# cheap buzz feiten alternative?



## SCREEM (Feb 2, 2006)

I found this while searching for shielding tape :confused-smiley-010 

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cach...lding+Tape+montreal&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=12

He has a nice nut slotting tool for 9 bucks on his site.


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## theelectic (Mar 11, 2006)

Talk about complicated installation. I'd just get an Earvana nut and be done with it (and I have!)


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## Accept2 (Jan 1, 2006)

Buzz Feiten is actually cheap if you buy a guitar equipped with it already. The mark up is almost non-existant. The conversion is expensive because it involves labour which jacks up the price. Alot of techs say they charge alot for the convertion because they want to recoup some of the learning curve time, which is a load of crap. They should charge a set fee for the conversion...............


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## rideough (Mar 5, 2006)

I don't know about the nut but I boucght a strat pickguard from that guy on Ebay and he included copper shielding which was cut perfectly for an extra $5,

It left a nice feeling for one of my first Ebay purchases.


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## guitarzan (Feb 22, 2006)

there is more (not alot) to the Buzz Feiten system than a displaced nut. there are also compensations in the tuning of each string. i assume that it makes enough difference to be worth it.
i have wondered how many BF tuning guitars (like Washburn) are actually in the proper tuning when hanging on a rack in a store.
each string is compensated differently and in my experience guitars on racks are rarely in tune so i would guess to fully appreciate the BF tuning , the store tech would have to tune it up before you even try it. or tell you the "secret" which wouldn't take long to spread. an old Guitar shop had a story on Buzz, and it states each part of his system makes a difference by itself but when combined it is really noticable. the intonation and compensation while tuning would be of great interest to me. that is where the voodoo is hiding.


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## theelectic (Mar 11, 2006)

guitarzan said:


> there is more (not alot) to the Buzz Feiten system than a displaced nut. there are also compensations in the tuning of each string.


It's the intonation of each string that's compensated. The nut is moved and the strings are re-intonated according to some special formula. You can still easily tune by ear.


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## guitarzan (Feb 22, 2006)

i mean "compensated" by tuning the strings slightly sharp or flat according to the "secret" formula.


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## theelectic (Mar 11, 2006)

guitarzan said:


> i mean "compensated" by tuning the strings slightly sharp or flat according to the "secret" formula.


I know what you meant. The actual tuning is not compensated. It's the plain old EADGBE. The intonation (string length) is compensated slightly sharp/flat.


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## guitarzan (Feb 22, 2006)

three parts to the Buzz Feiten tuning system
1 nut displacement
2 intonation
3 tuning "offsets"
some strings are intonated sharp or flat, or normal and tuned flat.
that is what i am refering to.
Scott Henderson just tunes to all E's. but you can use a tuner like the Korg mt1200 which can be programmed with the offset tuning points for quick reference.
yes the tuning is still EADGBE but not exactly, it is slightly "adjusted" for the Buzz Feiten tuning system.
i avoided using the word "compensation" ok,  
each part of his system makes a difference but when you use all of them it is more effective.
each string will stretch a different amount, and depending on guage and scale length will need a different amount of adjustment.
that is why he has developed 3 variations to accommodate each type of guitar.
i am unaware of any more improvments to his system since i first heard of it.
but he may have tweaked it further.
hope this clears it up.


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## theelectic (Mar 11, 2006)

guitarzan said:


> three parts to the Buzz Feiten tuning system
> 1 nut displacement
> 2 intonation
> 3 tuning "offsets"


According to the company itself, there are only TWO parts (nut & intonation):

http://www.buzzfeiten.com/FAQ/faq.html

There are no tuning offsets because you don't need a special tuner if you're just tuning up. You can just use a regular tuner (or your ear) and tune up normally.


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## guitarzan (Feb 22, 2006)

i know what your saying. but the info in his Guitarshop interview mentions the tuning offsets in addition to the intonation.
also on this page of the website it mentions the Korg Dt-7 tuner:

4. Korg DT-7 Tuner with Buzz Feiten Tuning System® Pitch Offsets - Set intonation points and do final tuning in exclusive Buzz Feiten Tuning Mode.

obviously there is something to it.


http://www.buzzfeiten.com/Become_a_Retrofitter/become_a_retrofitter.html

in my original post i was refering to that (the tuning ). if i was to try a BFTS guitar in a store i would hope it was not out of whack from neglect.
out of curiousity have you tried any BFTS equipped guitars in your neck of the woods?
we probably only have Garrison and Washburn around here that use it but the stock in some stores is very bad. meaning ..good luck finding one to try.


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## cheesey (Feb 17, 2006)

i just bought a buzz f equipped anderson , i have no clue what its all about but hope i can tune it with the korg dt 10 i just got a few weeks ago.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

theelectic said:


> Talk about complicated installation. I'd just get an Earvana nut and be done with it (and I have!)


I've been interested in the Earvana too. How did it cost you and how much was installation? 

Do you notice a big improvement?

Thanks
TG


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## theelectic (Mar 11, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> I've been interested in the Earvana too. How did it cost you and how much was installation?
> 
> Do you notice a big improvement?
> 
> ...


I ordered the nut from the US, I don't remember the exact cost but it ended up around $30CDN to my door, with all shipping & taxes and whatnot. I installed it myself into a project guitar I was working on, new Allparts neck which went very well. I figured I was working from scratch anyway, so might as well try something new to make sure everything's in tune. Make sure you get the right model for your neck's nut width, there are 3-4 different kinds.

There's an installation PDF that goes through the entire process. Read through it 3-100 times, practice without the neck then do it on the neck. Not that hard, the most tedious part is getting the fit of the bottom part just right, and sanding down the sides of the top part perfectly. I went real slow just to get everything right.

Improvements - I put it on a Strat, and compared to my other main guitar (Musicman Silhouette) the Strat sounds better with chords - not just open ones. Notes all around the neck sound more in tune, but I'm not super hyper picky about that sort of stuff though. Going from one guitar to the other the difference is noticeable. You could even say playing the Musicman is grating/annoying but I quickly forget that sort of thing once I get going 

Compared to my Les Paul, the difference is less noticeable. Maybe it's the shorter scale length? I use the same strings on all my guitars (Ernie Ball pure nickel) so I know it's not that. 

All in all it was fairly cheap, not difficult to install, and made a definite sonic improvement. If you get the nut youself, any repair shop worth their salt should be able to install it in less than an hour, so you should be able to get it installed for <$100.


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## FrogRick12 (Feb 21, 2006)

We are the exclusive Canadian distributor for the Earvana Compensated Tuning System and it is available from the following GTA retailers:

Sherwood Music, Kitchener
The Guitar World, Mississauga
The 12th Fret, Toronto
Ostanek's Music, St.Catharines
Musicians's Choice, Brampton
The Peghead, Hamilton
The Guitar Shoip, Port Credit
Gilbert Guitars, Barrie
MacAulay's Music, Cambridge

Suggested list price on the Earvana is $40 CDN and any of these dealers are qualified to install it for you. The Earvana system is non-invasive, doesn't require a special tuner, and does not require any permanent modification to your guitar. 
We stock the Earvana system to fit your neck width and we can supply it to you in 48 hours instead of waiting 2 weeks to get it from the States and with a lot less hassle!


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Do you have a retailer outside of Ontario? Say, Edmonton for example  

My biggest concern is getting this thing installed properly WITHOUT paying so guy four hours or labour to figure it out.

TG



FrogRick12 said:


> We are the exclusive Canadian distributor for the Earvana Compensated Tuning System and it is available from the following GTA retailers:
> 
> 
> Suggested list price on the Earvana is $40 CDN and any of these dealers are qualified to install it for you.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

I am not qualified to do the work myself so one of my main concerns is finding a competent tech who can do it.

Is the nut itself of good quality? What is it made of (I'm thinking bone)?

I am thinking of installing it on my ES 335 clone.

Thanks
TG



theelectic said:


> All in all it was fairly cheap, not difficult to install, and made a definite sonic improvement. If you get the nut youself, any repair shop worth their salt should be able to install it in less than an hour, so you should be able to get it installed for <$100.


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## theelectic (Mar 11, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> I am not qualified to do the work myself so one of my main concerns is finding a competent tech who can do it.
> 
> Is the nut itself of good quality? What is it made of (I'm thinking bone)?
> 
> ...


It's made out of some sort of hard plastic. I don't know the exact material but it sounds good and is made well.

One other thing, I did have to file down the nut slots slightly to get the action lower. I'm sure you can find a competent tech in Edmonton. If they can install a pre-slotted nut, then an Earvana should be no problem at all. If you're going to pay someone to do it, might as well go whole hog and get your guitar completely setup at the same time.


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## Yerffej (Feb 7, 2006)

theelectic said:


> According to the company itself, there are only TWO parts (nut & intonation):
> 
> http://www.buzzfeiten.com/FAQ/faq.html
> 
> There are no tuning offsets because you don't need a special tuner if you're just tuning up. You can just use a regular tuner (or your ear) and tune up normally.


they make tuners specially with buzz feiten presets.


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## FrogRick12 (Feb 21, 2006)

traynor_garnet said:


> Do you have a retailer outside of Ontario? Say, Edmonton for example
> 
> My biggest concern is getting this thing installed properly WITHOUT paying so guy four hours or labour to figure it out.
> 
> TG


I don't have a retailer in Edmonton at the moment but you have two options:

Have your favourite music store contact me to order it for you

or

If they won't/can't, contact me and I'll sell one to you.

Every Earvana nut comes with complete instructions so your local guitar tech or luthier can install it for you. Unless you are an experienced and skilled tech, I would not recommend doing it yourself.

Installation time is around 45 - 60 minutes based on installs I have had done.
An experienced tech should not need more that 60 minutes to install provided your instrument doesn't pose any special requirements.

The Earvana nut is made from the same material that Tusq uses for their saddles and nuts. It is pre-molded for 10-46 strings but it can be filed for other gauges.


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