deanproxy Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 This is my 3rd Studio Deluxe. I love this guitar other than I can not get rid of some fret buzz on the lower frets (1st-7th). I think I'm somewhat of a medium-to-heavy strummer and plucker, but not ripping through the strings or anything. My current setup is .013" relief (Capo 1st fret, holding down 15th fret and feeler gauge at 7th fret) and an action of 2.5/32" at the 12th fret. The relief seems like a bit much and a relatively high action for still having buzz. It mostly happens on the A and D strings. I have raised my action up to 1/16" and it seems to remove most of the buzz as long as I strum lightly, but that's sort of a higher action than I am used to. I tend to like 2/32". I can hear it a lot acoustically, and even through an amp (when I have headphones on and playing through a Vox amPlug which is how I practice). I have been told I probably need a fret redressing but I'm both annoyed by that idea and skeptical because, like I said, this guitar is brand new and my 3rd one with this issue... I have gone over the guitar looking for loose things that may cause the buzzing, but I can't find anything. Plus, holding my ear up to the fret when I pluck the string tells me it's simply coming from the fret. I took it to a luthier and he was very rude and told me that all electric guitars buzz on the frets and you just have to deal with it. He set my action to 2/16", which removed the buzz but that is insanely high for me.. After that he ignored the remainder of my questions or just answered with short answers such as "Yeah" and "Sure" as he went back to work on another guitar. What sucks is this is the only authorized Gibson guy in my area too... So if I ever have to have warranty work, I refuse to use him. So, is it normal to have to set the action on Les Pauls this high? I didn't think so considering the Gibson spec has it much, much lower. I have also been told you can expect anywhere from .045 - .065" for an action with no buzz... This sounds reasonable to me, but I can't seem to get near that. I'm at around .090! Does anyone have a relief of more than .013? I keep reading that is pretty high and looking for something around .005 - .009 is ideal? Would Gibson cover a fret redressing under the warranty? If so, do I have to take it back to that one guy because he will refuse to do it due to his attitude and opinion that all electric guitars have fret buzz...
deanproxy Posted January 1, 2011 Author Posted January 1, 2011 By the way, here is an MP3 I made of me testing things out. This is me jacked into the AUX in port on my computer directly from the Vox amPlug amp. I start out plucking normally and then get a bit more aggressive. You can clearly hear the buzz. http://deanproxy.com/download/fretbuzz.mp3
strat-o-steve Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 I had a hard time getting my Les Paul studio to stop buzzing, even with rediculously high action. Here is what I did that made a big difference.... 1. I adjusted the neck straight, and added only a tiny bit of relief, maybe .06" 2. I then raised the bridge until the strings height was near what your setup is, mine being around 2.5/32" Here's what was happening with my guitar - Too much relief and it buzzes on higher frets, too little and it buzzes on the lower frets. It has been a year and I have yet to get my Gibson LP set up to the "factory" specs without buzz, but the setup I have now is still an easy action for me, and now the buzzing has been greatly minimized. Try a setup with a straighter neck. My LP has a hump in the fretboard in the 12 -14 fret area where the neck meets the body. Yours may too, and if so, setting the neck straighter, and using the bridge to raise the string height to the proper level on the section of the neck free of the body will GREATLY improve the feel of your guitar. And that guitar tech was MOSTLY right when he told you about all electric guitars buzzing. They will buzz if picked hard enough, and some guitars are better than others, but the main thing to keep in mind with an electric is, if you can't hear the buzz through the amplifier, you are ok. My Gibson does buzz a lot less than most of my other guitars, and I have to try to make it buzz now, unless I get real excited when playing, lol Hope this helps
nosbig Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 This is my 3rd Studio Deluxe. I love this guitar other than I can not get rid of some fret buzz on the lower frets (1st-7th). I think I'm somewhat of a medium-to-heavy strummer and plucker, but not ripping through the strings or anything. My current setup is .013" relief (Capo 1st fret, holding down 15th fret and feeler gauge at 7th fret) and an action of 2.5/32" at the 12th fret. The relief seems like a bit much and a relatively high action for still having buzz. It mostly happens on the A and D strings. I have raised my action up to 1/16" and it seems to remove most of the buzz as long as I strum lightly, but that's sort of a higher action than I am used to. I tend to like 2/32". I can hear it a lot acoustically, and even through an amp (when I have headphones on and playing through a Vox amPlug which is how I practice). I have been told I probably need a fret redressing but I'm both annoyed by that idea and skeptical because, like I said, this guitar is brand new and my 3rd one with this issue... I have gone over the guitar looking for loose things that may cause the buzzing, but I can't find anything. Plus, holding my ear up to the fret when I pluck the string tells me it's simply coming from the fret. I took it to a luthier and he was very rude and told me that all electric guitars buzz on the frets and you just have to deal with it. He set my action to 2/16", which removed the buzz but that is insanely high for me.. After that he ignored the remainder of my questions or just answered with short answers such as "Yeah" and "Sure" as he went back to work on another guitar. What sucks is this is the only authorized Gibson guy in my area too... So if I ever have to have warranty work, I refuse to use him. So, is it normal to have to set the action on Les Pauls this high? I didn't think so considering the Gibson spec has it much, much lower. I have also been told you can expect anywhere from .045 - .065" for an action with no buzz... This sounds reasonable to me, but I can't seem to get near that. I'm at around .090! Does anyone have a relief of more than .013? I keep reading that is pretty high and looking for something around .005 - .009 is ideal? Would Gibson cover a fret redressing under the warranty? If so, do I have to take it back to that one guy because he will refuse to do it due to his attitude and opinion that all electric guitars have fret buzz... Hi, Ive been a guitar tech/luthier since `72 and by what you`ve said it sounds like a fret level/dress is in order??? Your tech was partially right regarding buzz but in my experience that only arises when the actions really low and the player is heavy handed? you cant have it both ways right? I always level the frets on brand new guitar set ups regardless of make or cost. Ive set-up guitars costing £10,000 or more and still some frets are a little high etc etc,thats all you need to make a guitar buzz! Hope this helps? Terry (UK)
Yaff Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 You should always budget for a pro setup when buying a new guitar. My 08 Standard and Studio both required fret work. All the best and happy New Year
BigKahune Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Yep, good advice here. Fret level, dress, and setup done with the proper care.
deanproxy Posted January 2, 2011 Author Posted January 2, 2011 You should always budget for a pro setup when buying a new guitar. My 08 Standard and Studio both required fret work. All the best and happy New Year I guess I forgot to mention it, but that rude luthier did a setup on it. In my opinion it was a wasted $60. This buzzing is even after that pro setup...
BigKahune Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 I guess I forgot to mention it, but that rude luthier did a setup on it. In my opinion it was a wasted $60. This buzzing is even after that pro setup... You mentioned an action adjustment, that is not a setup - which should include inspection/adjustment of the neck, nut, saddles, and bridge. And with complaints like buzzing or dead spots, a good, knowledgable repairman/luthier would check the neck straightness/relief and fret level/dress, as well as the setup.
deanproxy Posted January 2, 2011 Author Posted January 2, 2011 As I said, I guess I did not mention that he did a full pro setup that I paid $60 for. This was before he got rude and raised the action because after the setup I was still complaining about the buzz...
bobouz Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Another potential issue worth checking for is a twisted neck. If you sight down from the top of the headstock to the back of the body, does the headstock look twisted? A slight bit of this can be tolerable, but if the neck is significantly twisted, it can play havoc with your overall setup. This is one of my standard checks on any guitar being considered for purchase. True, the headstock alone could possibly have a twist in it with the fretboard being okay, but a quick in-the-store check is easy & can save a lot of grief down the road if the headstock twist is severe. If you think your guitar's neck has a serious structural issue (like a hump or twist), I'd call or email Gibson's customer service & explain your concern about the local repair guy. They might be able to offer some options.
Tom99SS Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 My current setup is .013" relief (Capo 1st fret, holding down 15th fret and feeler gauge at 7th fret) and an action of 2.5/32" at the 12th fret. The relief seems like a bit much and a relatively high action for still having buzz. It mostly happens on the A and D strings. I have raised my action up to 1/16" and it seems to remove most of the buzz as long as I strum lightly, but that's sort of a higher action than I am used to. I tend to like 2/32". Just my .02 When you check your action do you check all 6 strings at the 12th fret? This will tell if your saddles and their slots are configured with a 12 in. radius. If both your low and high E are 2.5/32 at the 12th fret than all the other strings should also be 2.5/32 at the 12th fret. This part is often overlooked when doing a setup. As others have mentioned check to ensure your frets are level and try and use a straight edge ruler instead of your string to check relief when using feeler gauges. This is due to the string deflecting a little and not giving a true reading. So your .013 may actually be .010 if you use a straight edge. .010 I think is Gibson spec for relief.
Yaff Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 You mentioned an action adjustment, that is not a setup - which should include inspection/adjustment of the neck, nut, saddles, and bridge. And with complaints like buzzing or dead spots, a good, knowledgable repairman/luthier would check the neck straightness/relief and fret level/dress, as well as the setup. As an example, this was the report from my 08 Standard setup:
nosbig Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 As I said, I guess I did not mention that he did a full pro setup that I paid $60 for. This was before he got rude and raised the action because after the setup I was still complaining about the buzz... $60 for a "pro" set-up?? That seems a bit cheap to me? For that I would adjust action, truss rod and intonation,thats NOT a full set-up as some shops would lead you to believe. Terry
btoth76 Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 Hello! I think You have got many great advices for Your problem from people who are much more experienced than me, so I just want to share my similiar experience with You without giving any advices. I had an Epi Silverburst LP Custom. It was terribly buzzing between frets 4 to 8. Of course raising the action helped, but it made the guitar uncomfortable to play. The truss rod adjustment did not help either. When I checked the frets with a straightedge I realized that the neck was bent twice. It had a bow between the headstock to neck-body joint, then another bow from the joint up until the end of the fingerboard. :unsure:
nosbig Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 Hello! I think You have got many great advices for Your problem from people who are much more experienced than me, so I just want to share my similiar experience with You without giving any advices. I had an Epi Silverburst LP Custom. It was terribly buzzing between frets 4 to 8. Of course raising the action helped, but it made the guitar uncomfortable to play. The truss rod adjustment did not help either. When I checked the frets with a straightedge I realized that the neck was bent twice. It had a bow between the headstock to neck-body joint, then another bow from the joint up until the end of the fingerboard. :unsure: I have to say in my experience that is very rare with the Epi`s,but I suppose it does happen but Ive never seen it in the 100`s that Ive set-up??
btoth76 Posted January 3, 2011 Posted January 3, 2011 I have to say in my experience that is very rare with the Epi`s,but I suppose it does happen but Ive never seen it in the 100`s that Ive set-up?? Well, it was one of those Silverburst LP Customs made in Qingdao factory...
GuitarBuilder Posted January 4, 2011 Posted January 4, 2011 I emphasize the need for a real pro setup: what you got for $60 does not sound like one. Your relief and action numbers sound higher than what I use on a LP. You need to identify another (good) luthier in your area (where are you) who can do the following: fret leveling and dressing, nut dressing (or replacement, if necessary), neck relief, bridge adjustment (for fingerboard radius), and intonation. By the way, the strings could have a large influence on this. You don't mention the gauge, but you may want to try a heavier gauge string set if you tend to strum harder than most.
deanproxy Posted January 5, 2011 Author Posted January 5, 2011 Every luthier around my area has a fee of $35 - $60 for a setup. This typically includes: neck adjust, action adjustment at nut and saddle, intonation, minor fret work, tighten tuner screws and nuts, lubricate tuning machines, general clean up, restring. Every luthier I have visited so far (4) has said the same thing regarding doing a "setup" and has quoted this price. Every luthier that I have visited also has other work they will do for extra fees, such as installing a new nut, redressing/leveling frets, etc... These are not included in their standard setup rates. I have yet to see a luthier in my area that includes fret redressing/leveling or a new nut in their price of a setup and I don't see why they would either. Since that's not always needed, why would one want to pay for something they may not need? Regardless, I took it to another luthier and we went over the whole thing. The frets are fine. There are no frets out of shape, misaligned or unlevel. Looks like the problem is just me and I'm willing to accept that.
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