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Post subject: String buzz on Stratocaster connected with Stratty tone?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 2:54 pm
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Hi all,
Just sharing my thoughts on the subject after having tried some strats in the last months. I understand when it comes to tone it's all subjective, anyhow....

Picked up an American Vintage 62, rosewood, with very good set up (octave ok, minor to no fret buzz); tonewise it was very good.
Picked up an American Vintage 57, maple, in pink colour (the worse colour combination I ever saw). It was buzzing like hell except the unfretted notes. Tone wise she was AMAZING.
Picked up an American Standard 2012 with fat50 pickups, with very good set up; tonewise very similar to the 62.
Picked up a yellowish 1988 vintage reissue 57 made in USA at Corona plant, refretted, played a lot because the maple neck was quite worn out; she was buzzing everywhere, unfretted notes as well (so too low capo slots); tonewise it was unbelievably amazing. Dirty Stratty tones in position 2 and 4 were gorgeous, really. Rock-blues licks were there, SRV and Hendrix came in mind.


I tend to prefer guitars set with high action and minor to low fret buzz, I just think they need to be like that...but those two examples are confusing me.

So here is the question: do you have similar experience? Do you experience awesome stratty tones with guitar buzzing like hell? Especially pos 2 and 4.

Thanks for reading!!!


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Post subject: Re: String buzz on Stratocaster connected with Stratty tone?
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 2:14 am
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Strat will not buzz with good set up .

Or you want a too low string height AND you strung very hard ?

Or the set up you think is well done , in not !


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Post subject: Re: String buzz on Stratocaster connected with Stratty tone?
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:23 am
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To tell you the truth, I had to agree when you wrote: "... those two examples are confusing me." (actually four examples) they confused me as well. :lol:

To answer your question(s): No and No. I don't get great tone from a guitar that's buzzing, I get the overwhelming compulsion to adjust the relief, check the Nut slots and look for high frets. But you knew that would be the standard response, didn't you? 8)

Maybe if I were there I could comprehend what you're writing about. I'm not just acting on my Internet-given right to curmudgeonability, I'm trying to understand and maybe you or some forum members can show me what I'm missing here. :?:

I'm thinking that "Buzz" and "Amazing" probably don't serve to fully describe your experience. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: String buzz on Stratocaster connected with Stratty tone?
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:03 am
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Dialing in a guitar's action and optimizing the pickup height are related-but-independent parameters when setting up a guitar. String height, intonation, and neck relief should be addressed first -- then adjust the pickups for the best tone.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: String buzz on Stratocaster connected with Stratty tone?
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 2:25 pm
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Thanks for feedbacks,
I was probably not clear enough.
I play guitar since many years and in the last couple of years I started to pay more and more attention to instrument set-up and tone.
I wrote the post because two really sweet sounding strat I had the chance to play in the last months, were actually buzzing a lot (either too low action or back-bow neck or high frets and so on...).

I was wondering if the string touching frets and resulting in buzzing, could actually change the instrument overall tone... or it was a coincidence to find two sweet sounding instruments with poor set-up?

Alberto


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Post subject: Re: String buzz on Stratocaster connected with Stratty tone?
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 7:24 am
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guitarman1984 wrote:
I was wondering if the string touching frets and resulting in buzzing, could actually change the instrument overall tone... or it was a coincidence to find two sweet sounding instruments with poor set-up?

I'd say neither. The sweet sound is likely a coincidence, but the set-up isn't. The latter is your own fault, as you absolutely need to set up the guitar again after you acquire it. Even if it were perfectly set up before, differences in temperature and humidity between where and when it was set up and where you keep it, as well as your own action preference and playing style means it will need to be done again. (And again, as seasons change and wood ages.)


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