OT: Scandy's Rave Party: Pullin' a All-Nighter

[HandshakeLine]

Ouch. Man, I don't know what is wrong with me this year, I had the flu in the summer, a lingering freaking cough since then and now I have the runs. I am playing a risky game going to the gym after the Steelers game to do back and legs.

Squat and shart? Sure, why not.

Box jumps, that way the fart propels you on that last rep.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Box jumps, that way the fart propels you on that last rep.

It's times like this that I am always glad I have a bidet.

 

[ColePens]

@Clare2904 - you watching this final? f***ing incredible. I'm pulling for Med.

 

[dogthateats]

Lol read the comment

 

[ColePens]

Subban and King Henrik are at the US open final.

 

[ColePens]

HOLY SMOKES WHAT A SHOT AND WE GO INTO THE 5TH AND DECIDING SET.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Lol read the comment

What an author.

 

[Clare2904]

@Clare2904 - you watching this final? ****ing incredible. I'm pulling for Med.

I am, it's rather nuts

 

[ColePens]

I am, it's rather nuts

Is this the best tennis since Rafa/Feds amazing Wimbledon final? I think it is.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Lol read the comment

I love those pads. They're so simple yet they look cool.



Also, jesus christ that long ass comment, no clue what that guy was saying, lost interest in his novel half way through.

 

[Clare2904]

Is this the best tennis since Rafa/Feds amazing Wimbledon final? I think it is.

It was good as the underdog didn't roll over when down the first two sets and took it to Rafa, damn near won it too.

 

[Jacob]

Hey do any of you play guitar and recommend a shop around town to get a guitar tuned up? Just kinda getting back into it after a 10 year break and been playing a few hours daily for a couple months now but still suck... bought a Gibson LP off a friend since I sold my old SG, noticing there’s some minor issues with the action (IMO at least) that I don’t seem to have the tools or knowledge to TS. Not sure why I’m just noticing now, maybe I didn’t have the ear for it when I first picked it up or different temp / moisture compared to where he kept it. I’ve adjusted the truss rod & bridge height but that’s only helped a bit and I don’t wanna go and f*** it up. Just some fret buzz.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I play a pretty f***ing sweet air guitar.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Hey do any of you play guitar and recommend a shop around town to get a guitar tuned up? Just kinda getting back into it after a 10 year break and been playing a few hours daily for a couple months now but still suck... bought a Gibson LP off a friend since I sold my old SG, noticing there’s some minor issues with the action (IMO at least) that I don’t seem to have the tools or knowledge to TS. Not sure why I’m just noticing now, maybe I didn’t have the ear for it when I first picked it up or different temp / moisture compared to where he kept it. I’ve adjusted the truss rod & bridge height but that’s only helped a bit and I don’t wanna go and **** it up. Just some fret buzz.

First off... congrats on your good taste. My two favorite guitars.

Where is it buzzing? It sounds dumb but make sure the strings aren't overly beat-to-shit. A rusty set of strings can actually cause multiple issues, including buzzing that wasn't there before if your action is already pretty close. I've found that a badly cut or worn nut can often cause buzz, too (this would be my go-to, sight-unseen guess) and LPs are a little prickly about their whole headstock situation, anyway. Usually small adjustments between the truss rod and bridge will fix most things but it sounds like you've already gone that route. Aside from the nut, a slightly popped fret is a possibility or perhaps a good deal of fret wear that might need re-leveled. Finally an outside possibility is a warped, bulged or twisted neck but that's usually pretty evident.

I'm not from the immediate Pittsburgh area but I asked a friend of mine that plays quite a bit up there where to go and he said Pittsburgh Guitars and Backstage Guitars are both reputable. It's nice living in a larger town like Pittsburgh when you need work done like this because there are always multiple good options. I have like... one guy in a 100ish mile radius. Unless you run into something drastic, a good setup to iron out any buzz shouldn't be too costly at all. Even a fret leveling wouldn't be a fortune.

Oh and post a picture of it sometime. Like I said... love LPs.

EDIT: Also... so long as you aren't cranking the shit out of the truss rod... don't be too scared to f*** things up. Just make small, one-at-a-time, 1/8ish turn adjustments, let the guitar sit for a few minutes so the adjustment settles in then re-sight down the neck. After you think the neck is right (should have a very small amount of relief in most setups) then move on to adjusting bridge height and saddles. It's a time consuming PIA but it works.

A good (very general) rule of thumb is that if the buzzing is up near the nut then you need to loosen the truss rod. If you are getting buzz around the middle of the board then tighten. If you are getting buzz in the upper register closer to the neck pickup then raising the entire bridge/saddle assembly typically will help.

 

[Jacob]

At first I thought it was because I put 9s on it forgetting Gibson’s shorter scale, so I put 10s on and still the same. Then realized I wound them backwards and didn’t think that’d matter much but restrung and still the same. I noticed it on the low (bass) strings from 1st up to the middle frets. Up to the 12th and not after. After adjusting the truss rod that knocked out the buzzing on the low frets (like below 7) but still some above. So I raised the bridge, just kinda by guess work, turned the top thing about a quarter turn and a little less on the bottom since the treble strings don’t buzz much if at all. At this point the buzzing was mostly on the A string between like 8-12, and still a little on E in that same area. And the action was way too high for my liking. Re-tightened truss a bit (I loosened it about 1/2 a turn the first time then tightened about 1/4th this time) and lowered the bridge a bit. At this point the action is tolerable and the buzzing is still A and E in the 8-12 range. Neck doesn’t look warped so my only guess at this point is an actual fret issue. It was basically new when I bought it, the guy never played it and it’s a 2019 model so it shouldn’t be a fret wear issue but maybe they’re just a little uneven. Here’s a pic:

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Holy shit look at that beautiful bastard. Smokehouse Burst? Damn I love that finish.

So just the two low bass notes and only around the middle-ish of the neck? Man that does seem pretty specific. I would agree with you that it sorta sounds like maybe a few frets might need leveled. Does it buzz bad enough that it even amplifies the buzz? With as much as you've already gone over the neck I'm sure you'd have already noticed anything major. So yeah... likely some minor fretwork. Still possibly the nut. I've had run-ins with a few LPs from recent years where the nut looks like it was cut by a blind person including my current #1 so maybe I'm just projecting a bit. Ha.

Regardless I'd maybe just drop it off and let a tech finish it off for you. It sounds like you have it 90% of the way there. And again... damn that thing is pretty. Nicely picked. Enjoy it.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Backstage are decent, but Southside Guitars and Pianos n stuff are my votes.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Backstage are decent, but Southside Guitars and Pianos n stuff are my votes.

Oddly enough, I've actually never even been to one guitar shop in Pittsburgh so I'm kinda flying blind, there.

I complain about living in a backwater but I'm actually pretty lucky in that we've had a small but competently run (for the most part) music store in this area my whole life. Took lessons there... bought most of my guitars there.

Most importantly they have a really good setup and tech guy there that more or less does everything he can to NOT charge me for work.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Oddly enough, I've actually never even been to one guitar shop in Pittsburgh so I'm kinda flying blind, there.

I complain about living in a backwater but I'm actually pretty lucky in that we've had a small but competently run (for the most part) music store in this area my whole life. Took lessons there... bought most of my guitars there.

Most importantly they have a really good setup and tech guy there that more or less does everything he can to NOT charge me for work.

Backwoods towns suck because you can't get everything you want, but they are usually pretty great at the stuff that does happen to be there.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

This is very true. It's for mostly that reason and family that I even stick around here. It's not all bad but man does it get boring.

But honestly... there is something to be said for boring, much of the time.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Jeremy Renner is a talented person. But his music and jeep ads suck.

Also, Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade are morons. Don't want your kids to believe in Santa because he's white? Wtf? My parents never pulled that race card bs when we were kids. Sometimes, people in my culture f***ing make me shake my head. Is Santa black? f*** no. He's not real but the folklore isn't that he's black. Don't be f***ing stupid.

 

[Jacob]

Holy **** look at that beautiful bastard. Smokehouse Burst? Damn I love that finish.

So just the two low bass notes and only around the middle-ish of the neck? Man that does seem pretty specific. I would agree with you that it sorta sounds like maybe a few frets might need leveled. Does it buzz bad enough that it even amplifies the buzz? With as much as you've already gone over the neck I'm sure you'd have already noticed anything major. So yeah... likely some minor fretwork. Still possibly the nut. I've had run-ins with a few LPs from recent years where the nut looks like it was cut by a blind person including my current #1 so maybe I'm just projecting a bit. Ha.

Regardless I'd maybe just drop it off and let a tech finish it off for you. It sounds like you have it 90% of the way there. And again... damn that thing is pretty. Nicely picked. Enjoy it.

Thanks man.. yeah it doesn't seem to come through the amp or affect sustain much if at all, I might just be getting either nitpicky or I don't remember what's normal and what isn't.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Thanks man.. yeah it doesn't seem to come through the amp or affect sustain much if at all, I might just be getting either nitpicky or I don't remember what's normal and what isn't.

It's probably not the biggest deal, especially on an electric. But I do the exact same thing FWIW.

Many years ago somebody told me that you want your electric to sound great unplugged, too. And I guess I took all that a little too seriously.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Phone posting, plus it’s 12:30 Prague time here @Jacob, but I think anything truss related, it’s best to take it to a tech because f*** dealing with that shit.

I’d say if your Lester is at all vintage-ish, take it to Southside, since they handle tons of vintage guitars, so they have more experience there. Otherwise, I can personally recommend the guys at P’n’stuff. Been going there since high school.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Phone posting, plus it’s 12:30 Prague time here @Jacob, but I think anything truss related, it’s best to take it to a tech because **** dealing with that ****.

I’d say if your Lester is at all vintage-ish, take it to Southside, since they handle tons of vintage guitars, so they have more experience there. Otherwise, I can personally recommend the guys at P’n’stuff. Been going there since high school.

It's a 2019. Check that picture up there. I was seriously about to buy a 2018 Smokehouse Burst Studio but at the last second got a great deal on a 2016 Traditional T. Honestly I think LP Studios are some of the absolute best deals in all of guitar-dom.

Oh and don't be afraid of the truss rod! Just don't ham fist the thing.