Topic: newish PRS buzz

Hi all,

Glad to have finally gotten around to joining a guitar forum. Anyway, I'm an avid amateur player, been at it for 5 years now. I play a jazz/blues/folk fusion thing, with some straight up rockabilly stylings on the side. Anyway, I recently purchased a PRS SE custom.

Anyway, we had a record breaking summer and it has created some buzzing with the PRS. At least, I believe that to be the case. We didn't have the entire house cooled so it was exposed to the heat. I would like to try and get rid of the buzz. I'm looking for recommendations on heavier strings (I use D'addario). I think I have 11 gauge on right now and I still have buzz. Should I consider getting an aftermarket bridge? I've already tried adjusting the saddles, and I can't go up any further with the factory bridge. Just looking for some suggestions. Thx for checking out my post.

Borderblu

Re: newish PRS buzz

Welcome to Chordie border, I'm not much help, but someone will be along here to help you out. You'll find a lot of nice people in here. So welcome abord. PEACE

Re: newish PRS buzz

Welcome to Chordie!

  How we do hate fretbuzz.... only thing is have you determined which string and where on the fretboard the offense is happening?
You say that you have adjusted up on the bridge, which one would think should cure it, but I'm thinking that the problem is likely to be a bit too much "back-bow" on the neck from things moving in the heat and humidity (or lack thereof).

  Sight down the strings from the heel to nut while the thing is up to tune and you should be able to see if you have a bowing issue.  If so a bit of a truss rod adjustment should put it right.  You might consider hauling it in to your local Luthier for a setup if you are not familiar with doing adjustments on your own, as just a little goes a long way.  Most techs will give you an idea of what is wrong and an estimate before going at it, and most will include a new set of strings in the deal.  Around these parts that service usually goes for around $45 depending on if it needs a nut filing or fret dressing to cure a high fret wire.

  PRS is a good quality instrument and one would not think that anything major should have happened (unless you tossed it down a flight of stairs or somesuch).

Take Care, and don't be a stranger hereabouts.
Doug

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare

Re: newish PRS buzz

LOL the only one who ever did anything to any of my guitars was my X who stomped on my "62 Guild. She's had 100 + boyfriends and I'm happily married for the last 12 years. "Then along came Sally" LOL

5 (edited by borderblu 2010-09-28 02:50:24)

Re: newish PRS buzz

Thx for the replies and welcome guys.

@Doug - I think I'll try some heavier weight strings before I mess with the truss. I've never had much luck in the past with trussrods. Oddly enough, the first truss adjustments I made to my very first guitar (an $79 Rouge dreadnought) worked like a charm and I played that thing until the frets wore down. I did it right with that instrument, adjusted 1/4 turn every week until the buzz went away. But you are right, my problems are most certainly b/c of climatic induced bowing. I just ordered a mess of different gauges, some with different gauge for top/bottom. I'm going to see if any of them get rid of the buzz, I'll post the results.

I did just learn something new and nifty about PRS trussrods, tho
   

From PRS support site wrote:

The PRS double acting truss rod provides neck adjustment in both directions. Conventional truss rods can only compensate for forward neck bow. Due to varied climate and other conditions to which your PRS guitar may be exposed during its lifetime, we have made our necks fully adjustable.

Nice to know in case I need to try an adjustment.

I still think PRS is a quality guitar, tho, cause my strat-clone electric, which i thought was indestructable, dried out so much it popped up my pickguard this summer, revealing the innards (in which the assembly workers had dropped and left about 5 extra springs!! hah!). I miss that guitar tho - my first electric ...

Re: newish PRS buzz

I don't have any advice, but I did want to welcome you to Chordie!  There's a ton of good folks here.  Compared to lots of other guitar forums out there, it sure is a little slice of humanity and kindness.  Welcome Borderblu!  smile

Art and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder.
What constitutes excellent music is in the ears of the listener.

7 (edited by Detman101 2010-10-12 13:51:06)

Re: newish PRS buzz

Butch8844 wrote:

LOL the only one who ever did anything to any of my guitars was my X who stomped on my "62 Guild. She's had 100 + boyfriends and I'm happily married for the last 12 years. "Then along came Sally" LOL

Yikes! Keep the ex away from the guitars man.
Some of that bad mojo they carry will rub off on yer git!
Congrats on the stable marriage, that ain't no common thing nowadays.
I applaud all the men and women out there doing the RIGHT thing!!

=]

To the Original Poster...

Oh yeah, you may want to find out exactly which strings are buzzing and at what frets.
If the guitar has never been professionally setup you may have to drop some bills and git-er-done.
If it's just a temperature swell type thing then just see if you can adjust at the bridge for the strings that are buzzing by raising them in small increments and retuning until the buzz is gone.

If you find that you have to raise them waaaay too much and it throws off your action...you will definitely have to get your guitar neck checked out. You may be suffering from Fret-Sprout due to that heat.

Word of advice from a super guitar-geek: Treat your guitar like a child. Never leave it in the car alone, never leave it out of sight (Unless at home) and never subject it to anything that a 1-year old infant could not survive (IE: shaking, dropping, etc...)


Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Re: newish PRS buzz

Good advice Det.  Ditto everything you said.  I've seen acoustics that have been left in trunks of cars come apart.  It ain't pretty. That PRS should be just about bullet proof if kept in a proper climate. Don't be afraid of the truss rod.  If it weren't made to be adjusted, they would have hidden it better.

Now available in 5G !

Re: newish PRS buzz

agree w/ Det. But don't sleep w/ it. You might break its neck! LOL

Re: newish PRS buzz

Detman101 wrote:
Butch8844 wrote:

LOL the only one who ever did anything to any of my guitars was my X who stomped on my "62 Guild. She's had 100 + boyfriends and I'm happily married for the last 12 years. "Then along came Sally" LOL

Yikes! Keep the ex away from the guitars man.
Some of that bad mojo they carry will rub off on yer git!
Congrats on the stable marriage, that ain't no common thing nowadays.
I applaud all the men and women out there doing the RIGHT thing!!

=]




Dm

12 years is a good run there Butch, but I got ya beat....  I've had mine for 30 (my oldest guitar for 15 more than that)!

Now as for the guitar in bed comment;  Not a good idea.  In fact it's only my opinion, but Televisions and Guitars should never be in the bedroom under any circumstances.  Too much of a distraction, and one place that the other half should have your undivided attention.  That's my best marital advice, along with always take responsibility for whatever you did wrong even if you have no idea what it was. LOL

Take Care y'all;
Doug

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare