Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.
Private messaging is working again.
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(0 votes) 
Regulars
Offline
So I get home from work today, and get set to practice. I find my E string peg had slipped. That's fine, I set to work getting it tuned. Darn thing didn't want to get out of B but I got it where it needed to be.
Bowed the other strings to see if they needed any fixing after that, and the A had gone a little flat, so I go to tweak the peg, and it slipped before I even got to touch it. Urg. Fine... So I set about tuning that.
Everything is back to normal, and I go to play, and my A string sounds horrible. Everything has a weird buzz to it, but when I bow the A string I can hear that is what is messing with everything else. It keeps going flat after playing a couple notes ( I'm pushing the peg in as I turn) and while it rings on the correct notes, it has a dead sound to it. And the aforementioned buzz.
That horrible buzz. That "what is wrong with my Ming" buzz.
Until today, everything was fine, strings ringing, no buzz, barely ever needing tuning. What happened? What can I look for to fix this buzz? Do strings go bad that suddenly?
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Offline
Is there anything different about you? For example, jewelry that you hadn't worn before? I've heard buzzing/rattling when my earring on my left ear happens to touch the body of my violin.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
Regulars
Offline
No, same small earrings, and no other jewelry. I tried to see if anything looked out of place on my fiddle, but everything seemed normal. No string parts touching anything they shouldn't, sound post is in the same spot, tailpiece isn't touching the chin rest. I even took off my shoulder rest to see if that was it. I tried to think of anything that could make a weird buzz, but I'm sure I missed something.
the weather is changing here, so maybe that is playing tricks with it?
Maybe it'll fix itself overnight and be back to normal tomorrow, lol.
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Regulars
Offline
Sitting here at work, running through things in my mind to check again when I get home...
I felt the little nut on the E string fine tuner when checking things over last night at it felt tight... but if it is just a little loose, I guess that could be doing this? I did loosen the fine tuner to tighten up the E string.
The fiddle didn't take any knocks or bumps, and I am pretty sure it is the furnace that messed with the pegs. I am almost positive it just something surrounding the strings, if not the A string itself, because prior to the peg slippage, when I was checking that it was in tune for practice, the A string was fine and didn't sound any different, and only the E was off.
Sorry for the long post. Just kind of running through things "out loud" because the buzz really bothers me, lol, and totally ruined my normally enjoyable practice session, lol.
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Regulars
Offline
I've had some very strange noises out of my fiddle when a fine tuner wasn't under full tension (that is, with the mechanism only just starting to take up the slack), so that could be it.
Any string could set off the vibration, not just the string with the loose tuner.
Regulars
Offline
Sorry to hear your having problems, hope you find the buzz soon.
With violins there is no fretting over the music.
Regulars
Offline
It's good to know that a loose fine tuner can cause these issues. The string really sounded so bad at first I started going over the whole violin looking for cracks.
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Regulars
Offline
Ok, I checked out the fine tuner, loosened it all up and then tightened everything up. It did help, but something about the A string still doesn't sound right. It is probably my most played on string, so maybe it is just all a coincidence and it is getting wore out?
I tried seeing what it sounds like when I play it open, while putting my fingers down on other strings. When I place a finger on the D string is when I hear it sounding the worst, and I notice that while playing, if I need to keep my fingers placed on the D string for the notes while playing the A string.
I tried holding various bits of the violin while bowing, but nothing seemed to make it worse of better.
But, it's tolerable as is, so I can have my teacher give me a buzz fixing lesson on Monday, lol.
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Regulars
Offline
I hope it'll either disappear on its own, or be an easy fix!
It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself. Johann S.Bach
Offline
Trying to find a buzzing noise can be a real drag. There are way more factors than one thinks.
Strings, tailpiece, tailgut, string adjuster, fingerboard, adjusters fitting in the hole, end-button, open seams, bridge or bridge height as well as how the strings are seated in the nut. I've even had a situation where we tried everything and when we took out the sound-post and replaced it, the buzz was gone. There are stories of soloists with great instruments that in desperation, trying to find the source of a buzz, have the top removed only to discover later that the buzz came from something simple that was overlooked, such as a bad tailpiece.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
Offline
I think what I'll do is buy a replacement set of the same kind of strings, and go from there. I can feel my E string has a bad spot on it where the velcro strap in my case goes across the fingerboard, so it could be as simple as the strings wearing out, and that's what I'll count on, lol.
@Fiddlerman do you know kind of strings would have been put on my Ming? The part by the tail piece is orange and black, and at the pegbox is tan, except for the E string is green.
Edit to add: It is behaving better now that I brought it home. I think the apartment was just too darn dry for it. I let it sit for a couple hours to get used to being home, and went back to tune it. This time the E and G string pegs slipped, but it was 100% easier to tune back than it was at the apartment, where the pegs or something just didn't want to change notes for anything. It doesn't sound as off right now, either. I guess my Ming stays home when I dog sit in the winter, unless I want to crack it, lol.
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Honorary advisor
Regulars
Offline
Do you have that tiny plastic tube in your strings? If you do, maybe it has moved from its place?
My new case has those velcro straps across the fingerboard too, so to prevent damage in that spot I put a thin cloth before strapping it down.
Regulars
Offline
damfino: I hope it was just the fine tuner, and it may be that it is tight now but not at the same setting it was previously so the string feels different. I am up in Calgary, Alberta and it is soooooo dry, I have humidifiers in my instrument cases but I feel bad for them in the winter months. My pegs do slip a little more right now, but if wound properly will stay in reasonable tune. That said, tonight a cello A string just bwanged in my ear as the peg slipped when I tried to play a loud note and gave some good pressure.
How old are your strings and how much have you used them. I am wondering how often we should be changing out a whole set if we do an hour or two a day on a violin. One year? 6 months? When we notice? (I doubt that I could really tell). Aha, a question for the forum. I will look and see if it has been discussed already.
Regulars
Offline
elisadalviolin These strings don't have any of the tubes on them. I do have cloths that I use between my violin neck and the velcro strap, so I was kind of surprised to feel the dimple forming. But I guess even with the cloth, after enough time one would form?
@intrepidgirl
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Regulars
Offline
Just another random thought - have you checked that the bridge is still in proper contact with the belly of the violin? When strings go slack it can tilt over slightly and that affects the sound.
Regulars
Offline
It looked like it was, but it's a good thing to double check again, so I'll add it to my list for this weekend 
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Offline
Mandy, the strings, except for the E, appear to be Larsen Virtuoso and the E string I believe is a Lenzner E.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
Offline
admin Thanks, I thought that's what they were, but wanted to be sure. I'll put in an order later in the month when my new budget month starts... or sooner if i just can't take the sound anymore, lol
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
Regulars
Offline
Good news is, my Ming sounds back to normal again after letting it sit at home in normal humidity levels for a few days.
Still going to buy a replacement set of strings at the end of the month, though, lol.
☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
World's Okayest Fiddler
☆•*¨*•.¸¸¸.•*¨* •☆•*¨*¨*•¸¸¸.•*¨*•☆
1 Guest(s)
ELCBK
Mouse
Fiddlerman
Jols
