is my first "nice" acoustic and I'm kind of freaking out. Thanks! |
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Greg F |
#1 | |||
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I've had the same problem with my C25 Master Class. It seems sometimes the weather is a factor....sometimes I'll just "tweak" the bridge
doctor. Chances are it's not the wire (that would most likely be the transducer your talking about) under the bridge. Mine seems a bit sensitive to a G
note played in various places on the neck. I've dubbed it a harmonic rattle. If I lay my little finger on the bridge with the least amount of pressure it
stops. When I was visiting Breedlove this past summer I did talk to one person about this. If I remember correctly...I was told he's the go to person for
problems. I explained and he told me to check for anything loose inside the body. Wires,battery,or even a loose brace. Didn't find anything when I got home
and checked it. My guess...........correct adjustment of the JLD bridge doctor. The device has very little contact in area with the guitar top. This seems to
me,would make it very sensitive to some kind of "rattle" if not in contact with the top correctly. This would mean square and flat to the top and the
proper amount of pressure. The more I think about it the more I can see the possibility of certain, lets say frequencies?, to vibrate the top and loose contact
with the bridge dr. in a way that might just get some sort of strange noise from it. I've seen hi speed film of a guitar top vibrating and that thing
really gets to moving. Anyhow...I'm rambling now and really taking a guess about this. Good luck with finding out the problem. If you get the answer please
post it. Mr. Ingram....any input???
Greg F |
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navonski |
#2 | |||
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Thanks for the reply! I read in the owner's manual about adjusting the bridge truss, I'm a little nervous about trying it. I've never seen a system
like this before! If need be, I'm going to give it a shot and post what happens. But I'll check for loose stuff first. Good idea about the battery etc.
Never thought of that.
Weather may be a factor, I'm in wintry Minnesota, I'm wondering if I should get one of those humidifier thingys for the soundhole. Are they any good? Maybe I should try that and see if the problem goes away. whew! I never thought an acoustic would be so complicated! heheh
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Greg F |
#3 | |||
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BRRRRR...I've lived in Florida now for about 10 years. An Ohio transplant. Having 39 years of winter experience and having burnt hundreds of cords of wood
to stay warm I would suggest a humidifier.Especially if you heat your place in this way. Even it it dosen't cure the rattle problem it might just avoid
other problems down the line. I have a Planet Wave humidifier and I like it because it won't leak no mater what position the guitar is stored in. Really
not much need to humidify a guitar in Florida but it does get a little dry here once in a while. After I posted the other day I got curious about one of my
other guitars. I installed one of the bridge doctors in in my D28 Martin. I don't play this guitar much and when I got it out and played it I found really
close to the same noise coming from it the same place. Hmmmm? Coincidence? Tweaked the little bugger a little bit and it was gone. This guitar isn't as
sensitive as the breedlove and maybe that's why it was easier to correct. I will tell you that my Martin was brought back to life when I installed bridge
doctor. A great tool. Wish I would have invented it!!! Stay warm and keep playing.
Greg F |
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elkdog77 |
Strange Noises | #4 | ||
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Well I just bought a new Breedlove AC25 + and I too have the strange noises. However, I am also experiencing some fret buzz with both the low E and A strings.
I have already tried adjusting the neck but it still buzzes. I am still rather new at playing so any help at all would be greatly appreciated!
- Chris |
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RGG Music |
#5 | |||
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Chris, Congrats on your new guitar. How long have you had it? Has it always buzzed, or has this started recently. It sounds like a lack of humidity might be
the culprit. In the winter, our heating systems can make the air way too dry and that can cause some real problems for guitars. The fret buzz you describe
could be a symptom of that. A humidifier in your guitar case can prevent a world of problems for you, and in this case, it might even bring your guitar back
to life.
If it's not that, then perhaps your guitar just needs a setup. Truss rod adjustments can be tricky and sometimes harmful. If you're a newbie, you might want to leave that to your repair person until you get a little more experience with tinkering around. I'd suggest a few days with a humidifier and if that doesn't bring it back, then you should take it where you bought it and ask them to set it up for you. Good luck! Dave |
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navonski |
UPDATE from original post | #6 | ||
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Well its been a month since I originally posted and wanted to give an update. The "rattletrap" as the Breedlove is now unaffectionately called is no
better. I've tried various amounts of tension on the bridge truss, got a nice humidifier and adjusted the humidity its in to recommended levels for the
last 4 weeks, secured all the wiring from movement, re-seated the bridge many times, and still nothing. Basically, I have a $1000 piece of firewood. I wish to
god I had never bought this thing. I've heard so many good things about Breedlove, but I guess I just got a lemon. I'm so frustrated and depressed
about this. I'd been saving a long time and sold other pieces of gear just to have this guitar and it's turned out to be such a piece of garbage. Can
anyone think of anything else I could do? I'm really desperate here. Thanks.
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MarioEd |
#7 | |||
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My first thought would be to take it to a luthier and have them check it out. From your description it sounds possibly like a loose brace. This is something
that can be tricky to locate but on the plus side it is a pretty easy repair for a luthier.
Regards, Ed
"Music
will be a companion which will sweeten many hours of life
to you."
Thomas Jefferson |
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stevezenof |
#8 | |||
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If it makes you feel any better, I just bought a AD25/SR Plus with what sounds like a similar issue--an occasional soft rattle underneath the bridge.
I seem to have isolated the problem to a matter of finger positioning on the fret. I have also been able to repeat the rattle consistently based on my finger positioning. In trying to isolate the problem finger-by-finger, fret-by fret I find that within each fret, the closer the finger is to the headnut, the more the soft rattle. The heavier the string, the more pronounced the rattle (although the rattle is still a soft one by any measure). I switched out the strings and that didn't help. Everything inside the guitar seems to be solid. The action on the guitar is perfect.. Interestingly, I exchanged the guitar at Guitar Center with a new one and was able to repeat the rattling. So, I've got to ask myself, is the soft rattling due to poor technique? Is the bridge perhaps amplifying some small bit of fret buzz? I find it hard to believe I could have purchased two AD25/SR guitars, made at different times, that both have the same exact issue. I would love to know if the matter is caused by me and/or the design of the guitar or if anyone has solved the matter? Perhaps it's entirely normal for this to occur if you don't press the string down in the proper place within the fret?
Last Edited By: stevezenof November 23, 2008 19:32:36.
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atlas idaho |
I would contact Breedlove directly | #9 | ||
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I would contact Breedlove directly for a RA# so you can return it for proper set-up and diagnosis at their factory in Oregon. They are great people and I am
sure they will take care of you. I bought an atlas that I returned to them (since I do not have a local trusted luthier) for setup as the action was a little
above factory specifications with some fret corrosion. I have not yet received the guitar back, but they were fantastic to work with. Keep in mind you will
have to cover the return shipping cost to them, but at least they would do the work under warranty for no charge if there is a problem.
I also think there is possibly something to what "stevezenof" is saying. Depending on how you fret certain chords, there may be a buzz that is being amplified and perhaps it is no cause of the guitar. At any rate, the Breedlove factory would be able to check it out for you at no charge (other than shipping to them) under warranty. http://www.breedloveguitars.com/contact/index.php I can imagine your frustration, but I am certain they will make things right if there is a problem. Keep in mind that nearly everyone at the factory is at NAMM this week and you might be better off calling next week. I spoke with Devin about my atlas (AD/25SR Plus) issues and he was very helpful. Regards, |
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navonski |
#10 | |||
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Thanks a lot for the responses, I really appreciate it. The technique idea is worth considering, but I have three other acoustics, although none are as nice as
this one, none of them make this noise when playing with the same technique. But I think I'll have a friend try it out without telling him any of the
problems and see if he experiences the same thing. That might help narrow it down.
I'm nervous about contacting the factory and mailing the guitar, but I guess it will probably have to come down to that. I'll contact them when NAMM is over. Thanks again you guys. If anyone else has any thoughts, please share. I'll post again when there's a new development. Thanks!
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David Ingram |
#11 | |||
navonski wrote: We're back from NAMM. Don't be nervous - give us a shout and we can help you get this resolved! David
..............................................
David J. Ingram Marketing Communications Breedlove Guitar Company www.breedloveguitars.com .............................................. |
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stevezenof |
#12 | |||
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I discovered my rattling bridge problem on my AD25/SR Plus was, in fact, due to technique after all and fretting the string improperly (within each fret, the
closer the finger is to the headnut, the more the soft rattle from apparently beneath the bridge). Frankly, I'm relieved.
As an experiment, I went to Guitar Center and found I could replicate the rattling on any guitar I played, regardless of brand and even on the highest-end guitars, when I replicated the fingering the exact same way on each guitar. Interestingly, some guitars were more "forgiving" than others in terms of how audible the rattling was from the bridge, although price did not necessarily = level of foregiveness. So, it seems the issue was a type of ever-so-slight-fret buzz, visually imperceptible, that was being amplified at the bridge and causing the bridge rattle, but not audible from the fret itself.
Last Edited By: stevezenof November 23, 2008 19:32:54.
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ragtime man |
#13 | |||
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I'm glad you got it figured out. Now a little work on technique and you should have it solved for good.
ragtime man |
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