after doing my first ever set up on my vg strat(by fender specs), i am getting a lot of buzz on 4th and 6th stings. any advice? i did go from stock nines to d-adario 10's.

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Sounds like you probably set the action a little too low.

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Can you tell where they're buzzing? First guess would be string height (saddles) on those strings but it could be something else

Did you perform all the steps from Fender setup page? You did not provide a lot of details, but I will suggest that you check the truss rod for the neck relief and check saddles again for the proper height and radius. Do all adjustments in small increments and test. You will be surprised if the buzz disapears after only a quarter of the turn.

Hi JGRod: much more information required for a meanful diagnosis.

You changed up from 9s to 10s. Did you adjust the trussrod any? If not then it certainly won't be an issue with the rod, because the heavier strings will be creating more neck relief if anything, and hence less chance of buzz.

Where on the neck are the strings buzzing? High frets, low frets or just one particular fret?

BTW: was there buzz before the setup or not?

Tell us everything you changed during your setup. Action (saddle heights)? Nut slots? Relief (trussrod)? Intonation? Trem springs? Pickup height?

Let's take it from there...

Cheers - C

pretty much I adjusted everything because by fender set up instructions it was off on almost all adjustments. i did adjust the truss rod, string height sadles and bridge. buzzing seems to be everywhere from 1st - 12 frets on just those two strings. have in mind i ussually took my guitars to the luthier but since i can't spend that much money anymore i decided to learn how to do it by myself.

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JGRod if you adjusted the trussrod and the saddles it could be either one. I also play 10's on my Strat and I've found that on the 6th string I usually have to set my Strat so the string height is 3/32" above the 17th fret. Remember, you measure from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string.

As for the trussrod, take it easy when adjusting it and never over-tighten. Follow the instructions on the Fender site exactly when adjusting it. Here's the setup guide: http://www.fender.com/support/stratocaster.php

Make sure you capo at the 1st fret, then press the string down at the last fret. I set my Strat to .010" with a feeler guage between the top of the 8th fret and the bottom of the 6th string. The drag should be so slight you almost shouldn't feel any drag at all.

My best setups happen over the course of about 3 nights. I set it up, check it the next day and set it up again. It's usually because the truss rod has to settle for a day. Good luck!

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mvrush i will try to do that tonight to see what happens hopefully that will fix it. it is a little frustrating as it was not doing this at all before i worked on it. i do have to say, i like the 10s a lot better than the 9s.

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Hi again JGRod: yes, but what adjustments did you make? You tightened the trussrod or loosened it? You raised the saddles or lowered them? All of them? Some? Did you alter the nut slots at all? Did you touch the micro-tilt?

In short, if strings are buzzing it is because they are too low. Obviously. Which adjustment has been made wrongly depends on what you have done.

I expect it is nothing more complicated than a saddle adjustment that is needed. But people sometimes get funny ideas about their trussrods and do curious things with them. People also sometimes get to messing with their micro-tilt or nut slots, which is often a bad idea. Till you tell us what adjustments you made we can't be sure...

Cheers - C

JGRod. I have a VG and one thing you have to watch is the Roland pickup just below the saddle. It needs to be closer to the strings than the regular pickups but due to its location its easy to get too close if you're playing hard. Check the relief on that. I don't have my VG book handy but it should give you the optimum height for it.

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Ceri. thanks for your interest in helping out i really apreciate it. as for the truss rod i don't really understand what is loosening or tightening but what i did was i adjusted it clock wise (about 1/4 of a turn) to raise the action and also lowered the saddles i did not alter the nut at all. all of this to get it to standard by fender specs. at a point in time though i thought that a 1/4 of a turn was a little too much but seem right as far as action goes.

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tdanb2003 you have a good point there. i never checked that

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jgrod, so we can help take a few measurements.

bridge (from body to actual bridge height) Fender spec is a 1/8" (3.2 mm) gap at rear of bridge

action (individual string height) at 17th fret
9.5 rad bass side 4/64 treble side 4/64
can be adjusted 5/64

truss rod adjust ment (Affix a capo at the first fret and depress the sixth string at the last fret. With a feeler gauge, check the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the 8th fret—see the spec chart below for the proper gap) .
Radius
7.25" .012" (0.3 mm)
9.5" to 12" .010" (0.25 mm)
15" to 17" .008" (0.2 mm

if the truss rod is right on, then adjust the bridge height.
if you still have buzz then raise the action alittle more, from 4/64 to 5/64, all saddles,

bluesstrattone i will check everything over as soon as i get home tonight. i am at work now. that way i'll have better info for you guys since i have to get this fixed before friday.

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No probs!


OK, that's relief, not action. Action is set with the saddle height.

Turning clockwise will tighten your rod, which is likely to be the right thing to do when moving to heavier strings. They will pull the neck forward a little more (frontbow) and you possibly need to counteract that by tightening the rod to pull it a touch more straight again.

However. If you have tightened it a shade too much the strings will end up closer to the frets than before, and it sound like that is what might have happened. You need to check, and helpfully bluestrattone has supplied the correct measurements.

I expect you know, but to be certain: capo your strings at the first fret and then hold the bottom E string down at the last one. Then measure the gap between the top of the fret and the underside of the string around the seventh - ninth fret. If it is close to 0.010" / 0.25 mm then it is fine.

If the gap is bigger you need to tighten the rod (clockwise) a quarter or eighth of a turn. If the gap is too small loosen it. ("Righty-tighty; lefty-loosey".) Once it is set correctly - leave it well alone.

From that point you just need to raise each string's saddle till the buzz goes away or is reduced to a level you can live with.

Then you need to reset your intonation, because these adjustments will have thrown it off.

Follow that step-by-step sequence and you should be home and dry.

Good luck - C