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Not yet certain, but I think I have a loose brace. Not present/apparent on all notes and/or acoustic volumes but there is certainly a buzz. I've done the typical.. make sure things are snug, check fret height, relief, etc.). Got my wife to hold down bits while I cause the buzz and listen. Not any of the typical suspects like loose pickup rings, pickguard, tailpiece, et al. Sounds to me like it's a fizzy buzz coming from inside the box that is particularly easy to notice playing a G9 at the 10th fret. The guitar is otherwise very sound Gibson L5 studio (no cracks or wood shrinkage or other problems).
So.. I could pull the pickups to see what I can find but in any case I don't see this as a DIY repair. I don't have the sort of tools to get a brace solid while the glue dries and the guitar is a bit too expensive to muck with. Looks like I'll have to drive the 4 hours to take it to a competent shop. My question is.. further troubleshooting or give up, give in, and plan a nice weekend in Portland of Bay Area.
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04-06-2024 04:08 AM
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i suggest further isolating the problem
loosening the strings
pull them to the side and wrap some cloth round them an tape them up
remove the neck pickup , 4 screws,
wrap in cloth and tape it up out of the way
retighten the strings
see if that cures the problem
repeat the process till you hopefully find the culprit ….
pus / switch / jack socket
yes it’s a laborious process but cheaper and easier that repairing a brace and i feel these other possibilities should be eliminated first ….
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There are SO many possible culprits for buzzes, the usual suspects and the pesky unusual ones that take hours to isolate.
I would recommend that after you've eliminated the usuals, take it to a luthier/repair person who's got a long solid track record and have them look at it. They'll also know the best way to address what they find and a seasoned repairman will have seen ALL sorts of things you wouldn't imagine.
Certainly more than we can know from a description alone.
Good luck!
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There are multiple threads here on archtop buzzes, plus Frank Ford's frets.com site is still up. It's just impossible to make any credible recommendation based solely on one post. I've been wrong about what the cause of noises was too many times to even suggest what to do.
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+1!
Originally Posted by sgosnell
Buzzing can come from so many things that it’s impossible to know without checking everything methodically. I’ve had odd noises from a cracked pickup ring, a broken spring on a pickup mounting screw, a loose tuner button, a loose hex nut on a tuner shaft, a loose pick in the body, a wiring harness that rested loosely against an inside surface, etc etc.
Simple tests include slipping enough paper or pick thickness between each pickup and its retaining ring to damp pickup-related vibration, picking up the guitar and shaking it in all positions (top up, top down, bass side up, bass side down, etc), checking all fasteners for tightness, etc. If you haven’t inspected the inside with a mirror, phone camera, bore scope etc, this is essential too.
Good luck - some of these weird noises are very hard to find. The good news is that it’s not likely to be a serious problem if the guitar has not been shocked or allowed to dry out.
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Agree this is not a seriously problem but one of detective work. If it were me in your shoes, I would do anything to avoid the 4-hour drive. Take it all apart and remember patience is rewarded. Then go through all checks. You can then physically do a better look inside with pickups removed. Feel all around and get you mirror out and go over every inch of space inside the guitar. I personally doubt it is a loose brace in a L5 that would be rare. I small crack could cause buzz too. If something like a brace loose or small crack, you could very well do the job yourself if you have clamps of right size.
I did a repair about 6 months ago someone had a buzz on their old Epiphone Deluxe. Small crack near the treble f hole. It did not go through all the way to inside top of guitar. I was like a small starting crack from outside. Guitar buzzed at c# 9th fret and around. I glued 2 small spruce cleats with grain at 90 degree angle from the top grain on the underside of top of course. The guitar completely lost all the buzz, over done and gone. It can happen.
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FWIW
I had a buzz that I couldn't identify in my Gibson ES 125
I finally found that it was a wire vibrating against the top inside
Easy fix !
I hope you solve it quickly
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I once had a buzz that almost drove me crazy. Turned out to be a metal plaque hung on the wall that vibrated sympathetically at certain frequencies. This in addition to almost everything possible on an archtop, and there are many possibilities. Any nut is a suspect, including those on the headstock. Most loose objects vibrate more at certain frequencies. Anything inside the body - cables, washers, whatever. Pickguard, including all the hardware and the guard itself, against the body or bridge. Other guitars in the room. I'm with the deacon, check everything carefully, then do it again and maybe a third time, before making a four hour drive. Things you may not even believe possible can be sources of buzzing.
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It's on the bench and will get a thorough going through. I'm going to have to make a drive to either Portland or the Bay Area for a proper tech anyway. I have several guitars in need of work including a neck reset on a Goodall. Still.. it would be kind of satisfying to find/fix this buzz.
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I use a Bore endoscope that plugs into my laptop usb. Let's you see inside the guitar to examine it. Very useful.
Not terribly expensive either.
I think it beats the dental mirror.
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Yeah, those are very useful. I have one of those, bought for a few dollars from ebay, and it's well worth having. I can look all around inside a guitar and get a good idea of what might be going on in there. It works with my phone or computer, and the 4k monitor gives by far the best view, but sometimes the phone is much easier.
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