Silhouette Special problem

[Silhouette_Man]

Hey all! I have owned an Ernie Ball Silhouette Special (blue dawn Mmmm) for about a year and a half now. About 2 months ago I started to notice a rattle on the low E. I took it to a guitar tech and he adjusted the trust rod and did some minor work and the rattle is still there. I find it the most noticeable on frets, 7+ however, it is on all the frets when the string is depressed or open. I also began to wonder if it could be the nut. It looks as though the slot for the low E is cut deeper then any other slots. Has anyone else ever had this problem and if so any recommendations on how to fix it? Thanks! Later!

Craig James.

 

[jongitarz]

It doesn't sound like it could be the nut...If it was, the buzz would go away after the string was freted.

 

[dwf1004]

I could suggest just not using the low E...that would fix it.

Seriously, aside from the "minor work" and truss adjustment you mentioned, did your tech do an actual setup, or has it ever been set up? I had the same thing going on with my EVH, and once I had my tech do a true setup on it, including custom gauge strings, adjust, etc. etc. that buzz is gone.

Just a suggestion. I do like the quick fix, though...

 

[peter71]

Similar problem here...

I have noticed the same thing in my Sil. Only it is the inverse, with the rattle coming from the top two strings at about the seventh fret and higher. This actually leads me to my next thought and that is that I think it may be a problem with the bridge. My guitar is from 1996, so it is kind of "Well Loved". I am also a huge clutz. If there was a problem with the bridge, does anyone know any simple fixes that might work, or have any reccomendations about replacements? Thanks, and I don't know very much about guitar repair eaither, so please, feel free to talk to me like a six year old.

 

[ex3.8]

aaaaa ha i knew i wasn't the only one

I took my silo to a luthier who did a complete set up and "evened out" the frets. he said that most guitars after a certain time "set in" and need this kind of treatment!!!!!!!! It seemed hard to beleive at the time and i thought he just wanted my money......
Then, Seeing and hearing that he does most of the work on all the pro's axes in Montreal i tryed it. It plays very well now but there still is a very slight buzz........ that is not noticable threw the amp....

btw he was very impressed with the paint job... (autumn red sparkle)

 

[JDouglee]

Maybe try turning the two miniature hex screws on the saddle in question. Sometimes they'll rattle if not tight.

 

[peter71]

Hey Thanks to both of you. I will try them both, in order of cheapness of course!

 

[Jimi D]

Another possibility is that if you've recently stepped down to a lighter string guage, this buzz could be a result...

There are a number of good books on how to set up a guitar and they can be a worthwhile investment (I recommend Dan Erlewine's Guitar Player Repair Guide myself). Knowing the how's and why's of a good setup is half the battle, and being able to set up your own guitars (albeit with a little trial and error the first few times) is the quickest way to diagnosing and dealing with these kinds of issues... For what its worth, most of my guitars have very light buzz on some strings - nothing dibilitating, just part of the trade off I make for low action and light strings, ime...

 

[peter71]

Hey, thank you for that information. I will look into that book and see what I can see. I have been wanting to put new pickups into mine (I really like the way that Kinman pickups sound) and I wasn't sure how to go about it, or if I should just pay for someone else to do it.

Does Guitar Player Repair Guide do a good job in telling you how to accomplish this. I am kind of handy, but don't want to blow money on some Kinman's that I am going to wreck, or make it impossible to fix should I screw up and need outside assistance...

Thanks for any help you can provide!