Ringing after K&K Pure Mini Installation

[UpperBout]

Good Morning,

I recently had a K&K Pure Mini installed on a brand new OO-style guitar, by Chicago Music Exchange. I interviewed 3 different luthier shops before selecting CME and they seemed very knowledgeable about the K&K Pure Mini. I will obviously be contacting CME about this as well, but I wanted to see if anyone had experienced the same issue before doing so.

When playing acoustically, I notice a ringing artifact after strumming. This ringing artifact only started after the installation of the K&K Pure Mini.

I've linked to 3 MP3-320 files on SoundCloud which illustrate what I am talking about. These were recorded in a quiet room using a Tascam DR08 recorder about 5 inches from between the soundhole and the bridge. I play G-G-C-C-D-D-C-C-G-G chords and immediately stop the strings with my right hand. A ringing artifact can be heard. It's louder with the G and C chords, but also evident with the D. Note: In the file the chords show digital clipping, but I wanted to capture the ringing after the strong attack of the chord
1) New K&K Pure Mini-Ringing.mp3 - this is the file as it came out of the recorder
2) New K&K Pure Mini-Ringing-normalized.mp3 - this is the same file run through the default settings of Audacity's "Normalize" function (to remove digital clipping)
3) New K&K Pure Mini-Ringing-Chords Removed.mp3 - This is the same file, but with the attack of the chords entirely removed using Audacity's "Silence Audio" function.

I tried inserting a 1/4" plus in the end-pin jack to see if that stopped the ringing. It did not. This guitar is now unusable for my purposes. Can anyone please provide any guidance or ideas?

Regards,

Tom

[GerryTB]

It sounds like the strings behind the nut are ringing and the pickup is hearing it. Stuff some cloth behind the nut and see if that stops it. I don't know that the pickup installation would have caused it, but maybe now it's amplifying it so you notice it more? Purely a guess on my part, but that's where I'd start looking.

Good luck!

[UpperBout]

DING-DING-DING

We have a winner.

And I feel stupid.

What's interesting is that the ringing artifact was not present before, but of course the guitar was restring in the course of the pickup installation (and not by me). I wove a small microfiber cloth between the strings behind the nut and the ringing was gone.

I use some silk cord on my 12 string to attach the strap to the headstock and it's pretty puffy. I guess I'll do the same with this new guitar and it will also serve as a damping agent.

Thanks for asking the obvious question that I had disregarded.