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Post subject: buzz question
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 10:30 am
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hey guys, long story short my strat has the same action as my les paul (medium low action) and with a moderate towards aggresive picking, the low e and ocasionally the a strings buzz.



questions:
is this normal for strats, or even my les paul?
can i have the action i have now with 0 buzz?
how can i determine if it is heard amplified or not? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHOdXWLrxPk here s a video, my strat and les paul buzz quite the same. is this buzz amplified or not?


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 10:49 am
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What's a medium low action in mm/inches & how did you measure that?
What kind of relief do you have, again in mm/inches & how did you measure that?
Does that buzz occur all around the neck, or is it absent on some frets, worst on some?
Et cetera et cetera et cetera... :wink:

OK, just trying to make a point that a buzz can be caused by many factors - and trying to determine how much you know about setting up a guitar.

I skipped your video link 8) but IMHO a well set up guitar should not buzz, amplified or acoustic.

(The quick test advice would be loosening the truss rod a quarter of a turn and see if the buzz disappears.)


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:08 am
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jmattis wrote:
What's a medium low action in mm/inches & how did you measure that?
What kind of relief do you have, again in mm/inches & how did you measure that?
Does that buzz occur all around the neck, or is it absent on some frets, worst on some?
Et cetera et cetera et cetera... :wink:

OK, just trying to make a point that a buzz can be caused by many factors - and trying to determine how much you know about setting up a guitar.

I skipped your video link 8) but IMHO a well set up guitar should not buzz, amplified or acoustic.

(The quick test advice would be loosening the truss rod a quarter of a turn and see if the buzz disappears.)




ugh, i already forgot what my action specs were. gonna try my best:

action height is the same gibson uses as factory spec 6/64 4/64 inches
neck relief, really do not know, but on both of them it is quite dead straight
buzz is more prnounced a tad in the middle of the neck from fret 5 to fret 13


i get buzz almost at every fret on the low e


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:40 am
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72guy wrote:
i get buzz almost at every fret on the low e


Assuming that the frets are level and the neck relief is correctly set, I'd start by checking the nut to ensure it wasn't too deeply slotted for that specific string......

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 1:57 pm
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Buzzing worse in the middle of the neck?
Sounds like a possible back bow on the neck - the truss rod could possibly do with loosening off a touch.

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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 2:53 pm
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Stratmangler2 wrote:
Buzzing worse in the middle of the neck?
Sounds like a possible back bow on the neck - the truss rod could possibly do with loosening off a touch.


I agree. I had this problem too. My buzzing was right around the 12th to 14th frets.


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 3:58 pm
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Fret buzz can also be alleviated by changing string brand/type.
How long distance strings vibrate depends on the mass of the string and how stiff it is. A hex core steel string will vibrate less distance than a round core nickel string, both because the hex core is stiffer, and because steel has less density than nickel.

If it's just on certain frets, and you've checked the neck relief, you may want to check the frets themselves (e.g. with a ruler). If a guitar is subjected to high humidity, the frets might sometimes "grow" upwards a bit, and not come down again. A luthier should be able to help if that's the case.


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 10:30 pm
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thanks everyone for the responses, i will send it to my tech, he told me that truss rod adjustment and a setup will solve the problem completely.

i actually receiveed it with a low action from factory, and it buzzed acoustically. same thing with a telecaster, so i guess fenders buzz when a lower action is used


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 2:29 am
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I checked all the strings and i was mistaken, this buzz appears even on the high e string, so on all of them..i don't know what to do really, i ve raised the action to the max, nothing helped...i didn't mess with the truss rod


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:12 am
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72guy wrote:
I checked all the strings and i was mistaken, this buzz appears even on the high e string, so on all of them..i don't know what to do really, i ve raised the action to the max, nothing helped...i didn't mess with the truss rod


You guitar just need a set up and you really don't know how to . See a qualified luthier or buy some good books and tools .

Very easy to learn how to . Even truss rod adjustment


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:42 am
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Yeah, truss rod adjustment is easy. You just need a big dose of patience, because wood adjusts to the changed pressure from the truss rod slowly.
If someone at a store offers to do it for you in 15 minutes, it will guaranteed be done wrong, because the neck needs time to settle before re-adjusting.

Quick guide to doing it yourself (standard Fender/Gibson style truss rod assumed, none of those fancy guitars with two truss rods):

Unless it's a very old guitar, it will normally need a hex wrench. Usually, one comes with the guitar.
Keep the strings on, and put a capo (or friend's hand) on the first fret. Then hold down the thick E string on a fret about where the neck meets the body. Halfway between the two, make sure that there's just a little clearance between the string and the frets. About as much as the thickness of the thin E string, or slightly less than a credit card. If you have measuring blades, .010 or so is usually good for the biggest clearance.
Chances are that there is no such clearance if you get string buzz.

Remember the phrase "righty tighty, lefty loosey". If you twist the rod right (deosil, clockwise), you tighten the truss rod, which tilts the headstock backwards. The guitar will push out its chest.
If you twist the rod left (widdershins, anti-clockwise), you loosen it, and get more of a banana shape.
In the case of string buzz, the latter (loosen) is what you want to do.

How much? My rule of thumb is to think of the truss rod as a clock, and under normal circumstances don't twist it more than the small hand would move in an hour. If it's really bad, up to a quarter turn.

If loosening, there's usually nothing to worry about (except it taking a long time).
If tightening, make sure you don't attempt to tighten past the point where the truss rod resists hard, or you may break it or the neck. Loosening a little bit first and then tightening it will give you a feel for what's normal resistance.

Now wait before measuring again. You can shorten the time by playing instead of letting the guitar rest, but it will still take time for the neck to adjust. Hours, at least.

Finally, after the truss rod is adjusted and has had time to settle, re-check the action and intonation.

Normally, a truss rod check and adjustment is called for every time there's a seasonal change, or you travel to somewhere with different humidity. Especially up North, the air tends to be bone dry during winter, and rather wet during summer. Also, if you change string brand or thickness, a truss rod adjustment is recommended.
Depending on a luthier to do it for you every time can be rather expensive in the long run. It's easy to do, so learn to do it yourself.


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:13 am
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arth1 wrote:
Yeah, truss rod adjustment is easy. You just need a big dose of patience, because wood adjusts to the changed pressure from the truss rod slowly.
If someone at a store offers to do it for you in 15 minutes, it will guaranteed be done wrong, because the neck needs time to settle before re-adjusting.

Quick guide to doing it yourself (standard Fender/Gibson style truss rod assumed, none of those fancy guitars with two truss rods):

Unless it's a very old guitar, it will normally need a hex wrench. Usually, one comes with the guitar.
Keep the strings on, and put a capo (or friend's hand) on the first fret. Then hold down the thick E string on a fret about where the neck meets the body. Halfway between the two, make sure that there's just a little clearance between the string and the frets. About as much as the thickness of the thin E string, or slightly less than a credit card. If you have measuring blades, .010 or so is usually good for the biggest clearance.
Chances are that there is no such clearance if you get string buzz.

Remember the phrase "righty tighty, lefty loosey". If you twist the rod right (deosil, clockwise), you tighten the truss rod, which tilts the headstock backwards. The guitar will push out its chest.
If you twist the rod left (widdershins, anti-clockwise), you loosen it, and get more of a banana shape.
In the case of string buzz, the latter (loosen) is what you want to do.

How much? My rule of thumb is to think of the truss rod as a clock, and under normal circumstances don't twist it more than the small hand would move in an hour. If it's really bad, up to a quarter turn.

If loosening, there's usually nothing to worry about (except it taking a long time).
If tightening, make sure you don't attempt to tighten past the point where the truss rod resists hard, or you may break it or the neck. Loosening a little bit first and then tightening it will give you a feel for what's normal resistance.

Now wait before measuring again. You can shorten the time by playing instead of letting the guitar rest, but it will still take time for the neck to adjust. Hours, at least.

Finally, after the truss rod is adjusted and has had time to settle, re-check the action and intonation.

Normally, a truss rod check and adjustment is called for every time there's a seasonal change, or you travel to somewhere with different humidity. Especially up North, the air tends to be bone dry during winter, and rather wet during summer. Also, if you change string brand or thickness, a truss rod adjustment is recommended.
Depending on a luthier to do it for you every time can be rather expensive in the long run. It's easy to do, so learn to do it yourself.



thanks again everyone for the responses. so, 2 questions:

a setup will let me have my current action with no buzz?
are my guitars broken/defect?


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:31 am
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72guy wrote:
thanks again everyone for the responses. so, 2 questions:

a setup will let me have my current action with no buzz?
are my guitars broken/defect?


Your guitars are not broken.
By the sound of it the bulk of the problems can be fixed by a decent setup.

The only thing I wonder about is what you mean by aggressive picking ...

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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:36 am
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Stratmangler2 wrote:
72guy wrote:
thanks again everyone for the responses. so, 2 questions:

a setup will let me have my current action with no buzz?
are my guitars broken/defect?


Your guitars are not broken.
By the sound of it the bulk of the problems can be fixed by a decent setup.

The only thing I wonder about is what you mean by aggressive picking ...

aggresive picking=let's say normal strum of a chord with a tad more force



thanks so my guitars are not faulty right?


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Post subject: Re: buzz question
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:47 am
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72guy wrote:
aggresive picking=let's say normal strum of a chord with a tad more force



thanks so my guitars are not faulty right?


Your guitars are probably not faulty, just possibly in need of a decent setup.

How bad is the buzzing and rattling if you play a touch lighter than you normally do?

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