String buzz- HELP!

Shawn

Ok, so I have a Gitane DG-255. I have recently upgraded both the Tuners and the Tailpiece, and I am having buzzing problems with the 5th string (A string). It seems to buzz somewhere from the bridge or tailpiece, and buzzes if I strike the string with any force at all. It will buzz if I hit any note along the string or even an open note.

The tailpiece is a brand new DR Tailpiece with leather strip and ebony insert, and the tuners are Gotoh tuners. I had to shave the tuners down and do some minor drilling on the guitar to make them fit in. I have tried raising the action and adjusting the truss rod, but nothing seems to work.

Anyhow, does anyone know what might be causing this problem? I have taken the bridge off and put it back on, I have changed the 5th string thinking it may have just been a bad string, but that did not work either. The guitar itself is brand new and was working well before I upgraded it. Any suggestions???

Stringswinger

Could be a loose truss rod.

Shawn

Ok, something is going on. I just checked my Gitane D-500 and the 5th string is buzzing on it as well, just like my DG-255. Could this problem be weather related? My D-500 has never buzzed before and it was one of the first Gitane's to come out. I find it quite odd that both strings are now buzzing on two different guitars at the exact same time. Anyone have any ideas what might be causing this?

Craig Bumgarner

Shawn:

More than one Gitane has had a loose truss rod.

To test for a loose truss rod, hold the guitar as you normally would to play it, dampen the strings with your right hand and give the back of the neck a sharp wrap with the heel of your left hand. If the truss rod is loose, you will hear it.

If it turns out to be the truss rod, repair is fortunately is relatively simple. My DG-250 had this problem. I sent it to Saga the first time and I believe they did as follows. The problem came back six months later, so I did it myself the second time:

Drill out one of the fret marking dots in the fret board. I used the one on the 7th fret. Then drill down through the fretboard until you hit the truss rod. Then inject epoxy into the hole. Some kind of non-adhesive dampening material would probably be better (warmed up bees wax?) might be better, but I used epoxy and it worked ok). Don't overdo it, I used about half a cubic centimeter, otherwise, you might lock up the truss rod. Be carefull not to get epoxy into the shoulders of the dot recess or you'll have trouble reinstalling a new dot. Dots are available from StewMac. Alternatively, any good repair shop can handle this.

Craig

Charlie Ayers

Lot's of problems can be weather (humidity, more specifically)-related. The way to eliminate that possibility is to humidify your instruments to 45-55%, if you live somewhere drier than that. If you live where it's much more humid than that, you might want to dehumidify. I'm not sure that Saga builds at a tightly controlled humidity like many builders do, but big changes in humidity will affect playability.Web sites like those for Taylor and SCGC have discussions on those things.

Charlie

pmh425

Shawn wrote:

Ok, something is going on. I just checked my Gitane D-500 and the 5th string is buzzing on it as well, just like my DG-255. Could this problem be weather related? My D-500 has never buzzed before and it was one of the first Gitane's to come out. I find it quite odd that both strings are now buzzing on two different guitars at the exact same time. Anyone have any ideas what might be causing this?

Did you change strings at the same time? Perhaps it is a problem with the string itself.

just the bassplayer

Have you eliminated the possibility of the insert in the tail piece being loose?
Have some one put a finger on it while you play the offending note positions.
Are you in a dry environment, perhaps one with air conditioning? Maybe the wooden insert shrunk and loosened a bit.
I had to take my tail piece off and put a little glue along the edges of the underside to keep mine quiet on my JJ 300 model.
Michael Hayes

Shawn

To answer one question...I have changed the 5th string because I originally thought it may just be a problem with that certain string. I am using Argentine 11's.

Also, I tried "knocking" around on the guitar while holding the strings and there does not seem to be any buzz in the neck, maybe just a light humm. However, when I knock on the headstock there is a slight buzzing sound that is only audible if I put my ear really close. I had to do some slight drilling on the headstock holes to make them longer and had to ground down the tuner posts a bit to make them fit inside the slotted headstock.

To answer another question...I have taken the tailpiece off and checked it thoroughly. Nothing seems to be wrong with it, and it is a brand new DR tailpiece with Ebony insert and leather strip underneath.

I could swear up and down that when I strike the string either fretted or not it seems like the sound is coming from the bridge area. I have tried putting shims under the bridge to raise the action, but that does not help either...nor does adjusting the truss rod.

kerouac

Then my friend, you have to buy new guitars!!! :shock:
(Sorry, I couldn't´t resist)

Elliot

Shawn, are you using ball ended strings? If you are, maybe try taking out the ball and looping it instead, and see if that makes any difference.

Ken Bloom

If you are getting the buzz from both fretted and unfretted notes, carefully examine the notch in the bridge that the string is sitting it. If there is any roughness or irregularity it might be the problem. Carefully smooth any roughness away with a fine file.