Noisy Spider

[Ray McCarthy]

I'm getting a lot of vibration/rattling sound from the spider of my (Rogue) reso guitar. It seems to go away or at least diminish if I press on it. I tried tightening all the little screws, and it seemed to help a little but not much.

Any ideas

[Kevin Lichtsinn]

I suggest going to www.resohangout.com and post your question there if no one has an answer here. Could be a lot of things going on with your reso noise. I play reso too and I know how finicky they can be! Good luck!

[Melvin Elliott]

The only Rogue I ever had was a biscuit bridge.
On a Spider bridge there's no connection between the coverplate and the cone, so tightening the cover screws would have no effect.
There are some real experts on Reshangout.

[Jerry Overstreet]

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/String_ ... -4006.html
Check out the set-up info here. It sounds to me like the legs need leveling.[See truing the spider.] If you follow these instructions, it should be fairly easy to accomplish. I've done it myself on a Rogue squareneck. It worked well.

This may not absolutely cure your problem, but it's a good place to begin.

Be sure and not overtighten the bridge to cone mounting screw too. [Loading the cone.]

I also installed a Q-cone and bone nut at the same time and I have a surprisingly nice sounding and playing cheap instrument. The fit and finish on these is unbelievably good for such a low end instrument.

[Dave Thier]

The only Rogue I ever had was a biscuit bridge.
On a Spider bridge there's no connection between the coverplate and the cone, so tightening the cover screws would have no effect.
There are some real experts on Reshangout.

A loose screw can rattle or buzz.

Lots of things can cause unwanted noises. Common areas are: The spider legs must be flat so that they all touch the rim of the cone at the same time. The tailpiece can rattle or buzz against the coverplate. Any loose hardware can make noises.

The screw between the spider and cone is not there to eliminate rattles or buzzes. When adjusting the screw, screw it into the cone until the head of the screw touches the top of the spider. You should notice a slight resistance at the point of engagement. Go no more than 1/4 - 1/2 additional turn. Any more and you risk damaging the cone. If you still have rattles or buzzes at this point, something else is the problem.

Dave

[Ray McCarthy]

Thanx for all the input, guys. I haven't yet tried anything but pressing lightly on the spider with a pencil eraser, which cures the problem. I assume you have to remove the strings and the cover plate before you can do any of this adjusting, right? (Never worked on one of these before) So you can't really tell if the adjustments worked until you put it all back together--right?

Ray

[Dave Thier]

I would pull the spider out and check it for flatness. Take the strings off, then the coverplate, and maybe the tailpiece. I'm not real familiar with Rogues but on some imports, the cone may be glued in (not a good thing). remove the screw connecting the spider and cone and remove the spider.

Lay the spider on a flat surface like a granite counter and see if it lays flat. You may have to very gently adjust one or more legs to get it flat. Also check the area of the legs where it contacts the cone. This area should be relatively smooth and free of burrs. You can lay a sheet of sand paper (150) on the flat surface and gently move the spider around in a circular motion until the contact surfaces are smooth.

Next check the cone. If it is not glued in, screw the screw into the center of the cone and lift it out. Check the surface where the cone sits and make sure it is clean and flat. Put the cone back in and make sure it sits flat on the mounting surface. Then reassemble the guitar.

Dave

[Todd Weger]

As long as it ain't barking!



I've had these issues, too, with my biscuit, and have found it usually to be getting that resonator cone exactly right when setting everything up.

Good luck!

[chris ivey]

resonators are a primitive life form and sometimes just need to be bent around a little.