Intonation

Do you guys settle for any buzzing at all?
Playing the 3rd fret on a low E string for example I get a bit of rattle when I pick moderately hard.

I guess I know what perfection is but I'm not sure what's acceptable or ideal in the real world due to not giving too much concern to the problem.
 
HarrySound said:
Do you guys settle for any buzzing at all?
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If If I want low action, which I do, then yes I settle for some buzzing.To be clear there is buzzing that can be heard acoustically (on an electric) and buzzing that comes through the amp. The former is not a concern of mine the later is.
 
HarrySound said:
Do you guys settle for any buzzing at all?
Playing the 3rd fret on a low E string for example I get a bit of rattle when I pick moderately hard.

I guess I know what perfection is but I'm not sure what's acceptable or ideal in the real world due to not giving too much concern to the problem.
Click to expand...

Nope. My action is low and there is no buzzing. A properly setup guitar shouldn't have any fret buzz.

If you are getting buzz 3rd fret low E, it may be that you have a fret that's high. Does the open E string buzz?
 
Matt_B_77 said:
If If I want low action, which I do, then yes I settle for some buzzing.To be clear there is buzzing that can be heard acoustically (on an electric) and buzzing that comes through the amp. The former is not a concern of mine the later is.
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Totally agree on this and the concept of intonating AFTER neck relief and saddle height adjustment. Adjusting the truss rod and action changes the length of the string (even if minutely), so intonating before just leaves you with too much of a moving target.

One of the biggest factors for low action with minimal buzzing or rattling is having level frets, and a properly cut nut for the open notes.
 
Making sure the frets are level is something I do on every guitar as soon as I get it. If they need leveling, which many do, then I get it done. I also get the upper frets leveled with a bit of falloff to get the strings as low as possible.
 
Depends on how hard you play. The more aggressively you pick the strings, the more clearance they need to avoid buzzing against the tops of the frets. If you've got a lighter touch, you can have very low action and no buzzes if everything is set up right. If you pound the hell out of it, you'll likely get some buzzing with very low action. Fall away in the upper frets helps quite a bit with that though too.
 
TG3K said:
I'd be looking for a different brand of strings if I had to adjust my intonation after every string change.
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Ok, maybe I should have said to check your intonation every string change.

Stuff is moving around when you release the string tension (minimized if you change one string at a time), and it's on your bench anyway.

I just make it part of my string change routine.
 
I check mine every time I change strings, but usually do not need to make any adjustments. Maybe a tiny tweak of the truss rod once a year or so to combat seasonal temperature and humidity changes.

If you travel a lot, adjustments can be needed more often too. If you go from Phoenix or Las Vegas with 10% humidity to New Orleans or Houston with 95% humidity, your neck can do some funky things, especially for outdoor gigs.
 
Matt_B_77 said:
While I can appreciate paying someone else to do the work for you so you can other things, every guitar player should be able to least evaluate the basic elements of their guitar's playability (string height at the nut, string height at the bridge, neck relief and intonation) so they can determine why a guitar is or is not playing well.

Setting string height at the bridge, setting relief and adjusting intonation are things that every guitar player can easily do with the right tools of course which are inexpensive.
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I've hired tons of people to do work for me on guitars- I live in Phoenix- so thanks to the luthier school we have plenty of hacks attempting "guitar repair"

There's a huge talent gap in just professional repair people let alone including just guitar players or people that try things out once in a while...

The difference between what an average player can do to set up a guitar- verses a professional- and that professional verses a top/great professional is huge...

Shimming the neck and nut to get things perfect- playing with trem screws to find the right combination that works perfect and knowing how to do it and how it should be done- is a skill- and even someone good at setting their stuff up- can't do what the guy that fixes my guitars can do...

Getting it set up- intonated, with the right action and height and everything I like- is not easy...
I would say the average guitar player doesn't know guitars need set ups- they know some play better than others-

Obviously were in a $2500 guitar toy forum- so people willing to spend $2000+ on a processor let alone a guitar is very few...
But you're typical guitar player doesn't know every aspect of a guitar is setup-able and adjustable to get it how you like it---

But to know what you like it and get it where you want it- isn't easy to do right.
 
I can see the trouble where you live in an area that has an abundance of people that know 'just enough to be dangerous'. The other side of the coin is folks like me that live in a rural area with no luthiers. You either learn to set up your guitar properly or your guitar is not going to be set up. The way 90% of the manufacturers ship out their products is a joke.

Over the course of time, and of course trial and error, heavy on the error, we have learned proper setup. When we jam we can exchange guitars and with the exception of desired style all guitars are playable and intonated without buzz. It is actually the norm for us to ask 'hey did you get your new guitar?' and hear 'yeah but I have to fix it and set it up first'.
 
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