String height, neck relief, leveled frets, and other factors all play a crucial role in obtaining the best playability for your Gibson guitar
Gibson’s Master Luthier Jim DeCola is back again with the “Gibson’s Guide to Guitar Setup and Maintenance” series on Gibson TV. This time, Jim addresses a common problem that plagues most guitarists—fretbuzz.
Thankfully, all Gibson guitars are Plek’d at the craftory, but when you put a lot of practice hours into your instrument, it can eventually lead to worn frets, affecting playability and even your guitar’s intonation.
What is fretbuzz, and how does it relate to action and neck relief?
Fretbuzz is an issue we experience for various reasons, including worn frets, bridge placement, an excessively low action, and more. With Jim’s expertise, we’ll learn how to identify and troubleshoot this common frustration and have our guitars back up and running quickly!
“Action” is guitar lingo for the distance between the strings and the fretboard, affecting both electric and acoustic guitars. A lower action makes for smooth and easy playing, but you may experience buzzing or choking from the upper frets if the action is set too low. A higher action is tougher on the fingers—particularly for beginners—but boasts a cleaner tone overall and is ideal for slide guitar enthusiasts.
In guitar setup and maintenance, “neck relief” refers to the slight concave bow of the guitar’s neck. This curvature is desirable and essential for optimal playability. As Jim demonstrates, it is adjusted by tweaking the truss rod, the metal rod that runs along the inside of the neck.
Proper neck relief ensures the strings have enough clearance to vibrate freely without buzzing against the frets, particularly when played in the middle of the neck. It balances the tension between the strings and the neck, allowing for smoother playability and helping to prevent fretbuzz. Adjusting neck relief is critical to setting up a guitar to suit individual playing styles and preferences.
For more detailed information on guitar setup and maintenance or more complicated DIY repairs, be sure to check out Gibson’s free Virtual Guitar Tech service.
Did you know that the Gibson Gazette has an entire channel devoted to maintaining your axe for every musical adventure? Check out our extensive range of tutorials and guides.
