Strat style new build rattling noise

[scorpionscar]

Hi guys, I've just finished a new project and I'm having issues with an annoying rattling sound. At first I thought it was in the bridge pick up (both wear cover), but changed for other pups and the problem persists. It has an ABM 2 point bridge. Any ideas about what is causing the problem?

Scorpionscar

[mistermikev]

welp... if I was a betting man I'd put my money on the high e string saddle.  is a common issue.  I have a lovely tele that is string through and I even put tens on it... but that gawd fersaken' high e saddle rattles.  You don't hear it on a recording... but it can't be good for sustain and annoys me to no end.  

my advice would be to get it rattling and then put your ear close to the string and move north/south to try and zero in on it.  or... get it rattling then put your finger on the high e saddle... does it stop?

about the only thing I can think of to cure such a thing is raise the action higher and angle the neck (for a bolt on, but looks like you are set neck)... could change to heavier gauge strings.  in that trem... maybe drill and tap a hole from either side of the saddles and put a set screw in.  switch to graph tech saddles?  maybe those benford saddles would not rattle on account of the extra weight from all that brass?  

hope something there helps.

[Bizman62]

I've been waiting for others to chime in with better suggestions, but here's what I know about potential rattlers and buzzers:

• The highest point of a slot either in the nut or the bridge piece isn't at the edge
• The truss rod is loose
• A tuner handle  is loose
• A tuner ferrule is loose
• The picguard vibrates against the neck/pickup/bridge
• The backplate is loose
• The grounding wire vibrates against the tremolo strings
• Another wire vibrates against the backplate in the control cavity
• A fret is loose at one end
• The trem arm is loose
• The brass block of the trem is loose
• The trem springs arent tight enough

Do you hear the rattling sound when you knock the guitar or does it only appear when strumming? That alone can help reducing the amount of options.

[henrim]

Just to add to the list of possible causes. I had this one superstrat that had a rattling noise I had hard time locating. In the end the noise source was the tremolo arm tip that didn't tighten properly. It was a metal tip though. A drop of Locktite thread locker was the cure.