another embarrassing moment

[Johneg]

I am fairly new to playing guitar, and especially to classical, (18 months, playing), so this could be just another dumb newbie stunt.
I just changed the strings on my classical and after playing a while I noticed the guitar was getting either a strange buzzing or vibration when I played the F on the 5th and 4th strings. Everything else seemed fine. What the heck could I have done to screw this up. I was wondering if somehow I messed up the frets, but I couldn’t figure out how I could have. Boy pretty bad can’t even change strings without causing a screw up. Well for some reason I placed my finger on the bridge and the buzzing stopped. For some strange reason the tail of the strings touching the top were making this strange noise but only for a F.
I cut the tail of the strings, no didn’t try to tune them to a G, but got rid of the vibration. Anyone every have a similar experience?
Question the strings have a tinted red end does this go towards the bridge?
thanks
John G

[Mr. Scott]

Sometimes these little rattles and buzzes are only produced at certain frequencies and it would seem that in your case that frequency was that particular F. You know what was buzzing because you cured it by shortening the overhanging string, had that string been a bit longer or tucked under its adjacent string it may not have buzzed at all. Nothing to worry about.
As far as the coloured string ends are concerned, it doesn't really matter which end of the guitar they are attatched to as they are not part of the working string at all. I normally deal with then at the headstock end so that they can be cut off after fitting and tuning the string; they are "surplus to requirements."

[cattzap]

Never had a sting incident like this, but maybe equally or more embarrassing.....

Maybe two weeks ago, I grabbed some pants that I haven't put on in awhile. They have velcro down flaps over the back pockets, which is why I hardly ever choose them. I get to the office, hop outa the truck, and as I usually do, grab the wallet and tuck it into the back pocket. The back pocket felt funny. Oh yea. it's those pants with the flap.

Well........yea, about that flap over the pocket. You ever get somewhere and your pants feel funny and you check and find a dry sheet or maybe even a loose sock that made it's way down the leg during the laundry cycle, and you find that is what is feeling funny. Everyone has had that happen at least once. But what if later realize that it's not a dry sheet or a sock, but some skivvies had got attached to the velcro of said pants that I hardly ever pick due to the velcro down pockets.

Thankfully, I'm always the first in at least half an hour 99.9% of the time before anyone else. And even more thankful, the said discovery was made during that time.

Probably not a story that you'd actually tell anyone, but hey, when someone says they had something embarrassing to tell, I'll always have one in the wings ready. Whatta you gonna do.

[gobes]

I have had the exact same thing happen to me. I don't remember which note it was though. Now whenever I change strings I'm careful to trim the ends so that they don't touch the top of the guitar.

[Johneg]

Mr. Scott Thanks that clears up the red end problem.

Gobes; glad I am not the only one

Cattzap had similar, I go to work very early trying to get ahead of the traffic. Well at 3:30 my eyes are not working the way they should and have ended up multiple times with way different color socks on. Spend the time in meetings hiding my feet.

[riffmeister]

My dumbest restringing episode was when I unwittingly switched the 6th and 5th strings and realized the error only after getting them both to pitch....why is it so hard to bring the 5th string up to pitch?....and why does the 6th string feel so floppy?.......Nooooooooooo!!!

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Johneg

I am fairly new to playing guitar, and especially to classical, (18 months, playing), so this could be just another dumb newbie stunt.
I just changed the strings on my classical and after playing a while I noticed the guitar was getting either a strange buzzing or vibration when I played the F on the 5th and 4th strings. Everything else seemed fine. What the heck could I have done to screw this up. I was wondering if somehow I messed up the frets, but I couldn’t figure out how I could have. Boy pretty bad can’t even change strings without causing a screw up. Well for some reason I placed my finger on the bridge and the buzzing stopped. For some strange reason the tail of the strings touching the top were making this strange noise but only for a F.
I cut the tail of the strings, no didn’t try to tune them to a G, but got rid of the vibration. Anyone every have a similar experience?
Question the strings have a tinted red end does this go towards the bridge?
thanks
John G

I had that happen once. Drove me nuts until I figured it out,

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by Johneg

I am fairly new to playing guitar, and especially to classical, (18 months, playing), so this could be just another dumb newbie stunt.
I just changed the strings on my classical and after playing a while I noticed the guitar was getting either a strange buzzing or vibration when I played the F on the 5th and 4th strings. Everything else seemed fine. What the heck could I have done to screw this up. I was wondering if somehow I messed up the frets, but I couldn’t figure out how I could have. Boy pretty bad can’t even change strings without causing a screw up. Well for some reason I placed my finger on the bridge and the buzzing stopped. For some strange reason the tail of the strings touching the top were making this strange noise but only for a F.
I cut the tail of the strings, no didn’t try to tune them to a G, but got rid of the vibration. Anyone every have a similar experience?
Question the strings have a tinted red end does this go towards the bridge?
thanks
John G

Yup. This is pretty standard and par for the course. Extra "medusa" string length on the headstock can do the same thing, but usually not as loud. No need for embarrassment. ;-)

[Mobilemike]

I was taught to change classical guitar strings by tucking the end of each string at the bridge end under the loop of the adjacent string. So the end of the low E would be under the A string, the end of the A under the D, etc.

-Mike

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by riffmeister

My dumbest restringing episode was when I unwittingly switched the 6th and 5th strings and realized the error only after getting them both to pitch....why is it so hard to bring the 5th string up to pitch?....and why does the 6th string feel so floppy?.......Nooooooooooo!!!

I did something similar, and not that long ago. I mistakenly put the 5th string in the 4th spot, tuned it up to pitch, and never realized it until it was time to put the "A" string on. Alas, the A string package was empty and next up was one that read: "RE-D-4".....
Ouch.

[redir]

Not sure why that is embarrassing? It's pretty normal thing to happen if you don't cut the string ends so they are off the top.

The red softer end is for the string posts not the bridge.

I can't even count the number of times I've changed strings on a guitar but just last weekend I put the first string on the second position and tuned up before I realized my mistake. Good reason to not cut the strings to length before you have everything just right