Help! Urgent: Bar Chords BUZZ on a EBMM Majesty 7

[nikosssb]

Hello all,

I've just borrowed my friend's EBMM Majesty 7. I'm using it to record a clean song since it has piezo pickups. However, I'm really having difficulties nailing bar chords. I'm an experienced player but this is my first time playing a 7 string guitar, let alone a EBMM. I suppose the guitar has 10-46 strings. I usually play 9's on my other guitars.

I really have to press hard, like REALLY hard to avoid fret buzz on bar chords, especially bar chords towards the nut. The main fret buzz is coming from the G string when barring. I doubt that my technique is bad, I can easily bar chords on any other 6 string guitar.

I suppose the only issue is the action. However, if I look at the strings, it seems that the action is not that bad. I mean the guitar is comfortable to play other than when barring chords. I've tried lowering the action from the bridge as much as possible without having fret buzz anywhere else on the neck, but this hasn't solved the issue. I've also experimented with the individual saddles, but I guess these are factory set to accommodate for the radius so I don't want to screw them up. Could it be that the nut is not cut properly? This guitar is brand new, so I don't know if the nut is the issue.

Can you please help me solve this issue as I have to record the song as soon as possible?

Thanks!

 

[DrKev]

A high nut might be the issue but I can't diagnose that without the guitar in front of me and, IMHO, Music Man are known for not having high nuts leave the factory as often as other manufacturers. But if that is the case you'll need an experienced eye to see the guitar in person and fix the issue without messing the guitar up.

As a temporary fix/test, put a capo on the first fret. That will eliminate the nut height from the problem. If you still have issues, it's definitely not the nut and your technique on a 7 string guitar that you are not used to is the most likely culprit.

Saddle hight has less and less influence as you head towards the nut so unless the G-string saddle is obviously lower or higher than the others, it may not be that. But you can try - if you conscientiously note on pen and paper each and every adjustment you make to each saddles, you can always undo your work and get pretty accurately back to where you started. (The great thing about allen wrenches is the ease of noting a 1/2 turn up, or 1/4 turn down etc).

 

[nikosssb]

A high nut might be the issue but I can't diagnose that without the guitar in front of me and, IMHO, Music Man are known for not having high nuts leave the factory as often as other manufacturers. But if that is the case you'll need an experienced eye to see the guitar in person and fix the issue without messing the guitar up.

As a temporary fix/test, put a capo on the first fret. That will eliminate the nut height from the problem. If you still have issues, it's definitely not the nut and your technique on a 7 string guitar that you are not used to is the most likely culprit.

Saddle hight has less and less influence as you head towards the nut so unless the G-string saddle is obviously lower or higher than the others, it may not be that. But you can try - if you conscientiously note on pen and paper each and every adjustment you make to each saddles, you can always undo your work and get pretty accurately back to where you started. (The great thing about allen wrenches is the ease of noting a 1/2 turn up, or 1/4 turn down etc).

Ok I'll try to put a capo on the 1st fret and see how that goes. So you're saying if the problem goes away, then it should be a nut problem?
Otherwise, would you be able to somehow judge if there is a problem if I upload some pics of the string height at the nut?

 

[xjbebop]

You might just need to loosen the truss rod a bit to allow a little more relief on that end of the neck...

 

[DrKev]

Ok I'll try to put a capo on the 1st fret and see how that goes. So you're saying if the problem goes away, then it should be a nut problem?

Not necessarily. The capo test can rule the nut out, but not necessarily rule it in.

Otherwise, would you be able to somehow judge if there is a problem if I upload some pics of the string height at the nut?

Unless it was obviously wrong, no. And I very much doubt there is because your friend who owns the guitar has (presumably) not noticed any issues with it and you are otherwise happy with how the instrument plays. And if there is a problem with the nut, to have it correctly diagnosed and fixed will still require a trip to a good tech.

 

[JamieCrain]

Play each note of the bar chord separately string by string. If you still get buzzing notes, it's the guitar setup. If not, it's you.

 

[nikosssb]

Well what seems to have decreased the buzzing is loosening the truss rod but a quarter turn. I've noticed that the chords are now easier to barr, although I still get occasional buzz but I believe that will be me not used to playing on a 7 string with a wide and slim neck.
Does anyone have a set of 9's on this guitar?

 

[Rick C]

Hi Niko: I just responded to a message I had received about this subject on another thread:
http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-guitars/63135-majesty-6-stability.html

I found my Majesty 6 to be pretty sensitive; I agree with xjbebop that neck relief may be part of the problem. Try putting the capo on the 12th or 14th fret and see if there is any gap between the strings and the neck behind the capo up to the head. If the strings are touching the frets all the way up the neck, the neck is either completely flat or the neck is convex (backwards bow). A completely flat neck can result in buzzing if the action is low.

Compounding this, when strumming barred cords (usually the case with barred chords) a lot of energy is put into the strings making it more likely that they will buzz.

I found the Majesty 6 truss rod to be really responsive; just a small move will have an impact. You may have to wait a while and do it again. Don't be scared! the adjustment ring is so easy to get to, just make sure the strings are pulled out of the way and make small adjustments 1/4 turns or less at a time. In your case, I suspect that the truss rod is just a little too tight. You may want to ask your friend first before tweaking his guitar.

Good luck.

 

[Rick C]

Niko: you responded as I was writing/thinking. Seems that the neck relief was the issue. I dropped down to 8's and I'm OK. Heavier strumming will almost always result in buzzing; you just don't hear it when cranked and distorted. Playing "acoustically" through the Piezo will make it more obvious.