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Chezpop13

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Ive had my les paul tribute for a while, and after about a year now i found that the frets buzz quite a bit. Im no expert, so im not sure if this is a "normal" amount of buzz, but it seems like i need to give it a lot of relief for the buzz to go away. Right now it's set up with the relief about the width of a business card (don't know the exact measurement) with the action set at a little over 2 mm. The buzz is noticeable as i can hear it through the clean channel on my amp, but again, not sure.

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I agree with the advice of getting a trusted "guitar tech" to set you up. Explain your situation and you may get the assistance you require. Another thing is I advise is to take some time to research online whether it be videos or articles discussing setups. It will be to your benefit to learn how to simply adjust screws and such on your guitar, because typically that is all it takes... The right knowledge and tools will go a long way for you IMHO. But in the meantime, I'd take the advice aforementioned by the other contributors. It takes time and patience to learn proper techniques to setup a guitar. They are all different, but concepts can be pretty much similar on electrics.

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It's probably a combination of relief and bridge height and probably caused by weather/humidity. I had to adjust mine a few times after buying them and letting them acclimate. If you're not experienced, a good setup isn't very expensive and very well worth it. Some may actually tell you what they did, what they recommend and how they did it.

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It's probably a combination of relief and bridge height and probably caused by weather/humidity. I had to adjust mine a few times after buying them and letting them acclimate. If you're not experienced, a good setup isn't very expensive and very well worth it. Some may actually tell you what they did, what they recommend and how they did it.

 

...which the OP should insist be included in the price.

 

Because setting up a guitar is super easy, but it helps to have the process explained. Plus, having the process explained will save you lots of money when it's time for the next setup.

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Ive had my les paul tribute for a while, and after about a year now i found that the frets buzz quite a bit. Im no expert, so im not sure if this is a "normal" amount of buzz, but it seems like i need to give it a lot of relief for the buzz to go away. Right now it's set up with the relief about the width of a business card (don't know the exact measurement) with the action set at a little over 2 mm. The buzz is noticeable as i can hear it through the clean channel on my amp, but again, not sure.

 

It's not a bad idea to get a SET-UP from a Luthier/Pro, but I am a big believer in Player's setting up their own Guitars. What I say ? Get yourself the necessary tools (String Action Gauge, Truss-Rod Wrench, Notched Straightedge, Feeler Gauges, Capo and a couple small screw drivers:Flat & Philips head) and Do-It-Yourself. You will get a lot of satisfaction out of setting the Guitar up the way YOU want it set up and you can try different relief's, String Height's etc etc without shelling out $50 every time you want something tweaked on your Axe.

YOUTUBE has video's of all you will need to know about what is necessary. HAVE FUN !!!

 

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It's not a bad idea to get a SET-UP from a Luthier/Pro, but I am a big believer in Player's setting up their own Guitars. What I say ? Get yourself the necessary tools (String Action Gauge, Truss-Rod Wrench, Notched Straightedge, Feeler Gauges, Capo and a couple small screw drivers:Flat & Philips head) and Do-It-Yourself. You will get a lot of satisfaction out of setting the Guitar up the way YOU want it set up and you can try different relief's, String Height's etc etc without shelling out $50 every time you want something tweaked on your Axe.

YOUTUBE has video's of all you will need to know about what is necessary. HAVE FUN !!!

 

Ultimately I agree...

 

That said, having a real Pro Guitar Tech do a Set up is a good way to go too. Beware of the guys at Guitar Center with a pair of Pliers & a Screw Driver though........ They're usually not what I consider a real Pro Guitar Tech.. Don't be afraid to a ask, What are their Credentials?

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Two months ago I had a setup done on my ES-339 by my trusted luthier Simon (it was in for some fret leveling). When he handed it to me every fret buzzed. The set up had shifted in the few days between him completing the job and me collecting it.

 

It didnt take him long to restore the settings, but goes to prove how easy it is for wood to move. I set up my guitars myself usually, but I seldom touch intonation. I know I'm not the only one to overlook that, but I was amazed at how much more accurate it sounded above the 14th fret. A good tech is very handy to have around.

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Two months ago I had a setup done on my ES-339 by my trusted luthier Simon (it was in for some fret leveling). When he handed it to me every fret buzzed. The set up had shifted in the few days between him completing the job and me collecting it.

 

It didnt take him long to restore the settings, but goes to prove how easy it is for wood to move. I set up my guitars myself usually, but I seldom touch intonation. I know I'm not the only one to overlook that, but I was amazed at how much more accurate it sounded above the 14th fret. A good tech is very handy to have around.

 

The Tech I used to use would keep my Guitars at least 3 days after he Set them up. Then he'd recheck them & make final adjustments if necessary..

 

I do most of my own Setups now... I learned quite a lot from him & You Tube..

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Necks are like a living thing, they affected by several different types of forces. If you take the strings off for a few days dressing the frets or fingerboard, then replace them, it will normally take several days to stabilize to string tension again. Old necks are more stable having cured for longer period of time. Slim taper necks are more sensitive to change than the thicker 50's profile. Also every neck is unique, like a fingerprint, no matter how close machine tolerances they have, they are wood and are almost like living things. It is good to have a new guitar setup by a pro but they will always change over a period of a days.

 

Undesirable Buzz Note: Light gage strings have a tendency to buzz more, heavier strings action can usually be set lower without buzzing..

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Thanks for the feedback, I've tried taking it to a tech but they usually adjust the neck to have way more relief than i prefer. But does anyone know what a "normal" setup would be? Im trying to get better at setting it up myself and i wanna have a baseline to go back to when it changes with the seasons. Thanks for the help.

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Thanks for the feedback, I've tried taking it to a tech but they usually adjust the neck to have way more relief than i prefer. But does anyone know what a "normal" setup would be? Im trying to get better at setting it up myself and i wanna have a baseline to go back to when it changes with the seasons. Thanks for the help.

 

You should refer to the manufacturer's specification. This should be the baseline to deviate from if you so choose. If you deviate, you should take note of the measurements you should see when you are periodically checking the neck relief on the seasonal shifts. If you are interested in your guitars manufacturer specifications, simply perform a web search and you hopefully get plenty of results.

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Thanks for the feedback, I've tried taking it to a tech but they usually adjust the neck to have way more relief than i prefer. But does anyone know what a "normal" setup would be? Im trying to get better at setting it up myself and i wanna have a baseline to go back to when it changes with the seasons. Thanks for the help.

 

 

a "normal" setup? hmm,, not really such a standard since everyone one's hands will be looking for something unique to their own touch and playing style on different guitars. no two will be exactly the same

 

The best thing you can get is the factory standard spec like Chris mentioned. The measurements are often secondary to many players, as it's all about the feel.

 

Sounds like you already have a good idea of when you have too much relief. Usually your guitar tells you when you have too little relief or it's transitioned to a back bow. ex: strings should start fretting out along the first 2 or 3 frets, and you're just lacking sustain that you normally hear/feel. Find the sweet spot in the middle, then know when it changes, and how to respond is really all there is. It's often never more than 1/4 to 1/2 turn one way or the other on the truss rod.

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Another thing I like to add is that in the past, I was always hesitant to decide to affect the truss rod by feel alone. I suppose back then, I didn't know what the heck I was doing, and I had a difficult time assessing whether I improved or worsened a particular situation. As a matter of fact, I never realized what affect a straight neck exactly provided... Whatever on this because I have taken the time to learn for myself how to quantitatively measure the relief of a guitar neck and the affect of the truss rod tension. I have learned that it really pays off immensely to have a simple capo and a set of feeler gauges. Both are inexpensive and invaluable to figuring out where I am at in terms of how much or little relief am I actually working with. I have no issues with deviating from the manufacturer's spec, but one has to achieve that baseline to effectively determine the effects of this deviation comparatively. The only way I see it to implement this deviation is to make sure one can 100% precisely achieve the manufacturer's specification first via instrumentation - i.e. measurement with the tools I suggested to acquire and the techniques that can be learned via online videos "how to set guitar neck relief". From there, any adjustments are moving away from manufacturer specification - where you may want to make adjustments to personal liking. Hopefully you aren't into back-bowed necks, haha! msp_biggrin.gif

 

Overall, I don't just start torquing on the truss rod without some clear evidence what the current state is of the relief quantitatively speaking. Generally speaking, if the neck is under string tension, it most likely won't hurt to loosen the truss rod, but tightening could cause some issues no doubt.

 

Another tip I learned is to never determine relief with a guitar that isn't tuned up to your preference, because the string tension has to be taken into account as how much neck tension to apply - i.e. relief as we call it. So each time I measure, I tune up prior to torquing the truss rod. In sum, there does exist a balance between the string tension and the neck tension... I would advise to observe this for the best results.

 

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I once got roasted pretty bad for mentioning specs and measurements. Everyone has their own preference, and each guitar is different, but I believe that is the best place to start. This is what I have used as my basic setup guide:

 

http://archive.gibso...02printable.htm

 

This is also posted on the Gibson USA site:

 

http://www.gibson.co...itar-Setup.aspx

 

This is also a great book "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great". It goes into more detail:

 

https://www.amazon.c...t/dp/0879309989

 

It's all pretty easy, no rocket science. You do need some basic tools that you can get from a place like Stewart MacDonald for just a little more than you might pay for one setup by a pro.

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I once got roasted pretty bad for mentioning specs and measurements. Everyone has their own preference, and each guitar is different, but I believe that is the best place to start. This is what I have used as my basic setup guide:

 

 

I can't understand the roasting, but I have seen it enough here to know it does.

 

the specs are a great starting point...

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I once got roasted pretty bad for mentioning specs and measurements. Everyone has their own preference, and each guitar is different, but I believe that is the best place to start. This is what I have used as my basic setup guide:

 

http://archive.gibso...02printable.htm

 

This is also posted on the Gibson USA site:

 

http://www.gibson.co...itar-Setup.aspx

 

This is also a great book "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great". It goes into more detail:

 

https://www.amazon.c...t/dp/0879309989

 

It's all pretty easy, no rocket science. You do need some basic tools that you can get from a place like Stewart MacDonald for just a little more than you might pay for one setup by a pro.

 

That's great stuff. I have used the first article for my newest Gibsons and it works pretty well for me. I like fairly low action and don't mind a little string buzz if it comes through when unplugged and not plugged in. A few times when I've taken my guitars in for a setup or when I've bought them new, the action is a bit higher than I typically like. A few tries of fine adjustment and they're how I want them to be. Sometimes I get it done in one sitting, sometimes I take another day or two for fine adjustment. Some like their action higher, some like it lower, some like thicker strings, some like thinner strings.

 

I'm not sure why anyone would "roast" someone for their specs and measurements since each player has their own preferences. I use the first article for my guitar specs. I've never had anyone who's played my guitars roast me for their setup. Most of the time it's "Holy crap, these play nice."

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If I had to guess, the first thing I'd be suspicious of is that you have too much relief and that's bad. If you want the neck to be right, you have to get the relief right. The neck needs to be almost straight, with just a paper thickness or two of relief when you're fretting the first and fifteenth frets. If you have too much relief, you can get buzzing on the upper frets and it can be confusing. First set the relief, then set the action. If it buzzes after that, then you've got a problem with something, like a high fret or a rising tongue. Does it buzz just on one fret or does it buzz regardless of where you're fretting the strings? Can you tell where it's buzzing? Right in front of where you're fretting or on the upper frets away from where you're fretting?

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I have been doing my neck adjustments for a very very long time, with many different brands. Gibson necks, in general, are one of the best for out of the box factory guitars requiring very little adjustment.

 

When I acquire a new or different guitar, the first thing I do is put "my gage of strings on" and let it settle in for a few days with correct string tension. Then look down the neck at the shadow of the string on the fingerboard and frets from the bridge end. Also checking the fret level with a steel ruler. I want it to be as flat possible with a very very very slight curve toward the strings.

 

If a truss rod adjustment is needed, I remove the nut cover and leave it off for a few days. With Gibson's never more than an 1/8 turn and let it set for a day, while occasionally playing and checking. I may continue doing this for about a week.

 

The humidity and temperature variations of your environment also need to be considered allowing plenty of time to acclimate, specially if different from where your guitar originated.

 

If you are new to this, have a pro setup done to establish a baseline, like everyone suggested, before attempting to make minor tweaks yourself. Play it safe...

 

Note: I started learning to tweak necks on my Asian guitars after acquiring a 63 Coronet that established "my" baseline. Many guitars later I was tweaking my Gibson's after acquiring an early 70's Goldtop Aria LP. Once again many guitars later, I currently do all of my setups to get the best out of each individual guitar.

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