What is that *thunk* I hear? Can anything be done about it?

[funkapus]

Every once in a while, I'll hear a guitar that seems to have an odd unpleasant resonance around certain tones. In standard tuning, it typically happens with the 2nd or 3rd strings, and typically unfretted or fretted near the nut. When the appropriate (and appropriately un/fretted) string is plucked, in addition to the expected tone, there's a sound I can only describe as a "thunk", like a large plastic garbage can being hit by a stick.

You can hear an example of it in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvDJGHYib8Y

. . .at about the 0:33 mark, when Mary's slow strum hits the 3rd string, and then in the faster strum afterward. And numerous times after that while Mary picks.

There are plenty of guitars on which I've never noticed such a thunk; and the presence of one seems relatively independent of builder (in particular, I've heard this sort of thing on cheap guitars and on expensive guitars). I used to have a cheap Aria where I heard it from the 2nd string on most strums. And once I've noticed it from a particular guitar, I can't *not* notice it.

If you hear this too, do you understand what it is and why it happens? Is it something that can be "fixed"/made to go away/whatever, or is it a characteristic of the build and you're stuck with it?

[charles Tauber]

In the example you posted, there is so much buzzing going on that it is difficult for me to hear more subtle things.

What I am hearing isn't what I'd call a "wonderful" guitar, though the sound would work well for certain styles of playing.

Sorry that that doesn't really address you question.

[Big Band Guitar]

Don't hear it

[muscmp]

i don't hear any thunk either.

play music!

[Looburst]

No, I don't hear a thunk either. You might need to get your ears checked.

[Alan Carruth]

It could be a 'wolf' note, caused by a strong resonance of the box or air that is pitched right at a played note. The 'main top' resonance on many guitars is close to the pitch of the open G string, and when things match very closely and the resonance is active, you can get all sorts of odd effects. I have a 'test mule' Classical where the two match up exactly when the humidity is just right (or wrong, if you will). When that happens the fundamental of the open G note 'warbles'. It's not enough to be a problem in this case, and many people don't pick it up unless it's pointed out, so I haven't bothered to try to fix it.

[TBman]

I'm not hearing it either.

[L20A]

The guitar sounded loose, like it was tuned a step down.
I could hear a few notes where she was placing her finger directly on the fret. That caused the note to be dead.
Other than that I couldn't hear a thump or wolf note.

I was not impressed with the guitar at all.

[Vinnie Boombatz]

All I heard was some buzzing and a guitar that didn't sound as good as the price tag most likely reflected.

[Stevied63]

I didn't hear it either - just a little buzzing, and then a few times where she slightly muted a note.

[N+1]

I hear the thunk sure enough. In fact it pretty much drowns out everything else when it happens. But the guitar sounds so dreadful (I can't figure out for the life of me why anyone would want to own or play such a thing) that the thunk is just one problem among many. It sounds a bit like the Egmond I bought for four pounds in 1965.

Can an old Martin really sound so appalling? Is it possible to blame the recording?

[beninma]

Not applicable to the 1931 Martin in the video but guitars I've had with pickups/preamps have all had wires that were taped to the back/sides.

They can come loose and thunk against the body. All of them seem to have had the wires come loose at one point or another.

[jdto]

Originally Posted by N+1

I hearthe thunk sure enough. In fact it pretty much drowns out everything else when it happens. But the guitar sounds so dreadful (I can't figure out for the life of me why anyone would want to own or play such a thing) that the thunk is just one problem among many. It sounds a bit like the Egmond I bought for four pounds in 1965.

Can an old Martin really sound so appalling? Is it possible to blame the recording?

I would imagine they made just as many "bad" guitars in the "good old days" as they do in any other era. A lot of them are still out there and someone is going to end up with them, eventually.

I hear the thunk on the G string when she does that first strum at around 0:33. Du du du thunk du du. It's sort of a percussive sound on the third string.

I've run into it on a few guitars in the past, especially on the third (G) string. As to what causes it, I couldn't say, but perhaps one of our luthier members could enlighten us.

[N+1]

Originally Posted by jdto

I hear the thunk on the G string when she does that first strum at around 0:33. Du du du thunk du du. It's sort of a percussive sound on the third string.

Yes, that's exactly it - and it happens quite a lot thereafter. What I find weird is this: why doesn't she hear it? Why doesn't she stop playing and say 'Oh good grief there's something horribly wrong here?'

[jdto]

Originally Posted by N+1

Yes, that's exactly it - and it happens quite a lot thereafter. What I find weird is this: why doesn't she hear it? Why doesn't she stop playing and say 'Oh good grief there's something horribly wrong here?'

Maybe on camera she just has to play it

I find that G strings on a lot of guitars I've tried have something of a thud to them, but some are like this one and on others it's quite subtle.