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Topic: string buzz problem on Electar |
Matt Johnson
From:
California, USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2006 7:42 am |
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Hello, If anyone could offer some advice for me, I'd appreciate it. I recently got a fairly good deal on an Epiphone Zephyr 7-string. It has the metal nut, but the groove for the 7th string (lowest) seems to be too wide/deep and the string buzzes. I put a thicker string on it to see if it would help.....nope. Is there anything that can remedy this? Some type of filler or compound that can be used to fill the groove?
Thanks much,
Matt |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2006 8:19 am
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I usta use PC7 ... but have become a fan of Devcon's Plastic Steel Epoxy ...
Let it set up for about a week ...
------------------
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels
HSGA
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Matt Johnson
From:
California, USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2006 8:35 am
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| Thanks for the advice Rick. Nothing beats a day off and some projects to work on! |
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2006 12:03 pm
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my third string on my six string 1940 Zephyr buzzes ever so slightly.
plain worn after years of use?
in the mix with other instruments it isnt noticible.
I like the fix idea.
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Denny Turner
From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2006 4:29 pm
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My zen while waking up / spooling up after a direly needed 14 hour crash:
Not having the guitar to examine, here's some broad (overkill) considerations ...and for the archives .....fwiw  :
Of course, buzzes don't always come from string contact with parts.
If it's not obvious otherwise, a resonant buzz in an amp can seem to come from the guitar. Try another amp if that's suspect.
A buzz at the nut should be apparant with the buzzing string played open, and not apparant (or much less so) with the string played with the tone bar. To help determine if a nut slot is problematic, shim the SIDES (not the bottom) of a suspect nut slot with small pieces of paper that don't extend forward of the slot; Shimming the bottom ...or extending shim forward of the string's contact with the nut... will shunt the string vibration and can mask a buzz somewhere else, making it seem like the buzz was at the now-shimmed nut slot.
If the same or similar buzz sounds while using the tone-bar, then the buzz can be at the bridge OR...; Can be due to the problem-string being considerably lower on the strings plane than the rest of the strings and thus buzzing on the bottom of the tone bar ...usually associated with heavy gauge strings since down-pressure on the bar should level out the strings plane at the bar with lighter gauge strings. Push down harder on the bar to determine if that's the problem. A string low at the nut will make the buzz more noticeable the closer the bar is to the nut; And vice versa if the low string is manifesting at the bridge (which is rare unless saddle slots are cut in the bridge ...and usually aren't problematic until the tone bar is moved up into the higher register closer to the bridge). Troubleshoothing the bridge is self-evident.
The buzz might be coming fom some loose part(s). Finger (or hand) pressure on parts can most often isolate / find a buzzing external part. ~~~~~~~ A decent quality open-cup (non-diaphram) stethoscope is also good for tracking down buzzes while the guitar is not plugged into an amp, ...and easier / faster if the general area of the buzz's location is known; The open cup receiver doesn't have to make contact with the buzzing part but will usually amplify it's sound when the cup comes near the buzz, and can be moved closer to narrow-in on a suspect part, in conjunction with finger pressure test upon that part's suspect malfunction. A micropone plugged into a headphone amp can also be used ...a bit more cumbersome ...a smaller mic less cumbersome ...but doesn't work as well as a stethoscope (for me anyway). ~~~~~~~ A part buzzing is often more apparant at certain resonant frequencies. ~~~ A part buzzing at no-or-low amplifier volume is often located close to the nut or bridge or in contact with metal plates that communicate with the bridge or pickup. ~~~ A part buzzing with the tone bar being used, is often upscale from the nut; While a part buzzing open-string and not (or greatly reduced) when barred, is often at the nut or head. ~~~ Playing the strings behind the bar placed around the 12 fret, can also provide some clues about where the buzz is located.
Except for in the pickup, internal loose parts will hardly ever be noticeable unless the rattle is in direct contact with another part that's in direct contact with the strings sound (such as loose washers on the bottom side of metal plates that are communicating sound with the bridge or pickup, etc). However, pickup parts can buzz, and troubleshooting with the guitar amplified AND not amplified helps narrow down the mental picture / guess of suspect part, ...whether electro-mechanical (loose winding, magnet, mount, etc) or purely mechanical (loose part conducting it's buzz into the pickup's close sound-sensing proximity); And here a conductive / probe stethoscope comes in real handy ...because you'll very often not be able to determine a culprit pickup buzz with the pickup out of the guitar. Even using a wood dowel rod ...or plastic handled narrow screwdriver (careful not to scratch the parts) can be effective as a stethoscope to listen for internal mechanical buzzes.
To make a handy, scratch-resistant, conductive stethoscope, ...put a moderate coating of epoxy around the tip of a "long", narrow, phillips-head screwdriver tip. Probe with the cured epoxy tip and put your ear to the handle end. Or with a bit more time / effort (but hardly any better than a screwdriver), a conductive stethoscope can be made with an 18" (or so) length of 1/4" (or so) hardwood dowel rod with a hardwood ball on the listening end and the probe end tip sanded conical and/or rounded off. Or even simpler but less sensitive is a moderate length of small rubber hose (automotive vacuum hose, or similar size surgical hose, etc) with a nail inserted shallowly into one end as a probe and listened to at the other end. .....Or a person can purchase a mechanics conductive-probe stethoscope (mechanical around $5 or electronic around $30).
Aloha,
DT~
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 26 July 2006 at 05:57 PM.] |
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Matt Johnson
From:
California, USA
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Posted 26 Jul 2006 5:31 pm
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Great info Denny!  |
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