A Gibson gold top came in with the action far too high, the intonation off, and the G string buzzing anyway. Truss rod and bridge brought down, intonation set, the pinching G nut slot filed, pickups set, strung with Darco Electric 10s. Fifty minutes.
- Instrument
- Gibson Les Paul gold top
- Tech
- Dave Eastwood
- Customer complaint
- Setup
- Diagnosis
- Action way too high; intonation off; G string buzzing, its nut slot pinching the string
- Work performed
- Truss rod adjusted; bridge height brought down; intonation set; G nut slot filed; pickup height adjusted
- String gauge
- Darco Electric 10s
- Parts
- None
- Bench time
- 50 minutes
- Outcome
- Action much lower; no more buzz
What Came In
A Gibson gold top, in for a setup.
What We Found
The action was way too high. The intonation was off. The G string buzzed on top of that, and its nut slot was pinching the string.
What We Did
Adjusted the truss rod and brought the bridge height down. Set the intonation. Filed the nut slot on the G string where it was pinching. Set the pickup height and strung it with Darco Electric 10s. About 50 minutes on the bench.
Result
The action came way down and the buzz is gone.
Can a guitar have high action and a buzz at the same time?
Yes, and it confuses people because the two sound like opposite complaints. Action height is a whole-neck measurement; a buzz on one string is usually local, at that string's nut slot or saddle. Fixing one does nothing for the other, which is why both were done here.
Related
- The Repair Vault
- Guitar Setups at Paul's Guitar Hideout
- What Is Fret Buzz and How Do I Fix It
- Gibson Les Paul: Buzzing Action, Uneven Nut and Bridge
- Gibson Les Paul Tribute: Sticking Selector Switch and a Move from 8s to 10s
Bring It In
High action and a buzz on one string? One drop-off covers both. Setups at the Hideout.
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com