Funky high E on Further

[jerico]

Hello all - I have another question about my Further.  The high E string buzzes a bit, mostly around up through 7th fret (but not so much when played open).  It also sounds a bit dead - ie it doesn't ring as true as the B string, either fretted or open.  It had been worse, and I minimized the problem a bit by raising the nut on the high side, and also raising the bridge on the high side.  But now the high strings are noticeably harder to play (ie I have to struggle to get my finger away from the the high E when playing an open A chord, or a barred D on the 5th fret).
 
Could this be syptomatic of something else (aside from my fat fingers  )? Maybe that my nut groove is too narrow for the string, or maybe the truss rods are out of whack, or something like that?
 
Thanks in advance for the help!
 
Justin

[David Houck]

Since this is a new instrument, I'm assuming the buzzing is not related to a specific fret being too high or too low.  Buzzing around the 7th fret is generally a truss rod adjustment rather than a nut or bridge adjustment.  If you're struggling to finger the high strings, lower the nut back down.  If you haven't already, go here and read Joey's setup instructions.  My guess is that all you need is just a little adjustment to the truss rods, 1/8 to 1/4 counter clockwise.  And give it a day or two to settle in.  Basically, you can lower the nut back down until it buzzes when playing an open string.  After you give the neck some relief (loosen the truss rod nuts), you may find that you can lower the bridge some as well.  Generally, buzzing in the middle of the neck is a truss rod adjustment, while buzzing near the top of the neck (toward the pickups) is a bridge adjustment.  Read Joey's post.

[jerico]

OK thanks - I'll give it a try!
Justin

[7string_thing]

Is it a dead string? sometimes you can have a brand new string just be completely dead, they dont carry sound as well, and they definately buzz! replace it and see, its fortunate that guitar players can pay .50 for a string, where bass players pay like 10 bucks! But they do last much longer!

[jerico]

Thanks for the advice, guys.  The strings are new, so I took Dave's advice, went over Joey's post, lowered the nut back to a more comfortable level, brought the bridge back down, and put a little more relief in the neck, and then brought the bridge up a touch to get rid of some buzz above the 12th fret - and it is playing very well now.
 
Man these things sound so good... I'm still in wonder over how much BETTER they sound and FEEL versus what I'm used to (a Strat and an LP).  So buttery...!
 
Justin