Shaking sound in the headstock

[Nubs]

So I just picked up my ASAT Alnico to practice and noticed that when I shake it a bit, I hear what sounds like something shaking around. I checked the tuners but not sure what could be loose.

Any ideas? It doesn't seem to affect the playing at all.

[vaughn44]

truss rod?

[SouthpawGuy]

Sounds like it may be a loose truss rod nut ?

[Nubs]

Ok so how do I go about getting this fixed? Would this be a warranty repair issue? If so, where can I take it to get fixed?

[yowhatsshakin]

I agree with the truss rod being the primary suspect. Before you even think about repair, first tr this: Verify the truss rod nut is at least providing some tension on the rod and is not too loose. Find the right Allen hex wrench (4mm in your case, should be part of the set that came with the guitar) and very carefully tighten it a bit turning clock wise when looking from the nut towards the bridge. If the nut is not loose, you should experience resistance right away otherwise tighten it until you find some resistance. NOTE: IT MIGHT BE LESS THAN 1/4 OF A TURN IS NEEDED!

How much relieve do you have on the guitar? If the nut is too loose I'd expect a fair amount of relief due to the string pull not being counteracted.

- Jos

[Craig]

Ok so how do I go about getting this fixed? Would this be a warranty repair issue? If so, where can I take it to get fixed?

If the truss rod does not work, it would definitely be covered by the warranty. See the G&L Support page.

Here's the relevent text from that page:

Repairs and tech support

If you bought your G&L new (with warranty), please contact your dealer first. Your dealer may be able to resolve the problem quickly.

If your new G&L USA instrument is missing the warranty registration card, you may download it.
If your new G&L Tribute Series instrument is missing the warranty registration card, you may download it.
For warranty repairs in theUSA and Canada please contact the dealer where you purchased your G&L.
For other repair inquiries in the USA and Canada please contact Ben Rush at (714)897-6766 extension 156 or send an email.
For all repairs outside the USA and Canada please contact your national distributor.

Hope this helps.

[Craig]

So I just picked up my ASAT Alnico to practice and noticed that when I shake it a bit, I hear what sounds like something shaking around. I checked the tuners but not sure what could be loose.

Any ideas? It doesn't seem to affect the playing at all.

Nubs, have you been able to id what the cause of this is, yet?

Please, keep us informed.

[SouthpawGuy]

Another suggestion ... it maybe a loose spring at the other end .. the bridge.

I had a Gibson 335 in the mid '90s that had a weird intermittent vibration, I swore it was coming from the headstock. It turned out it was the bridge saddles. The pressure of the strings wasn't enough to make them stop buzzing.

[Nubs]

Well I did receive a response from where I bought it. Here's what they said:

"Tuner bushings (on front of the headstock).These sometime rattle loose from vibrations. I tighten mine down with every string change. Do NOT use needle nose pliers! Regular pliers, channel locks, wrenches, sockets, or nut drivers all work fine, are affordable, and readily available in every single town across America.

Truss rod. To check just bump the bottom of your palm/ top of your wrist against the back of the neck. You should hear a low rattle. Just give it a very slight turn clockwise to tighten it down to the back of the neck channel. Not enough to change the tension in the wood just enough to snug. Should be less than 1/4 of a turn. It's not uncommon for the rod to loosen up in shipping."

Do either of these sound accurate?

[Fumble fingers]

yes , but Yowhatshakin explained it better

[Craig]

Well I did receive a response from where I bought it. Here's what they said:

"Tuner bushings (on front of the headstock).These sometime rattle loose from vibrations. I tighten mine down with every string change. Do NOT use needle nose pliers! Regular pliers, channel locks, wrenches, sockets, or nut drivers all work fine, are affordable, and readily available in every single town across America.

Truss rod. To check just bump the bottom of your palm/ top of your wrist against the back of the neck. You should hear a low rattle. Just give it a very slight turn clockwise to tighten it down to the back of the neck channel. Not enough to change the tension in the wood just enough to snug. Should be less than 1/4 of a turn. It's not uncommon for the rod to loosen up in shipping."

Do either of these sound accurate?

Yes, see this post: Strange hollow ringing noise - Tribute Comanche.

[Craig]

Well I did receive a response from where I bought it. Here's what they said:

"Tuner bushings (on front of the headstock).These sometime rattle loose from vibrations. I tighten mine down with every string change. Do NOT use needle nose pliers! Regular pliers, channel locks, wrenches, sockets, or nut drivers all work fine, are affordable, and readily available in every single town across America.

Truss rod. To check just bump the bottom of your palm/ top of your wrist against the back of the neck. You should hear a low rattle. Just give it a very slight turn clockwise to tighten it down to the back of the neck channel. Not enough to change the tension in the wood just enough to snug. Should be less than 1/4 of a turn. It's not uncommon for the rod to loosen up in shipping."

Do either of these sound accurate?

Nubs, did either of those fix your issue???

Please let us know what was causing this and how you fixed it.

Thanks,

[Nubs]

I am due soon to change my strings. So when I do, I'll take a look at both of these and report back on the cause. Thanks again for the follow up and the concern all!

[GeeTarTim]

I know this is an old thread; however, even newer Tribute ASAT bluesboys are known to have that headstock rattling...like someone placed a BB in each tuner peg. The rattling came from all tuning pegs. I thought I narrowed the problem down quickly by putting pressure on the tuner housing and shaking the guitar to see if it stopper...Nope - it was more muted, but still present in almost every tuning peg. I gave a cursory look at the tuner hardware to see if any were loose but it looked and felt secure. I just happened to be looking up close at the headstock as I pressed down the B & E strings just behind the nut and found that the screw holding the string tree appeared to have several threads showing below the tee but above the tree collar. I loosened the strings and tried to tighten the screw back into place, but it wouldn't budge, so I removed the tree and absolutely all of the rattling stopped and the guitar sounded and played beautifully.

I still don't think there is much of a string break behind the nut without using the tree; however, I don't want to mess just yet with a good sounding instrument. If the break becomes an issue, I'll try installing a new tree with a shorter screw or drilling the hole slightly deeper to accommodate the old tree. Fully seated in the collar, the current screw should have penetrated the neck with an 1/8 inch to spare before coming thru the back. In the state I found it, there was nearly an 1/8 inch still above the collar and "tight".

Hopefully this info will help you narrow down your troubleshooting since most ASATs I've seen on the web, if not all, have string trees as standard hardware.