Buzzing ratteling tricone

[nybergh]

My tricone not only have a little buzzing, oh no..., it rattles!
It´s horrible!
When I press on the cover plate it stops.
At first I just re-tightend the screws, which fixed the problem, but now that does not help at all, no sir!
From reading on this forum about resonators, where you get advice not to change all strings at one time, but rather string by string, I get a bit nervous about opening the guitar.
But I guess I have to.

Please, any advice?

[Michael Messer]

Hi nybergh,

Just a quick reply as I am heading out, but as you are in trouble......

Don't open it yet. First check the tailpiece and ball ends of the strings. Try a little piece of felt or something under the tailpiece at the front - just lift it to fit the felt. If not the tailpiece, try the cones - loosen the strings (a couple of tones down) off until the cones can be moved, then shift them a fraction back towards the tailpiece. Tune up and see how that is.

Tricones are prone to buzzes and rattles and you just have to learn the 'tweaks' to stop them. Also, you have to learn to play in a way that doesn't move things and cause buzz'n'rattles. You don't have to play light, but you do have to learn to play a Tricone. IMO Tricones work best with picks or a plectrum, but not with bare skin which can really make them buzz.

It is nothing serious......just a Tricone being a Tricone!

What is your guitar?

Gotta go....let me know how you get on...

Shine On
Michael.

[fibrebundle]

I guess everyone gets rattles and buzzes on their tricones time after time. I recently developed a horrible, mysterious buzz, which ended only after I opened it up, moved the cones around a bit, and restrung it. This usually ends the rattles and buzzes. I suggests you do this ONLY IF all else fails. First, try just detuning and retuning. This will most often get rid of the rattles and buzzed. If it returns quickly (as in a few days), you might have to open it up and move things around a bit. But, do this only afteryou have eliminated other sources, such as tuners, string ends touching against something, loose screws on the tuners and the coverplate, etc.
Opening up a tricone is fairly harmless, if you detune the strings gently. I usually detune all the strings in small steps, so that at any point in time, there is uniform tension across the bridge, and there is no sudden change in tension. After it is detuned completely, remove the coverplate and inspect inside if there is something loose hanging around. If not, just gently move around the assembly, and put everything back. In case you do ending up opening it, you might have to adjust intonation by moving around the bridge with the end of a pencil, if intonation is off. for this, you need not open it up, just need to detune the strings.
It IS true that you should try and avoid opening it up, but that is because the cones have presumably 'settled' well, and have opened up over time, and you do not wish to start his 'settling in' process again. My own experience is that if you have played it long enough, a subsequent 'unsettling' goes away pretty quick, within a day or maybe at most a few days.

[nybergh]

Thanks for the advice guys!
Much apperciated.
I will do as you suggest.

[Deleted]

Hi all.
This is an interesting thread for me.

For a while now I have been considering buying a Tricone, and have spoken to Robin at Busker about buying a Busker Deco.

I was particularly interested to read Michaels comment regarding the playing of a Tricone, especially in that, in his opinion they are better played with finger picks or plectrum but not skin.
I play with finger tips (my finger nails just fall to pieces at the sight of 15-56's!!!!!)
I am trying to learn to use picks but not having much success.

Can anyone expand on, or clarify this point?
Would I be well advised to stick with my Single Cone?

Rich.

[melp]

Hi Rich,

I note the advice on unwanted sounds for future reference, good to know!

Mostly play my Busker Deco with fingerpicks, and some odd occasions with fingers, strung with 16-59 strings, not that often

So far, touch wood, I have had no problems, of any kind. If it were me I would not be put off, nothing sounds like a tricone, surely the most flexible, in terms of great for different types of music, resonator.

cheers

Mel

[gouranga]

Hi Guys.
I agree with Mel. Don't be put off. Tricones are great. I use mine for everything. I use thumbpick mostly. But also bare fingers.
I use 13'sall the time.

Take care and all the best

Gouranga

[Michael Messer]

Rich, I wasn't trying to scare you or anyone else about Tricones. They are wonderful machines, but they do rattle and buzz occasionally. 16/59s are great on Tricones and do certainly help eliminate buzz'n'ratle problems. Bare fingers are fine, but hard playing with bare fingers will cause things to vibrate and buzz.

Shine On
Michael.

[Deleted]

Thank you for your reassurance gentlemen.

I shall continue my quest for a Tricone with confidence.

BTW Mel, I enjoyed looking at your web site very much, very interesting.

Thanks again, and kind regards.

Rich.

[eholst]

Hi

It sounds a little strange to me, that a tricone should rattle and buzz just because you play with fingers rather than fingerpicks....why is this....I havent experienced this with my single cone....and for what Fibrebundle says, he has experienced this with his tricone several times....

Why should a tricone be more sensitive to this problem rahter than a single cone....?

Has this to do with the construction of the three cones in conjunction with the T-bridge ?


Best wishes

Eholst

[fibrebundle]

I guess it would happen because there are now more moving parts. My single cone never rattles or buzzes, since the single cone is held down by the entire string pressure. In a tricone, the strings hold down three cones, which are displaced relative to each other. I guess that the tiniest imbalance could make something move about, and the sound would get amplified by these loud instruments. Shifting them about could restore equilibrium, removing, at least for a while, the cause of the buzzes. I think the point about bare fingers is that to get the same volume, you would have to hit the strings harder, making the thing more prone to rattles.

[gaucho]

A friend's tricone had a horrible rattle/buzz a while back. We opened it up and found one of the 2 mushrooms had shifted slightly and was causing the noises. We popped it out, put a couple drops of wood glue on it and wedged it back into place. Been perfect ever since!

[nybergh]

I think (hope) that I´ve fixed the problem!!
I tried to just loosen the strings, and to move the cones a bit, but it didn´t work.
The ratteling became worse, and it´s not just a litte sound.
Even just gently stroking the strings was enough.
So I opened the bugger, and took the cones out.
Guess what, no rocket science in there
I was actually a bit surprised that the cones had no real guidance. I would have expected sone groves or something, that kept them in place. But instead, they just rested on the bottom plate.
Well, I took it all out, cleaned the space a little bit, and put the cones back. Then I put the bridge thing on top of them and tried to position the cones so that the would stay in place when I tried to move them gentley, even at a very light pressure at the bridge.
I put it all together and strung it up carefulla, a little bit at the time, and carefully knocking on the bridge in between tightening the strings, to let everyting settle.
No it works!!! (so far).
I haven´t actually had any time to play alot but it seems to work.

Thanks for the help, and making me dare to open the can.