2008 Martin D28 - horrible resonances

[Monkey Allen]

According to post #5 the frequency that is most troubling to the OP is 800hZ.


Before I go any further, let's take a look at 6 string guitar frequencies.

View attachment 150415

When the OP is playing an open Am chord using only strings 4, 3, and 2 the frequencies are 164.8, 220.0, 261.6 respectively.

I'll grant it that the above chart only shows frequencies up to the 12th fret. You have to go much higher up the fretboard to reach 800 hZ and hear those frequencies.

On the other hand, even though the OP is only playing those 3 strings it is possible that he's hearing the sympathetic, harmonic resonance of an awesome D28. That's the beauty of acoustic guitars! Sorry, but I fail to comprehend his continued dissatisfaction with a guitar he has owned for 16 years.

I know for myself that whenever I play an acoustic guitar for the first time, I fret the D and G strings on the 5th fret. I strum all 6 strings. I listened and hope that I do hear sympathetic harmonic resonances. If I hear that, it's a keeper guitar.

Again, that's the beauty of acoustic guitars. Regardless of brand name, they're all different, good or bad.

YMMV

I wouldn't pay much attention to my comments about 800hz...(or to the year I bought my guitar in for that matter - saw your post about that earlier)...from memory that was a wild guess. Listen for the issue at 6:31 in the video. That's the issue I have.

Frankly, that's all you need to know. It's nothing to do with microphones, rooms, bad playing etc. It appears to be to do with the way certain notes on a guitar combine to then create some kind of resonance. However...as I said just before...even my Tele plucking the 1st fret B string I can hear the fundamental C note itself...but it is accompanied by some kind of overtone. I'm happy to record examples.

But to cut to the chase...6:31 in that video. That issue/ phenomenon there is the same as what I get. It aint pretty. It certainly is not the sound of an awesome D28.

I would say, if I were a betting man, that ALL guitars exhibit more or less of this issue when playing around the chords/ strings in question. My guitars exhibit more. The guitar in the video exhibits the issue very well. The question is why...and the consensus, which I'm happy to act on, is setup. And setup is a broad term inclusive of many things. So the answer to the problem is not one thing (which is what I was hoping for) but many things.

 

[60's guy]

In fact if you strum the last 2 strings of a standard C cowboy chord...the XXXX10...the C note on the B string at the 1st fret and the open high E string you can generate this resonance.

I totally agree with you! Plucking those two strings on any of my guitars (electric or acoustic) generates an intolerable resonance.

 

[RFR]

I totally agree with you! Plucking those two strings on any of my guitars (electric or acoustic) generates an intolerable resonance.

How you pick, pluck or strum the strings and being able to control your pick attack can greatly alleviate those symptoms.

The guitar is by no means a perfect instrument.
Part of being a great player is being able to adapt and compensate for the inherent flaws in your instrument.

A famous classical player once said…… “Guitar is the easiest instrument to learn and the hardest to master”


(Don’t remember who said that. Maybe Segovia)