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Thread: Snakehead Buzz

  1. #1

    Default Snakehead Buzz

    I have a '24 Snakehead, Plain A, in excellent condition. I've had it since my previous mandolin was stolen out of my car in the 90s. It has a buzz. Years ago I took it to Dusty Strings in Seattle and they put a shim under the bass end of the nut. I hadn't played much for about 10 years until recently. I've been playing pretty consistently for a couple years and there is an intermittent buzz, especially if I hit the G string hard. I'm beginning to wonder if it's the pick guard or the tail piece cover being loose. I've tightened the nuts on the pick guard bracket but I'm not sure how else to tighten up the fit. When I take the pick guard off it seems to help but does not entirely eliminate the problem. And, like I said it's inconsistent, so hard to know what's working. I live in a small town, not actually very near Seattle and don't know of a good luthier locally. Is this a known problem? Any ideas or suggestions?
    Thanks
    Lynn

  2. #2
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    Make sure everything-hardware is tight, put a small piece of leather in between the cover and strings and if that doesn't help the top brace may be loose? Is the top sinking in? you'll know if the top is depressed under the bridge area.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    No sinkage. I'll try the leather. I guess I hadn't even thought of the braces being loose.
    Thanks,
    Lynn

  4. #4

    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    If the tuner buttons/shafts are loose you can temporarily stretch rubber bands around them and play it to see. Or have somebody help you while you are playing and touch them one at a time to narrow it down.

  5. #5
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    They make little rubber grommets you can put in between the strings also. If the top under the bridge feet isn't dented in you may be fine. Even if its dented a bit that still may mean a non loose transverse brace, a full contact bridge will fix the top depression dents under the feet-at least its worked for me. All it takes is one screw or nut to be loose to make a rattle, check the truss rod cover nut as well.

  6. #6
    Registered User Mike Buesseler's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    It’s a lot more fun to help someone else hunt down a buzz than it is to find one yourself on your own instrument.

    I’ve found and fixed a few. I remember one (not even sure what instrument...) that was a loose nut on a truss rod! It was not my first guess!

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  8. #7
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    Yep always check everything! There was something buzzing on my 24 Loar and it was both nuts on the pickguard bracket! But I've also had old ones with the truss rod nut loose and the TRC screws loose-believe me it all makes a huge difference!

  9. #8
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    My Gretsch Penguin twice now got an odd buzz and both times it was the strings. Some of the winding s buzzing, only time it has ever happened to me.
    My avatar is of my OldWave Oval A

    Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.

  10. #9
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    Frank Ford has this Buzz Diagnosis page on his www.frets.com site.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  12. #10
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    How old are the strings?
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  13. #11

    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    Thank you all for your help. Strings are only a couple weeks old. I think I've got it narrowed down to the tail piece cover. The buzz goes away when I slide it partway off where it fits tightly. I'll try and very carefully bend the side of the cover in a little bit so it fits better. It did take two of us to run it down, one plucking strings and the other searching for the rattle.
    Lynn

  14. #12
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Snakehead Buzz

    Glad you traced it!
    However, “Snakehead Buzz” sounds like a great name for a band!
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

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