Topic: burrs.....

hi,

i'm new to guitar too.... well sort of i was learning the guitar about 15 yrs ago and i have a small selection of songs i learnt back then and some new ones i have been practicing... i have been having lots of fun on chordie and checking out the songs.... wild thing is a favorite!!!...

but i am having a few problems getting a clear chord... there is a unpleasant burr that i cannot seem to get rid of... I have been practising with different fingering techniques but i cant seem to do it right ... the guitar is new... got it for christmas and it is fairly cheap,

i would love to hear any other techniques or hints to get my fingers in the right place...

thanks for the help,

sinann

Re: burrs.....

I think everyone has that same problem when they first start out, although it may be more difficult for some.  The only advice I can give is to stretch out your fingers and to try as hard as possible to use the very tips of your fingers (for open chords, which I'm assuming is what you're learning, ie G, A, C, D, E, and their variants).  For me, I kept practicing that, and eventually (I didn't really notice) my chords just all of a sudden were ringing clear.  Good luck!

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

Re: burrs.....

It could be lots of things . . . : Yes, it could be you . . . or it might be the neck needs adjustment . . . or it could be the nut . . . or the bridge . . . or just overall poor workmanship and set-up.

If you have a friend who plays, you might have them look at it for you and see if they have the same problem, or can identify the problem for you. 

If they have the same problem, then you know it's probably the guitar and not you.  Then, you may have to take it to a good guitar mechanic and have him take a look at it.  The price for an set-up usually runs from $50 to $75 and if you need extra work or replacement parts, it would be more.

Good Luck . . .

Re: burrs.....

Hello Sinann, I'm probably at the same stage as you having recently picked a guitar up after 20 or so years (I wasn't any good back then either)!

I also have the ocasional buzz and also have a cheap guitar.  I found Justinguitar.com great to learn and he has a good technique when practising chords, simply strum the chord and then pick each individual string and this helps me identify which string was buzzing.  In my case the culprit was a different string on different chords so adjusting the fingers was easier.

Epiphone EJ200  -  Epiphone SG400  -  Fender Strat Blacktop.
Blackstar HT 40 Club  -  Vox VT30 - Behringer ACX ultracoustic 1000

Re: burrs.....

hey, thanks everyone for your advice.... i guess i will have to practise some more and maybe do some finger exercises....  practice practice practice.... lol
thanks again...

Re: burrs.....

I'm getting similar problems with the 5th and 6th strings since re-stringing my guitar. Been playing for about a year without any buzzing prior to this. I'm guessing this is due to increased tension in the new strings and that I just need to work on my strength and technique.

Re: burrs.....

Micey wrote:

I'm getting similar problems with the 5th and 6th strings since re-stringing my guitar. Been playing for about a year without any buzzing prior to this. I'm guessing this is due to increased tension in the new strings and that I just need to work on my strength and technique.

Did you re-string your guitar with the same guage string? I bought my guitar with lights and switched it to medium and it started to buzz on me. A quick trip to the shop to have my guitar set up for mediums took care of the problem.

"Do or do not, there is no try." Yoda

8 (edited by Micey 2009-01-13 19:38:37)

Re: burrs.....

Well, I thought they were the same gauge (Light) but my fingertips tell me otherwise. I'll double check. Thanks.


Have now checked guitar and the new strings appear thicker to the naked eye so I guess it was set up for extra light before. Not sure if it's worth a trip to the guitar shop as I only have a cheap model. Might just be worth saving my money until I can afford a Washburn or something.

After I've bought my strat. smile