So I decided that before I got started on my infamous Johnny Ramone solo <---attempt at humor, i'd try and fix that *slight* rattle I get from the 6th string. This is around 8pm. So I raise the bridge still get it, raise it, raise it, raise it, keep in mind I have to keep loosening and tightening the stings....and wait, it definitely shouldnt be that high (I'm only raising the bass side). Anyway, I get rid of the rattle on the 6th string but now it's about 1mm too high and WTF the 4th string rattles too now? Maybe I just missed this before but anyway, now im lowering, raising, everything in between...measuring, remeasuring, plucking, tuning BARRRRg. I just wanted to get it back to where it was BUT GUESS WHAT? I never measured or took a look to see if the bass side of the bridge was a little higher, lower, or parallel with the other side. Now I'm getting really frustrated...finally I get it to a point where the measurements come out right and only the 6th string buzzes when I hit it with alot of force. So now I try and play some riffs to see if it's all right but it just doesn't sound right....maybe my playing was extra shitty or I was just over analyzing the sound but it just didnt sound right. I plugged in my Epi for an A/B test and it did sound better than that, but I'm still not convinced. Whenever I played a power chord and let it ring for awhile, the amp would make that "WooooannnWOOOOAAANwooooannnnWOoooooooan" sound. I dunno. But then I thought to myself.....did I ever really let a power chord RING out for so long before? I don't think so, plus this is with heavy distortion (switching between the BOSS metal zone and the Big Muff) and turned up to 8 on my 10watt. :-/
So I think it's fine, maybe, not really. I'm just absolutely mortified that I might have tweaked my new baby to the point where I can't get it back to where I want it to be :( This is definitely not the task for someone with OCD, I'm going nuts now.
So a few questions before I cradle Suzy Lee, hoping she'll be better in the morn:
1) Is it OK for the bass side of the bridge to be a little higher than the treble side
2) IS that amp probably something I just never took the time notice or are the strings to close to the humbucker and if so then I'll have to raise the bridge again ARRGGRGRGGRG
3) Have I CERTIFIABLY LOST MY MIND YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cry:
2) or are the strings to close to the humbucker and if so then I'll have to raise the bridge again ARRGGRGRGGRG
You do know you can adjust the pick up height, right? The two screws on each side of the pick up.
You should let your ears rest a bit.
But, yes, it's normal to have the bass side of the bridge higher than the treble side. Also, when you noticed the buzz initially, was it coming through the amp or were you unplugged? I ask because sometimes certain sorts of buzzes don't get picked up by the pickups and don't really sound through the amp - in which case, just forget about it. Some guys would call that a 'sloppy' action, but it's okay if it doesn't come out through the amp or affect notes.
The pickups 'might' be a bit close to the strings, but you can also just lower the pickups instead of raising the bridge - if there's enough adjustment room.
Hope this helps :)
Trust me, the last thing I want to do is start tinkering with heights again :x
Anyway, I think the buzzing on the 6 E might be something thats not picked up by the amps but then again, I'll need to have a listen again, everything sounded wrong last night.
I don't think the buckers should need adjusting though, the guitar sounded great before I started messing with the bridge :?
Here's to hoping.
No one has asked but I am assuming that you have gone to a reliable site for directions re setups etc. Nils one of the mods here has a home page with some good basic instructions try it at: http://home.nycap.rr.com/nils/BasicGuitarSetup.htm
Robbie
I'm having the same problem with my Ephipone Casino, it makes everything sound bad! I really don't play it much anyway but at some point I'll have to take it in for setup and they (guitar shop) will tell me it will take 2 weeks and I'll be lucky if I see it (4 phone calls - 2 personal vists) in 6 weeks later.
Bob Jessie
I'm having the same problem with my Ephipone Casino, it makes everything sound bad! I really don't play it much anyway but at some point I'll have to take it in for setup and they (guitar shop) will tell me it will take 2 weeks and I'll be lucky if I see it (4 phone calls - 2 personal vists) in 6 weeks later.
Bob Jessie
A set-up should take 30-60 minutes. Two weeks means either they are very good, and very busy, or they aren't too good and they send it out. See if they'll let you make an appointment.
I'm having the same problem with my Ephipone Casino, it makes everything sound bad! I really don't play it much anyway but at some point I'll have to take it in for setup and they (guitar shop) will tell me it will take 2 weeks and I'll be lucky if I see it (4 phone calls - 2 personal vists) in 6 weeks later.
Bob Jessie
A set-up should take 30-60 minutes. Two weeks means either they are very good, and very busy, or they aren't too good and they send it out. See if they'll let you make an appointment.
I'd find another guitar shop, drivew the extra miles or move closer to another one. That's just me though.
Chuck Norris invented Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous secret recipe, with eleven herbs and spices. But nobody ever mentions the twelfth ingredient: Fear!
ChuckNorrisFactsdotCom
No one has asked but I am assuming that you have gone to a reliable site for directions re setups etc. Nils one of the mods here has a home page with some good basic instructions try it at: http://home.nycap.rr.com/nils/BasicGuitarSetup.htm
Robbie
That's what I had been using...
Anyway, after about another two hours of tinking, I *think* I finally it back to where it was at. My power chords are sharp yet distorted, I can use the sixth string without getting that sound from the amp. After all the abuse the strings took, I decided to redo them, this time using the locking method. You kinda need a third arm to get it done, but once your finished, you know why you put in the extra effort. Anyway, I digress, back to the subject....but just because I got it back to the way it was doesn't mean it's perfect...
The reason I started messing with it in the first place is because there is a slight rattle from the 6e string if played too hard. Now while that's not that big of a deal, the following is...whenever I try to play the opening riff from crazy train and hit the 6e with my finger on the 2nd fret I got ALOT of buzzing, making it impossible to play the song. This amount doesn't happen on any other fret or played open so I don't know what gives...I'll probably have to pay for someone to do it
Wish I was Mr. Fix-it. :cry:
I had the same problems with my new Casino. Also, the toggle switch had too much play in it for my tastes. After several discussions with the folks at epiphone, I decided to have things fixed on my dime. Had a new nut installed as well as a new toggle. Both problems were fixed by doing that. No more string buzz or toggle rattle.
after finally clearing my mind, I've come to the conclusion that no matter how much I mess with the bridge or the tailpiece, the 6th string will still buzz. So this leads me to believe that the problem has to be with the neck, but since I don't want to mes with the truss rod, there's nothing I can do about. However, the good news is that the place I bought it from is going to do a free setupo for me, which they should have done initially, but I guess the tech guy is only there tues. and thurs. So hopefully things will pan out well :)
If the 6th string buzzes when fretted at the 2nd fret only, you may have uneven frets. You need a short straight-edge that will cover only 3 frets. Cover frets 1-3 parallel to the 6th string. Does the straight-edge rock? If it does, then a fret is either too high, or too low. Now check frets 2-4 and see if the straight-edge rocks. Go right up the neck.
If the 2nd fret is low, it is possible the string is buzzing on the 3rd when you play. Or perhaps the 3rd fret is high.
This can be repaired at a shop.
Also, check the string. Sometimes you might bump a string against the fret denting it upward like this: ^ This will cause the string to buzz against the next fret up. It happens. :D
The other possibility is that your truss rod is too tight and your neck too straight. It is shaped like a frown, the headstock is forced down. When a truss rod is too tight like this you usually get fret buzz in frets 1-5.
Look down the neck from the headstock toward the body. You should see a very slight up-curve around the 3rd fret. If the neck looks dead straight, then perhaps someone over adjusted the truss rod.
The opposite is when the truss rod is too loose. This allows the strings to pull the headstock upward, your neck is shaped like a smile. This will often cause fretbuzz in frets 5-12. The reason is that when you fret in the middle of the neck the strings touch higher up on the guitar.
Here is a site with pics about adjusting the truss rod.
http://www.athensmusician.net/archive/2001-05-01_geneimbody1.shtml
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I'm having the same problem with my Ephipone Casino, it makes everything sound bad! I really don't play it much anyway but at some point I'll have to take it in for setup and they (guitar shop) will tell me it will take 2 weeks and I'll be lucky if I see it (4 phone calls - 2 personal vists) in 6 weeks later.
Bob Jessie
A set-up should take 30-60 minutes. Two weeks means either they are very good, and very busy, or they aren't too good and they send it out. See if they'll let you make an appointment.
My Art & Lutherie used to get free setups every so often. I had dropped it off for the weekend, as I'm a little over an hour away from the store. They sent it off to Quebec to get a new neck, because the old one warped, through no fault of my own apparently. The new neck was free, because of warranty. However, they didn't tell me about it until I called like a week later, they said it would be 2-3 weeks until it came back. It showed up almost 8 weeks after I dropped it off.
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
If the 6th string buzzes when fretted at the 2nd fret only, you may have uneven frets. You need a short straight-edge that will cover only 3 frets. Cover frets 1-3 parallel to the 6th string. Does the straight-edge rock? If it does, then a fret is either too high, or too low. Now check frets 2-4 and see if the straight-edge rocks. Go right up the neck.
If the 2nd fret is low, it is possible the string is buzzing on the 3rd when you play. Or perhaps the 3rd fret is high.
This can be repaired at a shop.
Also, check the string. Sometimes you might bump a string against the fret denting it upward like this: ^ This will cause the string to buzz against the next fret up. It happens. :D
The other possibility is that your truss rod is too tight and your neck too straight. It is shaped like a frown, the headstock is forced down. When a truss rod is too tight like this you usually get fret buzz in frets 1-5.
Look down the neck from the headstock toward the body. You should see a very slight up-curve around the 3rd fret. If the neck looks dead straight, then perhaps someone over adjusted the truss rod.
The opposite is when the truss rod is too loose. This allows the strings to pull the headstock upward, your neck is shaped like a smile. This will often cause fretbuzz in frets 5-12. The reason is that when you fret in the middle of the neck the strings touch higher up on the guitar.
Here is a site with pics about adjusting the truss rod.
http://www.athensmusician.net/archive/2001-05-01_geneimbody1.shtml
you're rgiht. I just noticed last night that the buzz was from frets 1-5 and the neck looked awful straight. I loosened the truss rod about 1/8 of a turn and it seemed to do the trick, but unfortunately, when I put the cover back on, it turned the nut back to it's original positioning ( not to mention it looks like one of the screw holes is all dug out and the screw won't fit in snug :? ). Anyway, I'll take it to the pro on Tues. and if they can't fix it to my satisfaction, they can have it. I'm not paqying 750 for something I'm not happy with.
