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fer.geraci

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2020
Messages
11
Hey guys,

I just bought, a week or so ago, a brand new JP15 - I like the guitar, it is really good, but the high E and B strings "rattle" at the the saddles when playing - the only problem coming out of the amp is a very thin high E compared to the rest when using the piezo, the other strings are ok.

Any advice? Has anyone had the experience of rattling saddles? The sound is very specific, is pretty much sounds like a mini "maraca" every time I am playing chords, specially on the high strings.

Thanks for your help!
 

fer.geraci

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2020
Messages
11
Hi! I did.

Just to be clear and before someone asks, I know fret buzz, this ain't it. The rattling comes from the saddles themselves. When playing acoustically is extremely noticeable - otherwise you don't hear it through the amp as much - but still some. This is my first guitar with this system and I am paranoid there might be something broken in there (I read there are crystals underneath the metal piezo pieces). Also, the acoustic signal bleeds through even when the piezo is not engaged. When I mute my electric p'ups, if I don't also kill the piezo knob to 0, some minimal piezo signal still bleeds through the amp :/

Overall I like this guitar a lot, but at this $ point I am not sure I want to deal with these issues. Last thing I want is having to ship it to MM for a check up.

Here are a couple recordings in which the rattling is very noticeable.

Recording A

Recording B

Here is a pic of the bridge so you can somewhat see it is well set up:

IMG_2238[1969].jpg
 
Last edited:

The_Logod

Active member
Joined
Feb 9, 2020
Messages
27
If it's brand new, why don't you contact your dealer about the issue? Otherwise it does sound like something you might want to talk to EBMM customer support about...

Now as I see it there's a mechanical issue in the buzz created by some issue with the saddle, whereas the sound bleeding through seems to me a separate, possibly electrical issue altogether. Hence - I'd talk to my dealer / EBMM...you shouldn't brush this off after spending good money on a new premium guitar. All you'll get from us is best guesses...

Cheers
 

Fusionman

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 18, 2006
Messages
210
Location
NJ
Before anything else replace the high e and b strings with new strings and see if that changes anything.
 

fer.geraci

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2020
Messages
11
If it's brand new, why don't you contact your dealer about the issue? Otherwise it does sound like something you might want to talk to EBMM customer support about...

Now as I see it there's a mechanical issue in the buzz created by some issue with the saddle, whereas the sound bleeding through seems to me a separate, possibly electrical issue altogether. Hence - I'd talk to my dealer / EBMM...you shouldn't brush this off after spending good money on a new premium guitar. All you'll get from us is best guesses...

Cheers

Hey The_Logod thanks for checking it out, I agree, I did, emails sent both ways, waiting on responses; from EBMM Customer Support and Guitar Center, I am waiting on their responses. I am not giving up that easily - Again, as a first time owner I don't even know if this is expected or not. Although guesses, someone with experience might be able to say "I had K EBMM guitars w/ piezo bridges before and never heard this issue before" At this point I am not even sure this is an issue - but as per your response, that seems to be the case.

Regards.
 

fer.geraci

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2020
Messages
11
Hey Fusionman, thanks for the input. Yes, I just replaced the strings with fresh 010 paradigm :/ Have you heard this rattling before in your JP6 w/ piezo?
 

Fusionman

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 18, 2006
Messages
210
Location
NJ
Hey Fusionman, thanks for the input. Yes, I just replaced the strings with fresh 010 paradigm :/ Have you heard this rattling before in your JP6 w/ piezo?
I have to admit I haven’t. I use 9-42s on my jp6. I do get a rattle on my axis sport occasionally and usually on the d string saddle. It only happens once in a rare while.
 

fer.geraci

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2020
Messages
11
Hey Fusionman.

Mystery and problem solved today! It was a rather simple but deceptively nasty one. I will share it for future reference.

I reached out to EBMM Customer Service today, and spoke to a very knowledgeable and helpful person. He said that he was almost 100% sure that the problem was NOT a saddle, but one of the screws holding the cover of the bridge. He has seen it several times before. He offered me to either send me a bridge, or a label for me to ship the guitar for repair. Although extremely grateful, I wanted to leave those as my last options since I am not crazy about shipping it from the east coast to cali and back - so while on the phone with him, I was driving to GUitar Center to initially, replace the instrument.
Once there, the manager was processing the exchange while the tech showed up and asked if he could take a look - I explained what I was told and he got pretty much in "Hold my beer" mode. The manager asked him to try to fix it before replacing the whole instrument.
Sure enough, as soon as he put the guitar on the bench and made a couple strings rung, the screw came completely loose and fell on the bench - 30 mins later I he not only removed the bridge and re-tighten the screws, but also added mini washers and thread locker glue. In addition he re strung the instrument with new 010 NYXLs, since there weren't any Paradigm in stock. As a side note, the NYXLs sound amazing in contrast to the bright maple fretboard.

You might want to check that rattle since as mentioned before, my screw came completely loose. In a way I was lucky, if that would have happened during practice or God forbid a gig, I would have totally lost it (the part I mean).

Thank you all for the input.

Best.
 

Fusionman

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 18, 2006
Messages
210
Location
NJ
Hey Fusionman.

Mystery and problem solved today! It was a rather simple but deceptively nasty one. I will share it for future reference.

I reached out to EBMM Customer Service today, and spoke to a very knowledgeable and helpful person. He said that he was almost 100% sure that the problem was NOT a saddle, but one of the screws holding the cover of the bridge. He has seen it several times before. He offered me to either send me a bridge, or a label for me to ship the guitar for repair. Although extremely grateful, I wanted to leave those as my last options since I am not crazy about shipping it from the east coast to cali and back - so while on the phone with him, I was driving to GUitar Center to initially, replace the instrument.
Once there, the manager was processing the exchange while the tech showed up and asked if he could take a look - I explained what I was told and he got pretty much in "Hold my beer" mode. The manager asked him to try to fix it before replacing the whole instrument.
Sure enough, as soon as he put the guitar on the bench and made a couple strings rung, the screw came completely loose and fell on the bench - 30 mins later I he not only removed the bridge and re-tighten the screws, but also added mini washers and thread locker glue. In addition he re strung the instrument with new 010 NYXLs, since there weren't any Paradigm in stock. As a side note, the NYXLs sound amazing in contrast to the bright maple fretboard.

You might want to check that rattle since as mentioned before, my screw came completely loose. In a way I was lucky, if that would have happened during practice or God forbid a gig, I would have totally lost it (the part I mean).

Thank you all for the input.

Best.
Glad it all worked out for you. Again I’ve never had any issue w the jp and the axis sport doesn’t have a bridge cover so it’s probably the saddle itself but could be the height screws. It doesn’t do it enough to bother me though.
 
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