Tune-o-matic buzz

[jmax]

I'm now getting down to tweaking the setup on my GR-1SF, and I was wondering if anyone has a solution for the "tune-o-matic buzz" problem.

I've had this problem with my Epiphone Les Pauls, and pretty much live with it but the bridge supplied with this kit has significantly more buzz - it's really starting to annoy me.

I've found lots of references on the web, some simple, some extreme, but I haven't had too much luck solving it so far.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Fretworn]

Are you talking about rattling saddles or string slot buzz?

[jmax]

I think it's rattling saddles.

[Simon Barden]

The saddles of the kit bridges are really very loose. On a real Gibson ABR-1 bridge they hardly move at all. On a kit bridge they're all like a wobbly tooth that's ready to fall out.

Saying that, they can often be made to behave but it's difficult on your guitar with a Bigsby style trem. To stop the saddles vibrating you want to get as much break angle over the saddles as possible (increasing both the downwards and forwards vectors of the string tension), so on something like a Les Paul with a stop bar tailpiece you'd set the tailpiece as low as it can go without the strings also touching the rear of the bridge.

However with a Bigsby, the height of the tension bar isn't adjustable (certainly not downwards), so that isn't an option. Also, even if you could, the extra downwards tension of the strings on the saddles would work against the trem working smoothly and coming back into tune.

If the strings are just touching the back edge of the bridge, then this can sometimes cause a buzz (but not guaranteed). Also, if you have the bridge arranged with the intonation screws pointing backwards, then the strings can sometimes catch on those as well, so it's best to have them pointing forwards. On the later 'Nashville' style bridges, the adjustment screws are lower down so they are normally used with the screws facing the rear. If the strings are catching the edge of the bridge on your guitar, then you could possibly put a shim under the arm end of the Bigsby.

It may also help if you get all the saddles so that the flat edge is facing the fretboard. Normally half are facing the other way to give you more rearward intonation adjustment but if you don't need all that, then try turning them round. Just remove the piece of wire holding the saddle screws down, then the saddles should just pop out of the slots, then unscrew the saddle, turn the saddle round and reverse the process. You can also bend the wire a bit so that it exerts more downward pressure on the saddle screws.

Worth giving the saddle slots a bit of attention as well. Use a bright light and a magnifying glass and you should be able to see how well each string is sitting in its saddle slot. In the factory, Gibson slot their saddles using a sacrificial set of strings and simply hit them into the saddle with a hammer to create the slot. Obviously each slot is then the correct string size and the strings are the right spacings. The kit saddles are pre-notched with the same notch size for each string (at least they were on the one I have). Ideally you'd use nut files to cut each slot a bit deeper so you have true string-sized slots in the saddles, but without dedicated nut files, then careful use of the end of a triangular needle file, followed by a rub with some fine grit sandpaper, can help here.

It may even be that the bridge posts are rattling in the sockets. I normally wrap some PTFE plumbers thread tape around the threads to take out any slack and that keeps them nice and firm. Also normally means that the bridge needs some force to fit over the post ends, which helps stop any potential rattle there.

Otherwise the only other option I can think of is a replacement bridge.

[Fretworn]

You can put small bends it the retaining wire so it holds the saddles tighter, but this may or may not help.

You may have to investigate whether a Wilkinson or Gotoh bridge has the same post hole sizes and distance and upgrade like Simon suggested.

It is interesting to hear Simon say that the bridge doesn't have different size string grooves, the one I got with my TL-1THB does, I remember because I had to reverse the order. so the adjustment screws would be accessible. It has no buzzing issues but this may be due to the break angle on that guitar.

[andrewdosborne]

I had buzzing issues on my ES-1T and ended up installing a Gotoh 103B-T Bridge. The post hole distances were the same as this kit - I just had to use the kit supplied body inserts for the Gotoh bridge studs. The Gotoh body inserts were a bit loose for the kit drilled holes

[jmax]

After some investigation, I found that the G saddle screw is really loose. With the tremolo, I've been thinking about using a roller bridge anyway, so I'm going to swap it out for one.

[Simon Barden]

Just measure the post sizes and centre-to-centre distances first. There are a couple of variations available in both of those values, so make sure you order the right one.

[jmax]

The roller bridge is now installed and the buzzing is gone. It was a bit nerve wracking, because the post holes were a bit close together, and the stock bridge barely fit. I managed to set them a bit deeper, which spaced them further apart because of the archtop.

I now understand why Gretsch use floating bridges on their hollowbodies - they may cause intonation problems, but their easier to deal with.