Eastman AR503 - Mild Distortion Problem

[sylvain54000]

when i play my new eastman ar 503, there's a mild distortion when i play two or more notes together. As if the notes did not blend together ( i don't know how to explain it differently).
Never had that that problem on all the classical guitars i have played or on my godin 5th avenue.
Have any clue ?
Of course, that is when i play all acoustic!

[PTChristopher]

Sylvain,

It is hard to follow what you are saying. Can you please just simply state exactly what you are doing and exactly what happens. If you can describe the situation (sans aucune fioriture rhétoriques), I am sure we can figure out the problem and make suggestions.

Chris

[sylvain54000]

Sylvain,

It is hard to follow what you are saying. Can you please just simply state exactly what you are doing and exactly what happens. If you can describe the situation (sans aucune fioriture rhétoriques), I am sure we can figure out the problem and make suggestions.

Chris

Sans aucune fioriture réthorique , il ya une légère distortion qd je joue plusieurs notes ensemble, comme si les notes ne se mélangeait pas.( ce qui correspond grosso merdo à la traduction de mon post en anglais).
pas facile de décrire avec des mots un pb sur une gratte sans la voir.
je joue de deux notes ensemble, ça sature....

[Philco]

Shot in the dark.......my L5 does this. It's always the pickup making the "gurgling sound". I remedied it for a while by putting foam in between the pickup surround and the cover. Every now and then the sound comes back and I simply push on the pickup cover or give it a wiggle and it stops.
This may or may not be your problem.

I had a Gibson 775 that was a rattle and buzz machine. The pickup covers, the tunomatic bridge and the washers on the splines of the control knobs, also the scratch plate and the knobs themselves. Everything had to be secured in some way.
Could be any one of those things.

[PTChristopher]

Hi Sylvain,

Thanks for the second description. And thanks for the intro to modern text abbreviations in French (qd and more humorously, pb).

In my opinion you are very likely hearing a sympathetic vibration. Unfortunately this can come from a wide variety of places on the guitar.

Philco mentions above a very common source of the problem, the PU vibrating against the PU mounting bezel.

Can you try to stuff some paper towel or something similar between the PU cover and the mounting bezel on the two long sides of the PU cover (so not the sides where the mounting screws are).

This does not have to be beautiful for a test. If it is the problem, then we can suggest a good-looking and effective solution.

The next thing to try is to play the guitar left handed. This sounds stupid, but if it is an internal wire that is just barely touching something, this often will stop it. We can then suggest a more useful solution than playing left handed forever.

It is extremely unlikely that you have a serious problem such as a loose brace or faulty truss rod installation.

Chris

[PFC @ Eastman]

I would certainly check all of the screws on the instrument, tighten your tuners, tailpiece, and all of your pickup parts. If there is ever a vibration, it is usually in the wiring/pickup, and can easily be fixed with a piece of foam/rubber.

Let me know if the problem persists!

[Sphere]

Most likely either the pickguard, or, as suggested above, the pickup vibrating against the ring.

[Munk]

Among the many different issues I have had with my Eastman guitar, there was also a very annoying periodic buzz, which after many repair attempts, finally seemed to be fixed. It was a cable inside touching the top. Hope you will have better luck with your dealer and the Eastman company.

[bluefonia]

I had a buzzing/distorting sound on my AR403 too. As Philco suggested earlier it was the pu ratling against the pu-cover. Two small pieces of black foam took care of that. Mayby PTC can come up with a better solution

I also have an Ibanez AEG10NE which suffered from the internal-wire-ratling, which sounds very similar to distortion.

[sylvain54000]

Among the many different issues I have had with my Eastman guitar, there was also a very annoying periodic buzz, which after many repair attempts, finally seemed to be fixed. It was a cable inside touching the top. Hope you will have better luck with your dealer and the Eastman company.

You have had many issues? can you tell me about it ?

[sylvain54000]

[PFC @ Eastman]

often these problems are hard to diagnose at the technician level due to the short period of time (30-90 minutes per guitar) we spend on every instrument. Sometimes when you play a guitar here, it will buzz later once it is acclimated to the temperature and humidity of the shop it is in. Also, the pickup rattles sometimes develop after being played for a few hours.

I always wrap tape around pickup springs when i install them, they are usually the culprit of the problems i have had.

[sylvain54000]

[PFC @ Eastman]

that sounds like one of maybe a few things:

1. Check to see if the pickguard or tailpiece are making the buzz. If these are not secured properly, they can buzz.

2. Check to see if the nut is cut properly. If it happens only on one string, it is sometimes if the nut slot is too big or cut at the wrong angle.

3. Pad the pickup. If you foam your pickup, you can cut down not only on feedback, but get rid of that noise. You can use electrical tape as well depending on what your trying to keep from moving.

4. Wires. Make sure the wires inside the guitar are tied down securely. That is something that can very easily buzz if not properly secured.

5. I always suggest tightening every screw or nut on the guitar. Dont over do it, but if you snug everything up, it can help!

If these dont help, then it can be a brace or something, which is quite rare (something like 5 out of 7000 instruments)

This guitar in the video certainly has something vibrating against another part. I would try these steps and see if they help!

[Munk]

You have had many issues? can you tell me about it ?

Yes I have had many problems with my Eastman pisano less than one year old. Very weak lacquer, buzzing from cables inside, noise from the electric system, pickguard falling of and bridge bending is what I remember right now. It has cost me a lot to fix. And not least problem with the Eastman company (mr. Fawcett) who did not want to respond.

I have written about it here
https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guita...n-quality.html

[sylvain54000]

that sounds like one of maybe a few things:

1. Check to see if the pickguard or tailpiece are making the buzz. If these are not secured properly, they can buzz.

2. Check to see if the nut is cut properly. If it happens only on one string, it is sometimes if the nut slot is too big or cut at the wrong angle.

3. Pad the pickup. If you foam your pickup, you can cut down not only on feedback, but get rid of that noise. You can use electrical tape as well depending on what your trying to keep from moving.

4. Wires. Make sure the wires inside the guitar are tied down securely. That is something that can very easily buzz if not properly secured.

5. I always suggest tightening every screw or nut on the guitar. Dont over do it, but if you snug everything up, it can help!

If these dont help, then it can be a brace or something, which is quite rare (something like 5 out of 7000 instruments)

This guitar in the video certainly has something vibrating against another part. I would try these steps and see if they help!

Thanks for your answer.
I have checked some of the things you mentioned.
The thing is, i have bought this guitar brand new over 1000 euros, i wish it did not have any problems.
Do you work at eastman company ?

[M-ster]

... Can you try to stuff some paper towel or something similar between the PU cover and the mounting bezel ... If it is the problem, then we can suggest a good-looking and effective solution.

Can you elaborate on the "good-looking and effective solution," please? I have this issue on my Eastman (pickup rattling/buzzing in the mounting ring). Thanks!

[rpguitar]

The thing is, i have bought this guitar brand new over 1000 euros, i wish it did not have any problems.

I'm not defending any company, but I must break this news to you: Odd vibrations and other small, here-today-gone-tomorrow sonic anomalies happen with $5,000 archtops, too.

You've gotten some good advice. Take the guitar apart and diagnose it piece by piece. Archtops have a bunch of things bolted onto a lightweight hollow body. These things all have the potential to resonate in an undesirable way. Screws get loose. Wires hang and touch other structures. It can pretty much always be solved via a systematic study of the potential culprits. Annoying, yes, but not usually insurmountable.

[PFC @ Eastman]

Yes i work for Eastman, however if your purchased an instrument outside of the US, i cannot help.

Our distribution agreement is so that the distributor can help you if you have an issue. Usually they are located within your country, and can communicate better. They are also responsible for all repairs and warranty issues from instruments they distribute.

If you have an issue with your instrument, always, always, always bring it back to the DEALER first! The purpose of a local music dealer is to provide you with service and expertise on your instrument. If you are not satisfied, you should return the instrument and get your money back. If an adjustment needs to be made, they are there to provide the service that you paid for!

An instrument is made of wood, and unfortunately wood moves, so a guitar is not something that if you let sit will stay put. You have to care and take care of your instrument as you would a car. Unfortunately you have to change strings like you change your oil, and you sometimes need a little tune up!

[Surreal McCoy]

Pat,
Does the company apply different finishes for different markets? I know Yamaha does this for their north and south Americn markets - different humidity levels as opposed to the Japanese market.

I think some of the folks here are not used to violin-style finishes on guitars - which I believe Eastman has done. My '06 810ce has no finish or electrical flaws although that cello case sratches if you look at it hard.

[PFC @ Eastman]

Pat,
Does the company apply different finishes for different markets? I know Yamaha does this for their north and south Americn markets - different humidity levels as opposed to the Japanese market.

I think some of the folks here are not used to violin-style finishes on guitars - which I believe Eastman has done. My '06 810ce has no finish or electrical flaws although that cello case sratches if you look at it hard.

We have/do different finishes, but it is mostly for different instrument models, and not for regions.

our AC100 and AC200 series guitars now use a polyurethane finish for durability.

Our MD815/V and new MD805/V use a hand rubbed oil varnish finish which is great! We have done oil varnish and spirit varnish on guitars and mandolins in the past, mainly because that is the technique we knew early on when the company first started making guitars (guitars were made by the cello makers)

Most everything else is just a straight Nitrocellulose Lacquer clear coat. All guitars are final sanded, then stained (or left Natural)

Then we grain fill, and do base coats, then clear lacquer over the top.

The only time we actually use tinted paint is for sunbursts. And for that, we only use the incredibly dark red that fades to the black.

any other color (blue, Red, Classic, Yellow, Golden age, etc) is rubbed on by hand.


Finishing is one of my favorite parts of guitar making, so i can talk at length about it. Suffice to say, our finishing process is constantly being improved, and we have recently invested heavily in an electrostatic semi automated painting system. This is so we have increased consistency, a much lower rate of waste and pollution, and a much stronger and more beautiful finish.

[P4guitar]

Does it buzz with open strings? If so, try this: pluck two strings with right hand while placing your left hand at various parts of the instrument to dampen any unwanted resonances. This technique may allow you to locate the source of the problem.

[Surreal McCoy]

Thanks. I think Eastman has alot on the ball. Glad you're here to clarify things.

[PTChristopher]

Hi M-ster,

With the Eastman rep online here, I would rather not speculate further on the OP's guitar - surely the Eastman rep can offer some direct advice to him.

>>> Originally Posted by PTChristopher ... Can you try to stuff some paper towel or something similar between the PU cover and the mounting bezel ... If [the PU buzzing against the mounting bezel] is the problem, then we can suggest a good-looking and effective solution.

>>> [M-ster] Can you elaborate on the "good-looking and effective solution," please? I have this issue on my Eastman (pickup rattling/buzzing in the mounting ring). Thanks!

I use 2mm thick black EVA foam sold in most craft stores. I use some double-sided carpet tape (the thinner stuff, not the thick fabric based stuff) to stick the EVA foam to the PU cover just under the bezel. The foam should make light contact with the bezel from underneath and partly fill the gap between the PU cover and the bezel.

It is pretty easy to stick the EVA foam to the PU cover and have this come in contact with the mounting bezel. You only need light contact to kill the buzz.

"You only need light contact to kill the buzz." - reminds me of this great looking girl I dated once in hugh school. Fine person, great looking, but absolutely the most wooden kisser I have ever experienced. Which is off-topic I think. But light contact definitely killed the buzz.

Anyway, the black EVA foam and some thin carpet tape works great and is almost impossible to see hidden just under the bezel surface.

Chris

[M-ster]

A-ha, a craft project! Thanks, Chris!