Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

[Spider Riff]

Has anyone converted a USA Charvel or Jackson to Buzz Feiten? I love it on my Tom Anderson guitars and I know a lot of big name players have done it. Maybe this would be an interesting option for custom Charvel/Jacksons? Any thoughts? P.S. DON'T kill me if someone already posted this at some point! Thanks.

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

I have not played a guitar with the BF tuning but I do have a couple Carvins. There's a story that BF visited the Carvin factory and found that the guitars did not need to be compensated because of their altered scale, seems they have been doing it for years!

[Torched]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

Can anyone explain this whole Buzz Feiten deal to me or link to a site with info? Ironically one of my guitars has BF as a feature but I'll be damned if I know what it does

[Jacksonfan]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

http://www.buzzfeiten.com/FAQ/faq.html

[vwall]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

Im a BFTS Authorized center and sadly, I actually try and sway my clients who wants this away from it.
At least those that what in done on a Floyds or locking nut.
This kinda of mod is HIGHLY instrusive. As in: Here, let me cut off 20-40 thousands on and inche of your fretboard, fill the mount holes and redrill and replace the nut.
And OH MY if they made a mathematical error and have to redo what they did. (Esp on a rear mount nut) where as on a LP or strat or similar it is not an intrusive mod.
There are better and less intrusive mods avail than the BFTS. Ultimately, if you dont have PERFECT FREAKIN PITCH....
The 1-4 cent shift effecting the 1-5 frets, It will never bother you.

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

Scott, would you mind telling me how much the mod costs?

[vwall]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

It depends on what type of nut yo have. If its a non locking style, it generally runs 149.00 plus any fret leveling that is required.
If its a rear mount locking or top mount locking its alot more. send em an email for these.
[email protected]

[Soap]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

Maybe its me and it probably is, but, its seems like a scam. Yes, I'm sure there are and will continue to be players who swear by it. Myself, a QUALITY made guitar with the floyd SEUP RIGHT, intonation, truss rod/neck and etc in most cases, usually will get the job done. The whole "buzz" thing just seemed like a scam to me.
My 2 cents.

[eddie_van_earache]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

Soap" your 2 cents is Right. YOUR FRIGGIN EAR CANT HEAR IT !!!! I just built a guitar and strobe tuned it. got it so damn close that my ear cant tell that its out a tad...

[Spider Riff]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

It's no scam and it really comes into play if you are doing chord stuff in higher registers. I have a few Tom Andersons and a ton of Charvel/ Jackson stuff and I notice a lot of big name custom guitar shops are going to this. I was just curious if anyone saw Charvel heading this way.

[noodlesatf]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

I've got a Model 5 with a Kahler that I had it done to (I figured I'd try it on an import first), and I must say it makes a difference. With the behind the nut lock, the shop didn't have to go through the effort of relocating a locknut, but there was almost not enough saddle movement to make it happen without moving the bridge a little closer to the nut.

Biggest advantage: Chords ring true, especially open chords and chords higher up the neck. If you go open G, open D, open Am, they all sound pleasing to the ear, instead of D being a little off and Am sounding like everything is out of tune. First and second position scale work no longer sounds sharp. Chord forms higher up the neck, like 10-10-10-12-13-15 (in drop-D), ring true. Lastly, the subtle "offness" you hear in a scale when moving from the G to the B string is gone.

Biggest complaints: It costs too damn much for what it is. Unless every other guitarist/bassist in the band has this, you sound like you're not in tune with each other. The only tuner that tunes the guitar is a cheap Korg that probably has a higher percentage of error than the pitch differences between standard and BF tunings. I basicly had to talk the guy at the shop into giving me the cents differences on each sting to program into a strobe tuner, since BF is so protective of his system. Lastly, if you want to change string gauge, change tunings, etc, it requires and expensive trip back to the shop to have your guitar intonated, since only a certified shop has the info to intonate one of these instruments.

My advice would be to get the Earvana compensated nut, if you don't have a Floyd. I've got a buddy with one, it is a hell of a lot cheaper ($29.95 from Warmoth), and sounds just about as good. If you don't want to modify your instrument, it is not an option, but then you wouldn't be considering BF anyway.

[eaeolian]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

I have a Washburn 7 string with the BFTS from the factory, and Noodles is right on the mark about the positives and negatives, although the new Peterson StroboStomp supposedly has the BF offsets programmed into it.

I'd have an Earvana nut on my Soloist, but they don't make a 7 string version, and apparently aren't planning to. Bastards. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[jjw]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

I havnt tried it yet but to be honest i havnt felt the urge to do it either.In fact i dont know many guitarists with modded axes,well not the rock guys
I think the jazzers may swear by it with there colourfull voiced chords,but i havnt felt any of my guitars to be that out of tune when voicing in the problem areas

[noodlesatf]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

[quoteI'd have an Earvana nut on my Soloist, but they don't make a 7 string version, and apparently aren't planning to. Bastards. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

How much room do these things take up, and exactly which size/style did you get? I'd like to know before I order if it will fit with a Kahler locknut already in place. I really don't want to relocate the nut on my USA's.

No plans to make a 7-string version? Have they been asleep for the last six years? Are they on crack? [img]/images/graemlins/what.gif[/img]

[Spider Riff]

Re: Buzz Feiten tuning Charvel / Jacksons?

I would love to see this is an option on Charvel/ Jackson USA guitars BUT I would not convert a guitar to the system. I would just rather buy a Tom Anderson.