need help please

Costs are rising and times are tough.
Please consider a donation to keep this
place going.

Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.

This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.

We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.

need help please

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>General >>

Page: [1]

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

leo

Posts: 61
Joined: Aug. 2 2005

need help please

I lowered the strings in my flamenco guitar in Granada and yesterday i changed the strings and the guitar is buzzing when i play i put normal tention of ddario
now tried to put hard tention and still its buzzing maybe more
what can i do its a major problem.
I think the guy in Granada didn't do it good or its because i shouldn't of lowered the strings.
what do you think guys in need special strings or its the guitar and the neck is too low.???

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 19 2005 10:06:52

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

is not a huge problem mate, just stick a small piece of carton or whatever under the bridge.

Or buy a new bone bridge ($8) file it down to the original size.

was it only the bridge that he changed or the other side too ?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 19 2005 16:09:54

leo

Posts: 61
Joined: Aug. 2 2005

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

yes the other side too.
I asked him at first how much it would cost me and he told me nothing
then i brought my guitar and he told me o i see its not my guitar you bought so it would cost you a little then he finished and said it will cost me 18 euros
he wasn't nice at all.
but he lowered both sides and now because i dont know about guitars building and stuff i dont know what to do (i'm not in spain)
is it a problem that he lowered both sides???

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 19 2005 23:47:12

PacoPaella

Posts: 163
Joined: Nov. 7 2004

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

bridge and nut are cheap and easily replacable parts you do not need to worry. Any guitar builder can set your guitar up with two new parts for maybe 15-20$

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 20 2005 2:34:26

Skai

Posts: 317
Joined: Sep. 12 2004

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

18 Euros seem completely ridiculous for such a simple job, I'd have left the shop right away.

Sanding the saddle and nut are simple jobs that can even be done by yourself. I'm sure you can easily correct the problem at any guitar shop or builder. If they do screw it up, then you can always get new parts since they're cheap anyway.

But try the guitar immediately after they've adjusted it. If you're not happy, get them to do something about it.

Good luck,
Cheston

_____________________________

Try some Enrique Iglesias for some great cante.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 20 2005 4:27:03

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: need help please (in reply to Skai)

I don't know any guitar repair guy or luthier who would charge less than $20 for a job.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 20 2005 23:34:31

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: need help please (in reply to Skai)

quote:

Sanding the saddle and nut are simple jobs that can even be done by yourself.

Not as simple as you might think....
Unless you can use a file properly (takes a lot of experience) , you end up with little dips and humps all over the place. Sandpaper or Emery is even worse.

Then there's the trial and error of the whole thing...

Strings off.. file a bit... strings on.. tune up... try it.. nah needs more...strings off... file some more...strings on...tune up... hmm getting better...strings off...file some more...strings on...tune up... oops too much...need a shim...strings off...etc.

It takes all bloody afternoon!

Then when you've got it just right, the next day you find that it's perfect except there is one particular string that buzzes horribly on one particular fret!

quote:

18 Euros seem completely ridiculous for such a simple job, I'd have left the shop right away

Skai...there are winos on the streets of London who would draw you a look if you gave them less than a tenner (approx 15 Euros)

I'm surprised the luthiers charge so little!

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 10:24:55

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: need help please (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

Not as simple as you might think....

Ron couldn't agree more. It takes me most of an afternoon to change strings and get everything shipshape (you know the sort of thing, really neat at one end and long twirly bits at the other).

And if your guitarrero does it quicker and neater then that is because he has invested time in perfecting his skills. I have only met three guitarreros but I wouldn't work the hours for their money. I think the thing to remember is that they are running a business and must allow for overheads, slack time, publicity, etc. You cannot compare the charge with a working wage on an hourly basis.

If the guy did a duff job then that is entirely a different thing. But from the sounds of it recovery will cost little

.

_____________________________

nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 11:35:39

leo

Posts: 61
Joined: Aug. 2 2005

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

Thanks everybody i see different opinions so i guess i have to stay all year till i go back to spain or find here someone but there is no one who knows spanish guitars just electric.

maybe different strings i mean in the original strings it didn't buzz

thanks guys you're the best

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 11:41:27

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: need help please (in reply to Skai)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Skai
18 Euros seem completely ridiculous for such a simple job, I'd have left the shop right away.

And I would have bitten his hand off for such good value.
I pay 15 quid to have a new saddle fitted = 22 euros. If I wanted a nut sorted as well it would be about 25 quid all in = 37 euros. Apart from sanding it dead flat you have to get the slant right on both too (higher on the bass strings side) - not easy by any means.

I could do both myself but as Ron says, it could take all afternoon and I might still get it wrong and have to start over. Life is too short, and if you care about your instrument this kind of investment is frankly peanuts.

With my guitar tech, I tell him I want the action 2.5mm at 12th/6th and gladly pay him the money. If its not quite right, he has to adjust it until it is (though it usually is).

_____________________________

Spanish Guitarist in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 12:03:07

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

I'm not trying to put you off having a go Leo....it's just that it really is a pain in the butt, but it is possible to do yourself. I've done it many times myself.
The main thing is, ALWAYS get a new nut and saddle and work on those and keep the originals so that you can always revert back to the way it was if you mess everything up.

(I speak from experience

)

cheers

Ron

PS...Once you get it right, add up the cost of your materials and time spent and work out if it would be worthwhile starting up a guitar setup business at, say.. $20 a pop, since there is no competition where you live.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 13:31:23

Sammy K

Posts: 30
Joined: Dec. 2 2004
From: Finland

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

lowering the strings by sanding the bridge may affect the intonation. If you lower the bridge much you have to file the bone for each string to get the fine tuning perfect. And the saddle is a whole different thing. The string height above the first fret must be precise or the guitar will not be in tune and not very playable. And the slots for the strings must be filed in precise angle. So I advise not to do it without proper knowledge. This is where the luthier comes in... Oh, and never put any soft material under the bridge bone. Only hardwoods for emergency. It is advisable to make a new bone if it gets too low. . It definitenly affects the tone of your guitar.

_____________________________

-Sami

--This goes to eleven--

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 18:23:34

leo

Posts: 61
Joined: Aug. 2 2005

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

from what i understand now i'm not going to tuch the guitar and wait to spain
leave my guitar buzzing

what is luthier????

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 20:58:11

Skai

Posts: 317
Joined: Sep. 12 2004

RE: need help please (in reply to leo)

Luthiers are guitar makers if I'm not wrong.

Oh yes my mistake!

It's an error on my part to say that it's that simple, because you risk intonation doing it by yourself. And yes, you might make mistakes. I've done so on my guitars and there hasn't been any problems so far. There aren't luthier here anyway so I'll have to do it myself.

But the reason why you might consider filing it yourself is that the errors can be corrected quite easily or reverted back to original. As Ron mentioned, attempting to file a new nut and saddle is a better idea than filing your originals. It'll take quite awhile as you're inexperienced though.

You decide whether you want to try it yourself. You could get a new nut and saddle and sand them down. You can use them temporarily till you get to Spain and you can get a proper set up there. Or else, just make do with high action for now. You'll play much better when your guitar is set up later on!