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  #1  
Old 04-25-2016, 11:20 AM
bugsy bugsy is offline
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Unhappy Actually fret buzz, but in reality a lot more

Hello people!
I bought a China-made acoustic-electric guitar fashioned after the Martin D45.

Now, before you start shaking your heads in pity for me, hear me out. The guitar isn't all that bad: solid top, rosewood veneer back and sides and REAL abalone binding front, back and sides.
It sounded great and I put medium strings on it and it sounded greater (at least to my ears).
It had a bone nut and saddle, but somewhere along the line, I learned that a TUSQ saddle and nut help accentuate whatever properties the guitar has. So, I changed my saddle and nut to TUSQ, and there began my problems.
* The guitar refuses to stay in tune
* All the strings buzz from the 5th fret up until the 13th fret

I might add that the neck cannot be loosened any more, and I have found some uneven frets which I have tried to level (lightly though) and crown.

Any help, explanations, advice will be greatly appreciated.
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  #2  
Old 04-25-2016, 11:22 AM
LeightonBankes LeightonBankes is offline
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you sanded you "tusq" saddle down too far. You will never convince anyone tusq is better than bone for any guitar (certainly not me anyway)
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  #3  
Old 04-25-2016, 11:25 AM
LeightonBankes LeightonBankes is offline
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from a technical perspective, it is very hard for a tuner to slip because the worm gear can't really be turned by the other gear. If it won't stay in tune, it is usually because the strings are slipping through the tuner pegs or aren't pulled up tight against the bridge plate
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  #4  
Old 04-25-2016, 11:27 AM
LeightonBankes LeightonBankes is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bugsy View Post
* All the strings buzz from the 5th fret up until the 13th fret
truss rod needs tightened
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  #5  
Old 04-25-2016, 11:38 AM
bugsy bugsy is offline
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Default Thanks LeightonBankes

But won't tightening the truss rod create a bow in the neck, bringing the 5th to 13th region in greater contact with the strings than it already is?
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  #6  
Old 04-25-2016, 11:40 AM
LeightonBankes LeightonBankes is offline
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meh...no, what it will do is bring the 5th-13th fret up (by taking bow out of the neck) so they will not buzz, but you will need to raise your action also (or put the bone saddle back in). Yea, tightening the trussrod takes bow out of the neck and loosening it creates bow
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  #7  
Old 04-25-2016, 11:49 AM
LeightonBankes LeightonBankes is offline
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see if the rod is too loose, the string can't "climb out of the hole" and hits other frets
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  #8  
Old 04-25-2016, 12:06 PM
Tuch Tuch is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bugsy View Post
Hello people!
I bought a China-made acoustic-electric guitar fashioned after the Martin D45.

Now, before you start shaking your heads in pity for me, hear me out. The guitar isn't all that bad: solid top, rosewood veneer back and sides and REAL abalone binding front, back and sides.
It sounded great and I put medium strings on it and it sounded greater (at least to my ears).
It had a bone nut and saddle, but somewhere along the line, I learned that a TUSQ saddle and nut help accentuate whatever properties the guitar has. So, I changed my saddle and nut to TUSQ, and there began my problems.
* The guitar refuses to stay in tune
* All the strings buzz from the 5th fret up until the 13th fret

I might add that the neck cannot be loosened any more, and I have found some uneven frets which I have tried to level (lightly though) and crown.

Any help, explanations, advice will be greatly appreciated.

you cannot level just 1 fret in 'isolation'=All frets must be made equal in their height...you must level all the frets to be..the same height.Otherwise fret buzz will occur because of..uneven fret height(s)
The Tuners may be at fault.Or badly wrapped string.
Saddle maybe..too low.
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  #9  
Old 04-25-2016, 12:14 PM
LeightonBankes LeightonBankes is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bugsy View Post
I learned that a TUSQ saddle and nut help accentuate whatever properties the guitar has. So, I changed my saddle and nut to TUSQ, and there began my problems.
it's crazy that someone convinced you that tusq was going to "accentuate whatever properties the guitar has" without even mentioning what properties it accentuates. The last sentence is what tells the story, it was set-up and you changed it without knowing what you needed to have happening ^ he's right, you typically can't level one fret because that will just make it lower than the others and therefor buzz
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  #10  
Old 04-25-2016, 12:20 PM
bugsy bugsy is offline
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Default Thanks for the input folks

And I never said I did just "one" fret. Whatever gave you that idea?

I went on the fretboard with a fretrocker, found at least 6 or 7 offending frets, marked, sanded, dressed and crowned those.
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  #11  
Old 04-25-2016, 12:53 PM
LeightonBankes LeightonBankes is offline
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uhhgggg. So. it was fine, you changed the saddle and nut, it buzzed, so you started filing random frets on a brand-new guitar......
two options, take it to somebody to fix or learn how to level the whole fretboard and recrown every fret. Then learn how to set it up, but first get the neck straight via the trussrod
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  #12  
Old 04-25-2016, 01:45 PM
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Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bugsy View Post

I went on the fretboard with a fretrocker, found at least 6 or 7 offending frets, marked, sanded, dressed and crowned those.
It is extremely important to realize that the surface of the frets MUST represent an even plane from the strings' POV. Addressing a single fret, or any combination of frets short of ALL the frets, can only end in an approximation of the desired result.

Addressing frets individually would not be unlike trying to carve a smooth surface into a board using a pocket knife. With a great deal of care one might get close, but using the right tool, a plane in the case of a board, makes it relatively easy.
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  #13  
Old 04-25-2016, 02:15 PM
bugsy bugsy is offline
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Default Thanks, Bruce

Will do all tomorrow and report progress.
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  #14  
Old 04-25-2016, 02:18 PM
Shuksan Shuksan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bugsy View Post
But won't tightening the truss rod create a bow in the neck, bringing the 5th to 13th region in greater contact with the strings than it already is?
You are correct. A standard one-way truss rod works against the string tension. Tightening it pulls the neck back and reduces upward bow of the neck. Tightened far enough, it can introduce a back bow. Tightening the truss rod would make your problem worse if the problem in frets 5 to 13 is caused by the neck being bowed back.
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  #15  
Old 04-25-2016, 02:21 PM
Shuksan Shuksan is offline
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Were the previous strings lighter or heavier gauge than the new strings?

Were the nut slots already cut on the TUSQ saddle when you got it, or did you make the slots?
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