LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

[Nightburst]

I hope some of you guys can help me out here. I have this weird problem.
I recently bought an Epi LP Custom, strung it with a set of Ernie ball Beefy Slinky's (.54 - .11) and put in a '59/JB set.

Now I noticed some major fretbuzz on the D string at the 12th fret and surrounding area. I already tightened the truss rod a bit and I think there is some improvement but the buzz is still there. Actually if I go up in frets on the D string (10th, 9th, 8th, etc.) I notice there is buzz too but only on the D string. The 13th fret has no buzz at all!
I'm almost positive that tightening the truss rod makes the buzz go away but I'm afraid I'll over tighten it.
How far can you turn a truss rod before you should get suspicious?
Could it be an uneven fret? I shurely hope not because that's going to be an expensive fix!

I'm taking this guitar to a luthier on saturday but tomorrow (thursday) I have to practise with my band for the gig friday. I don't mind some buzz but the note on the 12th fret is almost dead. I checked the action but raising or lowering didn't seem to have any effect. I also checked the neck curve before I turned the truss rod, it did needed some tightening.
I ordered the Dan Erlewine book yesterday but it won't be in untill next week.
Could anyone give me some guidelines as in how to do the LP setup routine?
I want to make shure I'm not forgetting something.

[Benjy_26]

Re: LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

I don't think I can help much, as I do set ups by feel and sight. That being said, there should be a bit of releif in the neck. You don't want to overtighten the truss rod to the point wghere you have backbow. Also, sometimes raising the bridge a bit in combination with a truss rod tweak does wonders. Does the buzz go away past the 12th fret (13th, 15th, 19th) or is it pretty constant all along the string length?

[Nightburst]

Re: LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

Thanks any help is apreciated, don't worry.

The buzz starts somewhere around the 9th fret and goes away past the 12th fret, it's mostly the D string on the 12th fret that's buzzing like hell, the E (high and low) strings have no buzz at all at the 12th fret or anywhere on the fretboard.

[Benjy_26]

Re: LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

I have a feeling it might have something to do with that particular saddle. Check to see if it's cut to the same depth as the other 5.

[Hellion]

Re: LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

My guess is that you have a fret that's overdressed in that particular area. Let the luthier take a look at it before you mess with the truss rod too much.

[Nightburst]

Re: LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

Hmmm I think it would be wise to have the luthier look at it. I was just hoping this could have been a minor problem with a quick fix.
Right now everythings good exept for the buzzing in that particular area. Sattle's look good, I think it's the fret indeed. I shure hope it won't need a complete redressing or refret!
Thank you for the quick responses!

[rspst14]

Re: LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

First of all, you want to adjust the truss rod so that the neck is almost straight, with just a small amount of relief. Some like a little more relief, some like a little less, but a good starting point is almost straight, with just a bit of relief. In many cases, the truss rod nut will actually strip before you damage the rod itself. Still, once the neck is perfectly straight you don't want to get it any tighter. If you play in standard tuning, 11-54 strings are going to be pretty heavy, so you'll need to tighten the truss rod a bit more to compensate for the added string pull. Once you have the truss rod set, adjust the action so that it is comfortable for you. You need to factor in string gauge and how hard you play. 11-54 strings can be set closer to the frets than lighter strings, because they will vibrate almost back and forth, whereas lighter strings vibrate in more of an eliptical pattern. Because of that, you can use lower action with heavier strings than you can with lighter strings. Also, if you have a heavy picking attack, you'll need to raise the strings a bit to compensate for that. Players with a lighter pick attack can usually get away with less relief and lower action without experiencing buzzing problems. Finally, set the intonation using the best tuner you can get your hands on. If you still encounter buzzing, check the nut, the saddles, and the frets. I use a fret rocker straightedge from Stewart MacDonald, which lets me instantly check to make sure all the frets are properly leveled. It sounds like you have one or more frets that are not at the correct height. The fix shouldn't be too expensive, and chances are it will play much better after a good fret level.

Ryan

[Nightburst]

Re: LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

First of all, you want to adjust the truss rod so that the neck is almost straight, with just a small amount of relief. Some like a little more relief, some like a little less, but a good starting point is almost straight, with just a bit of relief. In many cases, the truss rod nut will actually strip before you damage the rod itself. Still, once the neck is perfectly straight you don't want to get it any tighter. If you play in standard tuning, 11-54 strings are going to be pretty heavy, so you'll need to tighten the truss rod a bit more to compensate for the added string pull. Once you have the truss rod set, adjust the action so that it is comfortable for you. You need to factor in string gauge and how hard you play. 11-54 strings can be set closer to the frets than lighter strings, because they will vibrate almost back and forth, whereas lighter strings vibrate in more of an eliptical pattern. Because of that, you can use lower action with heavier strings than you can with lighter strings. Also, if you have a heavy picking attack, you'll need to raise the strings a bit to compensate for that. Players with a lighter pick attack can usually get away with less relief and lower action without experiencing buzzing problems. Finally, set the intonation using the best tuner you can get your hands on. If you still encounter buzzing, check the nut, the saddles, and the frets. I use a fret rocker straightedge from Stewart MacDonald, which lets me instantly check to make sure all the frets are properly leveled. It sounds like you have one or more frets that are not at the correct height. The fix shouldn't be too expensive, and chances are it will play much better after a good fret level.

Ryan

Thanks man! I really apreciate it!
I tune in D by the way so that explains the string gauge.

[SoCalSteve]

Re: LP setup? Fretbuzz... Guitar techs please help!

Plus, you only wanna turn the truss rod 1/4 turn at a time and check it.