"Rustling" Noise from Satin Finishes When Recording?

[airborne1]

[QUOTE=Wade Hampton;5948861]Not to be a contrarian, but the trouble I’ve had with satin finishes creating noise hasn’t been with the finish itself, but with the clear satin pickguards that both Larrivee and the Tacoma Guitar Company used with their satin finish guitars back in the 1990’s.



I dislike clear pickguards anyway, because they remind me of the clear vinyl furniture covers I sometimes had to sit on and absolutely loathed as a child. So whenever I acquire any guitar with a clear pickguard, it’s the very first thing I change, even before I put fresh strings on the instrument.


I hear you Wade, trying to peel yourself off of those things in the summer was wretched!

Roll up your sleeves and play the guitar a bunch! My satin finished guitars quickly turn shiny where my arm and hands contact them regularly, and that has eliminated any brushing sounds.

[fitness1]

0000 steel wool lightly and evenly all over the body. Easy fix.

[stringjunky]

I don't think the hand-rubbed satin finish is noisy a la Lowden.

[TBman]

Yep that happens. My Martin has a satin finish on the back and sides and my Avalon is sort of like a semi gloss finish. You just learn how to not move too much when recording.

[gmel555]

Thx for all the replies so far...I'm surprised no Taylor owners have mention the new "silent satin" they introduced in 2018. I made the original post because I'm thinking of a new purchase with which I'd record, and wanted to decide if I should just exclude satin. Although Taylors aren't on my short list right now, does anyone have experience with their new Silent Satin finish?...Just curious.

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by stringjunky2

I don't think the hand-rubbed satin finish is noisy a la Lowden.

Yes, I've heard that also. Lowden uses a different process/material for their finish.

[lkingston]

I hear it live as well. I play fingerstyle with no nails so it is even more of an issue.

Another issue when the recording includes video is the reflection of the lights and camera on the guitar top, especially thee lights on the top. No issue at all with a matte finish.

Yes, that’s why I like matte finishes on my guitars so much.

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by gmel555

Yes, I've heard that also. Lowden uses a different process/material for their finish.

It's a gloss finish that is satinised with a mild abrasive.

[edward993]

Originally Posted by gmel555

Thx for all the replies so far...I'm surprised no Taylor owners have mention the new "silent satin" they introduced in 2018. I made the original post because I'm thinking of a new purchase with which I'd record, and wanted to decide if I should just exclude satin. Although Taylors aren't on my short list right now, does anyone have experience with their new Silent Satin finish?...Just curious.

Hi there,

First off, yes, I know your pain

1. I sold a satin-finished guit some time ago not solely because of the fin, but yes that noisy quality was modestly irritating. I have since sworn off any satin finish altogether because of that guitar.

2. Yes, I recently tried a Taylor Builder's Reserve with the "silent satin": definitely better than satin, and seemed quiet to me. While completely aware it was a satin fin (which I had just said I would never choose to own again) I played this guitar to test drive it for its other attributes. So yes, I was fully listening for the noise, and didn't seem to hear any, but I was in a guitar showroom, not a quiet room, so there's the small disclaimer.

Edward

[maxtheaxe]

I've noticed this problem and cured it with a light polish...it really brought out the depth of the grain too, top, back & sides. I used a *very* light sanding with 1000 grit wet paper and spit, followed by a Meguires automotive hand-polish with no silicone. I haven't tried the one made for guitars...have to do that some time but in any case do not go through the finish unless you want to refinish the guitar.

I would also avoid using steel wool as mentioned by another post, only because it will leave a residue of iron dust in crevices that will rust, however if this is a preferred method, there is a fine bronze wool available that won't oxidize in/on your ax.

I did notice that, on satin axes, the reason those finishes are cheaper is that the prep work doesn't need to be as detailed...any flaws will not show under the satin. My Larrivee L-03 has sander swirls, etc but you have to be within 12 inches of it to notice so it's not really an issue. The buffing really improved the appearance of the grain on that guitar, overall, and completely removed any handling noise. Same thing with my 1996 Talyor 412K.

[Brucebubs]

I think the Moody Blues did a song about it, 'White Noise On Satin'.

[FrankHudson]

Many of my acoustics are satin finished. I can hear such noises when I'm setting up to record, but I generally don't have an issue when "the red light is on." I'm a modified classical position player when recording acoustic, raised left leg on a foot-stool, guitar held away from my body, right hand curved over the guitar with minimal contact. So most of the contact is the waist of the guitar on my left thigh and my left hand on the neck. My right hand is ready to palm mute and so has contact not with the top, but the strings.

The top edge where the guitar's rim meets the back will touch my torso sometimes, but that edge isn't a responsive sounding board like the top or back are.

With a my Guild 12-string jumbo I'm probably touching the surface more than with my 00-15 or Seagull folk, but even then I'm not moving the guitar and the moving part of my arms while playing isn't in contact with the guitar surface, so there's no rub to cause the noise.

Of course, playing position is very personal, so not a fix for many.

[Wade Hampton]

I suspect that the main reason I haven’t experienced much noise from my satin finish guitars is that I put John Pearse armrests on all of them. I’m a John Pearse artist endorser, but that isn’t the reason I use the armrests: I used the armrests on my guitars for years before John decided to make me an official endorser.

I use the armrests because they work: they lift the player’s forearm off the top and allow it to vibrate to its fullest extent, which adds considerably to the tone of the instrument. The armrests also keep sweat from damaging the finish, since none gets deposited on the top, and with satin finish guitars like those we’re discussing, you don’t get a brushing sound when you play because your arm doesn’t rub against the top.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

That's far too sensible

Well.....Since it's the finish in combination with clothing rubbing the finish, maybe it's not a pickup issue at all. Is that sensible?