I just got a new little Daisy Rock Retro-H Special. I thought it was cute and cheap enough to pack around with me without worry, and it got good reviews. Problem is, the low E string has a horrible buzz right down at the saddle, whether it is played open or fretted. The G and B strings buzz some too, but not as bad and it mostly goes away on those if they are fretted. All the posts I have read have been about fret buzz, but this is definitely coming from the bridge area and not the frets. I don't have a decent shop here and this was an online order, so is there anything I can do to fix this myself, or should I send it back?
I assume it has this kind of bridge?
Are any of the adjuster screws on the saddles (or any other related bits of hardware) loose?
If so, they might vibrate and cause your buzz.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
Yes, they are! At least, the screw on for the G string is so loose, it doesn't even go through the hole and when I upended the guitar to get a close look, the whole piece slid forward! On mine, the screws are on the other side, facing the neck, and the pickup is just about 3/4" in front of the screws so it is probably going to be hard to get to them to tighten them. The screws are directly underneath the strings.
:?: Big question here though, each of the little saddle pieces are in a different spot, so how do I know where that one should be before I tighten it? It is so loose it is just sliding back and forth right now.
Also, the saddle pieces have a shallow notch for the string to sit in, but one of my strings isn't really in it and I can't seem to make it sit in it. Is that a big deal?
Yes, they are! At least, the screw on for the G string is so loose, it doesn't even go through the hole and when I upended the guitar to get a close look, the whole piece slid forward! On mine, the screws are on the other side, facing the neck, and the pickup is just about 3/4" in front of the screws so it is probably going to be hard to get to them to tighten them. The screws are directly underneath the strings.
:?: Big question here though, each of the little saddle pieces are in a different spot, so how do I know where that one should be before I tighten it? It is so loose it is just sliding back and forth right now.
Also, the saddle pieces have a shallow notch for the string to sit in, but one of my strings isn't really in it and I can't seem to make it sit in it. Is that a big deal?
Actually, now that I look at it again, it looks like maybe the screws are not what holds the piece tight, but what moves it forward or backward, like you would use to adjust for intonation. Is that right? Sorry, but I am lost as it doesn't look anything like the bridges on any of the other guitars I have here. So how exactly do I go about tightening that piece? I can't figure it out by looking at it. There doesn't really seem to be anything holding them in place, if it isn't the screw.
Actually, now that I look at it again, it looks like maybe the screws are not what holds the piece tight, but what moves it forward or backward, like you would use to adjust for intonation. Is that right?
Exactly right.
The way your G is sitting, it's intonation is probably way off. Unfortunately, until that adjuster is dealt with, there's no way to adjust your G string.
(Must avoid bad joke... :roll:)
I don't know what is supposed to anchor the end of your adjuster screw, but I suspect that you'll have to un-string your guitar to fix it.
After the strings are off, you should be able to slip the bridge off the large mounting screws, and take a close look at what is different on the G adjuster.
Also, the saddle pieces have a shallow notch for the string to sit in, but one of my strings isn't really in it and I can't seem to make it sit in it. Is that a big deal?
Looks like your high E and B have a bit of that going on.
My gut feeling is that as long as there aren't any sharp edges that might cause string breakage, then it shouldn't be a big issue.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
Hmm, maybe I should just send it back, then. I don't think I want to take it all apart because if I then find that something is missing or broken, they may not want to take it back. I thought there might be some easy way to tighten it back up.
EDIT: I called MF and am going to just send it back and get a replacement. I'm sure it could have been easily fixed by someone who knew what they were doing, but I don't have a good place to take it to here so I am playing it safe. Thanks for the help & advice, though.
