Weird resonance when playing G

robinboyd

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Hi guys. I just got a new uke, and in general I love it (pics etc. coming soon in another post), but it does this weird rattly thing when I play a G, either on the open G string or on the third fret of the E string. It doesn't seem to do it when I play the same note on the C string. Any idea what might be causing this? The uke sounds wonderful otherwise, but the sound gets spoiled every time I play a G.
 
Google tells me that this is probably a "sympathetic resonance." I still can't work out what is causing it though. None of the bracing seems to be loose. Could it be the bead that is used to secure the string for the string-through bridge?
 
If it is in the body, it may be hard to find. The first thing I would do is to make sure the tuners are tight. Sometimes a nut will be a little loose and will buzz with certain notes. If it were a howl or a louder sound with a particular note, it may be the build, but a rattle is a different animal.

John
 
It appears to be coming from the body. I think it has too much sustain to be at the tuners. I'm not sure how to describe it. If it were an engine noise, I'd say it was a hole in the muffler.
 
If you're not happy with the uke you should return it. If the buzz irritates you now it will only become a greater annoyance as time goes by.
 
If you're not happy with the uke you should return it. If the buzz irritates you now it will only become a greater annoyance as time goes by.

That's all very well, but shipping was a large part of the cost of the uke and it was not bought from a major company, so it's not something that would be easy to return. I'd much rather get the issue sorted.
 
I tend to get something like that on a few of my ukes, but it's never bothered me.
Does it still do it if you pluck further up the string, mid way along its length?
(I read somewhere, maybe on here, about unequal length of strings resonating differently.)
 
Do you mean if I play a G on the C string? No, it doesn't. It's only when I play it on the G or E strings (and I get a little buzz playing an A as well, as shown in the video).
 
Oh right. It doesn't seem to make a difference. I was playing with that a bit earlier to try and work out what was doing it. I just took out the beads but I haven't retuned it yet. If that doesn't work, then I'm stumped, but at least we have eliminated one variable.
 
That definitely sounds like a fret buzz. Does the action seem low?? Sight down the neck from body to headstock, does the neck have relief in the middle of it or is it flat. Can you see if it has a slight twist, wrap of hump. I would bet that you have a couple of frets that are too high. I had a Pono with a truss rod and if I adjusted the action too low I would hear the same thing.

Slide a matchstick or something similar between the strings and fretboard at the nut. Make sure the "matchstick or whatever" is just slightly taller than the clearance between strings and fret board. This will in effect raise the action and prove or disprove wether you have fret buzz.
 
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That definitely sounds like a fret buzz. Does the action seem low?? Sight down the neck from body to headstock, does the neck have relief in the middle of it or is it flat. Can you see if it has a slight twist, wrap of hump. I would bet that you have a couple of frets that are too high. I had a Pono with a truss rod and if I adjusted the action too low I would hear the same thing.

Slide a matchstick or something similar between the strings and fretboard at the nut. Make sure the "matchstick or whatever" is just slightly taller than the clearance between strings and fret board. This will in effect raise the action and prove or disprove wether you have fret buzz.

Actually, the action on this uke is higher than I would like. Also, the fact that the same note on 2 different strings triggers this really leads me to think that it is a sympathetic resonance rather than a fret buzz.
 
I took off the beads and just used knots to attach the strings and it didn't help. I think we have eliminated that variable.
 
I was going to suggest that it might be related to string ends (or beads) touching the underside of top, but it appears you checked that box. Possibly a loose brace - but it sounds to me like one of those really elusive wood ghosts! Half kidding - I once bought a brand new high end Taylor guitar that had this strange buzz just like that. I sent it back to them and it turned out that the guitar was perfect - but they couldn't get rid of the buzz (on certain notes only). They explained that sometimes vibrating wood will do that. They said my choice was to either live with it, return the guitar for a refund, or they would make a new top for it. I liked the guitar, so I opted to have them make a new top. Sure enough, with the new top, the buzz was gone!
 
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Unfortunately this one was made by a really small operator and postage was a large part of the cost. I don't think returning it is a viable option...
 
One thing that I'll try, which will mitigate the problem, but not solve it, is to put a low G string on it. At the moment, chords like G and Em sound awful because there are 2 strings buzzing on the high G. Having a low G string would bring that down to 1, and eliminate the problem from many chords altogether. It's not really a solution, but at least it will help. I've got a few low G strings getting delivered next week, so we'll see how that goes.
 
Maybe take all the strings off except the 4th (G) tuned to high G. While it might be time consuming you may be able to isolate the problem by pressing on different braces from inside the sound hole. You'll need something like a dental pick and possibly bend it with more curve. Can't say if this will help, but if you find the spot where it is buzzing, you may be able to have a luthier work that area.

John
 
Thanks. I'll take it to a luthier when I have the money and have a bit more of a poke around when I have the time.
 
There is evidence that there is a resonance with the frequency associated with G (happens on 2 strings when G is played). But still could be coincidence. So...
If there is a buzz on that instrument truely associated with that frequency, then we should be able to reproduce it in more places.
You say the 2nd string, 3rd fret (which is G) creates the buzz. So tune that string down a full step to D. Now G will be on that string on the fifth fret. See if the buzz is gone from the 3rd fret, but now has moved to the 5th fret. Now tune that string up two full steps to F#. In this case G has moved to the first fret. See if the buzz has followed, and only occurs now at the first fret.

If the buzz truely moves wherever G occurs, then I think that would confirm a resonance to that particular frequency on that instrument, and is not related to fret buzz, action, relief, etc.
 
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