Fret Buzz

[Brian Hemming]

Hi Guys

I hope you can help?

I have an ovation 6 string acoustic. All strings open there is no buzz individually fretted there is no buzz however if I play a G chord, IE: 6/5/3 strings at the second fret finger picking the D STRING OPEN BUZZES!

This guitar had the buzz before I got it. I have just finished some fret dressing changed the nut and saddle.

I hope someone can offer some advice (besides throwing the ovation in the bin.

Thanks Brian

[Joshua Levin-Epstein]

You might try your buzz test with a plug in the jack. In the old days, Ovation used a switching jack that rattled until a cord was inserted.

[Ron Frazier]

If anyone is interested I have 2 ovations that met its maker by wives that got mad.  I suppose booze was the cause.

I actually bought them because they had a good case and I made some good money!!

 The next thing is the dumpster but I hate to do that to any guitar.

ron

[Brian Hemming]

Hi Guys

I spoke too soon in identifying the buzz @ the truss rod. The photo I provided showed where I had applied a wedge to stop the vibration it did work! but only temporarily. I packed it up and thought about it for a few days and again I was drawn to the area of the truss rod, because the vibration buzz was originating over the A and D strings immediately above the truss rod.

Even though I had asked myself the question why would the soundboard be hitting and be so close to the truss rod unless there was either a design fault or a collapsing of the soundboard (there were no signs) maybe obscured by the unique heavily supported decorative sound hole Then I decided to place a feeler gauge under the finger board? yep a 5 thousand gap from one side of the finger board to the other spanning 5 frets to the end of the fingerboard up to the sound hole.

This I now believe is where the vibration and buzz is coming from.

I suppose this would of been one of the early check points in the early detection for you guys.

My question is if I am able to remove any old remaining glue do you believe there is enough gap (could be forced a little wider) to force? new glue and clamp without removing the neck completely?

Again any advice would be appreciated

Brian

[Hesh Breakstone]

Shoot it!  ;)  Or better yet do a Game of Thrones on the stinkin thing and cut it's head stock off!

You could use compressed air to blow glue in there and then clamp the crap out of it (and then shoot it...;) ).

See what I mean Ov*tion = scope creep.....

[Roger Häggström]

Use a strip of sandpaper to get rid of some old glue under the fretboard for starters, then use pretty much any type of glue with a spatula to get it in under the fretboard. This is not a high stress joint and don't need to be perfectly strong. Then clamp. For this I would use standard TiteBond or maybe fish glue (stickier than hide glue).

[Brian Hemming]

Thank's for the advice guys

Brian

[Brian Hemming]

Hi Guys.

I have continued with this guitar in the identification and repair of the buzz/vibration.

I have now isolated it to the truss rod (without doubt)! and would appear to be at the nut end.

I removed the nut and drilled a small hole locating the truss rod I then forced some titebond via a syringe into the fingerboard, allowed it to dry for a day and played it. Perfect! all the vibration and buzz was gone however my suspicions were that because it was only a small amount of glue inserted that it would work loose again and therefore repeat the vibrations, I was right.

My questions:

What glue would you recommend I use is there a glue that would expands to fill the space.

Should I drill numerous holes along the fret board and repeat my original process or should I drill a much larger hole in the middle of the fingerboard and then force glue toward the nut end, then repeat the process toward the saddle end to try to fill the truss rod channel with glue as much as possible.

These are just ideas I have come up with to finally fix this guitar therefore would appreciate some expert advice.

Regards

Brian

 

[Russell Vance]

Hi Brian,

Assuming you have drilled into a void associated with the truss rod you may wish to pump some expanding polyurethane glue into the space.   Sparingly is the way here otherwize you run the risk of  locking  up the truss rod action.   I have never looked inside an Ovation neck to check out the trussrod type so it's hard to say anything more here.  

Note:  Where you think the vibration originates is never where it eventually is and the term "no doubt" does not appear in the Luthiers Phrase Book with the exception of relating to time and cost over-runs. 

I recall a tip from the old Trade Secrets books ("I recall" is an advisory term only - my children have to wear nametags these days and the Cats now come to any old name I call em) which involves sacrificing fret dots to drill into the truss rod channel to pump in a bit of localised buzz remover along the truss rod slot/channel and then installing new dots to cover the hack.

Hope this is of some assistance,

Rusty.   

[Brian Hemming]

Thanks Russell

Brian