Thanks Steve for the thoughts. What I did find when I slackened off the string
was a slight kink on the fret side of the string, which wasn’t noticeable when
the string was taught. I’ve now replaced that string and it seems to have
resolve the problem, who rah! However I now have a question about fitting new
strings.
because I’ve not seen tuning pegs quite like this before, I need some guidance
to fit the strings.
Instead of having a whole through the centre of the tuning peg through which to
feed the string, these tuning pegs are slotted on the top, and so I don’t know
whether to wind the string round the peg, or to sit it in the slot
and then wind it round the peg additionally. So I’d like some help please,
because I’ve stopped for now having fitted the bottom E string, which whilst
staying in tune, I’m not sure if i’ve fitted it correctly to the tuning peg,
and I don’t want to create issues from putting pressure on the instrument from
taught strings wrongly fitted.
Andy Collins
Sent from my iPhone
On 26 Oct 2020, at 12:03 pm, dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
I'd say, any wearing of a string could lead to potential issues such as fret
buzzing but, from your recording, it does sound potentially more than that.
Are you anywhere near a shop that you can take it to?
If it is happening only on one string, perhaps you could try changing it. I
mean, it's only a string so you won't have spent much on it. You never know,
it might just sort it. Can you feel any threading or abnormalities on the
string at that position? Is there maybe a piece of crud that's got stuck to
the underside of the string? I'm sort of clutching at straws a little here
Andy.
Best wishes
Steve
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: vibe-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <vibe-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Andy
C
Sent: 26 October 2020 11:46
To: vibe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vibe] Re: Recording of fret buzz
Thanks for this article very interesting. My acoustic is actually a Martin,
but this issue anyway is on my fender Squier telly electric. I know some may
frown at Squier, but nonetheless for me it plays beautifully, and it was one
of The more expensive models from Squier.
I’ve had The guitar for 12 months, and this problem just started happening
this week. From reading the article, I wonder if it is as simple as fitting a
new string; can a worn string create fret buzz on a single fret I wonder?
Andy Collins
Sent from my iPhone
On 26 Oct 2020, at 10:13 am, dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi Andy,
I think the recording was an excellent idea. I think it helps to explain
the issue a lot better. To me, it sounds like there is an issue with the
intonation. This basically is the relationship between the strings and the
physical body of the guitar in terms of its tuning. There is quite a lot of
complexity to it so, I've pasted below an article that explains it in a lot
more detail than I can smiles. It also tells you how you can adjust it but,
I'd fully recommend that you get a technician to do it unless you are very
familiar with setting up a guitar. From some dark and distant past
somewhere, I seem to recall you have a Tailor and you certainly do not want
to damage that!
What is intonation? With musical instruments, intonation refers to pitch
accuracy—the extent to which the notes formed are in tune, versus being flat
or sharp. When a player tunes a guitar using an electronic guitar tuner,
they do so by plucking the open (unfretted) strings. However, when a string
is fretted, the tension on the string increases, which bends the pitch of
the note slightly upward. The effect is subtle, but this change can impact
the intonation, in some cases causing “sour” notes and dissonant chords if
the guitar’s intonation is not set properly. Often intonation issues are
associated with playing higher up the fretboard (closer to the guitar body).
Something else to keep in mind is that the closer a string is to the frets,
the less it needs to stretch since it doesn’t have as far to go. This means
that low action tends to produce more accurate intonation. Intonation issues
can be subtle or dramatic depending on a guitar’s setup. For guitarists who
record or play music live, intonation problems can ruin a recording session
or a live performance. How is acoustic guitar intonation adjusted? While
adjusting the acoustic guitar intonation is conceptually the same as an
electric guitar, due to certain differences in construction (e.g., different
types of saddles) the processes vary in some respects. Most acoustic players
take their guitars to a qualified guitar technician when they need their
intonation adjusted. Typically, proper acoustic guitar intonation begins
with a full setup, along with a fresh set of strings. With Taylor guitars,
provided there is no fret wear, the setup often solves serious acoustic
guitar intonation problems. However, many high-level players still
appreciate a luthier’s specific attention to intonation, because it will
address each player’s style and technique on that particular instrument. The
technician will check the guitar’s action (the distance between the strings
and the fretboard), as well as the instrument’s neck relief. This refers to
the slight bowing intentionally created in the neck to set the action. It
can be controlled by tightening or loosening the truss rod, which is located
in the neck. Essentially, the technician is trying to get everything right
before actually adjusting the acoustic guitar’s intonation. This removes the
extra variables and makes it easier to dial in the intonation. From there,
they’ll usually address the nut and saddle, where the strings stretch over a
piece of bone, plastic or other synthetic material. Most saddles are placed
at a slight angle to the bridge, which adds length to the lower strings to
adjust for differences in string thickness. Likewise, many saddles are made
with compensation points for some or all of the strings, which helps
fine-tune those points even more. When addressing a player’s particular
style and technique, a skilled guitar technician can cut more accurate
notches into the saddle, effectively adjusting the intonation of each string
by changing the string’s distance from the nut. The technician will check
the pitch of each string at the 12th fret to ensure that it’s in tune with
the pitch of the open string. Checking the nut, where the strings rest at
the peghead before winding around the tuning machines, is critical. String
slots that are cut flat, high-centered, or left too high, along with
improper placement of the nut, will prevent a guitar from achieving good
intonation. At Taylor, we have the added benefit of our proprietary neck
design, which ensures that every guitar is built with proper action and
accurate nut and saddle location. The guitar neck design also makes it easy
to adjust the neck angle and allows for setup-related intonation fixes
without changing the position of the nut or the saddle. In the end,
intonation on a tempered scale instrument can never be perfect. And keep in
mind that another factor that can affect acoustic guitar intonation is a
person’s playing technique. For example, players with a heavy fretting hand
or a beginner might press down harder than necessary on the strings,
resulting in notes going sharp. In other words, in a certain player’s hands,
even a properly set-up guitar can sound like it’s out of tune. Since there
are so many variables, we recommend that players change their strings before
consulting a service technician to adjust their intonation, since guitar
strings naturally lose some elasticity with time and wear. Otherwise, a
technician can find the sweet spot on your guitar that provides the best
possible intonation all the way up and down the neck.
-----Original Message-----
From: vibe-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <vibe-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Andy C
Sent: 25 October 2020 23:15
To: vibe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vibe] Recording of fret buzz
Dave – I can’t feel any damage to the fret, it doesn’t feel worn, and the
fret wire doesn’t feel differently to any of the others.
Chris, thanks for suggesting that I record the sound, I hope you can hear it
well enough from the attachment.
Andy Collins
