Set up question...

The New Guy

The New Guy

New member
Hey Everyone,

I know this is a remedial question and as long as I've been noodling around on guitars I ought to know this but:

What is the proper way to lower the action without causing too much string buzz??? The guitar I'm messing with is my fixed bridge ibanez. I've played other guitars like it in the store and the action is lower without causing string buzz, how do I set mine up? As it stands now when I sight down the neck from the bridge end of the guitar to the headstock the neck has a slight bow away from the strings. I have tried to tweak the truss rod slightly towards the strings but it always causes string buzz all along the neck....then I raise the saddles a little but the action gets higher than I want it. It seems like it's fighting against itself...I'm not looking to put the strings right down on the fretboard, I like a little space in there to get under and dig in, but I can never find a good balance....

I know there must be a lot of you that can give me some pointers so feel free to point away...

p.s. I know I could take this to the shop and have it done but I want to learn to do it myself.
 
Re: Set up question...

Is it an RG421? That's what I have, and I'm always "fighting" as well. I took it into a Sam Ash for a setup, but it still buzzed. I've just decided to use slightly higher action for less buzz. Very annoying, though. This was the first guitar I ordered online. Dumb idea.
 
Re: Set up question...

You actually want a little relief (the bow you speak of) when going for low action. A perfectly straight neck will buzz more in that case.
 
Re: Set up question...

The reason for relief (bow) is to avoid buzz. That is, by straightening the neck as your first step, you're going the wrong way.

To get really low action, you need really level frets. Take the strings off, flatten the neck (with the truss rod) and place a metal yardstick on the frets. Move it across the fretboard, looking for high or low frets. If your frets aren't even, they can be ground down, but this probably isn't something you want to try yourself.

If you're serious about doing your own work, invest in a good book or video. Dan Erlewine's is often recommended. By prepared to buy some special tools, as well.

Good luck!


(Oops! FretFire beat me to it!)
 
Re: Set up question...

Hey RiffGuy, that be the one...I bought it as a second guitar to fool around with, it played better when I bought it but I tried to adjust the action just a little and bam!
now I'm going around in circles.

Thanks FretFire...so its just a process of tweaking until I get close enough?
 
Re: Set up question...

Yep, and Glass Snuff raised a good point as well. You may have a high fret somewhere. Is the buzz present on all strings or just certain ones (unfretted to start off)? The next question is, on a string that buzzes does it stop once you fret past a certain point on the neck?
 
Re: Set up question...

Glass Snuff said:
If you're serious about doing your own work, invest in a good book or video. Dan Erlewine's is often recommended. By prepared to buy some special tools, as well.
Click to expand...

With the proper tools, how hard is this to do?
 
Re: Set up question...

It's pretty much throughout the span of the neck but gets worse as you go past the 12th fret, if that helps any.
 
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