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== String Gauge ==Most stock guitars come in standard E tuning with 9Fret buzz is ''not'' the same thing as '''fretting out or choking'''s (.009Fretting out is completely unacceptable -.042). These are easy to bend and are good for lead work, but I find them a bit lacking if you want a heavy rhythm sound. Because they are relatively loose, it means the string doesn't even have enough clearance above one or more frets higher than the one you'll get a strong attack on them that quickly fades re fretting to make a whimpersustainable vibration. In my mindThis can be caused by having your action too low, that sounds kind too much truss rod tension (making the fretboard side of vintagethe neck convex), not modern and heavyor unlevel frets. For standard E tuningA bit of fret buzz, I prefer 10's (.010-.046). If you like to play in drop Don the other hand, you may prefer strings with a heavy bottom (.010-.052). The heavy bottom is nice, even if you donacceptable; as long as it isn't play in having a drop tuning - you generally don't need to make as strong bends impact on your thicker strings as tone. You should gauge the amount of fret buzz you do on the thinner ones. Given that I'm are getting by playing through an amp using a Petrucci nutclean tone, I basically use not simply listening to the [http://wwwguitar when it's not plugged in.johnpetrucci.com/gear.htm exact same string gauges] (Scroll down All electric guitars tend to have a little and therebuzz, but that won's a chart t necessarily be heard by the pickups. Some people may try to completely eliminate all acoustic buzzing, making their instrument near unplayable for all his tunings with the gauges used)''absolutely no'' tonal benefit.
AlsoEliminating ''(reducing)'' fret buzz uses multiple points of attack. First, I want to make sure I'm using '''thick-enough string gauges''' for the tuning I'm using (and the playability I desire). See above. The more tension on the strings, the smaller their vibrational amplitude for a given volume, and the less fret buzz they'll produce. If I can accept a little more buzz for ease of play, thinner I use a guitar with lighter strings are easier . And when I say a desirable amount of buzz, I mean just a touch of it on the very initial part of my attack. I don't want it to muteoccur through (and kill) my attack, and I ''definitely'' don't want it continue as I sustain. This And again, I don't use that guitar for metal. Next, make sure your '''neck is mostly why I like them virtually flat'''. You need to adjust your ''truss rod'' to counter-balance the tension the strings exert on one side of the neck, but you still want the neck to have a little bow to it for lead work the frets closest to the nut to avoid fret buzz. Again, [http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/action.htm Ibanez Rules action setup page] is a good reference. '''Be careful when doing a truss rod adjustment''' - you are less likely don't want to turn more than a quarter turn without giving the neck time to adjust to the new tension. Make sure you're turning the right direction too. If this is your first time, have an unwanted string ring outexperienced friend or commercial technician demonstrate the process for you. Or do lots of internet research. Also, be sure to re-tune to ensure the neck is receiving the right amount of tension after adjustments. Finally, I want to '''raise my bridge''' (either adjusting the saddles or the entire bridge depending on the type of bridge). I find 'll raise it a bit at a time, retune at least one string to test, and see how much buzz I sometimes like get playing a medium amount of pick strength across at a couple frets from 1-12. Make sure you retune after any bridge adjustment. If you raise the bridge, you may be tightening the string(s), resulting in less buzz...until you actually tune to the proper note. Or vice versa. If you are adjusting via individual saddles, be sure to ''keep the saddles at the same relative heights as the sharper attack toofretboard radius''. If you already have the saddles fit to the fretboard radius, it's usually best to adjust the two bridge posts when possible. Also, but not alwayswatch out for how floating trem bridges make contact with the posts. You generally want the knife edges to hit at a perfect 90 degrees. This will also vary with the bear claw tension in the back cavity of the guitar as well as the string gauge, tuning, bridge height, saddle heights. You basically have an easier time playing legato (hammer-ons to adjust ''everything'' at once, slowly moving closer and pullcloser to the ideal setup. Beyond those adjustments, the only way to get your action lower with the same amount of buzz is to have the '''frets re-offs) with thinner stringsleveled''' or the '''nut filed down'''. I would get a professional to do such modifications, although there are plenty of tutorials on the web that can help you. I have 'd try to find several of them, as some may make them sound way easier than they are. Filing and/or replacing your nut is the far simpler of the two guitars tuned , but you'll need precise tools to standard Edo it at a professional level. One has 9 == Intonation ==Intonation is basically how in tune the guitar is at different frets and strings. If a guitar is intonated poorly, it will '''sound out of tune's, '' when playing notes higher on the other 10fretboard. Chords will be notably dissonant when they shouldn'st be.
If you are tuning all your guitar strings down, you Most people don't want 9pay much attention to intonation, yet it is 's, or even 10's. I find I need at least 11absolutely crucial's to play in standard D, at least 12's to play in standard Csound good, and at least 13's to play especially in standard B. If you are additionally going to drop the 6th string a full step, I highly recommend getting a set of heavy bottoms. Again, see the chart on the Petrucci site linked above, band or [http://wwwrecording environment.surveyor.com/guitar/stringtension.html visit this website], which has It's also a Java Applet to calculate string tension using gauges and tunings. Here are the values I use for most of my guitars: notice you can specify the scale length, tuning, fairly simple and type of strings. The first is D'Addario EXL120's, then D'Addario EXL110's, then D'Addario EXL110risk-7's with an additional .080 nickel wound string (for my Ibanez RGA8 8 string). Notice the 8 string has a longer scale lengthfree adjustment, but I tune although it down may take a half step, acheiving roughly the same string tensionlittle time.
E4 .010" PL == 16.21# B3 .013" PL == 15.38# G3 .017" PL =Actives= 16.57# D3 .026" NW == 18.41# A2 .036" NW == 19'''This depends on the type of active pickup'''.54# E2 .046" NW == 17Some have weaker magnets and need to be placed closer to the strings.48# total == 103Others will suffer similar problems as above, or introduce new issues.59#
len 27" E4b EMG recommends you to put them ''as close as possible''.010" PL == 16I followed this advice when I had these pickups and never noticed any problems with doing so.2# B3b Of course, don't put them so close the string ever hits the pickup or it interferes with your picking stroke.013" PL == 15.36# G3b .017" PL == 16.55# D3b .026" NW == 18.38# A2b .036" NW == 19.51# E2b .046" NW == 17.46# B1b .059" NW == 16.46# F1 .080" NW == 16.55# total == 136.49#
Another point on string gauge - the thinner your stringsFor SD Blackouts, this is where things get a little interesting. The pickups seem to have some kind of buffer, the less tension so theywill not output above a certain level. So it'll have which means the more s like a limiter effect. If you'll stretch raise them when close, you pick themwill actually reduce the dynamics to your attack. This will cause them I prefer to go sharp initially and gradually lower their pitch until they find their natural sustaining volumekeep a medium distance on these pickups. They work pretty well at a distance. The harder you pick I actually have themas low as possible on my custom Jem (which actually isn’t THAT low). Even with some distance, the sharper they'll gostill have a higher-than-normal output. For metal, where But if you often have to play fast and aggressivelygo too low, picking hard will cause the initial attack to be sharper than the note you’ll notice you desire. This is another reason can’t get good artificial harmonics or softer notes to use thicker strings for aggressive music like metal - otherwise, you can sound out of tune, even when you aren’tgood.
Lately == Bridge ==I can't tell you much ado has been made about balanced tension between the strings - basically each string having near identical tension when tuned up. There's nothing wrong with unbalanced tension. Of coursehow this type of bridge material will affect your tone, but I do know that a wide imbalance is going to feel awkwardfixed bridge will best maximize your frequency response and sustain. I consider balanced tension If you have a good idealfloating bridge, but I find most commercial sets are close enough not you may lose a little brightness (or some thickness) - something to nitpickkeep in mind for pickup selection and tone editing. D'Addario actually took notice and makes true balanced tension sets now, but You can use a Tremel-no or put a block of wood under the price is a bit too high right now for me to switch bridge to themkeep it from floating. Keep in mind also that I recommend the link above Tremel-no – it allows you to switch on the tension calculator is not perfect and should only be used as fly by turning a rough estimatethumb-screw.
And Also, if you have a final point - thin strings are more likely to have fret buzz Stat type bridge (whammy dives only) or floating bridge, I recommend '''stuffing the bear claw cavity''' in the back of the guitar with Kleenex or cotton balls or gauze. This will keep the attack. As I just mentionedsprings from making any noise, so that they will stretch more and thus be more likely to slap against frets above the one do not ring after you are frettingplay a note. This can sound kind of nice is essential for blues work, where you aren't always picking aggressively - it really emphasizes when you do. For hard rock and metal, where you are constantly picking quickly use lots of compression/distortion and aggressively, it will make your playing sound like noise; it will be near impossible have to play punchy rhythm or lead sections that require you to hear quickly mute all the desired note pitchstrings. This also depends on youris a common technique, not some ill-thought-out hack.Similarly, '''mute the strings between the nut and tuners''' to prevent them from ringing.I like to use sticky-tack (earthquake putty), but you can also use foam or a wristband.
High action is often regarded to have "better" Get tuners that help best tune your guitar. Set the guitar up properly. Worry about body weight and your bridge setting for sustain rather than tone. Paint the guitar the color you want. If any of these things really adversely affect the tone (see below), but you can be more difficult to playgenerally use pickups that help counter these affects. This is mainly due to poor setup in other areasFor example, if they make your tone bright and thin, which causes use pickups that are a lower area to have too much fret buzzbit darker. It can also be more difficult to If your tone is dull, get bright pickups. Yes, you may lose a good intonation (making bit of potential tone; theoretically, you sound out should maximize the richness of tune)the tone towards your desired tone for every component. Low action runs the risk of fret buzzBut you're not a rocket scientist, especially when other aspects of your setup nor are bad or you pick aggressively and use a thick picklikely going to be able to build your guitar component by component. For metal Of course, fret buzz is this has limitations. If you're thinking about buying a no-no (too noisy)guitar that sounds really dull, you won't achieve great results by getting really bright pickups. I like a medium You can't EQ in frequencies that never existed to low action across the board - high enough so that I begin with. My main point here is don't sweat the small stuff. You'll likely get relatively larger tonal improvements by properly setting up your guitar and using good pickups than by spending a fortune building a strong buzz when I pick the strings at 100% custom guitar. And your guitar will only get you so far. Even a low great guitar still sounds like crap going straight to medium stengththe board. You need the compression, EQ, and distortion that only post-guitar processing/amplifiers can give you.
A lot of people think action has little impact == My Advice on tone, other than the amount of fret buzzDIY vs. That might be true on Pay a lowPro =====DIY===* Raise or Lower Bridge Posts* Raise or Lower Bridge Saddles* Adjust Truss Rod* Tighten the Bear Claw Springs* Change to Different String Gauges/Tuning* Raise/Lower Pickups* Move the bridge saddles towards/away from the nut -quality instrument or one for intonation===Call the Guy===* Level and Crown the Frets* File the Nut* Anything I Don't Feel I Fully Understand* Anything that hasnRequires a Tool I Don't been set up properly because by Have to be Done Correctly===Special Considerations===* If you have a floating bridge, changing string gauges or tunings can be a pain to do all the adjustments - if you are impatient, pay a pro* Some bridges have a 3rd or more screws/posts connecting the time bridge to the guitar body. Make sure you get know how these operate before adjusting. Raising or lowering the action low enough so that it affects tonemain posts may put extreme tension on these, it's already getting quite a bit causing them to rip out of sustaining buzzthe body or break the bridge, etc. With * If you have a great instrument well set up to allow floating bridge, you may also have a really low action with virtually no sustaining fret buzzdouble-locking metal nut, action has which cannot be filed down like a strong impact on tonenormal nut. At higher action, the strings don't You actually have as much twang or pop to their attack remove the nut and sustain a strong bass responsesand down the part of the neck it connects to. As you lower Definitely call the actionguy.* If your instrument is old and valuable, you may want to leave it to the strings will occasionally hit pros - Simply slipping with a screwdriver and scratching the fretsguitar could be a costly error. This pop during attack * If you live in the middle of nowhere, and there is no guy; you can be regarded as good look to ship it to notable luthiers or bad. It tends you will have to add a little brightness to the tonebuy tools and do things yourself.
My advice here is not to try to basically EQ your guitar tone through the action. And if you have a strong bass response, you can always EQ it out later, whereas you can't EQ it in if it wasn't there to begin with. A boost pedal does a much better job of filtering out too much mud than a low action. {{top}}{{Gear Crumbs|1}}{{Tone Crumbs|4}}
For reference, Petrucci's tech said in some forum that he runs a super-low action[[Category: ~1mm at 12th fret for all strings (~1.2 - 1.3mm @24th fret). You can hear how much pop and how little bass (and how much buzz) this gives the tone in the intro solo to Hollow Years on the Live at Bukokan DVD. Petrucci's setup has been said to be absurdly low. Most low action shred setups are around 1.5 - 2mm on the high E string at the 24th fret. For more on this, see Guitar]][http[Category://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/action.htm Ibanez Rules action setup pageGear]][[Category:Setup]].
→String Gauge
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This page contains enough information for intermediate setup tweaks to your guitar. Any advanced setup alluded to here should be more thoroughly researched before being attempted.
== New Strings and String Gauge == You should See [[Strings]]. == Action == Action can generally be changing described as the ''distance between your strings every 2and your frets'' when you are not fretting them, usually measured as the distance between any string and the top of the 12th (or sometimes 24th) fret. This depends on your ''nut height'', your ''bridge height'', and your ''truss rod tension'' (balanced against your string tension, which depends on string gauge and tuning). Properly setting up your action is way beyond the scope of this guide; we are only focusing on how action affects your tone, assuming whether you can set up your guitar correctly for your desired action. High action is often regarded to have "better" tone (see below), but can be '''more difficult to play'''. I disagree -3 months at I think this is mainly due to poor setup in other areas, which causes a lower action to have too much ''fret buzz''. It can also be more difficult to get a good ''intonation'' (making you sound out of tune). Low action runs the very leastrisk of ''fret buzz'', more often if especially when other aspects of your setup are bad or you play them pick aggressively and use a thick pick. For metal, fret buzz is a no-no (too noisy). I like a medium to low action across the board - high enough so that I don't get a strong buzz when I pick the strings at a low to medium stength. A lotof people think action has little impact on tone, other than the amount of fret buzz. GenerallyThat might be true on a low-quality instrument or one that hasn't been set up properly because by the time you get the action low enough so that it affects tone, it's already getting quite a good idea bit of sustaining buzz. With a great instrument well set up to change them once allow a month. Many popular artists really low action with dedicated guitar techs will put a new set of strings virtually no sustaining fret buzz, ''action has an impact on after every show! New tone''. At higher action, the strings will stay in tune better, don't have longer as much twang or pop to their attack and sustaina strong bass response. As you lower the action, produce the strings will occasionally hit the frets. This pop during attack can be regarded as good or bad. It tends to add a richer little brightness to the tone, and brighter '''emphasizes pick attack strength'''. My advice here is not to try to basically EQ your guitar tonethrough the action. And if you have a strong bass response, you can always EQ it out later, whereas you can't EQ it in if it wasn't there to begin with. A boost pedal does a much better job of filtering out too much mud than a low action. For reference, Petrucci's tech said in some forum that he runs a super-low action: ~1mm at 12th fret for all strings (~1.2 - 1.3mm @24th fret). You can hear how much pop and be easier how little bass (and how much buzz) this gives the tone in the intro solo to playHollow Years on the Live at Bukokan DVD. If you want Petrucci's setup has been said to get be absurdly low. Most low action shred setups are around 1.5 - 2mm on the high E string at the 24th fret. For more life from your stringson this, wash your hands before playing and wipe see [http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/action.htm Ibanez Rules action setup page]. == Fret Buzz ==Fret buzz is the strings down with some rubbing alcohol every now bane of most guitarists' existence. As such, there is so much stigma and thenstrong language around it, that more novice players can be misled about what to expect from their instrument. You don’t want them This section is simply designed to get covered in dirt and corrosive materialsclarify a few things.
The easiest way to intonate the guitar is by '''comparing the pitch of the 12th fret harmonic vs. the fretted note'''. If the fretted note is sharper than the harmonic, the string must be lengthened, which usually involves moving the individual bridge saddle away from the nut. If it is flatter, then the string must be shortened by moving the saddle closer to the nut. Be sure to re-tune the guitar after each adjustment - this is ''especially'' important with a floating bridge, where string tension affects action. len 25Once all your strings are intonated, you'll notice it will sound much better across the fretboard, especially for chords.5" E4 Note that '''intonation is also dependent on the rest of your setup''', particularly your action. If you have a high action, you have to press the string down a significant distance to fret it, which is adding tension (and possibly length) to the string. This is why it is difficult to intonate a guitar with high action. You can match the 12th harmonic to the 12th fretted note, but other spots on the fretboard may not be consistently in tune. The same principle applies to a guitar with a high nut height.009" PL == 13You have to exert more tension on the frets close to the nut to properly fret them, causing them to be sharper than other areas of the neck.13# B3 Thus, I like to '''intonate using at least 2-3 comparisons'''. I'll start with the 12th harmonic vs 12th fret, then I'll try the 7th fret vs. 19th fret. If that's off, maybe I need to lower my action a little. Then I'll try the 2nd fret vs. 14th. If there's a discrepancy there, it tells me how much impact my nut height is having on getting a proper intonation.011" PL == 11If I can't get all of these 3 tests perfect, I'll '''compromise''' and get all 3 as close as possible rather than have one perfect and the other 2 way off.01# G3 Keep in mind that lower quality instruments might have issues with the nut or possibly even with the fret spacing. Unlevel frets can also throw off intonation, making it impossible to intonate. Technically, perfect intonation is impossible - the best you can do is a compromise to get all the notes as close to in-tune as possible.016" PL == 14.68# D3 .024" NW Pickup Height == 15.77# A2 .032" NW == 15.77# E2 .042" NW =Passives= 14.77# total == 85'''Too low''' and you lose SNR and your dynamic response gets messed up, '''too high''' and you get input clipping on your device, as well as "pole pull", which can screw up your intonation and kill sustain. I recommend allowing them to have a safe distance. Also, don't confuse output level with SNR. Raising your pickups will increase their output level, but it is probably not improving their SNR unless they were very low (or extremely weak) to start.13#
== Action Nut == Action The nut is an often overlooked area of the guitar. It needs to be '''positioned properly''' for the guitar to '''intonate correctly'''. It has a strong affect on the action. '''An improperly filed nut can generally cause tuning and sustain issues or cause buzzing/ringing on open strings.''' I recommend having a professional adjust your nut. To file it correctly it is best done with specialized filing tools, which are too costly to justify a one-time use. I like my nut to be described like the 0th fret - providing a similar clearance over the 1st fret for open strings as they have over the distance between your 2nd fret when fretting the 1st fret. Any lower and they'll buzz. Any higher and intonation is off and action is unnecessarily high. The strings should make firm contact with the nut right where they leave the nut and travel over the fretboard. The grooves should point directly towards the tuning pegs. They should be wide enough to fit the string in easily and your frets so that it doesn't pinch when you are not fretting them, usually measured as tuning or bending. It also has to be smooth so the distance between any string slides easily over it and doesn't break. But it can't be so wide as to allow the top of string to '''rattle in the 12th (or sometimes 24th) fretgroove'''. This depends on your nut height, your bridge heightThey have to be deep enough so the strings don't pop out, but shallow enough so the strings can easily fit into and your truss rod tensionout of the nut. Properly setting up your action The simplest and easiest tweak to help fix a nut is way beyond to '''draw in the grooves with a pencil'''. The graphite will lubricate the string's movement in the scope of this guide; we are only focusing on how action affects your tonegroove, assuming whether you can set up so it doesn't pinch. This helps keep your guitar correctly for your desired actionstrings in tune better.
== Body/Fretboard/Tuners/Neck-through ==
Some people claim all the "tone" is in other parts of the guitar. I've had people tell me I gotta get such-and-such tuners, or this kind of fretboard, or a neck-through design, or a body made of this kind of wood, or this kind of paint job, etc. etc. While all these things certainly will affect the tone, I don't think they have nearly as much impact as the things I mentioned above. ''Very'' popular artists that have all achieved highly desirable tones ''throughout the ages'' have used a very wide variety of such things. Most fretboards are rosewood, but EVH played a maple one mostly. Jimmy Page used a 10+ lb. Les Paul, yet Steve Vai's Jem's are like 4 lbs.