What can I do? She sound is really bad, bad

[Lentin]

Hi, all
Tonight, I picked my Avalon to enjoy some minutes with her (not with it), and my surprise was... huge.
Sound was really awful.
When I play first string. I can feel wood vibrating (I play with my little finger touching the soundboard) a lot, and the sound is not brilliant at all, but dirty, fulll of vibrations and as if the string would be scratching the frets.
I can't explain it better.
But the thing is that it's the same for ALL strings, no matter where you put your left hand, up and down the neck.
The weather here has been really dry for some days, with 40ºC, and I put a cooler based on a fan with water in the room where my guitars use to stay. Too humid, perhaps?

JB, do you know where I can get my L32 to be checked and repaired if needed?
I live in Spain, in a village called Las Rozas, 25 kms from Madrid.

Thanks (Help, please )

[Jimbo]

This my be too obvious but have you tried putting a new set of strings on?

[Lentin]

Strings were changed around two or three months ago.
New brand to me, but well known in this forum, I guess (NewTone Master Class).
Anyway. I will change them on Friday, since tomorrow and Thursday I will be travelling,

[Jimbo]

I think newtones are supposed to be slacker than other brand strings of the same gauge, which could possibly be causing your buzzing problem (I use rotosounds, so I don't definitely know). Two to three months is not really old but you'll certainly notice the difference when you change them. My old guitar teacher used to recommend a change every six weeks or so.

[JB]

Hi Lentin, I'm with Jimbo on this for an instant check, change to a new set of strings, preferably a set with a standard tension, not low tension.

Phosphor Bronze 12 - 53 guage.

It sounds like the action is too low and the strings are rattling against the frets.

If a guitar takes on moisture the action will normal increase but what you're describing sounds more like drying out.
A guitar will take on moisture slowly but loose moisture fast. To get moisture back into the guitar I would suggest keeping the guitar stored in it's case with a small guitar humidifier inside the case.
Keeping the guitar in the case with a humidifier helps create it's own little enviroment.

Let me know how you get on.

[Lentin]

Dear All,
First of all, thanks for your comments and suggestions.
I came back on Friday from my trip, and read this thread,
On Saturday morning I found an open guitar shop. (Just for you to know, Spain is closed on August )
I bought a very simple humidifier, and put it within the sound box, and the case again to the case.
A couple of days later, it seems much better, but you can still hear some bad sound (some vibrations) when you pick hard on the strings.
I also bought a couple of string sets, with different gauges, to try.
But I haven't changed the strings which were put when the problem started.
I want to see how it evolves.
On the other hand, I feel my 'feeling' has gone away these days, no inspiration and really bad playing.
I hope to 'feel' better in a few days.
Ty.

[Lentin]

I bought a very simple humidifier, and put it within the sound box, and the case again to the case.

And the guitar again to the case, I mean.

[Lentin]

Well, definitely I will take the guitar to a luthier.
Sound is bad, bad, and I'm starting to et depressed.
I was this afternoon in a guitar shop without the guitar, just describing the symptoms and the man there told me that from Monday, I can take my L32 there to adjust the neck. (Today, Friday, was still August. Spain still closed).

I have to recognize that I do not feel very well taking her to be adjusted. That luthier is new to me, although I've got some good references from some Spanish guitar forums.

Let's cross fingers.

[Lentin]

Yesterday I took my guitar to the luthier and I have picked it up a couple of hours ago. I have to recognize that I haven't been relaxed all this time.

After a preliminary testing, it seems to sound good, although strings are harder than before.
I will change to a known set to compare against something already known.

I will keep you informed.

I don't know if other guitar factories have 'certified luthiers' to help users with all these adjustments or more serious issues.

[Lentin]

This is incredible, mates!!!!
I piked up (and tested) my guitar on Friday.
I left it in its case at 20:00 Friday.
I tried to play on Saturday (yesterday) at around 20:00, since I spent all day out.
Bad? Horrible!!!
Buzzzzz!! Why? Could have some moisture in the case?
(Because I'm pretty sure the root cause is an excess of humidity. It's only my feeling, but I feel so).

What I did yesterday night is to take the guitar out of the case and it's still there, on the base ( i don't know the name for it in English). I took the case out of the house, since we have had around 30ºC outside, to help it to get dried.

I tested the guitar this evening and the sound was much better than yesterday, but no good yet.

Tomorrow I will keep the guitar in the case, and will start to use the humidifier to keep the 45% level.

If anyone has any suggestion, it will be very welcome.

Regards.

[chris c]

Sorry to hear that.
Are you sure the action is not too low ? Or maybe the neck is backbowed (but I assume a luthier would have corrected this).
I recently played someone's Larrivée which normally has a loud and ringing sound, but this guy had asked a luthier to set the action so low that I couldn't strike a note without buzzing, and the volume and tone was very poor too.