String buzz/rattle

[wheelgunner]

It's on my Les Paul Standard on the first string at the 12th fret. To a lesser degree at the 10th & 11th frets.

 

And it's only on the first string. It's no huge deal but why would it be on the high 'E' and not the 'B?'

[Rico Deluxe]

have you tried raising the bridge a hair?

[wheelgunner]

have you tried raising the bridge a hair?

 

Yeah, I've played with the bow and bridge. It's currently at 5/64 inch from the fret at the 12th fret. I've got big fingers and like the height for getting underneath the strings. I'm using 10s. Maybe I'll go to 11s.

[JThunderz]

Did you just change the strings? I've noticed that when my set up is **** then I change the strings they rattle a little, especially the first day or two. Once they're broken in and stretched out a little they're fine.

[wheelgunner]

Did you just change the strings? I've noticed that when my set up is **** then I change the strings they rattle a little' date=' especially the first day or two. Once they're broken in and stretched out a little they're fine.[/quote']

 

Probably two weeks ago.

[Sefrez]

See if there is any dirt on the back side of the strings. Just feel behind it. Clean them if there is.

I know my epiphone has this same problem with the high E string and it starts at the 12th fret also. But it seems to be a fret issue. A slight bridge lift could help, but if not or you don't want to, the frets might have to be evened out.

[Yaff]

Only things I can think of are:

 

1 Frets need dressing

2 Grove in the saddle for the 1st string is cut a little deep

3 The neck is out of alignment

 

Saying that, if the high E is 5/64 at the 12th (My 08 Standard is set to just over 2/64 on the high E and 3.5/64 on the low E), the action is high, so the frets would need to be a long way out to generate buzz, you would think.

 

Have you tried placing a flat edge down the neck and rocking it over the frets to check for high frets?

 

If I was you, if its not obvious, I would pay a Tech to sort it out.

 

All the best

[wheelgunner]

Only things I can think of are:

 

1 Frets need dressing

2 Grove in the saddle for the 1st string is cut a little deep

3 The neck is out of alignment

 

If I was you' date=' if its not obvious, I would pay a Tech to sort it out.

 

[/quote']

 

It has an interesting story. It started out with string buzz on the 5th and 6th strings at the 5th, 6th and 7th frest. A luthier looked at it and said the nut slots were cut too low. He wanted $140 to replace the nut. I didn't have him work on it. Next, I took it to a tech who said it just needed a setup. I let him set it up but the buzz was still there and he said the neck was warped. I sent it back to Gibson and they sent it back. There's no more buzz on the bass side but there is buzz on the 1st string at the 12th fret. It doesn't come through the amp but I can hear it (I only play in my house w/my Blues Jr amp between 1 and 2 on the volume knob).

[BigKahune]

... It's currently at 5/64 inch from the fret at the 12th fret. I've got big fingers and like the height for getting underneath the strings. I'm using 10s. Maybe I'll go to 11s.

 

At that height, there's no way it should buzz. 5/64 is pretty high on the treble side. Something's going on there. Most likely either the nut cut, or the upper frets not level (probably 13 and 14), or both. Sounds like maybe the first luthier was on track. BTW, there have been more than a few nut cut problems in new Gibbys in the last couple years - a problem we've been seeing noted here on the forums.

 

11s will pull the neck up more. Without an adustment, the buzz might disappear. But then the action will be even higher.

[wheelgunner]

BTW' date=' there have been more than a few nut cut problems in new Gibbys in the last couple years - a problem we've been seeing noted here on the forums.

 

[/quote']

 

It seems that when I sent it back to Gibson they would have ascertained that the nut was cut wrong. I'm tired of messing with them.

 

I bought a new ES 335 and the nut slots were cut so high that whenever I fingered an open chord it was sharp. I took it to the "luthier" (that I mentioned above). He recut the slots and reinforced the bridge (it was wobbly). Only, he recut it to his tastes I guess, without ever looking at how I play, and the 5th and 6th string slots were so low that they buzzed significantly. That's when I took it to the tech (also mentioned above) and he put in a new vintage nut. It plays fine now.

 

But here's ~$4,000 worth of guitars, NIB Gibsons, and they've got/had problems.

 

Frustrating to say the least.

[Yaff]

I feel your frustration.

 

If I was you, I would find a good quality guitar Tech (your call about the quality of the guys you have used, second opinion couldn't heart) who can:

 

1 Check it over and tell me what work needs to be completed - Face to face

2 Complete the work at the price agreed

3 Guarantee that his work will completely resolve the issue and not create new ones

4 When finished, I could test and collect in person, so no money changes hands until the work is complete

 

You may have to pay a little more, but at least you will have the quality guitar you thought you had bought. I use the guy bellow, this is what I call a quality Tech:

 

http://www.guitartechnicalservices.co.uk/index.html

 

Wish you all the very best and keep smiling, it will get sorted :)

[Rico Deluxe]

if the problem was with the nut , it should only buzz on an open note because once you finger it the fret effectively becomes the nut, no? and as Yaff pointed out, with the action that high , a fret would have to be far enough off as to be fairly obvious at a glance. maybe the neck alignment theory... or it's a stretch but is it possible that something else is loose and happens to be rattling .... pickguard against a pickup or something like that?

[wheelgunner]

is it possible that something else is loose and happens to be rattling .... pickguard against a pickup or something like that?

 

It doesn't have a pickguard. But even re the neck alignment theory, why would it buzz at only that spot and only w/that string?

 

There is another tech that has a pretty good reputation at the Guitar Center. I'm going to let the guy who sold it to me (at the GC) look at it and then take it to the the tech.