The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #26

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    It's certainly possible that Grahambop is correct, and that there are deathwatch beetles living in the guitar. If so, they need to be killed as soon as possible. Using a phone through the soundhole, or an actual camera on a flexible extension, could help. Look for small holes, ~3 or 4 mm in diameter. These insects normally grow slowly, and take a couple of years or more to start doing their damage. It's far from certain, but IMO worth checking. The clicks are an indication, and I've never heard them coming from any guitar I've ever owned in my 70+ years on the earth.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    It's certainly possible that Grahambop is correct, and that there are deathwatch beetles living in the guitar. If so, they need to be killed as soon as possible.

    It's tough getting my phone into the F-hole at the right angle, and I don't have a flexible extension, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to check for that. Interestingly, when I was trying this out, I pressed down gently on the outside of the F-hole and heard a similar sound to the knocking. I tried pressing around both F-holes while recording with my phone to see if I could replicate it, but no luck there.

    Quote Originally Posted by jazzkritter
    You know through summer and winter I’ve rarely - if ever - found a significant difference from room to case humidity. I don’t know if others find the same, but the two readings stay very close in my room.

    I would love to hear from others if they have similar or dissimilar experiences to jazzkritter. Living in a small apartment, my partner would not be pleased if I had to keep it in the case (since that would also have to be kept in the bedroom...); the wall hangers are great space-savers and I can put the case into our storage area. I also don't want to damage the guitar...

    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic
    ...but more likely the ball end of the string moving in the tailpiece end slot...sometimes the ball ends are not secure in the notch..check to see they are all seated...sometimes some slight filing is needed..another thing to check is that the screws holding the tailpiece on the rim of the guitar are secure and tight

    Ball ends seem to be seated properly (now...) and the screws needed no tightening.

    I'm starting to settle on this being caused by humidity.
    Last edited by mrventures; 06-27-2020 at 03:11 AM. Reason: fixed an incomplete sentence

  4. #28

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    Just to square this circle, when I asked Eastman what the suggested amount of relief is, this is what they replied:
    We recommend setting up this guitar to the specs below:


    • 1st Fret String Height:.022"
    • 12th Fret String Height:Bass .078" & Treble .062"


    That is suggestions for string height, unrelated to relief. Again, your technique and preference are the final determining factors. I play with a fairly light touch and my guitar is set up accordingly, many people could play my guitar and get more buzzing than they would find acceptable. I don't get any, you have to find your own "perfect". I had a fantastic tech, when he died a different (very respected guy, you may well know his name) did some work for me. When I got my guitar back it just didn't feel right and the tone was different. I couldn't put words to it but it was different. I checked the relief to a similar guitar that had been set up by my tech of 10 years and noticed there was less relief. I fiddle with it till I matched the relief and the right "feel" came back and what ever was different in the tone changed back. I still can't name or describe the tonal aspect but it was there. FWIW the new tech spends most of his time building and working on Fender style guitars rather than Les Pauls. I have very limited experience with Tele's and Strats and don't know if that is a factor, or if it just that Allan would listen and watch you play when you brought a guitar to him so he knew what you were doing and how you did it, and applied that knowledge into the set up, so that's just what became normal to me.

  5. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrventures

    I'm starting to settle on this being caused by humidity.

    .......I agree, and mostly caused by changes in humidity, meaning loss of it - guitars drying out and / or suddenly going from a humid environment to heated home in winter......

  6. #30
    Hmm...but this happened while heading into summer, with a probably spike in humidity....

  7. #31

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    Drying beatles.

  8. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrventures
    Hmm...but this happened while heading into summer, with a probably spike in humidity....

    ...Your post said you've had it for a week and it's been going through a temperature change - - do you know where it had been ? I don't think the humidity spike for a week would do that.....the hydration part I'd bet would take longer than a week.........The poor man's hydration here in the US Midwest is to leave the instruments in the basement for a few weeks.....

    Anyway good luck !

  9. #33

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    doesnt matter if temps and humidity go up or down...if there are large fluctuations, the neck can move and you can spend lots of time adjusting your trussrod...also don't hang the guitar on an outside wall..more prone to fluctuations

    why a case keeps it more secure...

    cheers

  10. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by neatomic

    why a case keeps it more secure...
    Until the binding starts to rot and out-gas ...

    (although that might dispose of the woodworm).

  11. #35

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    haha...i didn't mean burying it under the bed for a decade!

    use the guitar, but if you have temp/humidity fluctuations better to store overnite in case, then to hang on wall


    unless you are prepared to adjust trussrod..not a problem for me, but...

    cheers

  12. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis D
    do you know where it had been ?
    Yes! It was in the Seattle, Washington area. I bought from Michael at Django Books. I’ve only read great things about DB, so I imagine it was stored properly. It took a few weeks to ship, however (I’m guessing COVID caused a delay).

    I will definitely be storing it in its case in our cool cantina when we go away for trips in the summertime.

  13. #37

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    And where is it now ?

    Anyway the replies here about temperature and humidity changes are correct. My experiences had been that going from Midwest high humidity summers to dry non-humidified winter furnace heat would do it. And storing guitars during winter in a humid basement - -while a little cooler than living areas, worked. I have even gotten used to the idea of keeping guitars down there I don't play as often.

    Good luck !

  14. #38
    Just north of the Italian border in Switzerland. We have palm trees outside our apartment Archtop Wood “Knocking” Sound

  15. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrventures
    Just north of the Italian border in Switzerland. We have palm trees outside our apartment Archtop Wood “Knocking” Sound
    ...Sounds fantastic !

    Go ahead - -post a photo !

  16. #40
    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis D
    ...Sounds fantastic !

    Go ahead - -post a photo !
    We are very lucky to have landed here

    Archtop Wood “Knocking” Sound-img_9914-jpg
    This is just outside our current apartment; not much to look at, but proof of palm trees in Switzerland!


    Archtop Wood “Knocking” Sound-26440472583_40c37354f2_k-jpg
    This one is from our old apartment just up the road from where we are now. One of my favorite vistas on the planet!

  17. #41
    I wrote to Eastman to see if they had any advice for this issue, and this was their response:

    Thank you for the clarification. It does seem like humidity is affecting your guitar and causing string slippage at the nut. We recommend storing your guitar in the case with humidity control inside. This will prevent the wood from contacting and expanding which will preserve your guitar from lacquer checking and other issues. If a case is not available, we recommend having the room you store your guitar is be humidity controlled. Another solution we would offer is having your guitar looked at by a luthier, as they can expand the nut slots so they are not as tight on the strings and add a lubricate to prevent the sound of the string slippage.

  18. #42

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    Wow - - thank you for posting those. Either of those would make a great postcard !

    Thank you again.

  19. #43

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    What town is that? I was in Ticino for vacation many years ago (Ascona), and loved it.

    John

  20. #44

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    Is that Lake Como?

  21. #45
    Quote Originally Posted by John A.
    What town is that? I was in Ticino for vacation many years ago (Ascona), and loved it.
    Quote Originally Posted by Greentone
    Is that Lake Como?
    That's Lake Lugano; the view is from Montagnola (above Lugano). THE George Harrison owned a house near the center of Montagnola; it's very secluded, so you can't really see much of it from the road.

  22. #46
    Quote Originally Posted by mrventures
    I have a Shelly Humidity and Temperature sensor on the way to get an idea of what's going on humidity-wise in the room.
    I finally got the battery for this Shelly H&T sensor and set it up today. I read here that it was fairly accurate compared to "sophisticated test equipment that can give me an accurate humidity reading". IF that is indeed true, humidity may indeed be the culprit. Today feels similar to the day I heard the infamous knocking sound, and the sensor reads 68% humidity!

    I have a fan running now and it knocked it down to 62%, but it's looking like I will not be able to keep my guitar hanging up during the summer (my partner was told to keep a somewhat humid environment to help improve a vocal injury from teaching, so a room dehumidifier is out..). So now I'm looking at keeping it in a case with some sort of humidity control system.

    Suggestions for an in-case humidity control system? Is the Planet Waves PW-HPK-01 any good? Would I need to pair that with a hygrometer made for that purpose (as opposed to the Shelly)?

    Thanks everyone!
    Last edited by mrventures; 06-30-2020 at 02:06 PM. Reason: clarified reason for humidity

  23. #47

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    My advice would be to remove the strings for a night, or really reduce tension. If there’s still a knocking sound, then it may actually be bugs, as one person suggested. I really doubt that, though. Then try it with tension, but pull the strings out of the nut slots and bridge slots for a night and see if you hear it. If not, then you know it might be one or the other of those things and you should test them individually. If it’s not them, on to the bridge, tailpiece and possibly a tuner!
    Last edited by uburoibob; 07-05-2020 at 06:13 PM.

  24. #48

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    Uburoibob's advice is very analytical and sensible. I would do precisely as he suggests.

  25. #49
    Will try this out when I get back to town (guitar is currently in cool storage area)

  26. #50
    Well, I have to first apologize for the radio silence for over 5 months since my last post. I cannot believe it took me so long to update this! I could cop out and blame COVID, but there's no excuse after all of the help offered here. I'm sorry!

    The good news is that the problem has gone away, at least for now. In early November, I ended up removing all of the strings and the tailpiece (and by extension the bridge) to take a look at it. Everything seemed fine, so I reinstalled the tailpiece, put new TI JS 112s (the guitar came with roundwounds) and set the bridge for proper intonation, and it has not made a peep and is keeping in tune a lot better between practices.

    We are no longer in a humid, hot season as when this started, though humidity has been fluctuating through the day (to prevent mold, the Swiss recommend opening up doors to the outside to air out the apartment every day, even in the winter -- amazing the humidity swing when this happens!). My inexperienced guess would be that it was either an issue with the strings, or the guitar itself needed to settle in a bit (it was purchased new). I'll see if the same thing happens next summer, though I will not make any promises to update this thread then!

    Thanks again for all of your help.