Buzzing Question

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ukulele imbecile

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I bought a new Applause Ukulele with pickups at a local store and there seems to be a strange buzzing some of the notes that I play. Is this just because I am used to my cheap painted mahalo or is it likely the pickups are loose inside? I can post a recording later tonight. I'm hoping to take it back in tomorrow and I'd like to be confident that there is a problem if there is one.

Update: I uploaded a recording http://www.box.net/shared/kzqqm0eeco
Its pretty intermittent and seems to be coming from inside the ukulele body in the general area where the pickup controls are.
 
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ukulele imbecile said:
I bought a new Applause Ukulele with pickups at a local store and there seems to be a strange buzzing some of the notes that I play. Is this just because I am used to my cheap painted mahalo or is it likely the pickups are loose inside? I can post a recording later tonight. I'm hoping to take it back in tomorrow and I'd like to be confident that there is a problem if there is one.
Click to expand...

can you tell if the buzzing is from something loose or the strings hitting something:eek:
 
I don't know, but I played one last month at a uke meetup with the exact same issue. Otherwise it was a sweet uke.
 
Maybe you pluck it funky. My dad, who refuses to accept the ukulele as a real instrument despite my ability to play his favorite Santana song on it, tried playing with it, but it buzzed when I let him try it today. It doesn't buzz when I play, though.
 
Violins are small and have 4 strings, I guess they're not real instruments either.

And yeah it's possible to use a bow on a uke. ;)

That kind of stuff is just rude, rude, rude. Negative karma points for your dad! ;)

My uklectic came with aquilas, and after a few weeks, I could get the C string to oscilate in such a way that it buzzed against the pin on the pin bridge. Don't pluck that way, right? Well then it started happening unintentionally. I changed strings and problem solved.

If you have to stand on your head and play your uke behind you in order to get it buzz, that's not really a buzz. But if it happens, and it's not your bumbling fingers, or old strings, or you have one of those tuners that needs cotton inside, then maybe you've got an honest-to-goodness buzz.
 
I know, I know. Like my old Koaloha ksm-10 that's with someone else now. It has a buzz on the E string (still the original set of strings I think). The guy says it was there when he bought it from me but either I would have noticed or my husband. He doesn't play uke, but he played guitar and knows a buzz when he hears one.

But that uke has the old style tuners that need the cotton changed every now and then. I sent the new owner the youtube video of how to do it, but he still has questions, and hasn't done it yet. I don't know why I care, but I feel like I'm its biological parent and it bothers me that it buzzes.
 
I took it in and they said that accoustic electrics always have the buzz from the wire in the body
 
i have that problem w/ one of my fav ukes in my collection. What a drag! I feel like I need dentist tools to reach in and maybe tape the wire secure to the inner body. LOL

but eh, I'm lazy!
LOL
 
They didn't have any other Ukes with pickups in store for me to try. I'm going to wait a few days and see if its still noticable, I could get them to order a replacement if I pushed it.
 
What we need to hear is from Ovation owners, of which there are a fair few (I think even Aldrine has one?). Does it buzz if pushed? It could just be that you're not supposed to push it to be that loud, that's what the pickup's for.
 
I just noticed a buzz on the C string (aquilas) on my Kanilea Tenor today. But it's only when I pluck moderately hard. I hope it fixes itself, since the uke and the strings are still rather new.
 
I just noticed this thread...must have been on charter when it started.

We have two Applause ukuleles with pick-ups: a soprano and a tenor. Buzzing has not been an issue with either of them. (Of course, now they're in storage in NM, so who knows what they sound like.)
 
ukulele imbecile said:
I took it in and they said that accoustic electrics always have the buzz from the wire in the body
Click to expand...
I have a feeling that the people at the store just don't want you to return the uke.

My second ukulele was a cordoba and after a few weeks of playing it I too noticed some buzzing on only the A string, and eventually the buzzing got so bad that I couldn't even play the string at all. What had happened was the neck of the ukulele had warped on me from humidity issues in my dormroom.

I would say that the buzzing is probably from the strings hitting lower frets when you are trying to play a note. Look down the neck, even the slightest warping of the neck can offset the frets and the strings making a buzzing noise.

If you see any of this I would recomend returning the ukulele or asking for a new one of the same model. They also sell cases with hummidifers to help prevent warping in the uke I would deffinatly recomend one seeing as I killed my poor cordoba because my room was too dry:(.

Oh, and just to let you know I have a pono acustic eletric,which I picked up from musicguymic :), and have had 0 buzzing at all.

I wish you the best of luck:D
 
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What happened?
I have an Applause 158 tenor and it has a similar buzz. It comes from around the bridge, the slightest touch on there stops it but nothing appears to be loose either inside or outside. Am I right in thinking the pick-up is built into the bridge and a wire could be rattling around in there out of sight?
 
Ok, I just took the back off again and checked, the pick-up wire goes into the bridge somewhere near the g string, the rattle always came from the other side near the A, BUT with the back off (and since replacing it) I couldn't get it to rattle at all no matter how I played it.

As for the Applause battery changing thing... agreed it's a bit fiddly, but nothing compared to changing the battery on an Ashbury. For the sake of a few cms of wire......


hoosierhiver said:
that's a load of crap!
Click to expand...
yeah I think that translates as "Dont want to know mate"
 
The repair person told you a bunch of hooey. NO uke is supposed to buzz when played. Doesnt matter if its acoustic or electric. (I have both kinds). Take it to a recommended repair shop (or better yet, a luthier)with expereinced repair persons who work on ukes.
If the buzz is coming from the fretboard, it is more than likey the action of your strings that needs adjustment. If the buzz is from the body, it could be a loose fitting pickup inside.
 
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