Classical Guitar Rattle

[Saint Michael]

I can hear a rattle if I hold up my guitar and shake it. It sounds like its coming from inside the guitar where the neck meets the body. I took off the strings and reached my hand into the hole on top and felt around for anything loose, but I couldn't find anything exactly. There is a big sticker inside where the end of the neck would seem to be inside the body of the guitar, and if I feel the sticker I can feel some loose stuff, and at least something behind the sticker seems to make a bit of a noise if I tap it. Anyone know what this is? Is it just supposed to be like this? The guitar is a La Patrie Etude, for what that's worth.

 

[Fritzo]

Does the guitar have a truss rod? Maybe it has an adjustment bolt that's loose. Kind of hard to tell without seeing how the guitar is put together.

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
Does the guitar have a truss rod? Maybe it has an adjustment bolt that's loose. Kind of hard to tell without seeing how the guitar is put together.

Actually, I just cut the sticker off. It was a loose bolt, I tightened it up and now the rattle has gone away.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Saint Michael

Originally posted by: Fritzo
Does the guitar have a truss rod? Maybe it has an adjustment bolt that's loose. Kind of hard to tell without seeing how the guitar is put together.

Actually, I just cut the sticker off. It was a loose bolt, I tightened it up and now the rattle has gone away.

That bolt is what puts tension on the neck to resist the force of tightening the strings.

Too much tightening can warp the neck. So can not enough.
Humidity and temperature changes, and string size will affect how it's adjusted as well.

or not. good luck with that

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft

Originally posted by: Saint Michael

Originally posted by: Fritzo
Does the guitar have a truss rod? Maybe it has an adjustment bolt that's loose. Kind of hard to tell without seeing how the guitar is put together.

Actually, I just cut the sticker off. It was a loose bolt, I tightened it up and now the rattle has gone away.

That bolt is what puts tension on the neck to resist the force of tightening the strings.

Too much tightening can warp the neck. So can not enough.
Humidity and temperature changes, and string size will affect how it's adjusted as well.

or not. good luck with that

Sounds like a lose-lose situation... dammit. I need to think about getting a real quality classical now anyway, now if only I had a spare thousand bucks.

 

[alkemyst]

Take it to a shop and see if they think it's worth adjusting. The truss rod shouldn't have gotten loose by itself.

 

[gorcorps]

mine does that too, it's probably the tilt sensor.... oh wait