[geoffey]

Hi all,

Don't shout at me for asking a question thats already been asked a million times but I have bamboozled my self with the stickies lol.

I am a total newbie when it comes to guitar tech terms so here goes and I will try and explain my problem.

I have a Benson Les Paul copy does the business while I am learning to play (and loving it too). But . . .

when I play the low e string open it buzzes like a bee, and I have tracked down the culprit to be the 1st fret thats its rattling against when I play it open.

So I guess I need to raise the string height some how, but how?

I have been reading about truss rods (scary), bridge height, saddles etc and have bamboozled my self. I need some basic down to the point advice lol.

I even checked the intonation and it was barley out.

I am also considering changing the strings on it, I have had the guitar nearly a year now but never changed the strings yet. Do any of you guys have any advice on the best string gauges for a newbie and also makes of string. I was looking at 10/46 or 9/46 gauges and read a lot of people recommending Ernie ball strings. Not too fussed about the make long as they good for me learning.

Any advice would be great guys.

Thanks

[henry b]

Maybe the first fret needs looking at , before you start messing about with the truss rod or tampering with the action.

[geoffey]

Hi henry,

What do you mean "looking at". I have give it my best and worst looks and still no joy lol.

all the other strings ring fine when I strike them open. Just the low E is sitting on the 1st fret.

[henry b]

The fret may be sitting to high.

[geoffey]

Sounds like bad news henry, does that mean it needs serious work if it is? I will have another look tonight after work and see if its any higher than the other frets.

not too keen on ripping frets out lol.

[karcey]

Welcome to the forum.
Your guitar lends itself to a number of adjustments, and in inexperienced hands these adjustments could be tricky.
The fret wire on the first fret may need to be adjusted down (maybe only at one end) if it is too high relative to the other frets.
The nut may have been cut a little deep for that string ... the other strings may be fine.
The "bow" in the neck may need to be altered just a little.
And so on. There could be many possibilities, even several things at once.
Most of us on this forum would be reluctant to tell you a fix without even holding the guitar in our hands, so we give the best/safest advice which is to find a competent repairer and have him set the guitar up. He will look at how each part of the guitar fits in relation to the rest and make adjustments so that the instrument is both easy to play, and sounds good.
Costs of set ups vary. An acoustic could cost A$300 as I was once quoted. That chap was going to systematically rebuild the guitar from one end to the other. No I didn't get the job done ... funny you should ask! Set ups on electrics are generally cheaper (maybe an hour's labour) because most of the adjustments can be done quickly.
A cared for guitar doesn't need to be set up often, so most owners consider it money well spent.
I'd guess that if you can hand the guitar to a specialist, he will check it while you wait and give you a quote for the job right then. Won't take long and you should be happy with the results.

[geoffey]

Hi karcey,

Thanks for the info, I will look into that, maybe try and find a local guitar shop.

[Stratrat]

Karcey pretty well nailed it. If none of the other strings are buzzing at the first fret, it's quite possible that the nut slot for the low 'E' string is cut a bit deep....but it could also be that the first fret is a bit higher on that side. A luthier will be able to diagnose and fix it. Around here, a "setup" usually costs US$30-40. If they have to cut and install a new nut it would obviously cost a bit more.

As far as brand of strings - I really don't find a huge difference between brands. Some do, and will only use one particular brand of strings. I grab whatever I have handy when it comes time to change strings.....if I have to go out and buy them, I usually go with either Ernie Ball, GHS or D'Addario. All those brands have worked fine for me.

String gauge - you'll probably want to stick with what's on the guitar now. If you're not sure, have the luthier figure it out when you take it in to have your fret buzz problem checked out.

[geoffey]

Thanks stratrat, Yer might be my best option. Tried to raise the bridge last night and didn't make much difference to be honest, and in the process lost the original height, never mind got it tuned up alright after.

[geoffey]

Hi all,

Just thought would give an update on my Buzzing strings, mainly just in case anyone else comes along with similar problems.

Well i took your advice guys and took it to a local Guitar Repairer (Took some finding lol).

Looks like my buzzing e string wasn't my only problem. Top and bottom is this guitar I bought off the net is of very poor quality. I know it wouldn't be the best for £100 but they guy says its not even worth half that.

The frets were lifting, looked like they had been rasped, not finished on the edges properly, nut didn't fit right, neck wasn't straight and was virtually flat in places and very hard to get anything decent out of it.

So I have been doing my best to learn with this piece of garbage, but I think it served a purpose for those 1st 6 months. To be honest I should of researched it more before I bought one. But I thought it would do to learn on. How wrong was I.

On the bright side though, he gave me some very good advice on buying another guitar, what to look for. He even played a few for me. Although he didn't seem to think the color of the guitar should matter, it matters to me; I want something I like the look of lol

So in the next few weeks I am going to visit a few guitar shops in person and have a good look at a few guitars, just so I don't end up buying junk.

I have though had a look around the net so I have an idea of prices though. One problem is I really want a Les Paul shape guitar, just love the style of it.

So I need a little advice from you guys before I venture to the guitar shops.

1) Any good questions I can ask the assistants?

2) Will a new guitar come setup out the box or will the shop staff have to set the up

3) Anyone no how good the Epiphone Standard Les Pauls are and are they a decent company?

Thanks for your time guys.

[henry b]

I suppose thats the risk with e bay, why not name and shame if it wasn,t a private sale.

[geoffey]

Company was called School of Rock, at least thats what its ebay shop was called.

[karcey]

G'day Geoffrey,
Thanks for getting back with an update ... the feedback is good learning for all of us. Bad luck about the guitar. Let's be positive though, if you've managed so far on junk, then you've obviously got what it takes to be successful. How many people give up when they've got really high quality gear to work with?!!!
Colour is most important when choosing a guitar. When your fingers are bleeding and the chords just won't come out right, you need to be able to look at it and love it.
There is the right guitar for you somewhere, so don't be afraid to insist on whatever you want. One firm I read about a few minutes ago makes sixty thousand acoustic guitars each month, as well as thousands of electrics. If you could guess how many are made in total worldwide, then you'd know the right colour, size, weight, sound is out there somewhere.
Never consider a guitar sight unseen. (I have, but I've been plain lucky!) If you like the display model and they have a brand new one in a box, always open the box and handle it before you buy it. They may be sisters but there's no saying they'll even have the same hair colour.
Even your untrained eye will soon suss out quality problems. A guitar should look a bit perfect in fit and finish. Some play like magic straight out of the box, and some need a bit of adjusting. Get the salesman to agree to set it up before you take it home. They don't need to be run in like a car, so the shop should agree to have it spot on before you leave so you don't have to take it back. If by chance the shop isn't keen to check it over, then find another shop ... there's a few around.
Good luck, and keep in touch.

[henry b]

Can you contact the Company and let them know you are far from pleased, basically it,s not fit for purpose ,thats not what you paid your hard earned cash for.

[geoffey]

Very true Karcey, you need a guitar that you like the look of. I am hoping to have a look around a few shops this weekend, I will let you know how I get on.

If anyone has had experience of the Epiphone Les Paul Standard then please let me know.

Cheers

Geoff