# About my HD28...



## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

I've been getting strange vibrations, overtones, rattling on my E and A strings above the 7th fret since buying a used HD28. Yesterday when changing strings I took a picture of the bridge plate and see that the hole for the A string is cracked on either side. Is this a likely cause of the sound problems? If yes, how can this be fixed?


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

No. It looks more like a little chip out from when they drilled the hole. Blurry picture but I don't see how that could cause a problem. 
You may have a loose brace?


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

zztomato said:


> No. It looks more like a little chip out from when they drilled the hole. Blurry picture but I don't see how that could cause a problem.
> You may have a loose brace?


Yes, the braces were checked but the repair person told me he would make a more intensive inspection If no other solution for my problem arose.


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

Look at tuners...the nuts loosen and do cause ghost vibrations in other parts of the guitar.

You can also do bit of tapping while unstrung and follow by ear and touch.

A loose electronic component(wire or battery pack) can be culprit.


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

A truss rod possibly could vibrate sympathetically in situ


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

Alan Small said:


> A truss rod possibly could vibrate sympathetically in situ


Thanks...I've looked all over for sources of vibration...I held the neck and tapped the back of it but don't hear any truss rod rattle. I've also made a minor adjustment to see if it was stuck.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

If it's happening above the 7th fret on your low strings it could be some subtle fret buzz maybe. Tracking that kind of thing down can sometimes be difficult.


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## Acoustic Tom (Apr 6, 2020)

We're the string ball ends sitting tight against the bottom of the bridge pins? This happened to me before and drove me nuts until I restrung .


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

Acoustic Tom said:


> We're the string ball ends sitting tight against the bottom of the bridge pins? This happened to me before and drove me nuts until I restrung .


I think so it will take another look.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Alan Small said:


> Look at tuners...the nuts loosen and do cause ghost vibrations in other parts of the guitar.


This happened to me. Drove me nuts! (pun is intended). 
At least it was a quick fix.


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

greco said:


> This happened to me. Drove me nuts! (pun is intended).
> At least it was a quick fix.


Just tightened up...but not the solution here.


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

You may discover a new saddle that is slightly higher on the bass side provides a solution....often a combination of things contribute to problems and solutions


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Does it have a battery compartment? I had one that resonated at certain frequencies - a bit of masking tape solved the problem. (Thanks to some one on this forum for the diagnosis and solution.)


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

bw66 said:


> Does it have a battery compartment? I had one that resonated at certain frequencies - a bit of masking tape solved the problem. (Thanks to some one on this forum for the diagnosis and solution.)


No battery or electronics. Thx.


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## NashvilleDeluxe (Feb 7, 2018)

So, your action and relief are in spec? Your A and E should give you about 5/64" action at the 12th with a capo in 1.
If your humidity control is in spec, check the saddle bottom to see if it's flat...a marble counter with a flashlight behind the saddle will reveal all, grasshopper. Not that? Put on those fresh strings (never diagnose with old strings on). Try it again. Still there? Begin by identifying if the noise is coming from before or after the 7th fret. Put a capo in 7, and pluck the string while you touch the headstock and each of the tuners. Dampen the strings (behind the capo) with your hand.
Have the frets been checked with a fret-rocker while the guitar is under tension? Do it. Often the frets just at/after the body join are high.
If that checks out, move on to the structural part(s). Remove the strings and saddle, and tap/knock the top and back with a finger/knuckles. Listen for call/response or odd noises. It can be anything from a neutral truss rod to loose braces, unsecured cables, an old pick or object rattling around in the body, loose hardware, etc.
Not that? Have the frets been given a fresh crown since the 80's? Do it.
Beyond that...it's a ghost. A very cruel ghost that haunts A and E strings.
Will, from @lagrangeguitarworkshop (FB)


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

Thanks for this detailed approach to ghost hunting. I've done much of this and will look at the 7th fret suggestions today. My action is about 7/64 at the 12th with relief at .006. One question...is the crack in the bridge plate irrelevant to all of this?


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

coyoteblue said:


> Thanks for this detailed approach to ghost hunting. I've done much of this and will look at the 7th fret suggestions today. One question...is the crack in the bridge plate irrelevant to all of this?


Not likely no, it just looks like a small chip at the edge of the hole.


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## Acoustic Tom (Apr 6, 2020)

Did we figure out what the issue was?


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

Acoustic Tom said:


> Did we figure out what the issue was?


No. I've had lots of suggestions here, which I appreciate, but the issue is not resolved. Part of the problem may well be wolf tones, but there's something else going on that I can't isolate.


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

Thanks for all your suggestions. Just saw a guitar tech this morning and he was surprised to see how loose the truss rod was. Strange because I had made adjustments and it seemed ok. Maybe because I didn't adjust it very much. He tightened it up a lot and the guitar seems more or less normal now.

A loose truss rod was suggested earlier...apologies for not checking this out more thoroughly. I did do a tap test on the neck to listen for a rattle, but didn't hear anything.


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## tonewoody (Mar 29, 2017)

A luthier I know uses a stethoscope to pinpoint these type of mysterious rattles. 

Glad you found a solution to your problem...


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

And now, grasshopper, your apprenticeship is complete


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

I'm a pretty old grasshopper!


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

Sherlock....by elimination...amps also are serviced in this same fasion


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

All is well. Just playing the guitar without listening for anything unusual is the way forward.


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

Saddle may be poorly seated(uneven base) and/or poorly filed/compensated on its top....

Each time you or your tech fiddles with something the old strings should be replaced...yes ,possibly three complete sets for troubleshooting the ongoing issues you are having....

Also, you changed string guage to "bluegrass" (light top heavy bottom) from the previous owners habit and this set would want its own appropriate matching nut and saddle.

You will have success here...there is not much more to be done to say you now have had a true comprehensive professional setup


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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

No more issues. Thanks for all the suggestions.


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)




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## coyoteblue (Feb 8, 2006)

Alan Small said:


>


Exactly!


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

Alan Small said:


> Look at tuners...the nuts loosen and do cause ghost vibrations in other parts of the guitar.
> 
> You can also do bit of tapping while unstrung and follow by ear and touch.
> 
> A loose electronic component(wire or battery pack) can be culprit.





coyoteblue said:


> Just tightened up...but not the solution here.


You often need to loosen the string or take it off to find these loose tuners. 

I've also had rattling hardware, kickback legs, on amplifiers that sound like distortion or a speaker problem.



tonewoody said:


> A luthier I know uses a stethoscope to pinpoint these type of mysterious rattles.
> 
> Glad you found a solution to your problem...


You can buy a mechanics stethescope, it has a pipe you poke around with.






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