Newbie with a ticklish problem on an Epiphone

[Richard Freeman]

Hi all,

 

Just signed up and looking for help - or at least some new ideas. I have an Epiphone PR300 dreadnought, not my favourite guitar, bought it by accident, but it's better quality than my beloved old Yamaha FG160. It's developed a clear octave harmonic when plucking the open first string, unless you pick right over the 12th fret. No similar effects playing the same E elsewhere on the neck. A local repair man (a guitar tech, not a luthier, I'll warrant) can find nothing wrong, no loose or cracked components, saddle, nut or tuner issues. Same effect through several changes of string.

 

My next plan is to swap first and second strings and see what we get. Then maybe turn the saddle round to see what happens. But someone out there may know the answer. Any ideas would be most welcome. So many thanks in advance.

[Arthur Sweeney]

My Martin is not a cheap guitar.
Formica?!
Are you kidding me?!

[Ned Knepp]

Formica" is the brand name of a pressed paper/plastic laminate and it very much like the laminate used in the construction of Martin's DXM line of guitars.

There are a lot of different ways to measure "quality". Playability, Sound, Look, Build, Materials can all be measures of quality and I'm sure there are many more. It's entirely possible that a DXM model guitar has the playability, sound, build and look but it's very hard to argue that this sort of construction material is "quality" in comparison to other materials used in guitar construction.

In the end your guitar may very well be a good guitar but you are having a problem that appears to be associated mainly with lower end instruments and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that it is, at least in part, a result of the materials used in it's construction.

Ned

[Paul Verticchio]

No, I'm not kidding.

[Arthur Sweeney]

OK fine. But I still say my guitar is quite nice. The best I have ever owned.
Anyway, back to the problem. It has been solved!
It turns out that there was not enough downward angle
between the nut and the tuning pegs, because I strung
my guitar the wrong way. I wound the strings from bottom
to top, instead of top to bottom. I restrung it the right way,
the downward angle from nut to peg increased, and the problem
went away. My guitar sounds amazing, plays like a dream, formica or not!

[Arthur Sweeney]

Before you bash Martin's formica guitars, consider this, many people, like myself, cannot
afford an all-wood Martin. Plus, I love how the guitar sounds, and plays.

[Richard Freeman]

Hi Tim,

In the context of this ever so slightly snobbish debate about the qualities or otherwise of cheap guitars and value materials - I think you need to post a robust reason for excepting Ovation from the brutal criticism of Formica. Composite moulded back-and-sides is their "key differentiator" or "unique selling point" isn't it? Don't think I've ever played one myself.

[Tim Mace]

I thought it would have remained a discussion about finding an unwanted sound on a guitar.If I got off topic .......Epiphone?
Going to do my research...brb

[Richard Freeman]

It went a bit off-road at an early stage.. I never intended to start a fight!

Thanks to everyone who posted. I've come round to thinking that the Epiphone has a loud harmonic at or about 330 Hz. It's been back in its box for the past week. Maybe the Christmas holiday will be my next chance to carry on the investigation. If there is any progress, I'll be sure to post on here.

[Paul Verticchio]

Richard,

Have you tried a saddle made from a different material than the existing one. Also, have you tested the bottom surface of the saddle to assure it's flat & square.

You may also want to check the saddle slot in the bridge to eliminate any interference (unevenness) between the bottom of the slot and the bottom of the saddle. It should be a perfect match to work as well as it can.

Best of luck with this as eliminating unwanted resonances is a lot like playing whack-a-mole(: Just when you get rid of one, another pops up.

Also, if & when you eliminate the "ring", don't be surprised if the guitar doesn't sound as good as it used to. Damping any critical frequency can have a negative effect on overall tonality.

Again, best of luck with your troubleshooting challenge.