I bought a reso from a guy in Alabama. He did a real nice job, but I am having some issues now that I've gotten into playing it...
I'm tuned to DGB...
• I've noticed on my B string that when I go above the 7th fret my notes go really sharp...to the point where it sounds like I'm hitting out of tune notes. Aggravating, as my high string carries my melody.
• On my D string, 5th fret almost sounds muted, but the notes around it sound okay. I can't figure this out?
• The G string is vibrating like crazy. I fingerpick, so I can play kinda hard at times to keep the volume going. Anyway, the G string is vibrating and I found out what's causing it lastnight (see photo below). Where it goes over the saddle on the biscuit, the string is actually hitting the screw on the biscuit because the groove on the saddle is cut so low...so it's causing this horrible vibration now because it's just touching it barely, but enough to cause a noise. I don't know how to fix it. I don't want to mess anything up.
I'd like to find an experienced builder who can help me solve these issues or at least let me know what's going on. I have no experience building these things and don't want to hurt my git. It sure would be great to find a builder in my neck of the woods. Any help would be appreciated.
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UPDATE: I KNOW WHAT'S CAUSING THE BUZZ NOW!!!
I've figured out what the source of the buzz is...Lastnight I was playing, and at first the buzz was really bad. At some point I noticed it was gone though. What I noticed was that I had extended my picking hand pinky and was pressing it firmly onto the metal cone cover below the strings.
I do this alot when playing, but not always. I'm thinking the pressure from my pinky pushing down on that area of the metal plate has created a little bit of give, and when I let up on it, it allows a fraction of space between the box/cone/cover and it creates a vibration that is triggered from the G string tone. How do I know this? Whenever I put pressure on that area of the cone/cover, with my pinky, the buzz stops.
So now I am left wondering how I can stop this? I was thinking of sending my git back to my builder and having him put more screws on the cover between the set that is already there. Another thought - don't use pointed wood screws to hold it down, but use screws that have bolts on the other end and tighten them on the inside. That cone/cover needs to be held down tightly. The other thing I was thinking of was a very fine layer of Elmer's glue between the box - cone - cover layers. Or some kind of sealant. Metal laying against metal will produce a buzz...we all know that. I am surprised that the guys at CB Gitty haven't innovated something to prevent this from happening. I really think thin round rubber gaskets would do the trick...running under the cover and cone (two of them). Once they are screwed down and sandwiched they shouldn't affect the sound at all, and they would prevent any rattle coming from the parts vibrating together.
Hi, my first thought was to look at the saddle, it is not so much too wide, but too high. Strings that are in a groove ideally should be two thirds of their diameter deep in thier slot. They should also come cleanly off of the front face of the nut/saddle ( the slot should be angled back to accomplish this. With such a wide slot the string could be coming off the back of the slot and vibrating off the front, or on the walls of the slot.
The builder does not need to be a Reso builder to fix or avoid the problem, but have more of an understanding of guitar function. Just a thought, it but is the screw lifting the string off off the bottom of the slot, if that's the string that causing the buzz, I don't think so. Just put a piece of tape on the screw to test for buzz.
cheers Taff
UPDATE: After playing the reso for about an hour tonight. The buzz stopped completely. Nice and clean again. I'm not sure what happened. I did push down a bit on that extra (4th) screw,as I was thinking about if the biscuit would crack tightening it. It might be this screw. Maybe tomorrow I'll loosen the strings a bit. If I can lower the screw head just a bit...if it is the cause it could be the solution to my problem. The worst that can happen is the biscuit could crack and then I'd send it back to my builder.
Come on folks...there's gotta be someone out there who can get this thing in working shape for me. This is sad. And I was just getting into this...took my fingers awhile to get use to the tighter/thinner strings compared to my GDG CBG.
Shouldn't have been tighter really, I used the D,G,B strings from a 6 string set, 2 wound 1 unwound, nice banjo-eske sound, no harder on my fingers than my 6 string Martin Acoustic M175 strings
MY GDG git has the thicker strings from 6-string set. This DBG git has the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings from the set. Thinner strings than my other CBG....and way tighter. They feel like steel bars, LOL...unlike my GDG git which feels like rubber bands, LOL. Can't tune to GDG with these strings...tried it...sounds horrible...have to tune them higher to DGB. Basically, I've gotten use to playing on the fatter wound strings, not the thin steel strings. After playing the GDG git for almost a year, this new git feels like a different animal.
Smaller strings will be sharper to the touch, but still shouldn't be too bad, you can always replace the strings with a lighter tension set
I really love this new tuning and the sound I am getting (except the buzz). I think I can get use to the new tension. I know one thing, when I hop off this new git and go back to my GDG git, I can play with way more speed than I did before.
Also, normal work day for most people, give your post a chance to marinate with a few people that may have time to help, be patient, play as is for a while.
To make this extremely easy, with little down time, order another biscuit/stud(nut) from CBGitty, remove the one you have, if screw holes have rough edges on cone, lightly sand till gone, test fit the replacement, if high, place on sandpaper, slide back-n-forth till achieved height, and I bet all you problems will magically disappear unless he had issues with cone installation.
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