• Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 8

Topic: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

Okay I have been playing electric guitar for a few months and my strings are higher than normal.I'e gone to a music store to get them fixed but the guy said he couldnt replace the thing were the strings go into.So now,I play but my strings are 3 millimeters to high. and it causes the guitar to make a buzzing sound except when i use my distortion pedal.

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  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

Vise Evans wrote:

Okay I have been playing electric guitar for a few months and my strings are higher than normal.I'e gone to a music store to get them fixed but the guy said he couldnt replace the thing were the strings go into.So now,I play but my strings are 3 millimeters to high. and it causes the guitar to make a buzzing sound except when i use my distortion pedal.

Go to another music store that has competent employees. You have a problem with the "action" of you guitar. This is an easy, simple repair and providing there isn't a problem with the neck on you guitar beeing warped or bent, it shouldn't cost you much $$$ to have it repaired.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 8

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

No theres nothing wrong with the neck....Itys the part on the body where the strings hooks into.That part of the guitar is making the strings rise higher than normal.And my guitar is kinda old so i would need a brand new one and I wont be getting a new one any soon.

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  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

That's called the bridge and in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing,  it can and should be a fast, simple, and inexpensive repair. Before you have any work done on the guitar I would recommend that you put a fresh set of strings on your guitar. Sometimes a new set of strings is all that's needed.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • Kahuna
  • Kahuna
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  • Registered: 2006-07-12
  • Posts: 290

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

I agree with SouthPaw!  Not every music store or repair shop is created equal!  A good repair shop would be able to see right away if the action is too low or too high.  Especially for electric guitars, there are factory specification as to how low/high the strings should be at both the neck and the bridge.  Also, a new set of strings should always be used when any kind of action setting is done! 

In addition to setting the action, a good shop should also look over the entire guitar for other issues.  Items like loose frets/pickups, cord plug, and knobs are some of the common ones.  When you pick up your ax, it should have been wiped down or cleaned as well. 

I hope this helps.

Kahuna

SouthPaw41L wrote:

That's called the bridge and in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing,  it can and should be a fast, simple, and inexpensive repair. Before you have any work done on the guitar I would recommend that you put a fresh set of strings on your guitar. Sometimes a new set of strings is all that's needed.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 8

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

SouthPaw41L wrote:

That's called the bridge and in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing,  it can and should be a fast, simple, and inexpensive repair. Before you have any work done on the guitar I would recommend that you put a fresh set of strings on your guitar. Sometimes a new set of strings is all that's needed.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Yeah the guy replaced the strings but he couldnt replace the bridge so i got a refund.

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  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

Vise Evans wrote:
SouthPaw41L wrote:

That's called the bridge and in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing,  it can and should be a fast, simple, and inexpensive repair. Before you have any work done on the guitar I would recommend that you put a fresh set of strings on your guitar. Sometimes a new set of strings is all that's needed.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Yeah the guy replaced the strings but he couldnt replace the bridge so i got a refund.

There are two kinds of commonly used bridge types on electric guitars, the t-o-m (tune-o-matic) and the fixed (strat type fixed bridge) whicjh one do you have? (purposely left out tremelo units) The guy that changed you strings may not have known how to do the repair as mentioned but you also did not mention what type or model of guitar you have. As Kahuna mentoned a good tech would have told you that you had to do certain repairs and provided you with an estimate of repairs and cleaned your guitar.

Bootlegger,
Bootlegger guitars.

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

Can you describe your guitar to us Vise? You say old, I was wondering if you have an old 'floating bridge' type Gibson/Gretsch-alike, these might put many a guitar tech off their stride as there are at least 5 different types. Some jazz boxes simply have a wooden bridge, indeed your if your guitar is a 50s/60s semi type it may have started with a high action, fingers were tougher in those days...

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • aj1
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  • From: UK
  • Registered: 2007-11-02
  • Posts: 75

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

Vise Evans wrote:

Okay I have been playing electric guitar for a few months and my strings are higher than normal.I'e gone to a music store to get them fixed but the guy said he couldnt replace the thing were the strings go into.So now,I play but my strings are 3 millimeters to high. and it causes the guitar to make a buzzing sound except when i use my distortion pedal.

3mm higher than normal is hugely too high.
I'm a bit confused as to how this causes the buzz though.
Buzzing is usually caused by the action being too low.
You definitely need to see a competent guitar tech.

  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 8

Re: Guitar Strings(Need answers)

Its more like 1.5 mm high when i looked at it last night.This is my guitar:

Peavy
Natural finish
And I had to get it fixed up so i could play it.

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