Members asdfjkl semi Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hey guys, I recently got my strat back from a well known/respected tech at home, having spent a decent chunk of change on a fret level and setup. I tried to ignore it at first, thinking I was just strumming too hard or something, but I definitely am getting buzzing on many of the frets on my low E and A strings. My tech is at home and I've already gone back to school 3 hours away, and I'd hate to re-set it up, after having paid for it to be done correctly. I know how to do it myself, but argh... What would you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members songsforbears Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Call him for sure. I'd be pissed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Highway_61 Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 This is why I suffer through my own ineptitude. After several instances that I have paid to have a guitar set up, only to have to try to remedy it myself, I just do it myself.I am positive that a competent tech could make my setups laughable by comparison, but I've given up looking for that competent tech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesboy Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 I suggest double checking the relief in the neck. this can drift and settle over hours or even days, depending on the guitar. Especially if there has benn a sudden climate change (sometimes in my area, it's 65 degrees one day, and then a few days later its 25 and snowing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members willhaven Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Can you hear it through an amp? Does it affect your sustain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members valentsgrif Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Me too, last week. I was told thats just the way strats are? Never again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bennintexas Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 i just {censored} with my {censored} till its comfortable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members asdfjkl semi Posted January 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Highway, this guy came highly recommended. If it were just some run of the mill guy, I probably wouldn't be as upset, but he does TONS of work at home. Bluesboy, I've had the neck a few months already, I just finally got around to getting it leveled by a pro. Plus, I keep it in a pretty stable environment. Willhaven, I'm getting a bit of jangle when playing chords or notes with those strings. It's audible thorough the amp. Hard to say if it's affecting sustain. Valents, starts aren't supposed to be this way. Neither are LPs or anything. Fret buzz doesn't belong anywhere IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cousin itt Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Can you hear it through an amp? Does it affect your sustain? It almost always does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dcindc Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Give it a few days then adjust it to your liking. Environment is a big player, and it's also been cold as a mofo round here (and there) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cousin itt Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hey guys, I recently got my strat back from a well known/respected tech at home, having spent a decent chunk of change on a fret level and setup. I tried to ignore it at first, thinking I was just strumming too hard or something, but I definitely am getting buzzing on many of the frets on my low E and A strings.My tech is at home and I've already gone back to school 3 hours away, and I'd hate to re-set it up, after having paid for it to be done correctly. I know how to do it myself, but argh... What would you do? I had a bad setup from a tech once. I never took a guitar to one again. You could call him and ask why am I getting fret buzz on so many frets? He might say something like "you're playing too hard", or "that's the way everyone likes their guitars setup". He may say bring it back in and I'll try to correct it. Tell him you don't have any more money to pay him. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members schoolie1 Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Exactly the same thing happened to me. I paid $200 for a fret level and setup, and had bad buzzing. It's just the way necks are. It can take weeks for a neck to settle down after a major adjustment. If the tech is good, I'm sure he'll adjust the truss rod for free. My luthier has been really good about free tune-ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members asdfjkl semi Posted January 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 Yeah, I'll call him tomorrow. He'll probably offer to re-set it up, but I don't really want to drive all the way back to VB. I also don't want to be without it for a week again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members book_of_lies777 Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 I'd have that {censored}er on the phone ASAP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jdjonsson Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 I'm gonna guess he made a truss rod adjustment without waiting to see how it settled out. It settled out bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members asdfjkl semi Posted January 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 I throw a straightedge across it later tonight and let you guys know if its a bow issue or an action issue. If the neck isn't adjusted straight... oooo I'll be so pissed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crisco Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 The first time I had my SG set up .... well this guy knew guitars... set up many a Gibson, Fender,PRS, etc... then came mine. I don't know why it seemed worse but when I asked for low action, I got buzz fret low. Funny thing was in the store he pulled it out and ran this riff up and down it like LP himself and I was stunned enough to say 'OK' sounds great to me! And off I went thinking great things. The horribility of it was getting home and finding myself scratching my head and wiping my tears as I just couldn't imagine having to go back there and ream this guy for such a {censored}ty job. So I suppose I went in there looking pretty pathetic having to tell him it seemed worse than before. He was good about it though, he threw the guitar on the floor, flipped me the bird and walked out. Nah, really he took care of it by adjusting the neck out and asked me to please play it on an amp of choice to make sure I was satisfied. So yes, the moral of this story is:By All Means Give The Tech A Chance To Correct it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stormin1155 Posted January 22, 2008 Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 I throw a straightedge across it later tonight and let you guys know if its a bow issue or an action issue. If the neck isn't adjusted straight... oooo I'll be so pissed You don't need a straight edge. Just depress the string at the first fret and at the last fret... the string will be as straight as any strait-edge. The neck should have a very sight relief (upbow). So at, say the 10th fret, there should be the thickness of a couple pieces of paper between the string and fret. Is the string height set the way you like it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members asdfjkl semi Posted January 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 22, 2008 I was a little confused by what you wrote Stormin. If I fret the 12th, there is some space on the 10th. Probably just a few sheets of paper, like you said. I threw a straightedge on it, resting it on frets 1 and 22, and measuring between each pair of strings. There is a little bow, as frets 6-10 are about .50mm (measured with a dunlop pick) below the straight edge. It kind of tapers back to straight on both ends, but I can't measure it because I don't have feeler gauges. The action is fine. I would've been ok with it being higher if there were no buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stormin1155 Posted January 23, 2008 Members Share Posted January 23, 2008 I was a little confused by what you wrote Stormin. If I fret the 12th, there is some space on the 10th. Probably just a few sheets of paper, like you said. I threw a straightedge on it, resting it on frets 1 and 22, and measuring between each pair of strings. There is a little bow, as frets 6-10 are about .50mm (measured with a dunlop pick) below the straight edge. It kind of tapers back to straight on both ends, but I can't measure it because I don't have feeler gauges. The action is fine. I would've been ok with it being higher if there were no buzz If a guitar pick goes in snuggly it's pretty close. That being the case you might raise your bridge a bit on the bass side (or saddles if it's a strat or similar). It shouldn't take very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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