Guitar FAQ's

[captainclegg]

Originally Posted by BlAcKeNeD

is it possible to set up a floyd rose equipped guitar from concert pitch to as low as Carcass(B or C#)yourself???? as in relatively easy and not putting my guitar at the risk of damage?

first time i did it i ripped the cover from a rizla packet - blue works best.

i put it against the back of the guitar and marked with a pen where the standard tuning mark was for future possible tune ups. by tuning mark i mean the bit with the 2 screws u tighten or loosen, obviously ur gonna have to loosen to tune down so do that then if u fuck it up just put it back to the mark on the rizla and it will tune back to standard. just loosen it a few turns at a time and see how u do. we play in c but have been in b also it gets easy after a while but as you will see already on this thread i had the same kind of problem. if you dont have a clue what the hell im talking about add me to messenger and ill send ye some photos of what i mean.

[The_Mechanix]

i have my eye on the guitar im going to buy but i cant decide which of the variations im going to go for. hopefuly somebody here can advise me on this.
its either the jackson JS30 KV, or the jackson kvx10

as far as i can tel their is no major difference.
cheers

[Shawman]

hello good people, i have a problem...with my guitar

recently tuned it down to C tuning but it sounds crap and loads of fret buzz

how will i stop this?

[toneking]

Originally Posted by Shawman

hello good people, i have a problem...with my guitar

recently tuned it down to C tuning but it sounds crap and loads of fret buzz

how will i stop this?

Shawman! The problem here is self evident. Tuning down to 'C tuning' is almost definetly going to result in distinct lack of string tension. Out of interest may I ask what gauge of string you are using? Also, when you began to use this tuning did you ensure you had the intonation of your strings checked?

This lack of string tension will result in the string sagging more than it should and making contact with the frets. Some things to try would be using heavier gauge strings, or adjusting the actions on your saddles slightly to raise the strings a little higher from your fretboard.

This C tuning will also 'sound crap' as a result of poor pickups combined with a poor amp. Your electronics will struggle to make these lower notes sound defined, which is why bass players exist. Again, out of interest - what is your current guitar + amp setup?

Many players wonder why theyre £200 Jackson guitars tuned down to dropped B through their Line6 amplifiers sounds 'crap'. Maybe these people should consider their position as guitarists a little more closely - because the reasons for this problem should be blatantly obvious.

Tone King

[I_got_a_mohawk]

to be fair tho, it'll sound crap with the rest of the spectrum aswell


Shawman, check the intonation, basically the open string, its first ocatave (12th fret), and harmonic (12th fret) should all be hitting spot on, if not you have to move the bridge saddle forward or back, i cant remember what way for if its sharp or flat tho, so figure that out yourself

If your wanting to tune to a lower note, use a higher gauge string, these will have a higher tension for the lower notes

[toneking]

Originally Posted by Shawman

hello good people, i have a problem...with my guitar

recently tuned it down to C tuning but it sounds crap and loads of fret buzz

how will i stop this?

I just read that you are a bass player, so pardon my ignorance. However, my reply still mostly remains the same, however for bass this is a little more tricky.

You will still benefit from using a higher guage string. And again adjusting the height of the saddles will help.

An important question - is the headstock of your bass a fender style or 2 on each side style? When re-stringing your bass try to ensure that on the E (or in your case, C) string wraps from the top of the peg to the bottom. This way the angle between the peg and the nut is greater and will hopefully alleviate the buzz a little.

Again - the bass you use will also affect this greatly. The better the bass, the better the way everything sits, and the easier the problem will be to fix.

Finally - check your neck, make sure it is straight and doesnt have an arch in it. If you notice this - have it checked out by a guitar tech such as Clogs (on UGS) or Mike at rainbow.

Tone King

[I_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by toneking

The better the bass, the better the way everything sits, and the easier the problem will be to fix.

When compairing basses with the same scale of neck maybe

[Shawman]

Originally Posted by toneking

I just read that you are a bass player, so pardon my ignorance. However, my reply still mostly remains the same, however for bass this is a little more tricky.

You will still benefit from using a higher guage string. And again adjusting the height of the saddles will help.

An important question - is the headstock of your bass a fender style or 2 on each side style? When re-stringing your bass try to ensure that on the E (or in your case, C) string wraps from the top of the peg to the bottom. This way the angle between the peg and the nut is greater and will hopefully alleviate the buzz a little.

Again - the bass you use will also affect this greatly. The better the bass, the better the way everything sits, and the easier the problem will be to fix.

Finally - check your neck, make sure it is straight and doesnt have an arch in it. If you notice this - have it checked out by a guitar tech such as Clogs (on UGS) or Mike at rainbow.

Tone King

aye i'm really a bass player but my bass has no trouble in C tuning

[toneking]

Originally Posted by I_got_a_mohawk

When compairing basses with the same scale of neck maybe

obviously - the scale length here will remain constant. I am talking about tuning to drop C on an existing bass. It's not really a viable option to increase the scale length of the bass every time you want to use a different tuning - hence using a better bass will provide you with much more flexibility.

Tone King

[I_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by toneking

obviously - the scale length here will remain constant. I am talking about tuning to drop C on an existing bass. It's not really a viable option to increase the scale length of the bass every time you want to use a different tuning - hence using a better bass will provide you with much more flexibility.

Tone King

yes, but in using a better bass he could get one with an increased scale

[toneking]

Originally Posted by I_got_a_mohawk

Shawman, check the intonation, basically the open string, its first ocatave (12th fret), and harmonic (12th fret) should all be hitting spot on

don't use harmonics to set intonation. This method is inherently flawed. Use open string and FRETTED 12th fret on the same string.

Tone King

[James_QBT]

Originally Posted by The_Mechanix

i have my eye on the guitar im going to buy but i cant decide which of the variations im going to go for. hopefuly somebody here can advise me on this.
its either the jackson JS30 KV, or the jackson kvx10

as far as i can tel their is no major difference.
cheers

The JS30V is a bottom end instrument, the KVX10 is a spot on nice mid range instrument.
JS30V is made... probably on the moon by gypsys (I know the old X-series used to e made in India but I couldnt say for definite) whereas the KVX10 is Jap.
Try here for more Jackson orientated questions

Jackson/Charvel Forum

Pretty helpful place but they're all opinionated right wing Americans so dont get them started on the Middle East or women having the vote

Im rambling now but yeah, go for the KVX10.

James

[James_QBT]

By bottom end and mid range I mean price and quality not sound...

;o)

James

[bobby]

JS series are made in India, X series in Japan. All Dinky and X Series stuff is Japanese.