Question New JP12: G string buzz

[tim in seattle]

Hello,

I'm new to MM guitars, a relative novice to electric guitar (spent some years playing classical), and quite thrilled to own my new JP12.

I had the guitar set up by a guy who came strongly recommended, and who also set up my other guitar a year ago (mexi tele). Once home after the JP12 setup I heard a very conspicuous buzz in the G string. I am not nearly an expert in these things but it did not sound like the type of fret buzz that results from too low action. It sounded like a set of high pitched overtones resulting from perhaps something vibrating sympathetically elsewhere on the guitar.

The sound is most noticeable when playing on just the piezo pickups.

I took it back to the guy. He agreed that it sounded like something other than the string. He tightened a set screw slightly on the G string saddle. This provided significant relief, but the sound is not gone completely. (I should have taken the time at the setup guy's house to listen more carefully before leaving. He felt the noise was gone. I am beginning to suspect he may not be my best resource for guitar setup.)

Last night I tried tightening both set screws (because I didn't remember which he tightened) but this does not seem to help. I quickly returned them to their original position.

Is there anyone here who has experienced this, or who can speculate on what the problem is? I seriously hope this doesn't require me to send the instrument back to EB....

Thank you!

 

[Lou]

You may be hearing sympathetic vibrations from the trem springs and/or the strings behind the nut. You can quiet the trem springs in a number of ways. My current method is inserting plastic tubing inside the trm sprigs. This will quiet them. You can also test it out by removing the back plate and stuffing a shirt or cloth up against the springs and strumming. To check the strings behind the nut tie a cloth around headstock and strum. You can use your wife/girlfriends hair scrunchy to silence this
Give it a shot and let us know

 

[tim in seattle]

Good suggestions on the trem springs and strings behind the nut. I checked it out though and neither was the case.

I took the guitar to a local luthier and found out that the guy who set up my guitar set the neck all out of whack and also filed the nut way too low. The G string buzz is from the latter.

Unfortunately now I need to buy a new compensated nut. I will take it back to the luthier and pay for an hour of labor to have them remove the existing nut and replace it. (He assured me that shimming the existing nut is not an option because it will be virtually impossible to remove it without damaging it.)

So I guess I learned the hard way that my original setup guy was not as good as I thought.

He ought to be able to do good replacement work. This is him: Mike Lull Custom Guitars & Guitar Works - Home