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Great ideas. But the situation is exactly the opposite really.
Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
We are dealing with a given frequency that is OVERLY resonant, not one that lacks resonance.
Extremely important to distinguish between this Tele situation and that of primarily acoustic instruments. Even though the situation of a ‘resonant peak’ is the same (and for that matter, it is the same for a “wolf note” on a classical stringed orchestral instrument) the manifestation and the actual primary location of the troubling vibration can be very very different.
Likewise the best mechanical solution can be very different.
Definitely great to check all the cheap, simple, reversible possibilities. But also good to not expect much from things like changes to the wraps on the tuner (although that can have profound effects on tuning stability, not a part of the issue at hand).
The OP reports a very detailed (and patient and repeated) explanation of the problem which leads to some potential solutions and really rules out some of the more speculative possibilities.
Fun to kick this around some. I hope the OP also ends up with an acceptable solution.
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03-13-2021 07:18 PM
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But...
While tin-foil hat crazy is not helpful (yet so persistent), rpjazzguitar makes a huge point about being open to the unexpected, especially regarding overall resonance.
The Player Tele has a notably different bridge than the old time stamped steel and brass saddle Tele.
While not likely, it would be interesting to try something down near the bridge.
Crazy I know. But so are pinging sounds from the nut being audible only at the bridge.
Any practical way to lay some weight on the bridge?
Again, very, VERY unlikely to help. But potentially cheap and easy to try as an experiment.
Resonance in an entire instrument can be tricky. And while the fat finger near the nut seems pretty definitive, sometimes...
Do you have access to a long-reach wood clamp that you could use to clamp down on the back end of the bridge plate? Protect the back of the body of course.
I have some ancient ones that would add far more mass than needed for the experiment.
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Swamp Guide wrote: " With an acoustic guitar I think the mechanism causing the dead note could be different. A cancelling resonance of the *top* not the neck may be the cause (see Bezoeker's post above). You may have some luck sticking some "blu tack" (poster putty) on the top at various places near the bridge to try and reduce the resonance. If you are able to improve things using blu tack, a more permanent fix can be done by attaching a piece of wood of the same weight to the underside of the top. See the bottom of the page of this link:"
I'm familiar with the process as I own a luthier built classical guitar that the luthier has affixed ebony buttons on the top bracing to tune the tops response. No amount of buttons on my flatop will fix this dead note.
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How old is that guitar?
Do you‘ve checked the bridge? The modern six saddle bridge isn‘t much loved for a good reason by the way.
I‘ve also heard that double action truss rods are suspicious for strange resonances on Telecasters (at least they suck tone from my own experience).
I doubt that heavier tuners will solve this problem.
I would check the whole thing patiently: remove the strings, check fret height, nut slots, bridge saddles and every screw. What about the height of your pickups? Remove the neck, check for a proper and clean neck pocket/neck heel and screw it back in correctly. Do not overtighten the screws!
Restart with fresh strings and a new set up (neck relief, string height, pickup height). You can add a point of mass also by using a fat neckplate which is always a good idea on a Telecaster.
Last edited by Stefan Eff; 03-14-2021 at 04:14 AM.
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I tried removing the tuning pegs (metal) from my tuners to see if reducing the headstock weight would work. To my suprise this caused all the strings to de-tune by a over a tone so I couldn't really tell much!
Before starting this thread I did adjust the truss rod and tightening it a bit seemed to improve things a little. The neck is pretty flat now so I don't think I could tighten it much more. Maybe a saddle or nut change could make a difference. All the screws on the neckplate and tuners have been checked and tightened and the neck is well seated. I have tried different strings and the guitar has been check by a luthier.
I bought the guitar about 6 months ago. I don't know exactly how long it was in the store but it has block saddles instead of the bent ones (which caused problems with earlier Player Teles) so it's probably built in or after 2018.
With a 0.026" flatwound D string it's not terrible - I guess I can live with it for the moment. It does mean I have to buy single strings and can't use of-the-shelf D'Addario 11 or 12 flatwound sets.
Maybe once the pandemic settles down I'll be able be able to try more things. Right now where I live some luthiers are not doing repairs and are having trouble getting parts. Even strings are in short supply in the stores around here.
Thanks,
Dave
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Try the fat neckplate, you can order online and swap yourself. I‘d bet it helps! Originally Posted by swampguide
Edit:
Some guitars need more playing time until everything sets in. Often there are issues like your dead note that disappear spontaneously after a while. Play that guitar a lot and flood her with tons of tones.
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Without the buttons held in place by the screws, there is nothing to hold the capstans in place. You have to have buttons installed to tune or hold tune. That's how they work. You really should detune prior to removing the buttons, and you will find it difficult, if even possible, to get the buttons retightened properly without detuning.
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Hey Dave,
While not at all likely, there is some small chance that the truss rod is resonating. This VERY rarely is noticeable as a dead note, more often as an odd buzz.
But, for laughs: you can try loosening the rod until you are certain the rod is under absolutely no tension, then playing around the problem note.
Then tighten the rod until you are sure there is tension, and again playing.
If under tension the problem goes away (or is significantly reduced), but does not give your preferred neck relief, come on back and report. There is an effective (if somewhat luthio-involved) solution for this.
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