Buzz Feiten
- Thread starter willypriv
- Start date
Tom Hicks
Well-known member
Shame on you useless dilitants who can't even tune a guitar!
I challange any of you to convincingly explain the math of his system to me.
I first heard of Buzz Fieten about 5 years ago when I was a guitar tech for Jackson/Charvel.As I understand it,his theory compensates for the increased finger pressure and string angle (mainly on the unwound third string)that sharps the pitch.
The Guitar Player article I remember reading said that for his fee,Buzz would re-cut your nut shelf and change the scale length (!) to flat the G to make your axe sound in tune.As well as other micro -changes to the rest of the scale.
I'm no rocket scientist,but it seems to me we already played out this arguement 400 years ago in the heavyweight bout Mean vs Equal Tempering.
The tendency of the mind is to prefer perfect intervals.They are mathematically pure, perfect ratios.But the compromise of Equal tempering screws up that intuitive sense of being "in tune".
Try this test.You all know the harmonic method of tuning using the 5th and 7th harmonic on adjacent strings.Tune the octaves 3 cycles/second flat,making sure the two Es are exactly in tune.Play the E major in first position and the bar chord A in 5th position to check for relative tune as you modulate up the neck.If the G# at the the 1st fret at the 3rd string sounds in tune you did it right.
Tom
I challange any of you to convincingly explain the math of his system to me.
I first heard of Buzz Fieten about 5 years ago when I was a guitar tech for Jackson/Charvel.As I understand it,his theory compensates for the increased finger pressure and string angle (mainly on the unwound third string)that sharps the pitch.
The Guitar Player article I remember reading said that for his fee,Buzz would re-cut your nut shelf and change the scale length (!) to flat the G to make your axe sound in tune.As well as other micro -changes to the rest of the scale.
I'm no rocket scientist,but it seems to me we already played out this arguement 400 years ago in the heavyweight bout Mean vs Equal Tempering.
The tendency of the mind is to prefer perfect intervals.They are mathematically pure, perfect ratios.But the compromise of Equal tempering screws up that intuitive sense of being "in tune".
Try this test.You all know the harmonic method of tuning using the 5th and 7th harmonic on adjacent strings.Tune the octaves 3 cycles/second flat,making sure the two Es are exactly in tune.Play the E major in first position and the bar chord A in 5th position to check for relative tune as you modulate up the neck.If the G# at the the 1st fret at the 3rd string sounds in tune you did it right.
Tom
AlChuck
Well-known member
Just couldn't resist even though it's somewhat off the actual topic of this thread -- but has anyone ever heard Buzz Feiten play? If you can track down Gregg Allman's solo album, there's a tune there called "Queen of Hearts," on which Buzz (I'm assuming I read the slightly ambiguous credits properly) plays a sublimely gorgeous intro, and fills in between the lines of the verse that are just like buttah... to die for... always expected to hear him more, but all I heard after was very controlled and unexciting quasi-soft jazz/rock with Neil Larsen many years ago, and probably a bunch of faceless studio parts I never knew were played by him.... Maybe that solo was somebody else and not Buzz Feiten at all? Anyone out there know?
Tweedville
New member
AlChuck.You genius!!
I can't believe it......I saw the thread called Buzz Feiten,and while I figured it was probably about his tuning system,I thought I would write and question if anyone had ever heard him play---and lo and behold,it was already there.Larsen/Feiten band was great.He is a monster player.
I can't believe it......I saw the thread called Buzz Feiten,and while I figured it was probably about his tuning system,I thought I would write and question if anyone had ever heard him play---and lo and behold,it was already there.Larsen/Feiten band was great.He is a monster player.
Tweedville
New member
The musicianship was better than the songs......Neil Larsen knew how to groove in a pocket without sounding bloated.They were just better at playing their instruments than being successful songwriters.Full Moon was a good album.