335 rattle

[Powertwang]

I've just traded into a recent made-in-Memphis 335 that is making an annoying rattling noise when I play it, particularly when I play certain notes. I've taken off the pick guard and truss rod cover, made sure that the truss rod isn't loose and pinned down the saddles, but it still sounds like something inside the body of the guitar is oscillating when I play.

I'm hoping to get idea what the deal is before I go to the trouble of digging into the pickup cavities.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

John

[Sweetfinger]

Have a friend start holding parts while you play. If the selector switch is in the middle, that'll do it. Tuning keys are suspect. Truss rod is unlikely but possible. Might be pickups rattling against the ring. Could be parts of the wiring harness.

[bluesjunior]

Try taking the pick ups out and place a piece of foam rubber underneath then tighten them into place again.This will stop the pickups from moving. It may be that the volume is causing the pickups to vibrate in their slots causing an oscillation.

[Bob V]

Take a look through the treble side F-hole at where the wires come through the notch by the bridge pickup cavity. If you can manipulate the wires there gently, you might eliminate the vibration. Easier to do if you remove the neck pickup, of course, but - just spitballing here - the problem may be where the tailpiece/string ground connects to the braided shield on the bridge pickup. It's sort of a flexible-but-not-flexible-enough situation that might be vibrating against itself.

Either that or it's the retainer wire on the ABR-1 (which I don't know how to fix...)

[Dana Olsen]

I think Bob's on the right track. I've heard 335's that rattled a bit and found that the pickup output wire(s) were just touching the top of the guitar so when you play it, the wires pick up sympathetic vibrations from the top and rattle against the top.

GENTLY reach in with whatever tool you have that'll do the job and move some of the harness that's near the top of the guitar around - maybe that'll do it.

Hope this helps, Dana O.

PS Also, try holding the guitar in various positions while playing it - eg - hold it upside down while strumming, see if it still rattles. That should help generate a clue or two, with luck ...

Originally Posted by Bob V

Take a look through the treble side F-hole at where the wires come through the notch by the bridge pickup cavity. If you can manipulate the wires there gently, you might eliminate the vibration. Easier to do if you remove the neck pickup, of course, but - just spitballing here - the problem may be where the tailpiece/string ground connects to the braided shield on the bridge pickup. It's sort of a flexible-but-not-flexible-enough situation that might be vibrating against itself.

Either that or it's the retainer wire on the ABR-1 (which I don't know how to fix...)

[bbarnard]

Originally Posted by Bob V

Either that or it's the retainer wire on the ABR-1 (which I don't know how to fix...)

That would be my bet.

[Squirrel]

I have one that occasionally rattles also. Every single time it's a pickup wire that's just barely touching the top. I can reach through the f hole hole and move it, but it eventually starts touching again. It's like they have a mind of their own.

[billyguitar]

I have a 1976 L5CES. It had a rattle I couldn't trace for a long time. Eventually it turned out to be the pickup rattling against the bezel. I cut a little piece of felt and wedged it in there, fixed!