Me and my strat don't get along.
brainlesswonder
Feb 7 2007, 05:31 AM
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After 20 years I finally decided I wanted to switch from my trust Les Paul to a Strat (along with retiring my Maestro Echoplex 3 as I finally found a suitable replacement.

I have two problems.

(1) I am the worlds worst guitar tech. My E and A string have a lot of buzz, how can I get rid of it?

(2) I am really struggling with the strings ringing when I leave one. (for example on the speed picking excercise when I move from one string to the next I can't stop getting a nasty open string ring. The same thing happens to me after I bend a note and take my finger off. Do I need to be "softer" on a strat or something? I really have no idea.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Oh yeah, just for giggles... here's my ole Les Paul. Poor things been abused more than Tina Turner.

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moorkop
Feb 7 2007, 07:32 AM
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1. if you're strings have a lot of buzz, and its not because they're old it could be :
- that they ring against the fretboard (then you should get you're guitar checked out at a guitar shop, it probably has to do with the pin in the neck being too tight
- that you're brigde is kinda resonating sometimes, this obviously has to do with the brigde, or maybe the springs that hold it (this is all sugesting you have tremolo bridge ofc wink.gif )
ofcourse i advice you to go to music shop, but you've thought of that yourself laugh.gif

2. I have this problem sometimes, and its very frustrating, because i know that i have to slow everything down a lot, and try without making any noise. When you want to lift your fingers (does not even have to be fast) to go to the next string (eg in speedpicking), you could get a pull-off, or at least something like it. Could also have to do with playing thinner strings now

hope this helps

Btw thats a true relic guitar laugh.gif

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RIP Dime
Feb 7 2007, 08:02 AM
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Buzzing could be from action being too low(strings too close to the frets), witch can be fixed by raising the bridge, there should be screws on the bridge that you need to loosen to raise the bridge.
If you got open strings ringing the best thing you could do is use the palm of your picking hand to mute the low strings you aren't playing, also flattening your fretting hand fingers a bit to mute the high strings you aren't playing helps alot.

Hope this helps

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Zee Deveel
Feb 7 2007, 02:07 PM
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Sounds like the action is too low, try to bring the E and A string up slightly, if you have to bring it up way too much to stop the buzzing you may find that the truss rod needs adjusting. Take it to a shop and get a setup done.

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This post has been edited by Zee Deveel: Feb 7 2007, 02:08 PM


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brainlesswonder
Feb 7 2007, 03:44 PM
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QUOTE (Zee Deveel @ Feb 7 2007, 08:07 AM) *
Sounds like the action is too low, try to bring the E and A string up slightly, if you have to bring it up way too much to stop the buzzing you may find that the truss rod needs adjusting. Take it to a shop and get a setup done.


I try to avoid going to the shop at all costs. It is nearly impossible for me to go in without buying something. If I come home with more guitar stuff my wife will kill me in my sleep.

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Zee Deveel
Feb 7 2007, 04:39 PM
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Lol. biggrin.gif

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bricktop
Feb 7 2007, 05:11 PM
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Where in the heck did you get a les paul with that finish? At first I thought you had it masked off for painting! Until I read closely on the paper...
is it a gibson or epiphone??

John

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Zee Deveel
Feb 7 2007, 06:55 PM
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It's not a finish, it's lumpy. tongue.gif

I imagine he did it himself.

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Pedals - Line 6 Uber Metal, Line 6 Echo Park, Jim Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby, MXR Phase 90, Boss NS-2, Digitech WH-4, Boss TR-2, Boss TU-2, Behringer 7 Band EQ

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Guitar1969
Feb 9 2007, 01:52 AM
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I have a Strat as well as a Les Paul that I set up myself and I think part of the problem you are having with setting up your strat is it is a bit more diffcult compared to an LP because of the floating Tremelo bridge. It is harder because each string has its own height adjustment(which is not on an LP) and then to make matters worse, if the springs()located in the back cavity) from the Tremelo aren't adjusted correctly, or changed, it changes the height of the bridge as well(Unless you block the bridge - for example if you don't use a whammy bar- Like Clapton).

To make a long story short, it is probably worth the $75-$100 to get it properly set up - I would bring your LP in with you and tell the Luthier you want the action to be similar so they have a guide to what you like.

It took me a lot of fiddling to get mine how I like it - but I like my LP more.

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brainlesswonder
Feb 9 2007, 05:34 AM
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QUOTE (bricktop @ Feb 7 2007, 11:11 AM) *
Where in the heck did you get a les paul with that finish? At first I thought you had it masked off for painting! Until I read closely on the paper...
is it a gibson or epiphone??

John


I did it myself. The Lacquer kept it from fading for quite a bit. I originally did it to a Peavey I had bought. I've been talking to some guitar people about the best way to seal it, as I'll certainly do it to my strat as well. It was always a huge hit at gigs.

QUOTE (bricktop @ Feb 7 2007, 11:11 AM) *
Where in the heck did you get a les paul with that finish? At first I thought you had it masked off for painting! Until I read closely on the paper...
is it a gibson or epiphone??

John


Oh yeah, it's a Les Paul not an Epiphone. Nothing says punk rock like completely devaluing your guitar the day you get it. biggrin.gif

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fkalich
Feb 15 2007, 01:13 AM
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I would not pay someone to set up a guitar. It is not rocket science, only three variables. Well 4. Just set it up according to standard spec first. If it does not play right after that, something is wrong with it.

Something is very often wrong with the fretboard, even when they are new. Then it needs to go to the shop. Good luck with luthiers. You may wait 3 months if you are lucky to get a good one.

The nut should be cut to spec, or close to it before you start. about 1/64 inch on the high E, 2/64 on the low. Interpolate between. I don't mess with the nut unless I have to. That is tricky, you can screw that up. Mine vary, just it should be reasonably close.

Set the trus rod. If you break it don't blame me. Read about it on internet. Be careful, read about this before you do it. The clearance should be slight, about the width of the top E string. However you measure this differently on a Fender than a Gibson. Basically, if you get it so it has just the slightest amount of clearance with the proper frets depressed, it is ok.

Set the height according to spec. 3/64 inch on the high e, 5/64 on the low. Interpolate between. Get a metal mechanics ruler with 1/64 increments for 2 bucks. Maybe get a magnifying glass.

Then set the string length. Pretty simple. Just use your tuner.

What more is there? Why pay a guy to do that?

If it still does not play right after setting it to spec, needs to go to shop, something is screwed up, frets need to be evened, hump in neck, twist in neck, something.

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Guitar1969
Feb 17 2007, 01:30 AM
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QUOTE (fkalich @ Feb 14 2007, 04:13 PM) *
I would not pay someone to set up a guitar. It is not rocket science, only three variables. Well 4. Just set it up according to standard spec first. If it does not play right after that, something is wrong with it.

Something is very often wrong with the fretboard, even when they are new. Then it needs to go to the shop. Good luck with luthiers. You may wait 3 months if you are lucky to get a good one.

The nut should be cut to spec, or close to it before you start. about 1/64 inch on the high E, 2/64 on the low. Interpolate between. I don't mess with the nut unless I have to. That is tricky, you can screw that up. Mine vary, just it should be reasonably close.

Set the trus rod. If you break it don't blame me. Read about it on internet. Be careful, read about this before you do it. The clearance should be slight, about the width of the top E string. However you measure this differently on a Fender than a Gibson. Basically, if you get it so it has just the slightest amount of clearance with the proper frets depressed, it is ok.

Set the height according to spec. 3/64 inch on the high e, 5/64 on the low. Interpolate between. Get a metal mechanics ruler with 1/64 increments for 2 bucks. Maybe get a magnifying glass.

Then set the string length. Pretty simple. Just use your tuner.

What more is there? Why pay a guy to do that?

If it still does not play right after setting it to spec, needs to go to shop, something is screwed up, frets need to be evened, hump in neck, twist in neck, something.



A proper setup will consist of:

Truss Rod Adjustment- Relief
String height with radius of fretboard
Nut cut correctly - most coming from the factory are poorly done
Bridge - Tremelo adjustment (This is the hardest part since adjustment of this changes string height(floating) which means you need to go back and forth multiple times

Pickup height (To get the proper quack that is characteristic of a Strat)
Proper Intonation

Don't get me wrong, I do my own setups as well(I can't stand paying others to do stuff too), but it is a lot of trial and error to get it just right, and I love tinkering with my guitars. But I tend to disagree with the above poster who says its really simple- A good Luthier who really knows his stuff can get really low action without fret buzz with consideration of your playing style(pick attack etc)just because of the amount of trial and error that they have had from working on a lot of guitars. The problem lies in that you need to know what you want and be able to describe it to them to get the results you want

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This post has been edited by Guitar1969: Feb 17 2007, 01:32 AM


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fkalich
Feb 17 2007, 04:20 AM
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QUOTE (Guitar1969 @ Feb 17 2007, 01:30 AM) *
But I tend to disagree with the above poster who says its really simple- A good Luthier who really knows his stuff can get really low action without fret buzz with consideration of your playing style(pick attack etc)just because of the amount of trial and error that they have had from working on a lot of guitars. The problem lies in that you need to know what you want and be able to describe it to them to get the results you want


Don't agree. Except for people that are not very good at doing things themselves. The rest of us pay guys for things we know are not practicable for us to do, and we do the other things ourselves, that way we know it is done right. I had my roof put on professionally. But I am not paying anyone $1,000 to put on new gutters. Not rocket science. That is a good analogy. You try to put on a roof, you are bound to find out the hard way why you get a professional to do that. That is like having your guitar repaired. But gutters, come on, pretty cut an dry. Same as setup, at least to spec. I figure I will tweak them over time if I want, but spec is fine.

Again, this is for people that are "handy", and know how to research things, so they can get it done in a safe and acceptable manner. I know, not everybody has those qualities. My brother-in-law pays somebody to do everything, only thing he can do himself is lawyer stuff. He is real smart when we talk about that. About everything else he is the village idiot.

edited typos.

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Rockwouldbe
Feb 17 2007, 11:04 AM
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well i want to recoomend on

Pavel's lesson Sweeping Basics

it helped me to clean my guitar tech .

and do yourself a game . try to pick and touch so lightly and try to find what is the most gentle touch you can do in order to get a sound .

By the way

what an awsome guitar. i never seen something like this les paul.

and for me i really don't like fenders cept with Blues where this is their kingdom

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