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Can someone direct me to a thread about solutions for getting rid of unidentified archtop noises? I have an early 1970's Gibson L5-C that was converted to an electric with two pickups sometime in its history, probably back in the 1970's. I have taped up the pickups and surrounds, stuffed a sock under the tailpiece, checked to make sure the tone controls weren't loose and made sure the pickguard wasn't loose. It distorts notes around the middle of the neck. I can't afford to have a luthier look at it now and it's a three month wait if I did. The distortion is so bad that I am playing another guitar (a D'Angelico Style B reissue I had before the L5). Does anyone have any suggestions for repair tricks or things I can try on my own?
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12-24-2019 10:59 AM
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truss rod? There was a recent thread where that was the source of buzzing.
wires inside the guitar?
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Does it have a Tune-O-Matic?
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No, it has a wooden bridge.
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Loose tuner nuts. Wires inside the body vibrating against the back. Control pot shafts worn out and vibrating. Loose knobs. Taping the pickups won't keep them from vibrating. Raise them, and/or use rubber/silicone tubing instead of or in combination with the springs. Or wedge something between the pickups and the mounting rings, like a pick or a sax/clarinet reed, or foam inside, to make sure. If it's the truss rod, tighten it a little. You don't have to tighten it much, just enough to insure that it's not completely loose and vibrating. Are you certain it's not fret buzz? Raise the bridge saddle and see if it goes away.
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Does it distort when unplugged, or only through the amp?
What does the distortion sound like?
If it only happens when playing up the neck, I also suspect that it’s fret buzz, but it depends on how you describe the sound.
Check out Frank Ford’s buzz page. It’s aimed at flat top issues, so may not address all possibilities for an L-5.
FRETS.COM Buzz Diagnosis
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When you say "distortion" I think pickups. A L-5C probably resonates really nicely and probably gets those pickups humming. You should be able to tell if it's them easy enough, if it is I found that getting the tension on the adjustment springs usually does the trick. Raising the pickups adds tension. Also you can take the springs out and stretch them and reinstall. I've had the best luck with changing the pickup rings to a curved Les Paul type ring. It's horrible the noise they are capable of making.
Originally Posted by zephyrregent
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Unfortunately, the pickups can't be raised or lowered, the screws are frozen. There is no space to put anything around the pickups like a pick or piece of matchbook cover. Thanks for the tip on the truss rod, I will have a friend with more guitar maintenance experience check it out. Originally Posted by sgosnell
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It distorts both acoustically and amplified, all the way up and down the neck. When I play two or more notes simultaneously I hear the distortion or noise more and the notes aren't clear and separate. I can hear every note clearly on my other guitars. I suspect that whoever cut the back open to add the pickups and electronics did something that effected the bracing, or it's coming loose now. Originally Posted by KirkP
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Thanks for the tip on the pickups. These pickups seem frozen in place. I can't raise or lower them as the screws are stuck. If I could diagnose them as the cause of the problem it would be good but there are so many different suspects for it. It seems like there is nothing I can do myself and I'll have to get a luthier to look at it someday. Originally Posted by skiboyny
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If it's the bracing, you might try pressing on the top to see if that makes any difference. If you can remove a pickup you can get your fingers under the top and press up. The point is, that pressure would be likely to stop unwanted vibration and would therefore allow you to locate the problem. Can you unscrew the mounting ring?
Another thought is to listen to the guitar with a stethescope. You might be able to accomplish the same thing, more or less, by using something like a wooden dowel, one end on the guitar, the other against your ear.
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Check the nut real closely for hairline cracks....my L-7 had a break that was barely visible...spotted that after two years of irritations.....replaced the nut and finally no more rattle.......
Good Luck !!
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"pickups seem frozen in place. . . the screws are stuck" ???? WTF ???? Originally Posted by zephyrregent
that's where I would start. right there.
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Are the pickups installed in conventional trim rings? Originally Posted by zephyrregent
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Yes, as far as I can tell. Originally Posted by skiboyny
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Thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions. I (carefully) pushed some wires away from the top in the f-hole under the pickguard and that helped a lot.
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So it's four little screws and you can remove the pickup along with the trim ring to see what's going on. Originally Posted by zephyrregent
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Here is a way to detect really close to where the Buzz or Rattle is coming from. Youse a stehiscope the thing a doctor uses , now you wesr it and going over the area you suspect see where its the loudest that's the spot to look at closely. Now Depending on how sever the problem you Fix it in different waysIf its from the body or its braces you can try and add Rubber cement to the area to quiet or eliminate the noise. if its from any part of the tuners you should tighten them check the feral washer make shuer it is not doing it the make a constant buzz. Check the stop tail peace close are any places not snug or tight. And Last make shure the floating Bridge is fit to the body correctly a poorly fit saddle can cause problems even make a buzz. Rubber cement will cause any parts that are rubbing against each other to become quiet and add some stability its not as strong as glue but is often used in its place because of its pliability and can be used for a temporary adhesive or permanent.
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I would suspect that too. If the guitar has been structurally modified guesses are in the blind. Post photos of the guitar to show or follow you own theory quoted above. Inspection of internals of the guitar with a dentists mirror and good light might provide some evidence. Rattle/distortion effects however are probablier related to the top bracing than to the back bracing. Especially so when apparent also when played electrically. Be aware that in order to judge the pure electric tone you should record the signal and playback rather than just plugin. Originally Posted by zephyrregent
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Someone cut through the back to add pickups and controls? That isn't necessary, and is butchery. If that was done, all bets are off for the cause of buzzing, and it could be lots of things.
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Yes, this was probably done to the guitar back in the seventies when it was commonplace. I got it about two years ago. I checked the pickups again. Although the polepieces are stuck in place, the pickup height is adjustable. I thought I had checked them out before but either my memory is wrong or I didn't check them closely enough. I was able to stuff some pieces of cardboard between the pickups and the surrounds and that fixed the noise problem. Thanks again. Originally Posted by sgosnell
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The polepieces are likely just stuck in place by the wax potting, and can be loosened by using some force with a screwdriver that fits the slots, or by heating the pickups a little to melt the wax. You could use a soldering iron on the polepieces to loosen them, just don't overdo it. Heat until the polepiece is hot to the touch, but not so hot you can't keep your finger on it, and give it some time, then turn.
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Be careful with heat, some magnets can be adversely affected by heating. Wax melts at far lower temperatures (45-70 C) than that which affects magnets (600-800 C), so only a small dose would be necessary. However, if the string balance is OK I'd leave well enough alone.
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If you get the polepieces to 600 degrees C, you will have a good fire going, probably the entire guitar in flames. That's the range for the interior of a jet engine running at full power.
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Great if you found the problem! Maybe time to do some maintenance on those rusted screws etc. before it's too late.
I once bought an arch top that had rattles and vibrations inside. Didn't hear it at the store! But at home while playing it, there they were. Using just a pinky finger, I felt inside and the braces on the top were loose. Very loose. A 2 week stay at the Luthier's took care of that as he took his time, did a great job, but had to let the glue dry thoroughly. Who knew?
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