Nick85 - Posted - 03/13/2022:  11:44:05

I will try to make this short and coherent;

I have only been practicing fiddle for going on 2 years but have been playing banjo and mandolin for a lot longer so I'm familiar with the foibles of string instruments. Yesterday I put new strings on my 2 month old Red Mendelsohn replica from Fiddlerman. Why so soon isn't relevant but this problem didn't occur with the originals nor yesterday when playing several hours with the new strings, D'Darrio Pro Arte.

Starting today, on the G string as I finger a gradually rising A note, as it comes into tune, less than 5 cents off, (I use the TE Tuner phone app which displays +/- cents) it starts getting a 'rattle' ,not a buzz, as if there is a foreign object inside the fiddle which of course there isn't, and continues up to the most noticeable point +40 cents above true A. It then disappears as it approaches B. I tuned down to F and up to G sharp and the same thing happens just at the higher and lower points on the finger board as I approach A and up to +40 cents. No other string does this. So...I assume it's some phenomenon of the Pro Arte G string and will see if the break in causes it to go away. Any ideas ? thanks.

Nick85 - Posted - 03/13/2022:  12:26:54

Just discovered more weirdness . With a mute on I can hear the rattle on the open G string and very faintly on the open A, but the A doesn't have the same phenomenon when fingered . But the oddest thing is that when I do a 'throw away bow' on the open G using the full bow length, the rattle sustains for 1-2 seconds and 'winds down' like a little motor. I'm suspecting a loose bass bar, but when I put pressure on the top all along the area of the bass bar with my left hand while bowing there isn't any change in the rattle at all. I have a good luthier in town . Robertson and Sons, and their prices are 'good' too, so I'll have to think about this.......

Brian Wood - Posted - 03/13/2022:  12:48:58

quote:

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Originally posted by Nick85

Just discovered more weirdness . With a mute on I can hear the rattle on the open G string and very faintly on the open A, but the A doesn't have the same phenomenon when fingered . But the oddest thing is that when I do a 'throw away bow' on the open G using the full bow length, the rattle sustains for 1-2 seconds and 'winds down' like a little motor. I'm suspecting a loose bass bar, but when I put pressure on the top all along the area of the bass bar with my left hand while bowing there isn't any change in the rattle at all. I have a good luthier in town . Robertson and Sons, and their prices are 'good' too, so I'll have to think about this.......

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I wouldn't suspect a loose bass bar although anything is possible. Check that the chin rest is not touching the tailpiece. Check your fine tuners have some tension on them. Check there's no loose sleeve behind the E string. If you have a clamp on tuner check that.

Nick85 - Posted - 03/13/2022:  13:27:24

Wow ! Thanks Brian. The E tuner was backed way off . As soon as I put tension on it everything returned to normal. I have a fine tuner only on the E string and don't even use it because I have Wittner geared tuners on all strings. So I'll pay attention to that from now on. Funny how that affected the low strings G and D not A as I said before. Thanks again Brian !