Do Epiphone guitars "buzz"

[crust]

Do Epiphone's exhibit string buzz/slap when the string height is adjusted to a comfortable height ? How does the "fretboard slap" of the strings on an Epiphone compare to a Gibson (when set up properly) ?

It seems like some of the Epiphones I've played are quite "buzzy". Anyone else encounter the same situation ?

[Sjael]

There is a flaw in your question - if an instrument is properly set up, there is no fret buzz.

[crust]

There is a flaw in your question - if an instrument is properly set up' date=' there is no fret buzz.[/quote']

 

I have found that is not the case on some Epiphone's I have played. I think they were set up quite well (about as good as they could be without a fret level).

[Sjael]

So your question is: Do Gibsons have better fret work from the factory?

 

Generally, yes, especially since Gibson started PLEKing their guitars. I myself have only played one epi with a bad fret, and I've played a few. I've also played a Gibson LP Standard that buzzed about the 7th fret on the low E string. Go figure.

[Coup]

Every guitar i've ever owned has had string buzz and most of them have been epiphones.

I had a Gibson SG and that buzzed.

Maybe i've had bad luck or i'm just to fussy.

I now have a Casino and that buzzes. Sounds awesome through my amp and thats the main thing.

[Bender 4 Life]

I have found that is not the case on some Epiphone's I have played. I think they were set up quite well (about as good as they could be without a fret level).

 

BINGO !!!!!!

 

I have a cheap Chinese SX guitar ($139 USD) with rock bottom action and NO string buzz, the factory fretwork was superb !

Conversely, my 30th Ann. GLP Plaintop had 2 high frets when I bought it BRAND NEW. (long before "plek"ing)

I have 5 Epis made between '98, & '08, and NONE of them buzz, and none have had fretwork done, i'm probably VERY lucky.

The BEST action & factory frets i've ever owned on an Asian guitar are on my Korean Agile AL-3000 Prestige series LP clone.

[Dave]

So many guitars nowdays are high production, low cost. Even though, When I was working part time in a music store in the late 60's, we routinely did a setup on every new guitar that came in. That consisted of a truss rod adjustment, bridge height setup, and ocassionally a fret filing, but not often. It's just a by-product of wood changing with humidity. I suppose that even with factories doing a setup, everything would be off when shipped to a climate with lower or higher humidity.

 

I adjust truss rods periodically on some of my guitars that change a little in summer and winter. It's just part of ownership. Fret Dressing is a good way to minimize that kind of activity. At least if you adjust the neck flat and dress the frets when it's new, you create a starting point that makes ocassional truss rod adjustment easier.

 

All my Epis have had to have a fret dressing. My 1994 Gibson Studio has never needed it. The Epis seem to have a peak in the 8th to 11th fret area. I wonder if that has something to do with humidity differences between China and the USA causing a slight bow closer to the neck joint when they arrive here.

[Svet]

Every guitar i've ever owned has had string buzz and most of them have been epiphones.

I had a Gibson SG and that buzzed.

Maybe i've had bad luck or i'm just to fussy.

I now have a Casino and that buzzes. Sounds awesome through my amp and thats the main thing.

 

I've got 30 guitars, 29 of which are playable. They include Gibson, Fender, Epiphone, Eastman, PRS, Gretsch and Martin and all are set up by myself and not a single one buzzes anywhere on the neck. I think you don't have the guitar set up properly.

[Svet]

So many guitars nowdays are high production' date=' low cost. Even though, When I was working part time in a music store in the late 60's, we routinely did a setup on every new guitar that came in. That consisted of a truss rod adjustment, bridge height setup, and ocassionally a fret filing, but not often. It's just a by-product of wood changing with humidity. I suppose that even with factories doing a setup, everything would be off when shipped to a climate with lower or higher humidity.

 

I adjust truss rods periodically on some of my guitars that change a little in summer and winter. It's just part of ownership. Fret Dressing is a good way to minimize that kind of activity. At least if you adjust the neck flat and dress the frets when it's new, you create a starting point that makes ocassional truss rod adjustment easier.

 

All my Epis have had to have a fret dressing. My 1994 Gibson Studio has never needed it. The Epis seem to have a peak in the 8th to 11th fret area. I wonder if that has something to do with humidity differences between China and the USA causing a slight bow closer to the neck joint when they arrive here.[/quote']

 

Dave makes a wonderful point about the effects of humidity on guitars. My guitars are kept in a controlled climate area and in the winter months I have a console humidifier that goes through 7-8 gallons of water a day and in the summer I run a de-humidifier. I try to maintain a temp of 70 degrees and a humidity level around 50%. It really keeps the guitars at a constant state and most of the time when I pull one out to play they are still in tune.

[animalfarm]

The effects of humidity on git necks is true - around

November I did a "Winter" truss rod adjustment on both my

EPI LPs with an 18" straight edge, straightest they've ever

been, allowed me to drop my action on both to 4/64ths LO E

and 3/64ths HI E.

Now, we're in a traditional "rainy" season here, humidity is thru the

roof (80% to 97% is not uncommon), and the wood on my necks is

expanding from the hi humidity. My LP Classic is starting to show

signs of fret buzz around the 10th fret. I don't like it, but it's liveable,

and I won't readjust necks, action, intonation until the rainy season

passes and the git necks stabilize a bit.

Temp and humidity are boogers on necks....

[Svet]

The effects of humidity on git necks is true - around

November I did a "Winter" truss rod adjustment on both my

EPI LPs with an 18" straight edge' date=' straightest they've ever

been, allowed me to drop my action on both to 4/64ths LO E

and 3/64ths HI E.

Now, we're in a traditional "rainy" season here, humidity is thru the

roof (80% to 97% is not uncommon), and the wood on my necks is

expanding from the hi humidity. My LP Classic is starting to show

signs of fret buzz around the 10th fret. I don't like it, but it's liveable,

and I won't readjust necks, action, intonation until the rainy season

passes and the git necks stabilize a bit.

Temp and humidity are boogers on necks....[/quote']

 

 

Put a de-Humidifier in your guitar room and you will be a happy camper!

[peeper]

The effects of humidity on git necks is true - around

November I did a "Winter" truss rod adjustment on both my

EPI LPs with an 18" straight edge' date=' straightest they've ever

been, allowed me to drop my action on both to 4/64ths LO E

and 3/64ths HI E.

Now, we're in a traditional "rainy" season here, humidity is thru the

roof (80% to 97% is not uncommon), and the wood on my necks is

expanding from the hi humidity. My LP Classic is starting to show

signs of fret buzz around the 10th fret. I don't like it, but it's liveable,

and I won't readjust necks, action, intonation until the rainy season

passes and the git necks stabilize a bit.

Temp and humidity are boogers on necks....[/quote']

Wrong, you need to adjust for the rainy season as well, make the guitar conform, don't wait for the weather to tune your guitar for you.

[animalfarm]

No sense in readjusting - our "rainy season" only

lasts about 1.5 to 2 weeks! We average 12 inches

of rain a year, sometimes up to 18 inches. Rain has been

removed from forecast for near future, so I'll let nature

take it's course. It's the Desert Southwest, after all!

 

I'll be keeping an eye on it, for sure...

[Elias Graves]

With a good setup, you should be able to go as low as you want.

 

EG

[antwhi2001]

In my experience, it's a common issue with Asian Epiphones, but not with Gibsons. I've been playing over 30 years and I'm reasonably skilled at adjustments / set ups.

 

I've owned 9 Epis, 5 Gibsons and 5 Fenders. Buzzing / rattling bass strings have been an issue on 7 out of the 9 Epis. Haven't had the same problem with a single one of my Gibsons or Fenders. A fret dress may well sort it out. I just put up with it. When amplified, it wasn't a problem.

[vomer]

At least if you adjust the neck flat and dress the frets when it's new' date=' you create a starting point that makes ocassional truss rod adjustment easier.[/quote']

 

Don't it just! I've just started doing fret skims for myself, done 2 so far. Did a lot of reading and asking questions, bought good tools, practiced on a beater first. I've always been competent at set-ups, but it's an amazing difference being able to get the combination of relief, fret levels, and fall-away working together.

 

I haven't looked closely at either of my Epis yet, but my impression is they are both good; the Sheraton might just benefit from checking fret levels, and is set at my preferred not too low action OK, but I know that the EA250 will go lower than I ever want an action, without buzzing.

 

So I doubt it's a typical Epiphone problem, any more than any other make. But I do acknowledge Antwhi2001's experience if 7 of 9 were dodgy.

[peeper]

No sense in readjusting - our "rainy season" only

lasts about 1.5 to 2 weeks! We average 12 inches

of rain a year' date=' sometimes up to 18 inches. Rain has been

removed from forecast for near future, so I'll let nature

take it's course. It's the [b']Desert[/b] Southwest, after all!

 

I'll be keeping an eye on it, for sure...

Well, that hardly is a season, I though you were gonna just live with it the next couple months.