Epiphone Les Paul Standard - 13th fret problems

[nimagraven]

Hi,

 

I just purchased an Epiphone Les Paul Standard. I was running it through it's paces last night and after tuning I noticed that the 13th fret has like a "dead buzz" sound on the BGD strings and somewhat 50/50 on the A. Low E and High E are fine. I've been in contact with the shop I bought it from. They were clueless "as to what the problem might be" and as far as they're concerned I should "send it back for a replacement" - They were honestly clueless to the suggestion of a set up! I phoned another store I have frequent dealings with (And I know the staff are knowledgeable) and explained the problem. They think that it's something they might be able to fix with a standard set up for £25.

 

Now I'm in two minds. After reading around that if mostly "one fret" is the problem it might be a high fret and stuff, I'm wondering whether I should just accept a replacement or go for a set up. What are your opinions of the problem?

 

Does a set up disrupt the warranty?

[TWANG]

It sounds like the 13th fret is low.. and the 14th fret is high.

if you get a buzz sound.. fret rattling against the bottom of the string. it wont be at the fret you're playing, but the one above it.

*could be an even higher fret, too.. for example the 15th could be high..

 

play a note on the 13th fret.. hold the string to that fret.. use your pick edge to push down on the same string, above the next fret..

then the next fret above that.. then the next..

 

now you have an idea of what the clearance is.. you'll notice the higher up you go, the more you have to push the string down to make it hit the fret.

go to the 9th fret and using the same string, do this all over again for a few frets.

hold the string at the 9th and push the string to the top of the 10 11 12 frets.

 

then you should go back and redo this at the 13th.. is there a difference between the distance you feel at fret 10 using the 9th.. and fret 14 using the 13th?

See what I mean.. you can actually feel that a high fret takes less pressure to get the string down..

that's your rattling fret, the high one.

 

When you find it will produce noise at a single fret for a few strings, it means you have a high fret or a low one.

typicallly, this means a high fret.. they don't usually sink in.. they don't usually get levelled too low at one spot..

It can mean they didn't quite get it level, or it can mean a fret swelled out of the board for some reason.. not well seated.. temp. humidity changes, etc.

 

The tech or luthier most likely will find the problem, and then level that area only, one more time.

I use a sharpie and mark the top of the fret wherever it makes noise.. *the fret above is where.. and then level just until the black line is gone.

we're talking really small amounts of fret being levelled here.. sometimes I have to do it twice or three times, just to be very careful and get it right.

After that it has to be recrowned a bit so the string isn't resting on a flat surface, which could also make it fret out.

 

So, you can to look at the frets in question to start with.. and see if it isn't just a sloppy crowning.. after all, a flat topped fret can make a buzz, and just crowning it can make that disappear.

 

All of this isn't a tutorial, but a general guide to what to look for.. you should know as much as possible before you take it to anyone, so that you can tell if you're being BS'd about what needs to be done, or how much that should cost.

 

You know, even a simple adjustment, to string height or truss rod, can also, sometimes, cure a problem like that.

It's hard to tell from here!

But go over everything.. look up gibsons specs on les paul action.. read about their recommended truss rod relief, and then try the above test to see what you can feel.. you should find some consitency you can recognize where the buzzing/rattling is occuring.

 

If I liked the guitar I'd keep it, but then, I can fix this myself.

Epis are so uniform.. you have to give them kudos on Quality Control.. a replacement is just the expense of shipping versus the expense of repair.

This wont be under set up, it will be under repair.. typically a store will just go for replacement if they don't have a qualified gibson service techinician. (which is what it takes to get warranted repair.. though some guys will go ahead with small problems and fix them in store.. what Gibson don't know wont hurt you!)

I know that probably wont make up your mind for you.. but sending it in, waiting, and paying for shipping would probably be more than

having it fixed locally, and that can be as much if not more than shipping it for replacement.

 

I recently went over my epi lp studios frets, and it barely took anything at all to make it perfect. But then.. I dont know who you'd take it to, and there's a few out there that inflate costs, exaggerate problems, and have lousy technique on top of that..

Hey.. I know it's heartbreaking even when it's a little thing.. good luck!

[nimagraven]

Thanks for the advice. It was very informative.

 

I don't mind waiting for a replacement - I'd rather have something that is "as pristine" as possible, if you get my drift. It was a birthday present for myself. I have another guitar there that I can play in the meanwhile so waiting really isn't a big deal.

 

The guitar plays great other than that fret. It's a real disappointment, but I can't complain if the store have offered a replacement.. That and they're paying shipping .