Faint Neck Tick

[Tanner Nichols]

Hi there!

Something came up recently that I was wondering if anyone has ever seen
before.

I just purchased a new D-28 which is a truly amazing instrument!
And I just noticed tonight that there is the slightest tick coming from
where the neck joins the body when I apply a small amount of forward
pressure to the neck. The sound is so faint that I could probably
forget about it and never notice it again, but I somehow managed to
notice it and was curious. I literally have to put my ear close to the
neck and apply the pressure to hear it; it is very faint. Also, It is
always a single 'tick' and nothing more. Kind of like a creak you might
here in a chair or something, it doesn't have a metallic buzz or
rattling sound to it. Just a 'tick'...


I thought I may have a loose tuner washer, so I removed them all
(they are Gotoh open back tuners). But even with all the washers off
the tick is still there (I'm glad I removed the washers nevertheless).

I
then thought that the truss rod may not have any tension on it since it's a new guitar, so I
checked it, but it did indeed have tension. It seems the shop set it
for me before shipping it. The relief is at .004" and plays buzz free
even when playing hard. Nonetheless I loosened the truss rod nut just a
smidge and tightened it back again, but that tick sound is still there
when I apply forward pressure to the neck.


Like I said, it is very faint, and I could easily live with it as
long as it doesn't get louder, but my fear is that it could be
something horrible like a faulty glue joint or something. I would truly
hate to have the neck reset on this brand new custom.


Any clue? Have you ever seen this before?

Thanks so much!!

[Donald A. Fortune]

sounds like you baught your self a martin- I would get ahold of them and ask the same question..
Peace, Donald

[Tanner Nichols]

Yes I did. Who do I call at Martin that would be experienced enough technically to give me advice on what to do? This guitar is brand new and under warranty. If I end up having to ship it back to them, how long does that usually take?

[William F.Eden]

Three Months>>>>>>>>>

[Frank Ford]

It's entirely possible that the truss rod is moving ever so slightly in its channel, or that elements of the rod are rubbing as you lean on the neck. In that circumstance no repair would be needed, or appropriate, in my opinion.

Vague possibility of a loose dovetail, neck block or other glued part, but so unlikely that I wouldn't expect it.

I suggest you take to a Martin authorized repair shop for a look-see. No hurry, though, because whatever warranty issue you might have will still be covered in the future.

[Tanner Nichols]

Nice, thank you so much for that advice!

[Tanner Nichols]

I just did a few things to see if I could further eliminate other possibilities. I removed the strings and removed the drop-in saddle (I was attempting to eliminate the strings, slippage at the nut, and the saddle from the equation). I applied forward pressure on the neck while holding the guitar in the air, and I still heard the predictable, though almost silent, tick. Since there was no string tension, I had to press slightly harder on the neck to hear it, but it still made the noise and was able to be reproduced every time.

So, I slowly loosened the truss rod nut until there was no pressure by the rod at all, and after applying forward pressure, I still got the tick. While the truss rod nut was loose, I wiggled on it side to side (gently) to try to change the way the rod might be seated, and I re-tightened it slowly and appropriately. But I still got the tick.

I restrung and adjusted the neck relief back to normal, but I still get that dang tick. lol

I am taking it to a Martin Authorized repair man on Wednesday. But I am a tinkerer, and it just bugs me that I can't figure out what it is. Also, the more things I think I eliminate, the more I am afraid it might be a faulty glue joint or something on my brand new Martin.

However, another part of me realizes that the tick sound is SO faint, that even if it is a faulty glue joint, it may be so minor as to never have a negative affect at all. And this guitar will eventually have its neck reset once the wood has settled like it does on all guitars. So, I'm trying not to worry about it.

Thanks very much!

[Ron Frazier]

If you send it to martin it will be gone several weeks. Go back to where you bought it and talk to them. If you got it from a catalog good luck. !!!

Could it be your wrist bones cracking or maybe your chair?

Ron

[Tanner Nichols]

I bought it from an online dealer, and I don't want to sent it back. This guitar has the most incredible sound of an D28 I can ever remember playing. Such boom and such clarity all at the same time. So, I wouldn't return it even if I find out it needs a neck reset.

And there's no possible way it's anything like the chair or my bones. It is reproduceable every time no matter where I'm at or who is putting the pressure on the neck. And the sound is identical every time (tick)... Sometimes, not often, but sometimes the first time I do it if it's been sitting in its case for a while it sounds more like a creak. Like maybe multiple ticks. But once i've done it the first time it is only a single tick from then on.

I appreciate the reply!

[Tanner Nichols]

Ack, well I just noticed something very disturbing and telling.

When I put forward pressure on the neck and watch the glue line between the body and the neck down near the heal cap, I can see the neck flex away from the body ever so slightly. I don't want you all to think I am putting large amounts of forward pressure on the neck to notice this. I discovered the problem when I was merely wiping the neck down with a cloth before putting in it's case for the night. And that's about the same amount of pressure I have to put on the neck to reproduce the "tick". And now I am seeing along the glue line where the neck connects to the body, the neck flexing away from the body. It seems that a glue joint may indeed be faulty.

Now the question is, should I have a local Martin Authorized Repair man fix this (probably will require removing the neck and re-gluing it), or should I send it to Martin to have it done which may take a long time?