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New Les Paul Studio day


ken374

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you guy set your neck pretty strait or a bit of a bow? mine is pretty dam strait, I check it with a capo on the first fret method. I have a very slightest little buzz on the 5th fret and up not much of a problem at all. When I added some relief it didnt really do much for the buzz so im thinking I would have to raise the bridge up a tad to fix that right? I dont really want to change the action so I guess its one of those things you live with I guess. My SG is pretty much buzz less. Prb depends on each guitar. Thoughts pls:)

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you guy set your neck pretty strait or a bit of a bow? mine is pretty dam strait, I check it with a capo on the first fret method. I have a very slightest little buzz on the 5th fret and up not much of a problem at all. When I added some relief it didnt really do much for the buzz so im thinking I would have to raise the bridge up a tad to fix that right? I dont really want to change the action so I guess its one of those things you live with I guess. My SG is pretty much buzz less. Prb depends on each guitar. Thoughts pls:)

 

My studio has just a touch of relief which I have not changed since I bought it. I did actually lower the bridge a touch when I bought it and that introduced a slight bit of buzz in the high E across much of the mid to high registers but it's not so bad that it bothers me, nor does it affect the plugged in sound. It could well be that the high E nut slot is filed just a little too low.

 

Do you get your buzz across different strings and on specific frets only? That could be a sign of unseated frets or that they're not as level in some places as they could be, necessitating a fret dress.

 

Don't do anything yet though as your LP might just need to settle down after transit.

 

 

Anyway, congrats- you have a very nice guitar there. [thumbup]

 

I'd be interested to hear how you think it compares to your (former) Epi '59, especially in terms of playability. IMO the Gibby LP studio 'feels' nicer and is more forgiving compared to an Epiphone LP neck. Note that the Epi '59 may have top spec pups and electronics, a long neck tenon, and a maple cap but the construction is still the same as your regular Epi LP Standard.

 

Alan

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you guy set your neck pretty strait or a bit of a bow? mine is pretty dam strait, I check it with a capo on the first fret method. I have a very slightest little buzz on the 5th fret and up not much of a problem at all. When I added some relief it didnt really do much for the buzz so im thinking I would have to raise the bridge up a tad to fix that right? I dont really want to change the action so I guess its one of those things you live with I guess. My SG is pretty much buzz less. Prb depends on each guitar. Thoughts pls:)

When it comes to fine tuning the action, a little back and forth with the bridge height and truss rod can make it better.

 

Buzzing at the lower frets indicates too flat, and buzzing at the middle to upper frets indicates too much bow.

 

Remember, when you adjust the rod, you also change string height. So, if you tighten the rod slightly to straighten the neck, you will have to raise the bridge slightly to make up for it.

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Buzzing at the lower frets indicates too flat, and buzzing at the middle to upper frets indicates too much bow.

 

 

Hi,

 

I'm not sure how upward bow could introduce fret buzz in the mid to high registers. I was always of the opinion that too much relief just gives an overly spongy feel in the mid to lower registers.

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Hi,

 

I'm not sure how upward bow could introduce fret buzz in the mid to high registers. I was always of the opinion that too much relief just gives an overly spongy feel in the mid to lower registers.

If by playing in the section of the neck that has the relief (center of the bow) than the part of the neck at the heel will be higher in a neck with more bow than one that is flat.

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I straighten the neck a tad, more seem to help.My action is pretty close on my my SG (a little more) and the les paul, after you hit the note say on the 5th fret and so on theres a slight buzz but thats probably normal. My Sg the same hardey there i guess. The 59 the action was higher on the 12th fret and on and that was a peeve with me, Like this guy at another store said thats the way the neck was set prob, My les paul is perfect there:) It does sound bigger and brighter then the 59 plugged and unplugged so I taking its the wood that counts!

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If by playing in the section of the neck that has the relief (center of the bow) than the part of the neck at the heel will be higher in a neck with more bow than one that is flat.

 

But surely, with relief introduced, those frets in the middle register can only be higher than they would have been with a straight neck, rather than being lower. As such, buzz would be less likely further up the neck. By playing mid neck the nut effectively moves to that area. My impression is that, assuming the frets are level, you can only get fret buzz by either straightening the neck/introducing a back bow (tightening the truss rod); or by lowering the bridge action. Any raising of action at either nut or bridge can only reduce fret buzz.

 

Still confused. :-k

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But surely, with relief introduced, those frets in the middle register can only be higher than they would have been with a straight neck, rather than being lower. As such, buzz would be less likely further up the neck. By playing mid neck the nut effectively moves to that area. My impression is that, assuming the frets are level, you can only get fret buzz by either straightening the neck/introducing a back bow (tightening the truss rod); or by lowering the bridge action. Any raising of action at either nut or bridge can only reduce fret buzz.

 

Still confused. :-k

Yea, hard to explain without some sort of pics.

 

You are correct-raise the bridge and the action is higher. but, if you add MORE relief to the neck, the action also gets higher. So, if you add neck relief and raise the action, then you have to lower the bridge to get the same string height. So.. if you have 2 guitars with equal string hieght, the one that has the most neck relief will have the upper frets closer to the strings than the guitar with a flat neck would have.

 

OR..picture a string when it vibrates. It is like a long football shape. It vibrates the widest at the center of the string. If the neck is completely straight and flat, the string may buzz at the center where it vibrates the widest, so a little relief in the neck will allow the neck to conform closer to the way the string vibrates. You can either allow a little bow in the center to allow the string to vibrate without hitting the center of the neck, or you can raise the bridge until the string is clear enough to not buzz. When playing near the nut, adding bow where the string buzzes will allow the string to be set closer to the frets near the nut than keeping the neck straight and raising the bridge.

 

Now, suppose you have your neck set to have a good amount of relief to it. When you measure the string height at the middle of the neck, you are measuring at the valley of the bow in the neck. If you have a lot of relief going on, the string will be much higher from the frets toward the middle. So, naturally, if you measure the action at the twelfth fret, you will have to lower the bridge to compensate for the bow in the neck. If you have to lower the bridge too low, then when you play the frets toward the middle of the neck, there is actually less relief to allow the string to vibrate. If you fret the string at the 8th fret, the center of the string vibrating is now closer to the heel-and lowering the bridge to compensate for neck relief actually takes less relief out of the string playing higher frets.

 

If you sat through and read the whole thing, I hope I may have helped a little. I think the main thing to say is that a little back and forth in adjustment between the bridge and truss rod while listening to how much buzz you get playing the frets at the nut and the middle can really fine tune the action.

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Yea, hard to explain without some sort of pics.

 

You are correct-raise the bridge and the action is higher. but, if you add MORE relief to the neck, the action also gets higher. So, if you add neck relief and raise the action, then you have to lower the bridge to get the same string height. So.. if you have 2 guitars with equal string hieght, the one that has the most neck relief will have the upper frets closer to the strings than the guitar with a flat neck would have.

 

 

Ah....I was looking at the truss rod adjustment independently and not with a corresponding lowering of the bridge height to compensate. I tend to like the neck as straight as I can get it so I guess I don't adjust my guitar in that way.

 

Your post above does illustrate why a low action is best achieved with a near straight neck and level frets.

 

Cheers

 

Alan

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my buzzing starts on the 7th fret all the down pass the 12th. There some relief when I capo the first fret and check it at the 12th. Not sure what to do maybe raise the bridge more, i did try to lower it and it buzzed more.

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my buzzing starts on the 7th fret all the down pass the 12th. There some relief when I capo the first fret and check it at the 12th. Not sure what to do maybe raise the bridge more, i did try to lower it and it buzzed more.

Yup...you may be able to do a little better.

 

Raise the bridge a bit-the action will get a little higher of corse. Then, adjust the rod a bit to take some of the bow out of the neck. This will lower the action a bit.

 

Do these in very SMALL amounts-you are fine tuning here.

 

A couple tips-there should ALWAYS be a little relief (bow) to the neck adjustment. The quickest way to see that is to fret the first fret an upper fret. even if you can not see any relief that way, you still should be able to pluck the string and get it to sound.

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Yup...you may be able to do a little better.

 

Raise the bridge a bit-the action will get a little higher of corse. Then, adjust the rod a bit to take some of the bow out of the neck. This will lower the action a bit.

 

Do these in very SMALL amounts-you are fine tuning here.

 

A couple tips-there should ALWAYS be a little relief (bow) to the neck adjustment. The quickest way to see that is to fret the first fret an upper fret. even if you can not see any relief that way, you still should be able to pluck the string and get it to sound.

thx much!

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