Bought a new Ephiphone but need help :(

[donaldgwapo]

Hello, Guys! Sorry about this question. I'm new to this.

 

I bought a new acoustic guitar out-of-the-box. Epiphone AJ220SCE.

 

Bought it from a place where the climate is so cold it reaches 9dec celcius.

 

Took it home (average of 30 dec celcius).

 

After about 2 days of usage, i hear buzzing sound on the bass strings especially when I use the first to 5th fret.

 

I took it to a luthier near my location. He told me it's normal for an acoustic guitar to have buzzing sounds since the guitar and strings are new. He tried to replace it with a newly bought Martin Bass string (gauge 12) and still has a buzzing sound. He checked the neck and he says it's not bowed or warped.

 

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

Sorry for my english.

[L5Larry]

I took it to a luthier near my location....and still has a buzzing sound.

 

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

Sounds to me like you need to find a new guitar tech.

 

Changes in guitars is normal with medium to extreme climate changes. A good "professional" setup is all you should need.

[cliffmac]

I totally agree just a good set up and let it get use to the new climate and keep it humidified as well.

[bonzoboy]

Guitars-especially acoustic-are very susceptible to changes in temp and humidity-especially quick and dramatic changes.Guitars should be kept in an environment with around 45% humidity and a temp between 65 and 75 F-a general rule of thumb is that an environment that you are comfortable in is also comfortable for your guitar.Let your guitar stabilize for a day or two at a constant temp and humidity and your guitar may very well sort itself out,if not a simple tweak of the trussrod may take care of the buzzing,rather than having to go through the expense of a complete setup.

[donaldgwapo]

That's actually what I plan to do. I am going to let it sit around for a month or two. If nothing changes and buzzing stays, I might have to take it to a professional in our capital which is 500kms from here @_@

 

Anyway, here's a video and images of my guitar for your reference. Thanks!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWpBwkPEP-g

 

 

 

 

[Mickthemiller]

How long have you had the guitar? Can you send it back? I have never heard an acoustic sound so bad. I would have said a high fret but it is bad all over the first few frets. I would also suggest if your guitar tech says that this guitar will settle down then I would not trust his judgement. Sorry! All I can suggest is that there is something loose in or on the guitar - struts, machines, bridge or whatever. Anyway it does not sound fixable to me. By the way I have two AJ220s and they are generally good guitars - you my friend have a pup as we say in the UK. A dud!! Send it back it is unplayable - and the world can see that now!

[Larsongs]

You shouldn't have to start out with a bad new Guitar.

 

Send it back. You might like the Epi. Texan better. I played a lot of Epi. Acoustics & liked the Texan best so I bought one. I play it as much as my Gibson J160E.

 

Good luck

[donaldgwapo]

You shouldn't have to start out with a bad new Guitar.

 

Send it back. You might like the Epi. Texan better. I played a lot of Epi. Acoustics & liked the Texan best so I bought one. I play it as much as my Gibson J160E.

 

Good luck

 

I sent the dealer a message telling him the issue. He's welcoming the idea of returning the guitar for inspection. I still have the receipt so I think it's covered by warranty. Nothing has been adjusted so far so they can't void any warranty.

 

It does sound bad? Or might be the recorder? LOL

 

Here's a strum test.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4o-Hc4YfHM

[cliffmac]

Everyone has different taste in sound and what they like. I have a DR500MCE with Ernie Ball Aluminum/Bronze lights, it has a nice warm woodie tone, that I like when singing and out jamming. I also picked up the Dove Pro it has Ernie Ball super slinkies on it 12-53 and love the bright tone but it still has a nice bass to it as well. Bring it back and check out other options the Hummingbird Pro is another hit from what I've read and the Texan and DR500Mce are amazing for the price capable of keeping with guitars worth 3 to 4 times the price. Good Luck.

[crust]

Have you tried turning the truss rod a bit ? To me, it sounds like the neck is back bowed and the strings slap. If a truss rod adjustment doesn't alleviate that, something is wrong.

 

 

did the guitar come supplied with a truss rod wrench ? if so, use it as the video shows

[donaldgwapo]

Have you tried turning the truss rod a bit ? To me, it sounds like the neck is back bowed and the strings slap. If a truss rod adjustment doesn't alleviate that, something is wrong.

 

 

did the guitar come supplied with a truss rod wrench ? if so, use it as the video shows

 

It comes with allen wrench screw driver. I'm too scared to try. Might break it like some other people say. T_T

[GuitarLight]

It comes with allen wrench screw driver. I'm too scared to try. Might break it like some other people say. T_T

 

It sounds like your guitar needs a truss rod adjustment because the neck needs to be given relief so the strings do not buzz on the frets. It is not hard to do. Here is how to do it.

1. Remove the truss rod screws on the headstock and slide the truss cover that says AJ, off to expose the hexagon truss rod adjustment fixture nut.

2. Standing in front of a sofa or chair, place the guitar bottom on the cushion with the strings faced AWAY from you,while still holding the neck with your hands.

3. Place the supplied hexagon allen wrench into the hole and push it in so it drops in and connects with the hexagon nut inside there...these are designed to fit together. You may need to push and wiggle a little to get the wrench in so it seats in the truss rod nut inside the hole....and to get it back out when done.

4. Now as you support the guitar with your hand on the neck, and the guitars bottom still resting on the chair cushion, and the strings are faced AWAY from you......grasp and firmly hold the wrench which you have inserted into the hexagon truss rod nut and......turn about 1/4 turn ...TO THE LEFT ..it will feel tight, just turn it with pressure till it moves. (make sure the strings are still faced away from you)

5. That's it!

 

After this is done you may expect the guitar to be out of tune from the adjustment...just retune it and check for buzzing. If buzz still exists.....just do the above again and turn it another 1/4 turn TO THE LEFT.

 

You can adjust and loosen the truss rod 1/4 turn like this at least three times without damage, maybe four times, and if you go too far, and the action becomes too hard from the adjustment, then it can simply be turned back again ...in the opposite direction...to where it was, ...1/4 turn by 1/4 turn at a time.

 

The truss rod allen wrench supplied by Epiphone was meant for you, as the customer, to make these small adjustments as after needed till the buzz is gone. This supplied wrench has a hexagon shaped end on its end....and the inside truss rod nut is shaped in a hexagon to receive the wrench with a clean fit, tho you my need to wiggle or tug that wrench in and out. It may fight you a bit. It will be snug inserting in and taking it out again...all normal......wiggle gently as you insert and remove the wrench.

 

You can not harm your guitar with a simple truss rod adjustment. But you CAN often remove a buzz, if the neck needs that small adjustment. Good luck, and you will be fine. ...If after you have made this adjustment...the guitar STILL buzzes, then it may be a nut or saddle issue. ...GL

[Geezah]

What Guitarlight said. My PR5-E arrived with similar action; backed off the truss rid a bit and that's all it took. Your situation sounds totally similar.

[Mickthemiller]

I took it to a luthier near my location.

 

 

If it is something as simple as a truss rod adjustment (forward bow in the neck) then why on earth did this luthier not see this - it's one of the first things anyone with an ounce of knowledge would look for!!

 

 

By anyone I obviously don't mean you donaldgwapo

[Mickthemiller]

sorry I posted my own reply

[agradeleous]

Beautiful guitar , these guys got ya covered .

 

Did you by chance look down the neck by hold the guitar up and look at from the body end look down each side of the guitar along the finger board just see how straight it is .

 

Look for humps and waviness. have a good light source at the headstock so you can see well .

 

this will give you and idea for the neck is doing but not the whole picture.

 

just to say and it's kind of sad but a lot of shops that have folks do the guitar set and work or not really trained . I'm not saying there all like that but a lot also one can be very trained with knowledge but not be able to apply it.

 

You find a really good luthier and they'll fix her up right . Just do your homework and research who's out there who gets the best ratings reviews and shares there training and years behind him/her .

 

there's a lot of factors involving buzz and playability. just getting another guitar might sound better but have more issues you don't see.

 

Depending on how you play strumming finger picking a combo of both will all be needed info on your set up and again it depends.

 

I had my new blueridge done by my luthier we talked it out my DR500 was set up great fast as a cheetah great for picking but on strumming I still had some buzz . some folks might not mind and if I was sitting around a fire most of that wold get lost in the fun but on recordings it stuck out like a soar thumb.

 

so I worked out what needed to be done on the blueridge but he goofed played the same as the DR LMAO I called him up took it back, went over it again. found some frets around the 14th fret area out a bit which most players don't go up there but I do so some fret leveling and a slight height adjustment made it come together. Still fast notes ring out clear from top to bottom and from nut to saddle .

 

next the DR goes back for the same work .

 

I'm sorry for story telling and dragging on kind of like to talk about this stuff LOL

 

anyways find a real good luthier even if he/she costs more it makes all the difference they'll tell ya if you need to send it back or other .

 

Good luck hope to hear how it goes .

 

Play well :)

 

Ags

[milod]

For what it's worth, where I live I've had a cupla "mail order" Epi flattops with the same problem - and at the guitar store that's a nice long drive away, I've seen the same problem on some Epis when they were unboxing a shipment.

 

Since I cannot believe they'd come that way out the factory door, regardless where the factory might be.

 

That leaves local climate conditions/climate conditions during transportation.

 

I don't know if other brands have quite the same difficulty, but I'll wager they do. I just watched the Epis because of personal interest.

 

In fact, one "selling point" of that store down the road is that they'll do setups the first year on a new guitar. They're also pushing Taylors because they have what amounts to a bolt-on neck, and dropped Gibson, with a discussion that the Taylors are much easier to reset the neck, even, compared to Gibsons.

 

So it ain't just Epi, although I have a hunch that the bigger bodies may be a bit greater problem (3 for me) than the smaller bodies (2 for me). I wonder if our nice solidtops might also be a tad more sensitive than the laminates such as the PR5e - but that's only a guess.

 

m

[kidblast]

Hi,,

 

it's probably okay.. from watching your video.. I would say the amount of pull you are putting on your strings before releasing to sample in some of that video is pretty extreme. When in other parts of the video, I can see you are NOT pulling them too hard and in those sections of the video the notes don't seem to be buzzing.

 

from some of your photos, although it's hard to pin point, the neck relief and action from what I could see, looked pretty much what I'd expect a factory setup to look like.

 

I think you just need to realize that what you are doing when you pull on the string that hard, is creating an abnormal amount of vibration, which in turn, is going to make the strings slap up against the fretboard.. and presto,, Buzzing galore.

 

You mention this is a new venture for you correct? If so, it is a common beginner problem to pluck and pull on the strings too hard, (as well as push down too hard on the fret board with your left hand)

 

it requires a lot less pressure than you'd think. as you move forward in your playing, you will find this for yourself.

 

So at the end of the day, it's probably nothing more than just a bit of a technique issue, that you can over come with the right touch and practice.

 

if you do take it to a luthier, SHOW them what you are doing, and do it just like in the video...

Chances are, they're going to say just what I've said here. (I've been teaching guitar on and off for over 30 years now, I've seen this same issue play out time and time again)

 

so I'd try again, see for yourself, what really happens when you pick really hard verses picking in a more relaxed normal fashion.

 

your guitar is probably fine.. from the photos, it looks quite nice...

 

 

 

and another piece of advice, if you don't have a humidifier for you guitar, get one (15 Bucks USD for a dampit) also keep the guitar in the case when you are not using it. you can dry out a guitar really quick in these cold winter (make that, endless frikken cold winter) months... and you don't want that to happen. I'm in New England, and it's been brutal since November...

 

 

Cheers!