Upset about setup

[shane210]

I took my Les Paul in for a setup yesterday and the guy gave it back to me today. I played around with it at the shop and it seemed ok, but now I'm noticing fret buzz on some of the higher frets of the low E and a little bit on the A. Aside from telling the guy that I'm not too happy with the setup, what can I do right now to work on that? Should I adjust the truss rod? Or should I adjust something in the bridge (which I don't know how to do) ?

[Frankee]

(which I don't know how to do)

Don't do anything. Take it back.

[Luke]

A setup = setting truss rod and intonation, not a fret dress. Not having heard your conversation, cannot comment on who's to blame. However, if he was under the impression you wanted to spend $45, he may have done the best he could within that reality. Would not shock me that a Les Paul have a neck hump and need significant grinding on a fret dress to get it play correctly, but now we are talking $100+, maybe a new nut, etc....

[shane210]

Don't do anything. Take it back.

I want to. Only problem is that he's on vacation until next week, and I play at church on Sundays. I could use my other electric, but I'd rather have this one in peak condition.

A setup = setting truss rod and intonation, not a fret dress. Not having heard your conversation, cannot comment on who's to blame. However, if he was under the impression you wanted to spend $45, he may have done the best he could within that reality. Would not shock me that a Les Paul have a neck hump and need significant grinding on a fret dress to get it play correctly, but now we are talking $100+, maybe a new nut, etc....

The conversation that we had before hand was me telling him that I thought there was a problem with the nut (which he had told me that there might be and to let him know if it was acting weird), that my strings were dropping the tuning pretty easily (which was my sign for the nut), and him telling me that if he could make the guitar play as well as he wants it to than I'll be more than happy.

I'm not.

[walterw]

it's normal for high notes on the low strings to buzz just a little, unless the bridge height is cranked way up. just crank the thumbwheel on the bass side a little to raise the bridge on that side slightly.

[Nuclearfishin]

Checking the truss rod is easy, finger the 1st and 14th fret simultaneously, and then look at the space between the 5th fret and your low e-string. There should be barely enough room to slip a business card through. To check your nut, finger a string at the 2nd fret and then look for .010-.015 clearance above the 1st fret. You could go lower here, but then everything else must be perfect. If these are all within tolerences, then I would look to a saddle/bridge adjustment (assuming you don't have something crazy going on and need a neck reset).

One way to tell if a fret is high is to get a straightedge that will fit over exactly 3 frets at a time. Then, rock the straightedge back and forth on the frets. If it rocks, one of your frets are off. Do this the entire way up the neck checking 3 at a time.

From the sounds of your buzzing (high up on the neck), I'm guessing your tech lowered the bridge too far. A simple quarter turn or so at a time should clear it up, but if you feel uncomfortable, take it back and let him look at it.

[shane210]

it's normal for high notes on the low strings to buzz just a little, unless the bridge height is cranked way up. just crank the thumbwheel on the bass side a little to raise the bridge on that side slightly.

I can't turn that thing at all..

[Trebor Renkluaf]

it's normal for high notes on the low strings to buzz just a little, unless the bridge height is cranked way up. just crank the thumbwheel on the bass side a little to raise the bridge on that side slightly.

Not on my guitars it isn't. That's a sign of high fret or a hump in my book. I have my guitars set up so that when I lower the action it starts to buzz evenly up and down the neckk - then when I raise the action back up it cleans up evenly up and down the neck. There are no high/low spots - no random buzzing. But then I'm willing to spend the $ to have the frets done right.

[Dan S]

I can't turn that thing at all.. Loosen the strings. Detune.

[shane210]

Loosen the strings. Detune.

Did it and was able to adjust but couldn't get it right. It made the action too high. I guess I'll just have to wait for him to come back and fix it.

Thanks all.

[Pa'ani]

The best thing is to take it back and have the repair person rectify the problem...

[shane210]

Brought it in today. The guy who isn't the tech but kinda knows what he's doing took a look at it and said that it was usual for guitars to have at least some buzzing. I called him out for BS because my other electric has no buzzing and low action. He put in a note for the tech to do it for free when he gets back.

[Polynitro]

Brought it in today. The guy who isn't the tech but kinda knows what he's doing took a look at it and said that it was usual for guitars to have at least some buzzing. I called him out for BS because my other electric has no buzzing and low action. He put in a note for the tech to do it for free when he gets back.

I think he's right about the buzzing. Are we talking buzzing through the amp or just annoying buzzing unplugged that doesn't make it to the amp ?which is normal...Either way, learn to do your own set-ups. Nobody can set a guitar up perfectly for someone else to play unless they really know you and your gear.

[therhodeo]

Either way, learn to do your own set-ups.

Great advice.

[shane210]

I think he's right about the buzzing. Are we talking buzzing through the amp or just annoying buzzing unplugged that doesn't make it to the amp ?which is normal...Either way, learn to do your own set-ups. Nobody can set a guitar up perfectly for someone else to play unless they really know you and your gear.

It's the buzzing just unplugged. My other electric (Godin LGX) doesn't buzz, though. Actually, though, the low E was doing some horrible rattling when I left it open. The note would ring for a little bit and then start going crazy.

I definitely wish I could do my own set ups... It would save me so much money. I can adjust the truss rod, and now I know how to adjust the bridge, and from this thread, I can see the desired results from using those, but I don't really know how to get them to be the way it should be. Any good tutorials online?

[HRydarcik]

Did it and was able to adjust but couldn't get it right. It made the action too high. .

Did it occur to you that maybe....just maybe...you raised the thumb wheel too much?

[magnido45]

Funny, I just got my LP back yesterday also...it's an '07 Standard...played it for a year...thought nothing about the frets since I bought it brand new...until the tech (who works for G&L during the day as their builder/repair/set-up guy...so I know he's qualified) pointed out the major fretwork that it needed...after running a test, 2/3rds of the frets needed crowning and a good dressing...he couldn't understand how I was able to play the thing all this time...Anyway, just shows you that the buzzing can come from uneven frets...(thanks Gibson QC) and/or that you may be a heavy-handed pick/strummer...Now it plays like a dream!!!

[guitarboy_02451]

Strings are normally going to buzz... Keep in mind if he just made the adjustments it's going to take a while to settle.

There are many you-tube instructions on how to do a quick truss rod adjustment. In the north east, I've learned between heat and humidity of summer and bone dry cold of winter, I often have to tweak my necks. Sometimes one dry day or humid day can mess them up.

To adjust the truss, you'd looking at the neck you would turn to the truss to the right to straighten the neck and to the left to add bow. Adjusting both the action and truss will only have you going back and forth. Yes, if you lower action or raise action a small adjustment is usually required for the truss.

The advice given above is correct, fret the first string then the 14th and look at the middle, should be only a few centimeters of space around the 5-7th frets.

Look down the neck from the headstock to see the curvature. There should always be some natural bow... not to much not to little. Be careful adjusting the truss, you don't want to do a reverse bow or hump the neck as it's called.

Make your adjustments only in 1/4 turns!!!! Make a 1/4 turn, then play it for a while. Usually 1/4 is all that is needed.

To set intonation, connect to a tuner, play the open string, and make sure it's in tune, then play the the string at the 12th fret...if it plays sharp at the 12th fret, increase the strings length by moving its saddle further away from the fingerboard do the opposite if it's flat.

Remember all this takes time... It doesn't take 15 minutes... You may have to spend a few hours. You can't hurt anything as long as you make small adjustments and then let them settle. Don't get into splitting hairs or trying to make it perfect, you never will.

Now if after your setup the strings are setting right on the frets and the only solution is to raise action or add more relief, then you have a fret and nut issue.

My Lester was a mess, but I sunk about $220 into having the frets polished, leveled and a new bone nut hand made. Now she plays better than ever.

Don't know how old this guitar is, but every few years frets need to be dressed. It's like brakes on a car, the more you drive, the more you'll wear the pads down... Same thing... steel on steel. Some frets will get more wear than others...

Your own setups aren't rocket science, it's when those adjustments aren't working anymore that you have to go to the next level of expertise.

[magnido45]

your own setups aren't rocket science, it's when those adjustments aren't working anymore that you have to go to the next level of expertise.
+1...

[guitarboy_02451]

Did it occur to you that maybe....just maybe...you raised the thumb wheel too much?


Action is another topic. Average guitars ship w/ 3-64ths at the 15th fret.

Usually what I do is take my ruler (that measures in 64ths) and hold it at the 15th fret, then I make the adjustments. The bass strings will be a little higher to compensate for the wind. I try to make them as even as possible.

I personally play with 2-64th's... very low action... too low for many if the neck, especially if frets or nut have issues.

Hope all this info helps... I have a 93 Les Paul Custom and they can be temperamental.

[XKnight]

Another thing to keep in mind, especially if you live an an area with high humidity, is that the tech may have properly set the guitar up with no fret buzz in his climate controlled shop, but by the time you took it outside and got it home the temperature and humidity may have changed the original setup. Some guitar necks just aren't as stable as others and changes in heat and humidity will shift things around.

[dave s]

Yep, take it back!

One thing I learned a long time ago is that if you aren't EXACTING with how you want the guitar setup, most techs will setup a guitar to their own liking!

I took in my old LP for a fret leveling and setup and was pretty specific about playing more rhythm on the guitar and wanting it to behave more like a piano than a shred guitar. Lo and behold, when I came in to pick it up, the strings were so close to the frets it could be chorded by blowing on the strings!

It took about a second for me to hand it back and ask for some 'space' between the strings and frets! :AOK

dave

[HoboMan]

Yep, take it back!

One thing I learned a long time ago is that if you aren't EXACTING with how you want the guitar setup, most techs will setup a guitar to their own liking!

dave

So True!
Some techs will even disagree with you after you tell them how you want it set up. They will tell you why that set up is not good and still adjust it to their liking.

[RichieRich]

take that thing back and bend over!