So, this one returned. It was kind of embarrassing because I could not remember the instrument for the life of me. I was even more embarrassed when the owner was positively convinced that I did something to it akin to bringing it back from the dead!!
Incidentally, it was a trans-acoustic guitar – it was one of those things that not only carries its own equaliser but even its own speaker in its belly.
Any recollections? None!
Now? None, whatsoever!
Maybe, I’m growing old!
Anyway, the problem (this time) was that it was buzzing under amplification and the action made playing lead a pain. The owner confirmed that when played without amplification, there was no problem.
I told the young man that many times, when guitar tops are braced and sounded, they tend to acquire a resonant frequency, and when this frequency matches that of an outside, nearby source, there is an odd buzz that occurs, one that you can go on a wild goose chase and never actually find.
To cut a long story short, this was a situation which would not get solved unless you took the top off or the back off the guitar, work and trim those braces till that pairing of frequencies stopped raising a buzz storm!
The action correction, though, was not that convoluted. In fact, it was a breeze!
And that ended the work on this one.
Strangely, when the owner came to pick up the instrument, the so-called buzz was all gone. He played it over and over again but no buzz. Maybe, the saddle-shave did something to pick-up or something. I’m yet to work that one out.
He was thrilled by the action on his guitar, though!
