bought new guitar - heard too much unnatural fret buzz - returning guitar - "fixed?"

[WB1984]

Hi all,

Thank you in advance.

So, I am a decent player, but I never paid attention to any of the "technical" aspects of the instrument. I can change a string and that's about it.

Recently, after countless guitars played at different mom&pops and huge corporate conglomerates (Gibsons, Martins....whatever) I picked up a new Epiphone Masterbilt Series (DR-500M). This guitar sounded right.


Start here if you don't want any back story

I take it home and notice some strange fret buzz. While I expect metal slapping on metal to create some buzz, this was worse than it should be. I took it to my guitar tech - he said "it's not horrible....but I hear what you're talking about....if you're not comfortable, return it....this is what you get from $500 guitars." Ok, cool.

Go back to the corporate conglomerate in 7 days time, play other guitars in the store (other Masterbilts, much more expensive Martins, etc.), none of the guitars sound too great. I go to return it...apologize for doing so...and am greeted by the guitar tech.

He said: the strings are old, the neck is dry (never heard of this) and this neck it too flat (ok...but why didn't my tech notice this).

I leave and come back. Buzz is gone...guitar is clean...sounds good. Cool.

I bring it home and notice that the neck is obviously bent. As in, the action is obviously different on the top vs. the middle of the neck. Maybe this is cool and normal, but like I said, I don't now s*** about guitars. I wouldn't have even looked at the neck unless I had known it was f***ed with.

The curve isn't horrible...but it's most definitely noticeable. I don't MIND it.

My question is - is this cool? Or is this just a BS fix to make me keep the guitar? Is this going to mess with the instrument in the long run?

Again, thank you.

[sameal]

if the curve in the neck is causing different action on the top of the neck as opposed to the bottom then this is definitely a problem.

a truss rod adjustment may be able to fix this if it isn't too terrible, but judging by your post you don't know how to perform one of these.

buzz can happen for several reasons. your action might be off, the nut might not be filed right, or might be worn out, the frets may need a sanding.


never apologize or be afraid to return something. it's your money your spending and if you feel there is a problem it should be brought to someones attention.

[drbob1]

Umm, do you mean that the neck is curved from the headstock to the body vs the straight strings? How much higher is the action at say the 12th fret vs the 1st fret? I ask because guitar necks are supposed to follow a gentle curve (called "relief") that allows the strings to vibrate without striking the next fret. The amount of relief you need depends on how hard you hit the strings and how far up the neck you intend to play. If the action of the guitar works for you and it sounds good, then you're done. If the action is too high, then it's likely the guitar has hung in the shop for a while, it's dried out and the top has started to lift up a bit. That's a problem I wouldn't settle for on a new guitar.

[RossNRoll]

This is my first post as I have just joined this forum but I assure you I have experience with setting up guitars as I am a Berklee College of Music grad, have been in signed touring bands and currently work at a boutique guitar shop.

The curvature that you describe sounds normal. While most people think having a super straight neck is best, a little relief is normal and as you noticed, got rid of fret buzz. It's a mystery why your tech did not suggest this sort of adjustment, but I am glad to hear the guitar store made these adjustments. It's a matter of adjusting the truss rod that runs through the middle of the neck. It determines how much tension your neck will have. When the neck was "Relieved" a bit, probably a quarter or half turn, it allowed the frets and strings to have proper spacing. If for some reason it looks way too curved, and if the playability has become less comfortable, you can make a very small turn to the truss rod and wait a little bit for the wood to settle to be safe, look at the neck to see if it has straightened a little and play.

The other common issue with buzzing has to do with string height at the nut and bridge. Depending on the guitar, this could be a minor fix or a somewhat time-consuming adjustment if parts need to be removed and re-set. I suggest asking a knowledgeable tech if the overall setup looks good or not. It's amazing what a difference it can make!

[Kiwi]

+1 for getting a good guitar tech set this up.

A new guitar is basically never going to be set up correctly. Even expensive high end stuff. Get to know the best guitar techs in your area - it's amazing what some of them can do. Instead of chasing around for the perfect guitar, try to find the perfect guitar tech and take their advice.

[Igotsoul4u]

If you want the store to meet you halfway ask them to order a brand new identical guitar and swap it with yours. Most chain stores can do this easily and its the simplest compromise other then a straight return. $500 guitars can also be all over the place in terms of quality control and trying at least 5 is recommended. Either way, don't buy anything that doesn't make you feel anything short of amazing.