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Hello everyone,

I'm trying to figure out what went wrong with my guitar. It's an OM inspired shape, Sitka top, curly mapleback and sides, mahogany neck with maple stringers and ebony bridge, fingerboard and headstock veneer.

When I strum a chord and mute it right away, the portion of the strings between the tuning peg and the nut is ringing, and the body manages to capture that. It's unpleasant for both the player and the recording engineer (and I'm doing both). I know it's as simple as damping that area with a rag, but I would like to prevent this from happening on my next build.

What would you say that went wrong with this one or, better still, how could this be avoided? Apart from that, I'm very satisfied with the way plays and sounds. Its has been opening up a lot lately and its quite linear down the fretboard.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Celso

Sometimes this occurs because the strings are rattling in the nut slots - if you have a bone nut try packing the slot with a little bone dust & superglue, let dry, then re-cut a slightly more narrow nut and see if that fixes it. Usually it is just one or two strings (I would be surprised if its all of them).

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

I think thats pretty common isn't it? I am sure many of you have seen Antoine Dufour who always plays with a bandana tied around there, he says it really bothers him.

Celso, I would say that the strings may be loose in the nut slot. I can't think of anything else.
Also, did you check if the tuners are tight enough?

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

If nothing else seems to work,you could weave a ribbon of felt through the strings above the nut to damp the ringing. This is common on pianos,and earlier,on harpsichords. If done neatly,it could be done in a pleasing way. Or,you could stuff a thick piece of felt behind the nut to damp them. that might be the best way. Get a piece of 1/4" or 3/16" felt,and make a bar of it to damp the strings.

This is simple but sometimes it happens. Check the area where you clipped the string at the tuning gear. Sometimes the string slack is touching another string or itself and this can cause a buzz behind the nut.

I would also check the break angle of the strings at the nut. It seems to me if there is not enough angle on the peghead or the nut slot has not been carved with enough of an angle it could also allow for some ringing.

I've never run into this problem on any of my guitars. I use a 14 degree break angle for the headstock and the cut the nut slots at about 7 or 8 degrees.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

If you use a piece of felt the same color as the nut, it won't stand out so much.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....