Muffled Sound and Sudden Detuning

[bkwallen]

Ok guys. Hope this is in the right section.

I was playing a gig Saturday night with my Eastman 615. I can even tell you, I was playing "Copperhead Road". I had just started into it when all of a sudden, the G strings detuned half a step, and the whole thing just went out of whack. I tuned it back up, but when I got home, I noticed that the sound just isn't the same.

It sounds muffled on the treble strings, and a little buzzy on the "bass" strings. It doesn't have the sustain that it used to. What could be wrong? I talked to a friend of mine, and he suggested it could be a soundboard issue, and I left a message with my guitar/instrument tech. Waiting to hear back from him, but I wanted to see what you guys think it might be.

The only thing I could figure out is soundboard or neck. The bridge is fine.

[SChase@EastmanStrings]

Did the playability change at all?

[lenf12]

Check inside the mando (with your pinkie or a small inspection mirror) to see if the tone bar(s) may have suddenly become unglued. I suspect that one or both have failed in which case you need to take the string tension off and get to it a luthier or the dealer. It may be covered under warranty.

Good luck,
Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[buddyellis]

Does the top look deformed at all? I'd guess either a tone bar come loose or the neck joint rotating inward. Either way, as stated above, get the tension off of it, and contact your dealer.

[Jonathan Peck]

That happened to me once while playing guitar. Took me a few minutes to find the crack. Whatever it is, take the tension off the instrument right away and start humidifying it.

[Jim Rowland]

If the action is unaffected,almost certainly a tone bar detachment. Check your top in the area of the tailblock. If it is wrinkled or deformed in any way,there could have been a slip there or the top could have been carved too thin in that area.
Jim

[Timbofood]

Nice to see Sean from Eastman the first in line with interest! Speaks well for you, my man.

[bkwallen]

Did the playability change at all?

No, it did not.

Thanks for the quick responses. I loosened the string tension. Going to look inside with a dentists mirror...

[Dale Ludewig]

While you're at it, you might check the bridge. Did it crack? I mean the saddle part in particular. Just something else to look at in the puzzle. If it did, you would probably experience the same problems. With tension off, you could press down lightly on the saddle and see if there is any crack in it. It would probably produce the same symptoms.

[Keith Newell]

Also check to see if the top is caving inward just ahead of the tailpiece. Sometimes if it is too thin on the top at that area it will bow inward and cause those problems then eventually the top will crack.
Keith