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  #16  
Old 02-25-2021, 09:50 AM
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Dyson Guitars Dyson Guitars is offline
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One way to kinda test for a loose brace is just tapping the top and back and sides and listening for rattles and buzzes. YMMV.
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  #17  
Old 02-25-2021, 10:24 AM
EZYPIKINS EZYPIKINS is offline
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I keep action on all my guitars lower than yours by .5 mm
But it is unusual for a New Martin to have action this low.
It's possible it had dried out and shrunk the top. You can lay a straight edge across the top. And see if it is flat, convex, or concaved.
I'd be looking at neck relief first. When you changed strings If new strings have a lighter tension. Could've put a bit of back bow in the neck. You should have a truss rod wrench anyway. You can get them from Stumac.com.
Or maybe a fret has popped up. You can check fret height from one to the next with a small straight edge eg. straight edge razor blade or similar small straight edge. Put across three frets at a time. And make sure the straight edge doesn't rock.
You could shim the saddle to bring up the action. But IMO if you wand to raise the action, a new saddle is not very expensive. You'll just need to have a luthier install and set height. That will cost a bit. But shouldn't be too expensive. Where did you buy the guitar. It is possible they will make it right at no charge seeing as you bought it new.
I hope you don't say GC.
If that's the case I'd definitely look for a qualified outside luthier. Trust me It'll be worth it.
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  #18  
Old 02-25-2021, 10:25 AM
erkus erkus is offline
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Tried making a recording to catch it. First part is with open strings, then fretted at the first fret, then some strumming. Second part is with a capo on the third fret. Sounds like I'm really heavy handed but it's just the mic running hot and placed near the bridge to catch the noise.

Crammed my phone in the sound hole and took a video and the ball ends are where they should be

I also measured the saddle height over the bridge. Right by the low E it's 2.3mm and by the high E it is 2.8mm
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  #19  
Old 02-25-2021, 11:12 AM
gmel555 gmel555 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by erkus View Post

.....Just had a thought. Maybe I flipped the saddle when changing strings? Is there a simple way to say for sure? The saddle looks like it would have pretty much the same position for string length and height no matter what the orientation is.......

Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/E37ahMc
From the photo, the saddle compensation looks correct IMO. Why would u think the saddle reversed when you changed strings? Unless you took it out, or it fell out (which can happen if the guitar is not flat when all strings removed, no shame in that). If you think or know for sure the saddle came out I'm wondering if there might have been a loose shim under it that also fell out unnoticed...then when u put it back in without the shim the action lowered. It just seems that the problem came on pretty quickly and up and down the fretboard. Granted it could just be a humidity thing, but the saddle looks a tad low to me, again just a rough observation.
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Last edited by gmel555; 02-25-2021 at 11:18 AM.
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  #20  
Old 02-25-2021, 12:41 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by erkus View Post
Tried making a recording to catch it.
Sounds to me like one or more loose braces.

Play an offending note while pressing on various areas of the top, one area at a time. If the buzzing stops while pressing somewhere, it's a loose brace.
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  #21  
Old 02-25-2021, 12:51 PM
erkus erkus is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charles Tauber View Post
Sounds to me like one or more loose braces.

Play an offending note while pressing on various areas of the top, one area at a time. If the buzzing stops while pressing somewhere, it's a loose brace.
Is a loose brace/braces normal on a guitar that's roughly 2-3 years old?
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  #22  
Old 02-25-2021, 01:10 PM
EZYPIKINS EZYPIKINS is offline
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[QUOTE=erkus;6645673]Hi guys!

I to eyeball the action height with the extending end of a vernier caliper since I have no other tool for the job. I get really low values. Low E is around 1.9-2.0mm and the high E seems to be around 1.55-1.7mm.

This 1.9-2-0mm and 1.5-1.7mm is at the 12th fret, yes?

Do me a favor. Lets check the nut height.
Tune your strings open. Go through 3 or 4 times. Then press at the first fret, one at a time. see if the note is on the money? Or might it be sharp or flat?

Try sliding a dime or a quarter between the #6 big E string at the 12 fret. See what ya got.

A quarter is .069" a dime is .053"

Last edited by EZYPIKINS; 02-25-2021 at 01:20 PM.
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  #23  
Old 02-25-2021, 01:30 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by erkus View Post
Is a loose brace/braces normal on a guitar that's roughly 2-3 years old?
Loose braces aren't age related. Loose braces can result from humidity fluctuations, elevated temperatures, applied forces (bumped, pressed, dropped, etc.) and, potentially, creep of glue in joints.
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  #24  
Old 02-25-2021, 07:39 PM
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I had an HD28 with a weird buzz. Turned out to be the Schaller tuners. To test this play the strings open vigorously. While doing that take your finger and touch the back of the tuners and see if the buzz stops. Schaller sent me new tuners. It took me 3 sets to get ones that worked properly. You may not have Schaller since they switched but figured I'd throw it out there.

Here's a video I made of mine:




Mine clicked like this when touched:

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  #25  
Old 02-25-2021, 08:12 PM
Martin_F Martin_F is offline
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Your saddle looks like it is the right way to me. I had more written here, but I just saw that I missed the post about your camera in the hole to see the strings! Hahaha..reading too quickly...

Problems that occur after a string change are usually string related. Worst case, just try a whole new set and make sure they are put on nice and tight.

Maybe just take it to a professional. You paid all that money for a nice guitar, if you can’t play it, it’s a real waste!

Good luck!
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Last edited by Martin_F; 02-25-2021 at 08:19 PM.
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  #26  
Old 02-26-2021, 10:51 AM
erkus erkus is offline
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Thanks for all of the excellent advice

I stumbled upon this guide linked in an old AGF thread:
frets.com buzz diagnosis
Even though the guide and I don't reach the same conclusion, in the end it was still helpful. I'm chalking that up to the difficulty of actually determining where the buzz is coming from.

I tried rapping all all over the back and top and nothing. I checked the tuners (indeed the same Schallers as in the posted videos) and nothing there either.

I think it's just the neck relief that needs to be adjusted and my sense of proportions was off when i eyed it previously.
Capoed the first fret and pressed down the string by the 14th fret at the body and neck joint.
The 7th fret is in the middle of each shot here: https://imgur.com/a/y2PGmI0. For reference the strings are mediums.

That seems a bit low no?
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  #27  
Old 02-26-2021, 11:33 AM
erkus erkus is offline
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Nope. No luck. Gave it 1/2 turn to loosen the truss rod. If anything it's now easier to determine that the source is the body and not the frets

Last edited by erkus; 02-26-2021 at 02:49 PM.
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  #28  
Old 02-26-2021, 12:53 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charles Tauber View Post
Sounds to me like one or more loose braces.

Play an offending note while pressing on various areas of the top, one area at a time. If the buzzing stops while pressing somewhere, it's a loose brace.
Did you try this?

That isn't the same as "rapping" the body in various places.
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  #29  
Old 02-26-2021, 01:20 PM
erkus erkus is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charles Tauber View Post
Did you try this?

That isn't the same as "rapping" the body in various places.
Yup. Couldn’t find any spot that made any difference.
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  #30  
Old 02-27-2021, 01:29 AM
otis66 otis66 is offline
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Check the humidity. Sounds like a dry guitar.
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