#1
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Truss rod is all the way loose!
I took out my Bourgeois for the first time in a year and notice the action was way low (easy) so I figured the neck must’ve somehow gone out of whack. Sure enough, after a bit of loosening of the truss rod, the high E string started buzzing less. Well I got the truss rod all the way loosened and it’s still got a Pretty bad buzz at the fifth fret.
What’s the magic solution here?
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1970's USA Fender Strat Re-issue (Kinman pickups) 2019 Elite Strat 2018 American Standard Strat Oscar Schmidt Classical 60's Silvertone Bourgeois Slope D Mahogany/Bearclaw http://www.superflydisco.com |
#2
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My guess: Guitar was stored with loosened strings but with tension remaining on the truss rod. As to what to do, I'd contact the manufacturer.
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#3
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Sounds like it's time for an inspection and set up. Take it in to your favorite tech and have them look at it and do a proper set up on it. Afterwards it should be perfect.
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#4
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Bourgeois Guitars have a two way truss rod. There is a spot in the rotation where it feels loose. Keep turning in a counter clockwise direction and it will start working again.
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#5
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While truss rods are easy to adjust, their adjustment is not a universal fix for all action issues.
We are at a time of the year where, for many people, indoor humidity levels remain low. One symptom of a guitar subject to low humidity is that the top flattens, lowering the action. Probably the place to start is to identify what is the humidity level where the guitar has been stored. Are there other symptoms of dryness, such as protruding fret ends? "When all you have is a hammer, all problems look like nails." |
#6
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Loosening the rod too much (increasing relief) can actually make buzzing worse on the upper frets. That is in spite of the fact that adding relief tends to raise the action.
The correct relief setting is where the tendency to buzz is the same all along the neck. This usually occurs when the relief is between 0.003" and 0.010". This should be set first, before adjusting tha action at the bridge. As Charles indicates, a low action from low humidity is almost always due to a sunken top, not from a change in neck relief, which on most guitars is relatively stable during normal winter/summer humidity changes. With that in mind, the better way to deal with seasonal changes in action is by adjusting the saddle. Taller in winter, and shorter in summer. |
#7
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Don't use the truss rod to adjust action. It's really common in spring and fall to need to adjust or even change the bridge saddle to accomodate changes in action due to humidity change. Lots of people have two saddles and swap them out. The truss rod is to adjust the straightness of the neck for relief, and that is it, nothing else. The fact that adjusting the relief usually has an impact on action height doesn't mean you crank away on the nut when you need to adjust the saddle height.
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Brian Evans Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia. |
#8
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Quote:
I'll give it a try today. I'd take it in to get it setup but unfortunately our state is shut down right now because of the Corona Virus. Ironically, this is when I need the medicine of playing this beauty the most :-(
__________________
1970's USA Fender Strat Re-issue (Kinman pickups) 2019 Elite Strat 2018 American Standard Strat Oscar Schmidt Classical 60's Silvertone Bourgeois Slope D Mahogany/Bearclaw http://www.superflydisco.com |
#9
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Quote:
Here I thought my beloved Slope D was ruined!! That was utterly wild. Sure enough, after about a half-turn, it started tightening up again and then I had to chase the buzzing fret from the fifth up to the 9th and now it's just about gone. Just to clarify...I wasn't trying to adjust the action. Thanks a ton!!
__________________
1970's USA Fender Strat Re-issue (Kinman pickups) 2019 Elite Strat 2018 American Standard Strat Oscar Schmidt Classical 60's Silvertone Bourgeois Slope D Mahogany/Bearclaw http://www.superflydisco.com |
#10
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Well, it does sound like you were trying to adjust the action with the truss rod
How much relief is in the neck now? It might stop the buzz by having excessive relief but it's not an ideal situation either. The proper method is to set the relief to where it should be then adjust the nut and saddle. It's certainly possible that the neck could have back bowed and you managed to set it right but as mentioned more typical is that the neck is fine and the top sunk. So check your relief. If it's excessive then you would want to set it proper and then raise the saddle. Or if you are happy with it then just leave it |
#11
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Yep - there is sometimes a dead spot/slack spot on a two way truss rod at its neutral point, which may not actually be the neutral point of the neck relief - but it is alarming if you don't expect it!
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#12
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Still a great time for a good set up.
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