String buzz trouble shooting

django'spooltalent

Hello,

I've experienced my own set of string buzzing, which has usually been on the wounded strings. I've found out that the guitar is not at fault, but one of the strings. I think it's due to a loose winding on some of the wound strings. Try isolating each string by plucking and muting all others.

Best of luck,

Daniel

djangology

if you file your own string slots, then its at your own risk. if you get lots of string breakage, then now you know where that comes from...

Bob Holo

Your next step is a fret dress / fret level. Also, you should be aware that GJ guitars are supposed to have a bit of 'jangly' on the lower strings. But, suffice it to say... it sounds like you need a fret dressing. If you're handy with tools, you can check for a high fret like this: (third picture down) http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musicia ... ets02.html

You don't need to make this tool - in a pinch, you can do this with a business card. The idea is that the straight surface covers ony three frets... the middle is a fulcrum. If a fret is high, the straight edge will rock back and forth like a teeter-totter. You may need to cut the business card to different lengths as you move up the neck... so that you only cover three frets.

Suffice it to say... don't mess with your truss rod anymore... a little goes a long way with a truss rod adjustment and you'd see the neck change immediately anyway... contrary to popular belief, the change pretty much happens right at the time you adjust it. A truss rod will deepen the relief centered around the 7th fret, which if you think of a fretboard in your mind - means that the action from the 12th to ~15th fret actually drops because the place where the neck meets the body is one end of the 'banana' that truss rods create ... and this is the place most associated with 'buzz' resulting from the neck which you may or may not have... but you might create if you give your neck a lot of relief... then you'll have two sources of buzz. You'll hear people talk about the 'hump' where the neck hits the body and this is what they're talking about. Sometimes it's due to improper fretboard installation (fretting the board before fretboard installation to save time and improve 'manufacturability' when the builder should have mounted the fretboard, tensioned the neck with an external jig, leveled the fretboard, detensioned the neck & fretted it and retensioned the neck to check whether any backbow was created by overly tight frets) but on most factory guitars they just fret up the board and pass it down the assembly line. On highend factory guitars they have a setup guy level the frets before the guitar goes out, but for most, they just ship the product which allows them to keep costs down. If you can get the guitar into the hands of a guy like Josh for the fret level - you're in good hands. Actually - most good guitar techs can do a fret level/dress... just don't let them near your bridge or your zero fret unless they have a lot of experience w/ GJ guitars. GJ guitars are unusual beasts and a guy used to working on Martins will likely fubar your bridge.

djangology

GJ guitars are unusual beasts and a guy used to working on Martins will likely fubar your bridge.

I totally agree. I only trust a few people.

ski

Thanks Bob. Do you think I should reverse the most recent truss rod adjustment so that the net overall adjustment is just a quarter turn?

I think the jangly thing you reference might possibly explain what I'm hearing; and if there is any issue beyond that then there's a good chance it's a fret level issue. I'll get one of those fret rockers from Stew-Mac and that should help me a little more with the self diagnosis.

I don't suppose anyone knows of a good luthier in Massachusetts that has experience with GJ guitars???

Josh Hegg

Elliot,

Had the guitar been on my bench the set up would be fine. Since distance has played a part I have been working over the phone and email with ski and can only do so much. I don't have the luxury of hands on work 100% of the time. Thanks for your hints on customer service... I guess I missed that day while attending luthiery school.

Bob Holo

It sounds like you're working with Josh on this - even over the phone - the guy is good so take his advice on whether to return the truss rod to its original position. In general - truss rod adjustment is a 'quarter to half turn' kind of thing unless things are really out of whack... and if they are really out of whack it may not be the truss rod.

Elliot

Josh Hegg wrote:

Elliot,

Had the guitar been on my bench the set up would be fine. Since distance has played a part I have been working over the phone and email with ski and can only do so much. I don't have the luxury of hands on work 100% of the time. Thanks for your hints on customer service... I guess I missed that day while attending luthiery school.

So, Josh, you mean you are saying that you never saw his guitar?

Well, I have to apologize - somehow I always thought fitting a bridge properly was a hands on activity and not something one does over the phone, and I assumed you had fit it personally. Perhaps you were attending Remote Repair class that day?

In fact, I remember you waxing on about the different kinds of bridges you can fit, and how you are able to fit the bridge to fit the kind of tonality one wants from their guitar. One would think that someone with that level of expertise with something that you established requires such fine levels of adjustment wouldn't be sending out blanks any more than a surgeon would send someone a new heart valve through the mail. In fact I'm very surprised at that. But if you guys can make it work over the phone, gezunct en zein pupick! (that's yiddish for 'a kiss on your navel!')

ski

Thanks again to all for your input - all comments are greatly appreciated.

The net overall truss rod adjustment was a half turn and I did speak with Josh about the guitar and he was very helpful. I think everything is under control. I'm going to check if fret leveling is an issue and, if so, I'll bring the guitar to a luthier.

Elliot - I emailed and spoke with Josh about the bridge before placing the order. He asked many questions, got all the necessary measurements, and advised me on how to install it after I received the bridge. The new bridge is working out very nicely. Thanks again, Josh.

Troels

The neck also still seems really straight even after almost a 180 degree turn counter-clockwise to loosen the truss rod. Should I try loosening it even more or do I risk damaging the neck if I do?

You could try giving the neck a push right after you turn the truss rod, to help the neck move in the right direction.
Using this method, I think you could safely loosen the truss rod another 90 to 180 degrees, possibly more, if you are not seeing any changes.
I lived in rural Wisconsin with extreme temperature/humidity changes and
constantly had to adjust the truss rods on my 10+ guitars and basses.
I never had a neck damaged because of a truss rod adjustment, but proceed at your own risk and use common sense.