I have just had a guitar delivered from a well know dealer.It's an Eastman E20 OM in sunburst.Before dispatch I was told it didn't need a set up (the shop offers one free).I have to say ,I was quite underwhelmed with the projection and volume of the guitar.When I fretted the top E string the first three frets were were clear but not loud (playing with my nails not a pick).When I got to the 4th fret the note sang out loudly and sustained .It sounded as though there was another string vibrating, ie not just one clear note.Is that an overtone ,and is that scenario describing a wolf note? How common is this.I have a little martin LX1E guitar which is perfectly balanced across all the strings and frets.Were I to play a passage that involved chromatic movement up from the first fret ,this note would have been obviously louder and of a different tone.What am I describing? Anyway, I have sent the guitar back as it wasn't what I was expecting.Should this have been picked up by the shop? Is it a common problem? Lesson learned, never buy online, only buy what you've tried out.I'm in the process of moving form classical guitar playing and its not something I've come across in the past.Thanks in advance for any replies.
Comments
Due to interference (augumentation or cancellation) between the note and the body / top resonance etc.
They are distressingly common on nylon guitars but do occur on others. Surprised you've not encountered it before if you've played nylon. Paradoxically, they're commoner with very lightly built and responsive guitars, especially luthier built instruments.
Be careful its a genuine wolf note - sometimes a single high fret can choke sustain etc. from adjacent frets.
Try retuning the strings affected by a tone or so. A genuine wolf will move position since the frequency has changed.
In contrast, problems due to uneven frets will remain static.
It’s also possible that the neck just had a slight back-bow which was causing the first three notes to choke and the fourth to ‘sitar’ against the 5th fret which could make an odd whiny tone, but that should have been spotted by the shop if they claim to have checked it - it’s unlikely to have just happened in transit.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
And if they said it was "nothing major" rather than "no fault at all" they are also basically admitting there was a fault, just one they did not consider bad enough to warrant a return.
I don't think that's allowed under the Consumer Contracts Regulations.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Certain notes higher up the board would do this weird thing. I'd fret and hold the note, and could clearly hear what I'd describe as a harmonic also ringing out somewhere. I muted all other strings incase it was sympathetic resonance (is that correct?) but it didnt really help.
Now when I would release my finger off the fretted and sustained note, the harmonic would keep ringing out, from somewhere.
I sold it in the end, couldnt be bothered troubleshooting it myself.
So, what is this shop you bought yours from?
Sounds like a richtone type response.
I'd rather not say actually.My experience is probably isolated based on their other reviews and despite my disappointment,I don't want to publicly name them. Every one comes up short sometimes.I think the tone of my thread reflects the frustration I felt at the time and I don't want to be vindictive.