Strange Buzzing in Klunker Trichord

[William R. Monroe]

Greg,

Does the buzz occur if you pluck the string?  Loose windings? Try damping 
non speaking lengths of the string? Is this particular string corroded badly 
anywhere?

My bet is on loose/corroded windings for the noise.

As to the action bolts.  If they are bent that badly, I might bend them up a 
bit - leaving them low enough to still be a little snug on the action. 
Also, a medium to large pair of channel locks can be used to pull the action 
off - one jaw on the bolt, one on the backside of the action  bracket. 
Though, if it's that tight, you probably would be doing some damage to the 
bolt threads trying to slide the action over it repeatedly.

First thing is solve the problem with removing the action.  You really don't 
want to be in a place where you are afraid to do proper service to this 
instrument for fear of R&R the action.  ?Comprende?

Regards,
William R. Monroe

>All seemed to go well until I hit the lowest trichord and got a terrible 
>buzz.
> After some detective work,
>
> -it's the middle string only; the left and right are fine, and the next 
> trichord is fine, too.
> -bridge seems okay; pushing on it around the hitch pins with a screwdriver 
> made no improvement
> -no cracks in the soundboard
> -enough clearance with the plate strut
> -sanding and needling the hammer and damper made no change
> -with the lamp below and the flashlight down from the top, I could see no 
> obstruction or foreign object.
>
> Any ideas?  I'd hate to change the string since I had already pulled the 
> action and because the action bolts are bent, I could hardly get the 
> action back in.  (I've never changed a string in the middle without 
> pulling the action.)
>
> Gratefully,
> Greg Livingston