String Buzzing

[Jacksonb]

Hi, i only just bought an Epiphone SG-400 about a month ago. and i decided to re string it. Whilst i put the first string on. i played it. and it had this horrible buzzing noise. And i have no clue how to fix it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

thank you

[eggs]

Hey Jackson,

 

Great to welcome another Aussie to the forum...

 

Check this site out... it may help...

 

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Support/TechSupport/Repair%20Columns/Basic-Guitar-Setup/

 

or refer to the DIY thread in the Epi Lounge... heaps of useful info there!

 

& let us know how you get on!

[Jacksonb]

Hey,

 

I will get onto the website today. and do whatever necessary, but it's only the A string that buzzes. and it only buzzes when played open, and its unbearable to hear on my new guitar.

 

And seeing im only 14 I don't really think im capable of such work on my guitar

 

Cheers

[Darren W]

Jackson,

 

If you aren't prepared to much around with your guitar which at 14 is understandable, try the shop you got it from or look around the web for a local guitar tech to help you with your setup.

 

If you can get it done for a price you can afford getting a guitar setup by a tech when new can make a huge difference to the playability of any guitar

 

Enjoy and welcome to the forum

[twodice]

Hey man, yeh go to ur local guitar store and get them to look at it. I've done that with alot of mine, esp cos I bought them there. Truss rod is a major factor, guitarguitar in Glasgow fix mine for free everytime.

 

.

[animalfarm]

Hey' date='

but it's only the A string that buzzes. and it only buzzes when played open,

and its unbearable to hear on my new guitar.

 

And seeing im only 14 I don't really think im capable of such work on my guitar

 

Cheers[/quote']

 

Actually, at 14 is a good time to start learning! Of course, things go much

faster if someone can show you what they're doing and explain all the whys

and wherefores of the adjustment(s) made and how it affects the guitar.

 

Taking it to the shop you bought it at and WATCHING the git tech would be

great, if possible. Eventually, you'll be able to sit down with someone that can

pass knowledge on to you, and eventually you'll "pay it forward" by passing

on to someone who is up and coming.

Until then, hit the DIY thread in the lounge,

scroll down to "Guitar Set Up/Truss Rod adjustments" - watch a video, read a tutorial.

That will at least get you informed as to WHAT will be done to your git and start you

down the path to being able to do it yourself.

 

Regarding your A string Buzz- buzz while OPEN intially soulds like a bit of backbow,

or action a bit low. Buzz while open means the vibrating string is touching the first fret

while vibrating, meaning string height is a bit low.

With backbow, I would expect to hear buzzing on multiple frets,

rather than just OPEN. BACKBOW is where the Neck is "pulling" torward the

BACK of the Guitar, could be caused by putting lighter guage strings on, or just

temp/humidity. B

 

When you changed strings -

Still only buzz while open, or do you hear it as you pluck notes on each

string while working way up fretboard?

Same or lighter guage?

Did you accidentally lower the bridge? (by turning adjustment wheel).

All strings properly seated in nut slots and on bridge slots?

All strings tuned to correct pitch? (Are you using a tuner, or by EAR?).

 

 

[Jacksonb]

Umm, I can only hear the buzz on the A string, played open. not when I press down on a fret.

 

And I think i put the same gauge strings on. Maybe a heavier E string, im not sure. 9-46's.

 

And im cetain i did not fiddle with the bridge height. I'm guessing either. Raise the bridge height, or truss rod adjustment?

[animalfarm]

Most EPIs come from factory with 10-46s. If you put on

9-42s (Light) or a special set with smaller strings than

factory, neck could be pulling back against the now slightly

lesser tension, causing the buzz.

Sounds like it's just barely out of whack. Is the git still adjusted

same as when you got it from the Factory/out of the box?

 

Changing bridge height or neck adjust will will most likely

correct the problem, but will throw the string intonation

adjustment off. Are you able to take git to local shop for

"Pro" adjust/set up"?

 

Reason I ask is Local Shop will check the neck straightness,

and the string height, make decision on which to adjust, then

re-adjust the intonation to put it back to spec.

[Jacksonb]

Well, i bought this guitar second hand. From a family friend. And I haven't adjusted anything, besides from changing the strings.

 

Well, there is a local shop, where I get my lessons from, but I'm not sure if they have the means of repairing it.

[animalfarm]

OK, I definitely recommend getting it set up eventually

(meaning sooner is better). Change strings a couple of

days before you take it.

I don't know HOW bad buzz is, but what you can do

as a Temporary Fix (until Tech can do set up) is:

 

Untune the lower strings (E, A, D). Doesn't have to be a lot,

just get 'em out of tune.

Using a screw driver, RAISE the Bass side of the bridge by 1/4 turn

(like you're unscrewing it). Then re-tune guitar and recheck buzz.

If buzz is still there, repeat above, raise bridge another 1/4 turn.

Retune, recheck. Fret buzz should be less pronounced/Gone by now.

 

It's easier to raise Bridge a bit rather than try to adjust neck at this time.

[Gunner]

Could the buzzing noise be coming from the bridge? Buzzing bridge saddles is pretty common on Epiphone bridges in my experience. Have someone pluck the open string for you, and then you touch the saddle (most likely the A string saddle) to see if it stops.

[Jacksonb]

OK' date=' I definitely recommend getting it set up eventually

(meaning sooner is better). Change strings a couple of

days before you take it.

I don't know HOW bad buzz is, but what you can do

as a Temporary Fix (until Tech can do set up) is:

 

Untune the lower strings (E, A, G). Doesn't have to be a lot,

just get 'em out of tune.

Using a screw driver, RAISE the Bass side of the bridge by 1/4 turn

(like you're unscrewing it). Then re-tune guitar and recheck buzz.

If buzz is still there, repeat above, raise bridge another 1/4 turn.

Retune, recheck. Fret buzz should be less pronounced/Gone by now.

 

It's easier to raise Bridge a bit rather than try to adjust neck at this time. [/quote']

 

 

 

 

Hang on, by lower string do you mean, D,A,E? or , E,G,B?

[jambone]

hey man, i had this problem on an epi les paul custom with the d string. turned out that the nut was the culprit. so dont rule that out. the rule of thumb ive always been taught on checking the truss rod would be to fret the low e string on the first fret, then take your free hand and fret the low e string as well on the 22nd fret. then look at the 12th fret. the string should be extrememly close to the fret wire but not touching. if its touching it needs some bend to it and if it is a mile off it needs to be flattened out. if thats ruled out, then its either your nutt, bridge, or a raised fret perhaps? just my .02 man. cheers.

[deflepfan]

Hang on' date=' by lower string do you mean, D,A,E? or , E,G,B?[/quote']

I think you have your strings mixed up!

 

The strings go Low to high (tone-wise) E, A, G, D, B, e (lower case 'e' is high e, Don't ask, I don't write this stuff!).

 

 

The strings to de-tune (loosen up) are E, A, G, or the three fattest strings.

 

The bridge post to raise is the one with the lowest (fattest) strings.

Sheila

[Jacksonb]

hahah yes i know all that, i just wondered why he said EAG

[animalfarm]

 

Oh, %&!@*%^&!!!! A TYPO I didn't spot???????

aaaaahhhhhhrrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!

 

Anyway... Post what the results of Bridge Adjust are!

[Jacksonb]

OK GUYS, So, i have tried raising, the bass side of the bridge I've done it,3/4 so nearly 360 degrees, and im still hearing buzzing, but a tiny bit less. So not much has changed. and the difference in the bridge height from bass treble was already quite large. And I'm not sure whether I should continue raising the bridge, or just hand it into the local guitar selling shop.

[Darren W]

Go the shop me thinx for what its worth.

 

As I said earlier get them to go over the whole set up for you, and pick their brains for all you can get.

 

Keep reading posts on sites like these, and have a look at what is being talked about, on your own guitar without making unnecessary changes and you could be a guitar guru in no time.

[jammybstard]

My ten pence would be don't adjust anything untill you've worked out where the buzz is coming from! other-wise your working in the dark; work out where the buzz is and then look for the remedy!

 

Fret

Loose tuners

Bridge

Nut

are the usual candidates; especially the last two if it's an open string buzing!

 

Also:

If you're going to adjust your trussrod, make absolutly sure you have the right size Hex key and it's in good condition, rounding off the truss rod head effectivly writes off the guitar!

 

Have you said where you are? we could probably recommend a tech if we knew!

 

Good luck with it!

[Bliss]

gauge maybe?

[deflepfan]

hahah yes i know all that' date=' i just wondered why he said EAG[/quote']

Sorry Jackson, looks like he fixed it after you posted and before I did!

Sheila

[KX36]

Have you tried stretching your strings in and playing them a bit for them to settle? I quite often have a bit of rattle with strings for up to the first couple of hours. It's probably a set up thing, but since it only happened since you put new ones on, I'd say it's worth making sure its the guitar's fault and not the strings'.

 

As said above, changing string gauge could also cause a little problem; or the saddles/ little wire spring clip thing on the bridge could have moved when you replaced the strigns and now be buzzing. The classical thing to cause buzz is having your neck relief/ bridge height (i.e. action) set up wrong, but that would affect you more when you fret it than playing it open assuming your nut is cut pretty high (which it probably is on a new Epi)

 

You can always take your guitar to a tech in a shop to get them to set it up for you, but you'll have to pay for that, so I'd find out what's buzzing against what first. Try stretching the strings in and try putting your finger on that wire clip on the bridge and seeing if that mutes the buzzing.

 

I took mine in to be set up a couple of months ago and the guy completely took all the relief out of the neck, made it dead flat, which would be great except this Epi came with very uneven frets and almost every string buzzed, yet he still waited for me to pick it up and point it out to him. He rushed to redo it while I waited, but it was such a rush job I did it again myself at home.

[animalfarm]

OK GUYS' date=' So, i have tried raising, the bass side of the bridge I've done it,3/4 so nearly 360 degrees, and [b']im still hearing buzzing, but a tiny bit less[/b]. So not much has changed. and the difference in the bridge height from bass treble was already quite large. And I'm not sure whether I should continue raising the bridge, or just hand it into the local guitar selling shop.

 

OK, That's what I needed to know. At this point, go ahead and return Bridge to it's

original position, then re-tune guitar. There's more to be looked at and measured

that is easy to do if your G-400 is right in front of "us", but difficult if attempting

"remote troubleshooting".

Things to be looked at include straightness of neck, actual string action, the nut,

and ACTUALLY hearing the buzz.

 

Go the shop me thinx for what its worth.

 

As I said earlier get them to go over the whole set up for you, and pick their brains for all you can get.

 

 

+10 !!! Much easier to work out what Iz and what ain't when guitar

is sitting right in front of you! As you can see by the responses, many different

things to be checked.

Great thing is, once guitar is set up, any changes to set up will be easy to see/hear.

 

I do my own setups, usually twice a year as the seasons change. Last time I did

set up was in early winter. Now, summer is here, temps are around the 100 degree

mark, and the humidity and dewpoint are hanging around the 50 -60 % mark. The

higher temps and humidity have caused the wood in the neck of my LP Classic to

expand and I'm hearing light fret buzz, mostly at the middle of neck.

At my last set up, I had the neck as dead flat as I could get it, and I keep the string

"Action" at 4/64ths (Lo E) and 3/64ths (Hi E). The expanded wood is causing the neck

to bend slightly torward the back of the guitar, causing my fretbuzz. Easy fix, and a chance

to re-measure all adjustments.

[Jacksonb]

Hmm.. Well. I know the buzz is caused by the A string hitting the first fret when played open. I know that. And in fact when I raised the bridge on the bass side it reduced the buzz. But, I shall most likely hand it into the local shop for them to check it out.

[antwhi2001]

Sounds like the nut then, it's either too low or the slot is too deeply cut. A replacement should sort it and it won't cost a lot.