MJA8888 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Hello, first time on this forum. I need a little help or advice about the Casino buzz I am having. I would like to replace the bridge, but there are no after-market bridges with the correct "string spacing". The only one I could find was the Schaller roller bridge, and I really don't think that will work with the post spacing, or the trapeze tailpiece tensioning. I do not want a bigsby on it. I have searched just about everywhere. Also, it is not a rattle but a slight grind buzz. Weirdest sound. and it only happens with certain frequencies or notes being played. Mainly on the low E and A and D strings. Need a solution before I go insane !! Mike A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelake07 Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 In an previous post, carverman wrote this: Typically speaking the low E or low A string could buzz on some frets due to a dip on the bass side of the neck which is not uncommon in guitars that not have been setup or worked on yet. This has more to do with the height of the bridge or the curvature of the neck and possibly a fret that is higher than the others when it was pressed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJA8888 Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 Thanks for the reply. I am pretty sure it's not fret buzz. Last night, I played around with it again, and the buzz seems to come from the bridge or the bridge pickup. It is driving me crazy, to the point where I will give it to a tech to look at. I got a really good deal on it, and besides the buzz it is in great shape. it is a 1999 VC Casino. (Sunburst color they discontinued). I love the guitar except for that buzz......... Any other help out there would be nice.... Mike A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 check to see if the bridge has a little wire that retains the thread...I believe some people put a bit of clear nail polish on it to prevent it from vibrating... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelake07 Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Before the clear nail polish (good idea), check that the retainer wire has not bent upward on the bass side. If it has, push down the wire between the slotted heads with a screwdriver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJA8888 Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 Last night I put a piece of small rubber strip between the wire on the bridge and then played a "D" power chord and buzz was still there. The buzz is at it's loudest when I play the "D" chord. For some reason that frequency is setting off something inside of this guitar. Some people told me it might be a wire loose inside or the switch. Man.... I am going crazy. I know one thing, it might be the bridge pickup. Everytime I'll play the "D" chord and then immediately put my hand on the pickup it stops the buzz, I think. Maybe a loose screw inside the pickup ?? Soldering is loose ?? Something is friggen loose !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this guitar, will not sell it back. Maybe time to shell out some money and get it fixed by a good tech. I would love to fix it myself, but trying to fix this buzz will make you want to see a shrink !!!!!!!!!!!! Mike A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 OK, I had a similar problem with the neck PU on my joe pass...first I temporarily solved it by wedging a guitar pick in between the PU and the PU ring (you can find people online who have done this)...then a small piece of foam was wedged in there (barely visible) and the problem seems gone for good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJA8888 Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 Hey, I will try that tonight after work. I hope that will be the solution. I am a little ignorant about some guitar terminology. What is a Pickup (PU) ring ?? That way I know where to put the foam ? Thanks for that reply, Mike A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJA8888 Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 I found out what the PU ring is. The P90's don't have one of those. Just the plain dog ear cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 whoops, forgot you said casino...could be a loose wire or screw then, as you thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJA8888 Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 Over lunch break, went home and played the "D" chord again and again, and it SEEMS that there is a wire laying across the body inside of the guitar between the two pickups. Could that be making that buzz sound ?? Any experience with that ?? That the wire or wires or against the inside wall of the body ?? I will try tonight to remedy that maybe will work. It seems I will have to take the whole guitar apart to find out what and where this buzz is comming from. Thanks, Mike A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Might be the bridge, too. I have a Riviera, that does that exact same thing, and it has mini-humbuckers, so I don't think it's the pickups? Seems to be a very common complaint with Casino and Riviera guitars (except for, the "Elitists," that is). Lots of folks here, have recommended a new "Gotoh" Bridge, from Stew Mac. Seems to fix the problem...or at least what they were having trouble with. Need to try that, myself, one day...as I have about exhausted all other possibilities. I don't hear it, through the amp, so I've just ignored it, for now...but, "someday!" CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvdv Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I have a buzz on the E and A strings, which I haven't yet eliminated. I also have a strange kind of sound which only happens *sometimes* on the high E and sometimes B strings, which I can only describe as a kind of glassy sound; it's almost like there's a doubling of the sound of the string - it's not fret buzz, and it's not quite a harmonic, and as I said above, it only occurs sometimes (although it does seem to be consistent in that it happens when I'm in the 8-10 or 12 fret range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJA8888 Posted August 14, 2008 Author Share Posted August 14, 2008 Hello Everyone, I found out where the buzz is comming from and isolated it to the bridge PU. It took me an hour or so to make sure it was that. I then thought of what "dubstar" said to put some foam in the PU ring, which I don't have (dog ears). I was thinking this will work if I could find a piece of foam pad, the kind that they use in packing. Not the styrofoam, but the thin layered soft pad they put over electronic components. Anyway, I found some of this thin layered stuff, cut out an approximate piece to match the dog ear shape, cut another slit in the middle to clear the pole piece screws, formed the foam in the PU, stuffed a few more strips about an 1/8" thick on the long sides, put the PU back in the original mounting spot, tightened down the screws........ and what do you know !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO MORE BUZZ !!!!!!!!!! What happened was the bridge PU's bottom metal piece was somehow up against the cutout in the body and virtually vibrating against the wood. So I tried the foam pad trick and I it worked like a charm. Thanks to dubstar and his input, I now have a mint playing guitar !!!! I hope someone can benefit from my experience, and fix there problem in the future, by reading this thread. I absolutely without a doubt, love this guitar. It seems like it was made for me. No more Epiphone Casino blues ! Plays like a dream, sounds like a dream. I even played "Ticket to Ride" last night to commence my grattitude !!! By the way this guitar nails that sound hands down. Thanks everyone, this forum rocks !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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