Rattling guitar string

Lord_Snot

Hey all,
I've recently started playing guitar, and have found a fault on my Epiphone Les Paul, when I strum the strings hard, the G string rattles, and doesn't resonate correctly, the B string also does to a lesser extent. Would tightening the screws on the bridge fix this, and could that damage the guitar?

Thanks.

Sir Carcass

It could be fret buzz. I'd recommend taking it into a shop and having them setup your intonation and all that correctly. It's pretty hard for a beginner to do and should be done with all new guitars. I can't quote you a price, but I wouldn't think it'd be too terribly expensive.

Lord_Snot

It also happens when I strum the string openly, could it still be a fret buzz? Thanks for your reply, Carcass.

Sir Carcass

Yeah, it could be. It could be the string is too close to one of the little fret bar things and starts rattling against it when it vibrates wildly. A guitar tech could tell you more when he looks at it. It might just need to have the saddle height adjusted, or the truss rod may need adjustment. Worst case one of the fret bars may need to be filed. You should do the intonation anyway just to make sure it's correctly in tune all over the neck, but it could possibly fix the buzz issue too.

Lord_Snot

Ah, thanks. I bought it in May and it came with a year's warranty, so that should cover it, thanks again.

Daemonion

Generally, the less fret-buzz the better, but that is most likely what it is.

Have you changed string gauges, or been de-tuning your guitar? Having more string tension can help. Still, everything Carcass said is accurate, as well.

punk

Your neck could be off a bit, your action may be too low or your frets are too high. And of course, the string could be loose as well. The sort of adjustments that Sir Carcass mentioned should be about $50-100 or so. It's been forever since I had a guitar set up (or a bass in my case), so I could be a little bit off. Find a good luthier or guitar shop to do the work for you. Not sure where you're at, but I can recommend a good shop in Phoenix.

Demerdar

A guitar set up (not counting buying the strings) should run you about $30-$50, depending on where you go. That's not covered under warranty, BTW and every guitar should be set up. I can guarantee you that this is fret buzz, and you are probably in no position to fix it yourself (you need to adjust both the truss rod and the bridge to correct this, which might fuck with your intonation).

Just pay the small amount of money to get your guitar set up (they'll lower your action too, and make the guitar a bit easier to play).