Raspy sounding acoustic - internal problem?

goldtop · September 2017

I've got an old S&P SP6 cedar, currently converted to a tres. I've noticed that when I play it hard, there's a sort of 'rasp' sound on top of the notes. Unmusical. Playing gently, there's no rasp and notes sound normally.

A bit of close-up listening seems to show it's coming from inside the guitar soundbox - definitely not the strings/saddle/frets.

Is it possible that something's coming unstuck inside, and that two surfaces are now interfering with each other? (Best guess!)

Winny_Pooh · September 2017

Could be a loose brace but that's generally noticeable when playing the low E.
Does it have an undersaddle pickup?

ICBM · September 2017

goldtop said:

Is it possible that something's coming unstuck inside, and that two surfaces are now interfering with each other? (Best guess!)

Probably, unless it's an electro-acoustic.

Simon & Patrick - and the associated Seagull, Norman etc brands - tend not be built very strongly, so they sound fantastic when new but have an unfortunate tendency to fall apart after a while, in my experience.

octatonic · September 2017

Try to rule out some sort of mechanical coupling issue first.

I spend 2 hours trying to track down a rattle on an electro-acoustic recently.
Turned out that it was the battery rattling against battery housing for a certain note (open 3rd string).
A piece of electrical tape around the battery solved the problem.

goldtop · September 2017

There's no under-saddle pickup (or any other add-on electronics).

> mechanical coupling issue

I did think it sounded almost like a small piece of paper vibrating against something. I think I've got a little inspection mirror somewhere, so will take a look-see.

> Simon & Patrick ... have an unfortunate tendency to fall apart after a while

Hmm. Not sure it would merit a significant repair cost if there is something significantly wonky.

AliGorie · September 2017

COULD be a sprung brace or even string (ball ends) vibrating against pins / bridge plate.
For the former lay the guitar on it’s back on a towel on a table - strum it till you get the distortion (u may need to use a capo to dial in the resonant frequency as you not fingering chords) whilst repeatedly strumming envisage where the braces are inside, whilst strumming with one hand run your thumb knuckle slowly along the brace paths using a fair amount of pressure. See if the ‘buzzing reduces or stops should point to the problem.
Dont know where u'r braces are ! - slacken strings and get yer hand inside.
Get back to us if this method works.
You can get someone to help if you find all this to akward.

The second possible issue - simple - remove b/pins and re-seat string ends / pins.
oh,
One other thing it could be is a vibrating truss road - check the allan nut isn’t slack, if it’s the t/r rattling we ‘pump silicon’ into the channel !.
have fun

ICBM · September 2017

Also, on a S&P of any kind, it may be worth checking the bolts that hold the neck on. You'll have to remove or cut the paper label inside though, so I would only do that if you're suspicious it might actually be the cause.

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Raspy sounding acoustic - internal problem?

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