man of few opinions wrote:
Unfortunately I can't help with the original question, but I have a guitar-related question of my own. I though we had an old thread somewhere about guitar playing but I can't find it, so I throwing this in here. I recently began playing guitar - I got an entry level Yamaha F335 for Christmas and it has been great - I have really enjoyed learning to play, I just love it. I have been practicing every day since I got it and have really improved. For a beginner I think I am doing pretty well, but recently I have begun noticing an unclean “twang” or “buzz” if I don’t hit a chord absolutely perfectly (i think maybe that effect has always been there, but maybe recently I am noticing it more because I think I am getting better and it is starting to piss me off). I know that it is important to learn to play the chords properly so I am sure technique is at least part of the problem, or maybe the entire problem, I don’t know. For all of you more accomplished players - how much does the quality of the guitar play in to something like that, or even the quality of strings being used? When I hear it, I typically slow it way down and play each note slow and as perfectly as I can, and even when I do that it seems like the chord has that unpleasant buzz unless it is hit absolutely perfectly. A friend of mine who plays a bit suggested that strings do get worn out after some time and can start to sound crappy, and I have played the shit out of this guitar the last 4 months.
Based on what I have offered above, would you say I need to not worry about the other stuff and just focus on technique as the root cause, or could there be something physical either in my very basic guitar model or age/quality of the strings? Thanks for any advice. I really love playing and look forward to cleaning up some of the melodies I have been working on, and if this is the best that my guitar can offer sound-wise I can deal with that. Id like to try to clean it up if I can.
The quality of the guitar and the setup makes all the difference. However, if you're not playing the notes cleanly or you're overstrumming the chords, that can cause more buzzing than if you play softly or moderately. If the neck tension is off, that could also be causing the buzzing, which you can correct by adjusting the truss rod. This is something you can do yourself. Frets that are not all level is another possibility, though given you have played it for only four months, they shouldn't be worn yet.
You asked about strings. I've always used light gauge phosphorous and been happy. I prefer D'Addarios over Martins. There are some strings that last longer than regular ones. I have not bothered to try those.
Humidifying the guitar is important. Lack of humidity with the guitar can cause it to sound bad.
One trick that will can help you get less buzzing is by playing the strings closer to the bridge rather than in the middle of the sound hole.