Each guitarist eventually faces the problem of rattling strings on his instrument, this is one of the most popular problems today. But few people know that ignoring this phenomenon can lead to serious consequences, up to the failure of the guitar. To avoid this, today we will consider the main causes of the rattling of strings on the guitar when playing, as well as ways to solve such problems.
It is worth noting that the rattling reasons given in this article can apply to all types of guitars: classical, acoustic, electric guitars, bass guitars.
String Status
The first and most common cause may be the banal wear of the strings on the guitar. They can rattle because of their long-term use. A string is a very thin spring that wears out and stretches with every game. Like any other spring, after a month of its active use, it begins to stretch, involuntarily increasing its length. Of course, worn out, it will be upset and rattle when you want to play the guitar again. The most correct solution would be to simply change the strings by buying a new kit.
The bridge is not rebuilt
You put a new set, but the strings on the guitar rattle anyway? Probably, the problem is in the instrument itself, or rather, in its detuning. Each guitar has a bridge (the place where the strings are attached to the body), and during intense play it deforms. All you need to do is to rebuild it yourself, or take it to a guitar master who will do everything for you.
Why does the bridge wear out? The thing is that its mechanism takes on all the vibrations that occur with the guitar when playing. The bridge allows the strings to stretch and evenly distribute the vibrations along the guitar deck. The strings are rattling often due to the fact that the bridge is gradually upset and needs to be “tightened”. The easiest way to do this on an electric guitar is that the bridge is arranged in such a way that the saddle for each string can be adjusted. In acoustic guitars, the bridge is monolithic, but the saddles can also be pulled up or down. If the strings rattle on an acoustic guitar, then it is necessary to tighten the entire bridge.
On bass guitars, it is first necessary to remove the strings from the bridge before tuning, because he can sometimes tear them if they remain in the saddles when adjusting. The bass strings are thick and harder to work with, it is recommended to remove them.
Anchor Issues
The third most popular reason is the problem with the anchor structure in the tool. No matter how strange it sounds, many guitarists do not know about the anchor.
An anchor mechanism is built into the guitar neck in almost any guitar and serves to ensure that the strings hang on it at a certain height. In order not to go too much into physics, you only need to know that when your instrument is tuned, the strings have some degree of tension. When they are pulled, the neck bends in the same direction in which the strings pull it. An anchor is inserted into the bar in order to balance this degree of tension - it pulls the bar back.
But over time (somewhere in 3 years or more), the anchor rod also unbends and leads to rattling of the strings on the guitar. So that it can be easily adjusted, there is a special hole in the head of the neck, called an anchor cover, it is unscrewed, and the anchor is tightened with a special anchor key, like a wrench.
The string on the guitar rattles, what should I do? Measure the clearance between them and the bar and see if it reaches the norm. It differs in acoustic and power tools, not to mention bass guitars, in them the distance from the string to the neck is the most difficult to regulate due to the thick strings. If the clearance is not normal - tighten the anchor rod, the problem lies in it.
String gauge too large
Separately, it is worth saying that musicians often use strings of various calibers on electric guitars. Too large a caliber gives a heavier and more characteristic sound, but can lead to a breakdown of the anchor mechanism. Therefore, before you buy a large caliber of strings, read the manuals about which maximum one is right for your instrument. Some extra-thick strings are used only in guitars with increased scale (baritones) and are not at all suitable for ordinary instruments.
The problem with the ring mechanism
Perhaps the most serious problem of rattling strings can be a malfunction of the ring mechanism.
The tuning of all stringed types of instruments is regulated with its help. Pegs are screws inserted into the head of the neck of your instrument. They adjust the degree of string tension. High-quality and expensive tunes can hold the guitar system for a very long time - from a week or more. At the same time, inexpensive ones often get frustrated, reducing the active guitar system to nothing. The answer to the question “why do the strings rattle on an acoustic guitar or on an electric guitar” may be a malfunction of picks.
You can check them very simply: rebuild the standard guitar system and hold the guitar for several days without active use. Every day, check the degree of tension of the strings and note for yourself the number of days how many your spikes can keep in order without tuning.
Then rebuild the instrument and play it actively for several days in a row. Story "floats"? Does the guitar get upset in a matter of hours and the strings begin to rattle? Unfortunately, in this case, your picks are unusable, and you will need to purchase a new mechanism. Fortunately, it is not very expensive - much cheaper than the constant nerves from the rattling of strings.
Conclusion
The rattling of a string on a guitar only at first glance may seem like a frivolous problem. In fact, this often leads to breakdown of some parts of the tool over time. If the guitar neck “leads”, nothing, as a rule, can already help. Therefore, you can not leave rattling strings without attention. We hope that you will never again be disturbed by the question: "Why do the strings rattle on the guitar?" Examine and care for your instrument. After all, it is more convenient and better to play on a rebuilt and properly prepared guitar.