Vela string/fret buzz.

[Mike J.]

Greetings all! Hope all are doing well today.

On Friday 12/4 I received my S2 Vela semi hollowbody from Sweetwater. Left the guitar in both boxes for a full 24 hours to acclimate, Removed the box containing the guitar and let that alone for another 6 hours before I took the guitar out of the box and played it for the first time. The guitar felt no colder than another guitar I have sitting on a stand. Just letting you know I didn't pull the guitar out of the boxes right away.

I love this guitar! Tonally it's everything I've been looking for. Still getting used to the smaller neck but it's working out. I have been playing a 2019 Epiphone SG Pro which has a much wider neck. But it's a great playing guitar.

The action on the Vela was higher than what I'm used to, but i played it for 2 days as is to try and get used to it. Right away I noticed some string/fret buzz on the G string only but it wasn't anything horrible. It wasn't until Monday when I knew I had to lower the action a bit. I'm talking a full turn on each of the saddle screws. Of course, this brought about more string to fret buzz on all the strings but especially on the G, B and high E strings. The necks relief looks very good, but I did loosen the truss rod last night by 1/8 of a turn in an attempt to rid some of the buzz. I have a precision 2x3 inch block from my CNC machining days and I checked to see if there were any high frets. I got no rocking from the gage. So I dare say the frets are level.

Keep in mind that I'm 68 years old and from 1986 to 2013 I worked in CNC machine shops. Lot's of hard and abusive work on my hands. My hands don't hurt, but with all that abuse on my hands (and age) my fingers are feeling a bit stiff these days. So I need a guitar that has action (as they say) that plays like butter. So I had to lower the action to make things easier for me.

I just did a test recording with the Vela versus the SG to see if I could hear that fret buzz coming through from the Vela and I could hear a very slight (very marginal) amount of buzz coming through. Acoustically, you can really hear it but it's not to the point of the notes being choked off and there was no choked notes on the test recording I did.

As said, I love this guitar but I just want to make sure that the amount of string/fret buzz I'm getting won't worsen in time. Any recommendations on how to eliminate most of it if not all? Believe it or not, My Epiphone SG has NO fret/string buzz at all. I've only had to tweak the truss rod one time. So if a $400.00 guitar can play with no string/fret buzz then it seems like a guitar costing much more can do the same and I'm not knocking PRS at all in saying that. Just saying if there is a way to do it then please tell me because I'm really want this guitar to work out for me.

Thanks for your time.

 

[rockinforJesus]

If the frets are level, I would check the nut slots and bridge saddles. Another source of buzzing could be resonance causing wiring under the pickguard to rattle. Check all the obvious stuff. Did you notify your dealer of this? They might pay for a repair if needed.

 

[Mike J.]

If the frets are level, I would check the nut slots and bridge saddles. Another source of buzzing could be resonance causing wiring under the pickguard to rattle. Check all the obvious stuff. Did you notify your dealer of this? They might pay for a repair if needed.

Offhand I don't think it's anything under the pick guard because I can hear it right at the fingerboard. The first 4 frets on all strings are fine, but it's from the 5 fret and up where it starts and the amount of string/fret buzz is pretty consistent from that point on. I haven't contacted Sweetwater yet because I'm trying little adjustments at a time to see what I can do. If worse comes to worse I've got 3 more weeks before I return it and I'm hoping I don't have to because the tone is everything I've been looking for.

I know a top notch tech at my local music store who has done wonders on my other guitars. He's been working on guitars for at least 30 years and knows his stuff. I'm going to call him and see what his advice is.

 

[Boogie]

Big Bend’s Nut Sauce to the rescue. Use that at the nut and bridge ferrules. Once you know the neck has stabilized from its trip, follow the instructions in this old setup video, that I refer to all the time, and check the string height at the first fret. You can dress the nut slot, cut down the nut height to expose the string or both if you thing the G string is sticking. It could be sympathetic vibrations if you only hear it acoustically, but you never know. Mine does the same thing periodically. I blame it on my “technique”.

 

[Mike J.]

Thanks for these video's Boogie! They definitely helped and I made some progress tonight. Very slowly and in small increments I tightened the truss rod to get an almost flat neck. It didn't take much, maybe a quarter of a turn. Of course this meant having to raise the action to some degree and I did that in small doses as well. The string/fret buzz is at a very bare minimum right now (playing the guitar acoustically) which means it's MUCH better than it was last night. The guitar is actually playing better tonight as well!

I'm done making any more adjustments tonight. I'm okay in making basic adjustments like this as well as taking care of the intonation. Anything beyond and it goes to the tech I know. So we'll see how it fares out as the week progresses.

I've said it before. My gosh, this is the sound I've been looking for. As others have said, the bridge pickup is a great combination of a Tele, a Gretsch and some SG added in. And the neck pickup! Finally, a neck pickup that sounds full, clear and doesn't have that blasted low mid boom/drone to it.

Thanks again!

 

[Boogie]

Thanks for these video's Boogie! They definitely helped and I made some progress tonight. Very slowly and in small increments I tightened the truss rod to get an almost flat neck. It didn't take much, maybe a quarter of a turn. Of course this meant having to raise the action to some degree and I did that in small doses as well. The string/fret buzz is at a very bare minimum right now (playing the guitar acoustically) which means it's MUCH better than it was last night. The guitar is actually playing better tonight as well!

I'm done making any more adjustments tonight. I'm okay in making basic adjustments like this as well as taking care of the intonation. Anything beyond and it goes to the tech I know. So we'll see how it fares out as the week progresses.

I've said it before. My gosh, this is the sound I've been looking for. As others have said, the bridge pickup is a great combination of a Tele, a Gretsch and some SG added in. And the neck pickup! Finally, a neck pickup that sounds full, clear and doesn't have that blasted low mid boom/drone to it.

Thanks again!

Glad it helped and well done tackling it yourself!

The pickups are pretty sweet, right??!! The Starla bridge sounds close to the TV Jones Classic I have in my Cabronita, but with a little more girth. Takes to a wound-up amp with poise. And that Type D neck is simply wonderful. Even if there’s some gain in the chain, it cleans up with a drop in the guitar volume. They really did their homework on this one.

 

[Boogie]

Thought I’d offer this up to back up my comments.

I cycle thru the pickups and jockey the guitar volume, as well as step into bigger gain (could be a Kalamazoo or a BB Preamp), so you get the gist. At about 3:25 I switch to the neck pickup (and almost fall over tripping over the pedalboard). The Vela is so versatile!

 

[aphantomvaper]

Thought I’d offer this up to back up my comments.

I cycle thru the pickups and jockey the guitar volume, as well as step into bigger gain (could be a Kalamazoo or a BB Preamp), so you get the gist. At about 3:25 I switch to the neck pickup (and almost fall over tripping over the pedalboard). The Vela is so versatile!

Thats-a-Vela sound for sure! Really nice. I love the finger vibrato you put on the one note close to the start of the vid. No cursing when you tripped either. Thanks for sharing that Vela pickup demo!

 

[Mike J.]

Boogie, with your sound clip some of the tones remind me of Pete Townsends "Live at Leeds" sound which is one of my all time favorites! I agree that PRS really did their homework with this guitar. The only thing I'm really having to get used to is the tighter string tension. I've been using the same gage (.010 through .046) on my Epiphone SG but the scale is 24.75 compared to the Vela's 25" scale. But all in all I like the feel and I know I just have to practice and practice some more.

One question regarding the neck pickup. What are the 6 smaller screws for? Seems like they can't be for any kind of sound adjustment because they really don't line up with the strings. Offhand I'm guessing they are just part of the assembly and are holding something beneath the cover in place.

 

[quasi888]

@Mike J. ,

I've lurked on this forum on and off for years, but I registered/joined just now to respond to this post. (And, apologies, I realize this thread is a few months old by now.)

My story mirrors yours precisely. Got my S2 Vela Semi-Hollow just a few months ago in December (although from Pro Audio Star, not Sweetwater), and noticed fret buzz immediately. Now, I'm a guy who (a) keeps my expectations of fret-buzz realistic (if it's not excessive acoustically, does not significantly affect sustain, and I can't hear it through the amp, then I'm generally cool with it), and (b) knows how to do basic setup and generally has good results. So I thought, no problem, I'll give it a good setup and everything will be fine. The thing is, it took me several tries to get it to what I consider an acceptable level. In fact, I was fighting with it again just today after experimeting with tuning down to Eb. I've arrived at the following conclusions / theories :

- Perhaps it's unique to this semihollow model, but this is a VERY resonant guitar, and certain higher frequencies -- perhaps those of buzzing frets -- will be much more noticeable acoustically.
- The brass Tele-style saddles probably also contribute to the above.
- Perhaps more than any other guitar I own, this one is very sensitive to truss rod adjustments. I experimeted with 8th-fret relief from 0.005" to 0.012", and I eventually settled on around 0.008". With less than that, it was buzzing everywhere. With more than that, it was buzzing really bad at the higher frets. This mirrors what I have come to learn from setting up other guitars, but it just seemed to be especially true with this guitar, with even the most minute adjustments.
- With such a tight balance between being buzz-free AND acceptable action (I have mine set to what would be considered "medium" action), I have come to the realization that tuning down is out of the question -- on my guitar at least. The decreased string tension just created a buzzfest that I could neither live with nor solve, even after re-adjusing the truss rod and action. Then again, I am running 10s; perhaps 11s would be more ideal for tuning down in this case.

Anyway, I'm at a happy place with it now, now that I understand the parameters I'm working with. It is such an insanely fun guitar to pick up, and reaffirms my belief that the S2 line is worthy of staying around, if for no other reason than to introduce unique models like this one, the S2 Studio, and S2 594 Thinline -- all of which are among my favorite PRSes.

 

[Mike J.]

Hi Quasi. Nice looking Vela there! As mentioned, I took my Vela to the tech I've been going to for years and he had to give the frets a slight leveling in order to get rid of the fret buzz. But he even said that while it didn't take much it was just enough to make a difference and it did. I could only do so much on my own and had the action at a comfortable level. When he was finished with it the action was even better with no buzz anywhere on the guitar.

Yes, this is a fun guitar to play. I'm an older guy (I'm 69) and my one and only gig is at church. I use a Pod Go and last time I played the band and the soundman were loving the tones I was getting.

The only other quirk on this guitar was the high E string. Any note on that string including open really "zinged out" compared with the other strings. I wound up lowering the pole piece for the high E down quite a bit and while it helped it didn't totally eliminate it. But for some reason it seems to have settled in and I no longer have that problem. My theory is: it was a new guitar and things are going to "move around" for a while. I play this guitar a lot and by doing so it helped things to settle in. As a result the high E no longer has that problem. Something "moved" and it took care of it. Not a very scientific explanation but it makes all the sense in the world to me.

 

[Mystic38]

It’s from sweetwater?.. call or email your guy… either it missed its 55 point inspection or it’s a dud.. there is no way I would start filing a nut on a guitar from Sweetwater.. get a replacement

 

[Mike J.]

It’s from sweetwater?.. call or email your guy… either it missed its 55 point inspection or it’s a dud.. there is no way I would start filing a nut on a guitar from Sweetwater.. get a replacement

No doubt in my mind that Sweetwater's "55 point inspection" was a bit lacking. But as said, after the tech I know took care of having to level the frets to some degree the guitar was (and still is) perfect.

But it was a lesson learned. If I ever get another guitar from Sweetwater things will be different.