How this Forum saved my sanity = long boring story.

[ryanHD28]

So about 3 years ago I bought my first Martin. A 1974 00-18. Got a good deal on it as it was a 70s martin with 70s problems. Played it for a few months and loved it. Then it was the time I was dreading. I took it in for a neck reset and refret. All and all it was painless just took a while. I took it to http://www.nicolealosinacluthiery.com/ and I can’t recommend her enough. Time was just long cause of how busy she is. She did a great job and when I got it back, she played like a dream. Played it few a few more months with about any problems.

During all this I was in the middle of moving. Got myself I nice 2 bedroom and its perfect cause now a got a guitar room lol. So, after I moved is when the problems started. I started hear to weird tremolo effect sometimes on the high strings. My first thought was it had to be the strings. Did a string change right away and it was still there. Gave up on it for the night without really worrying about it because I knew I would figure it out. Next day I played my guitar and poof the tremolo sound was gone.

Now here is where the real problem started. It would come and go on a whim all the time. It would start up again and then online I would go. Searched for a long time online and no matter what I typed in it just kept bringing up results for pedals. Then it would go away, and all is well in the world. But then just as I thought it was safe there was the tremolo again. Talked to the guys at the Jam about it and no one had any ideas. And this is when I questioned my sanity cause the sound would only happen when I was alone at home.

Started to think that maybe had a loose brace. I contacted Nicole because I wanted the action a bit lower anyway (which she did for free) and when I was there had her check everything over and it was a clean bill of bracing health.
So now what. Nothing worked. I resigned to the fact that it might always be.

While all this was going on, I was guitar shopping (and still am) and I came across a 2012 HD-28v. Right price right time I snapped it up. Now where my 00-18 shines the HD-28v shines in a completely different way. What a great sounding guitar. And the plus side this guitar was less then 10 years old and I won’t have any age related problems. The 18 took a vacation and the 28 got the main spot. And everything was right in the world.
Then you guess it. The tremolo came back on the 28. But not just the high strings. All strings started having the same effect.

(just took a break from writing this to have a smoke and look at guitar ads. Think I have a problem)

So now I am thinking what do these guitars have in common. It’s got to be the strings. I used Martin SP for years and switched to Elixir 80/20 about 2 years ago. So, I went and picked up some of my old faithful strings and strung her up. Same thing as before it would come and go. Online I went and this time went deep into the search results. I remember it was on the 7th page I found this post. https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=101921 and a post by https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...ber.php?u=2958 that mentioned a ceiling fan. Looked up and my new place had a ceiling fan. Could it be that easy? Yup.... This went on for 5 months before I figured it out and there was times when I was thinking that its all in my head. So that’s my story. Thanks for reading it all if you made it this for. And thank to this forum for saving me.

[David Eastwood]

I started reading this, and my first thought was "does he have a ceiling fan?"

So happy you found it!

[Bax Burgess]

Not long at all - perfectly laid out. Now, you'll have to figure out what kind of file to use on that ceiling fan.

[Wade Hampton]

Prewar Brazilian ceiling fans are the best-sounding!

Seriously, I’m glad you were able to figure that out.


Wade Hampton Miller

[zmf]

Congrats on hanging in there!

All is cause and effect. Unfortunately, making the connection is often very difficult. Otherwise, our species would be much further along than we are now.

[Ben M.]

Welcome to the asylum.

A couple years ago I was tilling ground and the tractor started sounding strange. Like the engine was knocking or something. I kept getting out to try and hear where the noise Was coming from. Checked the oil, hydraulic fluid, made sure the belts were tight. I couldn’t find anything wrong but the engine just didn’t sound right.

It was strange because every time I’d open the door the sound would go away.

I finally figured out the door on the tractor wasn’t closing all the way because of a problem with the latch.

The sound I was hearing was just normal engine noise filtered through a small crack in the door which made it sound different to me.

I was relieved nothing was wrong but felt like an idiot.

[thepassivevoice]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Prewar Brazilian ceiling fans are the best-sounding!
...

There may be something to this. After reading this story, I stood beneath my modern laminate ceiling fan with a Martin and got nothing.

[Soql]

Originally Posted by ryanHD28

So about 3 years ago I bought my first Martin. A 1974 00-18. Got a good deal on it as it was a 70s martin with 70s problems. Played it for a few months and loved it. Then it was the time I was dreading. I took it in for a neck reset and refret. All and all it was painless just took a while. I took it to http://www.nicolealosinacluthiery.com/ and I can’t recommend her enough. Time was just long cause of how busy she is. She did a great job and when I got it back, she played like a dream. Played it few a few more months with about any problems.

During all this I was in the middle of moving. Got myself I nice 2 bedroom and its perfect cause now a got a guitar room lol. So, after I moved is when the problems started. I started hear to weird tremolo effect sometimes on the high strings. My first thought was it had to be the strings. Did a string change right away and it was still there. Gave up on it for the night without really worrying about it because I knew I would figure it out. Next day I played my guitar and poof the tremolo sound was gone.

Now here is where the real problem started. It would come and go on a whim all the time. It would start up again and then online I would go. Searched for a long time online and no matter what I typed in it just kept bringing up results for pedals. Then it would go away, and all is well in the world. But then just as I thought it was safe there was the tremolo again. Talked to the guys at the Jam about it and no one had any ideas. And this is when I questioned my sanity cause the sound would only happen when I was alone at home.

Started to think that maybe had a loose brace. I contacted Nicole because I wanted the action a bit lower anyway (which she did for free) and when I was there had her check everything over and it was a clean bill of bracing health.
So now what. Nothing worked. I resigned to the fact that it might always be.

While all this was going on, I was guitar shopping (and still am) and I came across a 2012 HD-28v. Right price right time I snapped it up. Now where my 00-18 shines the HD-28v shines in a completely different way. What a great sounding guitar. And the plus side this guitar was less then 10 years old and I won’t have any age related problems. The 18 took a vacation and the 28 got the main spot. And everything was right in the world.
Then you guess it. The tremolo came back on the 28. But not just the high strings. All strings started having the same effect.

(just took a break from writing this to have a smoke and look at guitar ads. Think I have a problem)

So now I am thinking what do these guitars have in common. It’s got to be the strings. I used Martin SP for years and switched to Elixir 80/20 about 2 years ago. So, I went and picked up some of my old faithful strings and strung her up. Same thing as before it would come and go. Online I went and this time went deep into the search results. I remember it was on the 7th page I found this post. https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=101921 and a post by https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...ber.php?u=2958 that mentioned a ceiling fan. Looked up and my new place had a ceiling fan. Could it be that easy? Yup.... This went on for 5 months before I figured it out and there was times when I was thinking that its all in my head. So that’s my story. Thanks for reading it all if you made it this for. And thank to this forum for saving me.

Yes!! I had exactly the same situation with my Taylor k14. And yes! It was the ceiling fan in the room i usually play in... i even asked my wife if she hears any difference with fan on and off. She couldn't say. I thought i was going nuts and now this thread! Thank you!

[Beakybird]

This explains why I was getting that tremolo when playing my guitar on the Tilt-a-Whirl but no tremolo on the Merry-Go-Round. But it doesn't explain why I was banned from the amusement park.

I'm really glad that this forum helped the OP. The environment can really affect the perception of the instrument.

[jklotz]

Interesting and timely. I was thinking about installing a ceiling fan in my guitar room soon.

[Dotneck]

I went through the same thing about 20 years ago. Glad you didn't dump the Martin before you figured it out...

[gfspencer]

I've been playing under a ceiling fan for 20 years. I don't notice a thing.

[madhat]

Interesting, funny and good to know!

madhat.

[Dotneck]

Originally Posted by gfspencer

I've been playing under a ceiling fan for 20 years. I don't notice a thing.

I don't think every fan in every room will do this. Not sure what the deal is but in my two houses in North Carolina no problem. And I have fans running all the time. In my house in Ohio...particularly in the bedroom the tremolo would kick in. Weird.

[woodbox]

Oh hogwash!

Ceiling fan?!?
Not a chance.

But I’ll tellya what I’ll do .. I’ll go $200 each on those Martins of yours.
You can use the cash to start a new hobby, something less maddening or dangerous.

Meet me in Bellingham next Tuesday.
No need to thank me, I’m just here to help.