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  #1  
Old 01-30-2016, 02:02 PM
Dr. Lee Dr. Lee is offline
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Default Cordoba C7 Cedar buzz problem

I have a buzz on the 6th string when played open and tuned to drop D. It does not appear action height related. Not sure if it was present with the original Savarez strings, but they didn't sound so good so I put on GHS Muriel Anderson strings which have extra hard 5th and 6th strings, which sound great but buzz on the the 6th in drop D. The store where I bought it is working on it now, but nothing structural in the guitar seems to be wrong. They changed the 6th to a normal tension string and the buzz got worse. Strangely, all the other classicals in the shop buzz in drop D. Most of the classicals there are Cordobas and Hermosas.
Is this a $500 guitar problem. Meaning did I need to raise my price point to get a guitar that can handle altered tunings ?
Mystified and a little bummed since the guitar sounds great especially with the Muriel Anderson LaClassique strings.
Any ideas ?
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Old 01-30-2016, 04:37 PM
Strat80hm Strat80hm is offline
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From your different string experimentations, it seems likely that the buzz was there from the beginning, be it in regular E or drop D.

You say it s "doesnt appear to be height/action related": if it were me i d try to play with truss-road (since this model has one). Have you? Any result?
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Old 01-31-2016, 12:41 PM
Bax Burgess Bax Burgess is offline
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I bet it's a low nut slot at 6, especially since every classical in the shop buzzes when dropped d. Or each of the guitars' fingerboards sweep upwards at the soundhole.
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Old 01-31-2016, 06:55 PM
Dr. Lee Dr. Lee is offline
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I'll check those nut slots, but it sure sounds internal to me. The shop is still searching for a cause. I hate these mystery guitar issues. If they can't find anything, I would hate to think I need to spend more money to get a guitar to play drop d. I don't have the extra dough, or else I would have spent it in the first place.
Stinks because I am starting love nylon string guitars now and the Muriel Anderson song "The Sight" from her latest album, is what made me fall in love with the sound of cedar top classicals.
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Old 02-01-2016, 12:01 AM
Bax Burgess Bax Burgess is offline
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For testing's sake, place a piece of folded paper atop the saddle at the 6 string position. And/or place a piece of folded paper between the nut and the 6 string. Since all of the guitars buzz at drop d, I doubt that there's anything loose...wait, do the guitars have siccative packs inside of them? Also, the quality of a $500 guitar isn't, shouldn't be bad.
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Old 02-01-2016, 01:00 AM
JohnW63 JohnW63 is offline
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How is the shop dealing with humidity ? If the guitars dry out, the top may lower and you can get a buzz due to the over all lowered action.
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Old 02-01-2016, 12:01 PM
Dr. Lee Dr. Lee is offline
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Not sure of the humidity of the shop, but I keep an Oasis humidifier in my guitars at home. The environment is in the 45% range.
I will try putting a piece of paper under the 6th nut slot. Thanks for that tip.

Dr.
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Old 02-05-2016, 03:40 PM
Beanctr Beanctr is offline
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Check your action, should be 4mm on low E and 3mm on high E. Lower tension strings will have a tendency to buzz more than higher tension strings. A drop D is common in classical playing the C-7 properly set up should handle it fine . R
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Old 02-28-2016, 05:39 PM
Dr. Lee Dr. Lee is offline
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Just an update; tried all kinds of fixes, even brought it to a well known luthier in my area, Western North Carolina,
couldn't get it not to buzz. Not a string buzz, something internal. Finally my dealer got it exchanged from his distributor. Completely different instrument. No noises, even the action is lower so the guitar intonates properly, which was another issue the original guitar had. Can't say enough about the service my dealer gave me. I was very frustrated with the guitar and didn't even think to ask about an exchange. Not sure why I didn't, but there's a lesson here. Speak up and ask. Sometimes you get what you need.
BTW, Acoustic Corner in Black Mountain, NC. Great shop. I was taken care of.
Thanks for all the replies,
Lee
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Old 02-28-2016, 07:14 PM
Ned Milburn Ned Milburn is offline
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Lee, glad you got it sorted out.

Guitar buzzes and vibrations can be difficult to sort out sometimes.

For future reference, here are some of the more common causes:

1) Headstock - Tuners - Loose parts or loose screws. Strings - loose ends / sympathetic vibrations

2) Playing surface - Low nut slots, action too low, out of level frets, loose frets, badly shaped saddle peak (too flat)

3) Body - loose braces (top or back), wires gently touching the soundboard (or back) when a pickup is installed.

I've been able to get to the root of the buzz on most every guitar but for one I remember well - a nice student level classical guitar (about 1750 CDN$) that had a sympathetic vibration buzz on one note, any string. I searched and searched, re-glued braces, but still the problem existed. An employee of the store that stocked it was planning to buy it, so the store did the same as your dealer - returned it to the distributor.

Frustrating when a nice guitar has a small but irksome vibration that cannot be rectified.
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  #11  
Old 02-28-2016, 08:29 PM
oldtimeblues oldtimeblues is offline
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I get it when I try to play new bass strings like I played the old bass strings
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