Buzzing Issues...PLEASE HELP

[thats_mr_to_you]

I just got a new guitar. It is an Ibanez JS100 (Joe Satriani signature model). I got it for a really good price off a friend of mine, and am very happy with it. My only question is this...The A and the G strings buzz when you play them, either alone or in a chord. I looked at the hight of the acton and it doesnt look like the strings are touching in any way..(I could be wrong though, just cant see) The Guitar has a Floyd Rose Locking system, does that have anything to do with it? Or do you guys think the tension and the bridge need to be set up? Other than the annoying buzz the guitar plays great. If anyone has any advice to fofer me please dont hesitate to comment, I WANNA KNOW WHY!
Thanks alot

PS: Here is 2 pics of the guitar just so you guys get an idea of what im talking about

 

[espskully]

You need to get it set up by a pro. Especially with that damned Floyd on there. It probably needs a truss rod adjustment, a bridge adjustment, then the intonation set. Probably run you $40.

 

[Light]

Take it to a good repair shop and have it looked at. There is not a person in the world who can diagnose the problems without having the guitar in their hands.

Setup with a Floyd, at least in all the good shops I know, runs right around $125. Those things are a major pain to intonate properly.

And of course, that is assuming that the frets are in good shape.

But it is not something which can be diagnosed from a few distant shots of the guitar on grass and a vauge discription of the problem. Someone who knows what they are doing needs to get the guitar in their hands.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[flamin-gitaur]

Hey there>

Unfortunatley there is always going to be some sort of string buzz. the only thing you can do is minimize it. Whithout knowing any details about yer geetar, I will list some things you can try.

First and foremost check to see if the neck has the proper profile. By this I mean...At the end of the neck it should have a little up-bow, towards the 8th-12th frets it should appear flat, and after about the 15th fret or so you should see "fall away" where the fret board actually angles in slightly toward the body. Contrary to popular belief, a guitar neck should not be perfectly flat all the way through. If needed, adjust the truss rod approx 1/4-1/2 turn. Counter clockwise to add relief ,clockwise to remove relief or straighten the neck.

If you are using a heavier string gage than what came on the guitar, you may have to raise the bridge saddles to compensate for the extra diameter. In this case you would have to re-intonate after any adjustments.

95% of the time the that will fix any problems. If it doesnt then there are other things to consider such as overall tremelo height, fret height, nut profiles. But tampering with frets and nuts (ha ha) isn't for your average guitar god, because those types of modifications tend to be of the more permanent nature, and if not done properly, your coveted guitar would just become anonther fancy block of wood.

 

[Light]

Hey there>

Unfortunatley there is always going to be some sort of string buzz. the only thing you can do is minimize it.

Absolutly NOT true. Any guitar can be set up to play without buzzing. It is a balancing act. The geometry of the guitar is very particular, and you ARE walking on a knifes edge at all times, but you can walk that edge. On one side, it is too hard to play, on the other it buzzes, but when it is just right, there should be no buzzing. Sure, if you use your pick like a hammer, you can get most guitars to buzz, but I have never yet seen anyone who actually plays that hard. You'd be breaking strings non-stop. Sometimes, it is not cost effective to do so, but it is always possible. Whoever told you it can't be done is a completely incompetent repair person.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[flamin-gitaur]

Sure, ANY guitar can have buzz free strings as long as the action is .250 above the fret board, or if your playing style allows for this, but generally speaking it is not likely to to be the case. Even some of the best guitar set ups still have to contend with string buzz. Sure sometimes it will be so minimal that it might not be noticed, but it is still there.

 

[thewanderer24]

Take it to a good repair shop and have it looked at. There is not a person in the world who can diagnose the problems without having the guitar in their hands.

Setup with a Floyd, at least in all the good shops I know, runs right around $125. Those things are a major pain to intonate properly.

And of course, that is assuming that the frets are in good shape.

But it is not something which can be diagnosed from a few distant shots of the guitar on grass and a vauge discription of the problem. Someone who knows what they are doing needs to get the guitar in their hands.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

Totally agree. If you want it done right, this post is 100% dead on. Hopefully you don't have fret problems. Cause that gets expensive.

 

[Light]

Sure, ANY guitar can have buzz free strings as long as the action is .250 above the fret board, or if your playing style allows for this, but generally speaking it is not likely to to be the case. Even some of the best guitar set ups still have to contend with string buzz. Sure sometimes it will be so minimal that it might not be noticed, but it is still there.

Wrong. Flat out wrong.

NO professionally setup guitar should ever buzz, period. If it does, than something is not right, and needs to be fixed. End of story.




Unless, of course, it is an electric sitar.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[gbdweller]

Wrong. Flat out wrong.

NO professionally setup guitar should ever buzz, period. If it does, than something is not right, and needs to be fixed. End of story.

This is true, assuming of course, that the player is extremely clean and accurate in his playing technique. Certain fretting and picking techniques can and will cause buzzing on any guitar no matter how good the setup is. A good luthier will setup a guitar to be 99% buzz free (probably the best you can expect considering your dealing with vibrating metal being pressed against a metal surface) by watching and analyzing the player's style and adjusting the guitar accordingly. Thus the phrase, professionally setup.

 

[flamin-gitaur]

Hey light>

How many guitars have YOU personally set up? Just wandering,,,because if you had any extensive experience setting up various guitars, not just your own, you would know what I am talking about. Regaurdless of how "professionally" a guitar is set up it is NEVER going to be perfect.

 

[crazydoc]

Hey light>

How many guitars have YOU personally set up? Just wandering,,,because if you had any extensive experience setting up various guitars, not just your own, you would know what I am talking about. Regaurdless of how "professionally" a guitar is set up it is NEVER going to be perfect.

You must have an awfully odd playing style. Try pressing the string down just in back of the fret - it might help. Of course, if your guitar is burning that may be difficult.

Sure, ANY guitar can have buzz free strings as long as the action is .250 above the fret board, or if your playing style allows for this, but generally speaking it is not likely to to be the case. Even some of the best guitar set ups still have to contend with string buzz. Sure sometimes it will be so minimal that it might not be noticed, but it is still there.

Maybe you're right. My dobros are set with the action 1/2 inch above the fret board, and they still buzz,

 

[Light]

Hey light>

How many guitars have YOU personally set up? Just wandering,,,because if you had any extensive experience setting up various guitars, not just your own, you would know what I am talking about. Regaurdless of how "professionally" a guitar is set up it is NEVER going to be perfect.

Not that many.


At a guess, just about 2,000.


But then, I've never been one of the full time repair people at our shop, I'm more of a builder.


Of course, our shop does that in a year.


But our full time repair folks would tell you the same thing. Any guitar can be made to play perfectly, IF you want to put the money into it. They may not be WORTH the cost of the repair, but that is an entirely different issue. No professional should EVER say anything else. If they do, take your money somewhere else.


By the way, before you start posting on a new forum with your head up your backside, you might want to try and look around a bit.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[flamin-gitaur]

Of course you could always remove the strings all together, that would eliminate any potential for string buzz, heck it might even make your music sound better.

 

[ggunn]

Hey light>

How many guitars have YOU personally set up? Just wandering,,,because if you had any extensive experience setting up various guitars, not just your own, you would know what I am talking about. Regaurdless of how "professionally" a guitar is set up it is NEVER going to be perfect.

AhOOga! AhOOga! Brace for impact.... ;^)

 

[faderbug]

light is guitar police !!!

 

[IronFlippy]

Hey light>

How many guitars have YOU personally set up? Just wandering,,,because if you had any extensive experience setting up various guitars, not just your own, you would know what I am talking about. Regaurdless of how "professionally" a guitar is set up it is NEVER going to be perfect.

You picked the wrong user to assume something like that. No points for your bonus cup.

 

[Armistice]

Well, he does call himself "flamin" -

I like the no strings idea FG - on a side topic, anyone ever seen someone sing through a guitar pickup? Saw Elvis Costello do it on a DVD I got recently - interesting!

 

[IronFlippy]

Well, he does call himself "flamin" -

I like the no strings idea FG - on a side topic, anyone ever seen someone sing through a guitar pickup? Saw Elvis Costello do it on a DVD I got recently - interesting!

Claudio Sanchez from Coheed and Cambria does it.