Some help and advice please.

[Helldogg]

Ok I just got a USA Soloist I know they come with .009 .046 set of strings. I use .011 .050 I got the guitar used put my strings on and adjusted for them and had a fret buzz at the 1st fret. I had a tech check it (a guy I trust BTW) he said it was a killer and had no problems and the buzz was largely due to the strings and the fact I use a 2.0mm pick.

Here's where I'm bothered 1. I don't have a really low action I like it somewhere in the middle 2. I have a Charvel and a Jackson DR3 with the same strings and setup and there is no buzz at all. I have never had a neck thru guitar and never an Ebony fingerboard. Does that have and affect on string tension and can it cause buzzes with higher gauge strings?

I uses GHS strings would it be better to go lower on the gauges? Maybe .010 .048? I realize this is a really stupid question but have any of you encountered this or have any advice?

Thanks in advance

[etaeniura]

Re: Some help and advice please.

IS it the open string buzzing, or when you play on the first fret?
If it is the open string, a nut shim may be in order. "metal" guitars like Jacksons and Ibanezes are designed to use lighter guage strings than 11's. Heavier strings vibrate more than lighter strings. Even if you raise the action, the amount of clearance you get over the first fret changes only minimally. ALso, check to see if there is much fret wear on the first couple frets. If there is, you may not have enough clearance over the frets and the string may be hitting one of the higher frets. It could also be that you are hitting the strings too hard-I assume that if you are using a 2mm pick and heavy strings, you are not playing delicate jazz passages? Any guitar will have some buzzing if you are bashing on the strings real hard.

[Helldogg]

Re: Some help and advice please.

Well the open strings don't buzz at all only on the first fret the other frets are silent. The frets are perfect, the part that is weird is that my strings feel different on this one.

How I mean is that they seem more tense, my tech looked at it and said it was fine and there were no problems. My other guitars are set the same way and don't buzz at all no matter how hard they are hit.

And as for my playing I'm a bit rough but not really smashing the stuff out...

[toejam]

Re: Some help and advice please.

[ QUOTE ]
Ok I just got a USA Soloist I know they come with .009 .046 set of strings.

[/ QUOTE ]
Since when do they come with the hybrid 9-46 gauge strings? I'm pretty sure it's a standard 9-42 set.
Anyway, you should be able to set it up with any gauge set you want. Lighter strings usually cause more buzz than heavier strings, though. If it's only buzzing at the first fret, you may want to take the nut off and shim it a tiny bit higher with a thin piece of carboard (like a business card) or a piece of plastic from a guitar string package, or they also sell metal shims at stew-mac.com.

[~K~]

Re: Some help and advice please.

GBUL 008 011 014 DY22 DY30 DY38
GB8.5 008.5 010.5 014 DY22 DY32 DY40
GBXL 009 011 016 DY24 DY32 DY42
GB9.5 009.5 011.5 016 DY24 DY32 DY44
<font color="red">GBCL 009 011 016 DY26 DY36 DY46</font>
GBL 010 013 017 DY26 DY36 DY46
GB10.5 010.5 013.5 017 DY26 DY38 DY48
GBM 011 015 018 DY26 DY36 DY50
GBTNT 010 013 017 DY30 DY44 DY52
GBH 012 016 019 DY28 DY38 DY52
DYXL 010 013 DY18 DY26 DY36 DY46
DYL 012 015 DY24 DY32 DY40 DY52
DYM 013 017 DY26 DY36 DY44 DY56

[Grandturk]

Re: Some help and advice please.

[ QUOTE ]
Heavier strings vibrate more than lighter strings.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, heavier guage strings have a smaller vibration pattern than lighter strings. Typically, if light strings buzz a little, heavier strings will buzz less because they do not move as far in their vibration.

[toejam]

Re: Some help and advice please.

[ QUOTE ]
<font color="red">GBCL 009 011 016 DY26 DY36 DY46</font>


[/ QUOTE ]
Is that what comes standard on Jacksons nowadays? If so, when did they start using that hybrid set? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]