MILogger Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hello, I'm looking for answers. Epiphone/Gibson won't talk to me or return calls and emails. (2) distributors are having issues with them as well. I absolutely love the Ultra III, but it buzzes constantly while I'm playing. The buzzing is heard more on the low E and A strings, but it's there are some of the others as well. It's really annoying. My first one, I took to (2) guitar techs, one being a master luthier. Both said to return it, otherwise it would need a complete fret job. My second one now has the same issues and the build quality is less than that of the first one. What do I do? I really love this guitar, but I can't stand the buzz. I'm on the verge of returning it and forgetting my order all together. Has anyone solved this problem? Anyone had luck communicating with Epiphone/Gibson? Thanks for any help and advise. BTW, I'm not a professional, but I've been playing for (16) years. I own several other guitars that did not cost as much as this one, and I don't have near the amount of buzz as what comes out of the Ultra III. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aethyr Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hello, I'm looking for answers. Epiphone/Gibson won't talk to me or return calls and emails. (2) distributors are having issues with them as well. I absolutely love the Ultra III, but it buzzes constantly while I'm playing. The buzzing is heard more on the low E and A strings, but it's there are some of the others as well. It's really annoying. My first one, I took to (2) guitar techs, one being a master luthier. Both said to return it, otherwise it would need a complete fret job. My second one now has the same issues and the build quality is less than that of the first one. What do I do? I really love this guitar, but I can't stand the buzz. I'm on the verge of returning it and forgetting my order all together. Has anyone solved this problem? Anyone had luck communicating with Epiphone/Gibson? Thanks for any help and advise. BTW, I'm not a professional, but I've been playing for (16) years. I own several other guitars that did not cost as much as this one, and I don't have near the amount of buzz as what comes out of the Ultra III. Apparently, many Ultra III models have this buzzing problem. I've seen this what feels like a million times. It seems that Epi did a really poor job on the Ultra IIIs... I don't quite know what to say. I've noticed that mine buzzes only on the 14th and 15th frets on the low E. That said, I haven't set it up, and I'm still playing the factory strings, so... I'm not concerned. The ironic part in the story is that I bought a guitar that was labelled as B-Stock. I'm never shying from B-Stock guitars again I'm sorry that I can't really provide any help, but I thought I'd say that mine is alright just for the record Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretter Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Welcome here. I had the same problem with my Ultra III also. I discovered that it was in some of the frets in the middle section. Gonna need a to have them leveled with the rest. For the time being, I have raised the bridge a little on that side. I also raised the stop tail on the bass side as well but that was more to compensate for low almost like a bass guitar tone. So I'm living with a slightly raised action for the time being until I can get to a luthier to have the frets taken care of. There may be others with more knowledege chiming in soon but that was what I did for a similar problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LHW Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Alas, this is why I'm going to be looking at returning mine, and getting something else. Technically, I'm on my 4th U3, albeit, it's only the second I've had for any length of time. On this latest one, the nut was off-center, and I took it back to the store to have that fixed. The action was higher than I normally like, but I figured it was to help with the buzzing. Unfortunately, I was having intonation problems as well. I took it to a different luthier this weekend, and he told me that the previous store had over bowed the neck to deal with the fret buzz. Now that the neck is where it's supposed to be, and the strings stay in tune, it buzzes like mad. Four guitars over a five month period of time, and looking at another 3-5 months before the next shipment arrives...I'm done. As much as I like the features of this guitar, it's time to move on to something else. Good luck with yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Typically, new guitars will need a setup. The fact that you've taken this guitar to 2 luthiers who, as you say are very good, and they have advised that it needs a complete fret level, you should listen and return it. Either that or do the complete fret level. I can't speak for their pricing, but in my shop that's a 150 dollar job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesman J Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Welcome here. I had the same problem with my Ultra III also. I discovered that it was in some of the frets in the middle section. Gonna need a to have them leveled with the rest. For the time being, I have raised the bridge a little on that side. I also raised the stop tail on the bass side as well but that was more to compensate for low almost like a bass guitar tone. So I'm living with a slightly raised action for the time being until I can get to a luthier to have the frets taken care of. There may be others with more knowledege chiming in soon but that was what I did for a similar problem. Hey Guy's I am wondering why you would pay additional money to fix a product just purchased insted of asking the manufactor to make it right... Just a thought.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hey Guy's I am wondering why you would pay additional money to fix a product just purchased insted of asking the manufactor to make it right... Just a thought.. I believe, and the other guys might correct me, that the purchasers have ordered these guitars online. This is one of the reasons I personally do not order online. I have always bought from a store. That way if something is wrong I can take it back. If the guys above want to return the guitar, it is a lot of hassle with return shipping and so on. Others have had a lot of success buying online, but stories like this make me a bit hesitant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretter Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hey Guy's I am wondering why you would pay additional money to fix a product just purchased insted of asking the manufactor to make it right... Just a thought.. May be a little late for me to return, I've had it awile. I did get mine from Guitar Center and it did play OK and it does now. I had no buzz initially because the action was a little high. I left it like that for awhile. But when I lowered the action I got the buzz. So I put the action back up a little and it's been playing well enough that I'm not in a big hurry fix it. As for having to pay to get it right, I wish that I didn't have to but there it is. I like this guitar well enough that I'm willing to pay some to correct it. Besides. it's something you may to do over time as anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worship Guitarist Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 May be a little late for me to return, I've had it awile. I did get mine from Guitar Center and it did play OK and it does now. I had no buzz initially because the action was a little high. I left it like that for awhile. But when I lowered the action I got the buzz. So I put the action back up a little and it's been playing well enough that I'm not in a big hurry fix it. As for having to pay to get it right, I wish that I didn't have to but there it is. I like this guitar well enough that I'm willing to pay some to correct it. Besides. it's something you may to do over time as anyway. I had my local music store bring one in so I could try it out. As soon as I picked it up I could tell it was not what it was hyped up to be. It could be a great guitar, but not yet. One thing I'm sure of is Epiphone does pay attention to the feedback on this forum. One small thing to prove my point. I was warned about getting strap locks for my new Black Beauty 3. The strap pegs had a habit of coming out. I pulled out the screws to put the strap locks on, and the screws that were in there were huge. Far bigger than the screws that came with the strap locks. I have a Korean made 1275 double neck and a Chinese black beauty 3. Im a happy guitarist. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 May be a little late for me to return, I've had it awile. I did get mine from Guitar Center and it did play OK and it does now. As for having to pay to get it right, I wish that I didn't have to but there it is. I like this guitar well enough that I'm willing to pay some to correct it. Besides. it's something you may to do over time as anyway. You're quite correct. If you like the guitar well enough, and you don't want to get rid of it, it is worth paying a luthier to set it up to play properly. I get guitars in my shop all the time that are only worth the work that I do on them, but the owners really like them, and feel it is worth the price. The great thing about doing this kind of work, is when the owner plays it afterward and tells you it never played that well before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILogger Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 I believe, and the other guys might correct me, that the purchasers have ordered these guitars online. This is one of the reasons I personally do not order online. I have always bought from a store. That way if something is wrong I can take it back. If the guys above want to return the guitar, it is a lot of hassle with return shipping and so on. Others have had a lot of success buying online, but stories like this make me a bit hesitant. Thanks for all the input above and below. My 1st U3 was ordered from AMS, my 2nd was ordered from Guitar Center. The 1st one I ordered before the holidays and figured it was the rush that lead to the problems. This 2nd one came after and actually looks like lesser quality. I'm really debating about returning it and waiting a few months and try again. It's really a shame. I absolutely love the "acoustic" sound and the belly scarf. I just wish the buzz wasn't as annoying. My buzz is located around the 3rd - 7th frets on the 5th & 6th strings. Gibson has absolutely been no help whatsoever in answering questions or making me believe that they will actually do anything to the guitar if I send it to them (at my cost). I absolutely agree with the post about having to pay to have a new guitar fixed. It really should set-up much better. It's a case were a $1249 guitar is selling for $749 or less. I would be happy to pay more if it was set up better. Don't cut the price just so it can go out setup poorly. I have a Epi Quilt-top LP from the early 00's and it sounds and plays perfectly. I have a Schecter C-1 that plays wonderfully as well. Both of these were less expensive, but I dare say the quality is highest on the Schecter. Even my other Epi has nearly the same quality as the U3. I'm going to try some of the tips above and again, have a master luthier check it out tomorrow. I'll let everyone know what happens. It's really sad, there is so much opportunity for this guitar, and if you haven't played one, it's amazing. I just think it has an unacceptable amount of buzz. Certainly much more than either of my other guitars. Thanks again everyone for all the suggestions! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBo42 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Still no word from Gibson/Epiphone about the buzz on this model? Are you kidding me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 ......I absolutely agree with the post about having to pay to have a new guitar fixed. It really should set-up much better. It's a case where a $1249 guitar is selling for $749 or less. I would be happy to pay more if it was set up better. Don't cut the price just so it can go out setup poorly. .... I can't disagree with your point that it should be better right out of the box. You paid for a guitar that should play better than it does. I would also say the other way of looking at this is that you got a great deal on the guitar. If you have to pay a bit more for a proper setup, you would still be well under the full retail price of the guitar. And you've got a guitar that you like, and plays like a dream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILogger Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Gordy, Makes sense. As far as the story goes, I took my last U3 into a master luthier. He found buzz on the 5th and 6th strings down to the 11th fret. I was advise to return it and try again. After much discussion with the guys at Guitar Center, I have a 3rd U3 on it's way. If this one has the same issues, I think that I'm going to have to call it quits with this guitar. I will entertain the idea of getting it "fixed" and see how much it costs total. Though it's seems that I might find another guitar all together that is better with a lower price. Or perhaps it's time to bite the bullet and pony of a couple of g's and finally buy a Gibson. Not sure yet. Maybe it's time to add a semi-hollow. I'll keep you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILogger Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Still no word from Gibson/Epiphone about the buzz on this model? Are you kidding me? Nope. Nothing from Gibson or Epi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bill Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 It's disturbing to read of so many faulty Epiphone product experiences recently.. particularly the multiple returns to try to obtain a product with reasonable quality. I wonder how long dealers can tolerate making their payroll and other business overhead expenses, while losing money on handling returns and refunding purchases. Epiphone seems to have made a serious mistake with utilizing manufacturing practices without reasonable quality control standards which meet buyers' expectations (which are not unreasonable). Epiphone executives should inform their loyal customers what they themselves do when they buy faulty products. I have nothing against Chinese workers, I speculate that they are mostly just trying to make a living wage and provide for their families like everyone else.. but they produce products for export by the tonnage, not by closely-followed quality standards, and that's no secret. If the words stated on Epiphone products are accurate, Setup and Inspected in USA doesn't mean what it implies.. or problems exist in the acceptable level of quality being passed by inspectors. Epiphone has been marketing/manufacturing products for a very long time.. there shouldn't be any instrument manufacturing methods which aren't familiar to their engineers, since not much has changed in the manufacturing of guitars. I happen to believe someone needed to say it, so I'm just adding my 2 cents worth. Bill Hello, I'm looking for answers. Epiphone/Gibson won't talk to me or return calls and emails. (2) distributors are having issues with them as well. I absolutely love the Ultra III, but it buzzes constantly while I'm playing. The buzzing is heard more on the low E and A strings, but it's there are some of the others as well. It's really annoying. My first one, I took to (2) guitar techs, one being a master luthier. Both said to return it, otherwise it would need a complete fret job. My second one now has the same issues and the build quality is less than that of the first one. What do I do? I really love this guitar, but I can't stand the buzz. I'm on the verge of returning it and forgetting my order all together. Has anyone solved this problem? Anyone had luck communicating with Epiphone/Gibson? Thanks for any help and advise. BTW, I'm not a professional, but I've been playing for (16) years. I own several other guitars that did not cost as much as this one, and I don't have near the amount of buzz as what comes out of the Ultra III. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LHW Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Or perhaps it's time to bite the bullet and pony of a couple of g's and finally buy a Gibson. Not sure yet. Maybe it's time to add a semi-hollow. I'll keep you posted. Logger, you don't need to spend that much. My GLP '50s Tribute was only $850, and there are other Studio models in that same range as well. Good luck on whatever you decide to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGK_Dude Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I played an Ultra-III today and LOVED the feel and the sound! However, it buzzed like CRAZY!! I tried out 3 different ones, and they ALL had buzz problems, or their action was set WAY high. I was sad as I really liked the feel of the satin Slim Taper D neck, and the probuckers sounded really good to my ears. The Nanomag wasn't bad either! I just could not get over the buzz... So now I'll wait until I'm able to play the Prophecy and Tributes. Could this be a just a bad run, or is it a serious design flaw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILogger Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Okay, well I've finally decided to give up on the U3. I'm really disappointed. I ended up with a total of (6) U3's being sent my way. All of the had the same problem. 5th and 6th strings buzzing down to the 12th fret. I had all of them checked out by a master luthier and he came up with same conclusion. Return them. What's amazing is that NONE of them came set-up to the factory specs. All were high and still had this kind of buzz. I'm very disappointed. I'm starting to look at Rickenbackers now. I really want that nice warm tone that the U3 had the potential for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Seems like the U 3's are really a problem. That's too bad. My Ultra 2 is a very nice guitar. It too came out of the box horribly set up. I asked the retailer t oset it up, and I would come back and try it afterwards. It wasn't as good as it is now, but it was good emough to let me know I wanted it. I still fine tuned it when I got it home. The Ultra 2 will most likely be the last guitar I will ever buy, as I am building my own now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bill Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I'm glad to hear that you stood your ground and refused to accept an inferior product. The occasional suggestion of taking a faulty new guitar to someone else for repair at the owner's cost, is flawed logic IMO. Epiphone has been marketing guitars for generations now, and despite the added complexities of extra electronic features, there really are no reasonable explanations to allow faulty products to reach their dealers, IMO. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBo42 Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Here is your answer... http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/82728-important-information-for-epiphone-les-paul-ultra-iii-and-ultra-339-owners/ No response on the buzzing but at least the completely f'd electronics on the 339s has been addressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeS Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Hello, I'm looking for answers. Epiphone/Gibson won't talk to me or return calls and emails. (2) distributors are having issues with them as well. I absolutely love the Ultra III, but it buzzes constantly while I'm playing. The buzzing is heard more on the low E and A strings, but it's there are some of the others as well. It's really annoying. My first one, I took to (2) guitar techs, one being a master luthier. Both said to return it, otherwise it would need a complete fret job. My second one now has the same issues and the build quality is less than that of the first one. What do I do? I really love this guitar, but I can't stand the buzz. I'm on the verge of returning it and forgetting my order all together. Has anyone solved this problem? Anyone had luck communicating with Epiphone/Gibson? Thanks for any help and advise. BTW, I'm not a professional, but I've been playing for (16) years. I own several other guitars that did not cost as much as this one, and I don't have near the amount of buzz as what comes out of the Ultra III. I had the misfortune to have my Epi LP fall on its face onto tiles a while ago. Some frets were damaged by the impact so I got the LP Plek'd. I now own a beautifully set up Epi with tone to die for. Well worth the bucks if you have a Plek machine nearby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILogger Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 It's interesting that they are taking steps on the electronics, but not the buzz. I mean seriously, what are the odds of me getting (6) U3's from (2) different dealers and all of them ending up with the same issue? Even the Gibson rep that stopped by the local Guitar Center had the same issues with his U3. I know what you're thinking: It's either me or the guitars. That's why I took it to several other people including a master luthier. All of them said the same thing, do not accept. I'm still really irritated that Gibson won't return my calls or answer my emails. I think that I've shown some pretty good patience here. All that said, I think I'm going to continue a search for a Ric and update my Epi LP Classic Quilt-top. Thanks everyone for the other posts with ideas and support. I do sincerely appreciate it. To those making their own guitars... SWEET! That's something that I would like to get started in some day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garball Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 New poster here. Have an Ultra III Saphire blue, bought at ZZounds in September 2011. Fret buzz on this guitar is an issue. Also, the A/B push switch failed after 2 months. Gibson sent a new board with post on them and new one works great. I modded mine a bit first with upgraded pickups (Went with Gibson Classic 59 and 59+, they sound great). I brought my guitar into a 'pro' to get setup and deal with the fret buzz. He actually shimmed the nut so the E/A are higher and the B/E are in their stock position. I also adjusted the bridge height but what made the most difference was string choice! I'm surprised there isn't much talk about this but my instructor suggested I try it. It makes a huge difference what string size you use especially on the E/A strings. Im using 52 and 43 on those strings and I'm satisfied with the setup. Using a 43 on the E or smaller was terrible, very sloppy. Anyway, just my observations. Gary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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