A bad guitar string can cause buzzing on just one fret
I had this happen on my guitar. I'll tell you what happened, how it happened, and how I determined it was the string that was the problem.
My strings were getting old on my Schecter, so I installed a new set. After doing that, I wanted to make a small bridge height adjustment.
There are two ways of adjusting bridge height on the Schecter I have. Method 1 is to loosen the strings and use a flathead screwdriver from the top to adjust the bridge's set screw height. Method 2 is to put a capo on the first fret, loosen the strings so they get flappy enough to lift the bridge off the posts slightly, then turn the set screws with the hand.
I use method 2. If I use a screwdriver to turn the set screws, even when the strings are loosened, this will cause screw slot damage. Little dents will happen. The exact same thing would occur if I used a flathead screwdriver to adjust the stop piece height on a Gibson Les Paul. Sure, those big slotted stop piece screws make it appear you can just loosen the strings, stick a screwdriver in there and make your adjustments. I would never do that because again, that will cause screw slot damage. On a Les Paul, I would capo the first fret, loosen the strings enough to where I could slide the stop piece out, turn those screws by hand to make my height adjustment, then put the stop piece back and tune up the guitar again.
In either situation whether it's a bridge or stop piece height adjustment being made using method 2, strings have to be real loose to make said adjustment.
This is where a mistake can be made almost too easily. And I made the mistake I'm about to describe.
After I loosened the strings on my guitar, I somehow managed to bend the 6 string (as in the low-E string) in such a way where it developed a small permanent bend in it - but - it was so small and so slight that I didn't even see it.
I finish my bridge adjustment, tighten the strings to pitch, then come to discover I have some nasty fret buzz at the 11th fret on the 6 string and only the 6 string.
At this point I freak out. My first thought is that I've not even had this guitar 6 months and it's already developed a high fret.
I grab a metal dowel from my fret leveling kit because I needed to confirm how bad the high fret was...
...only to find I didn't have a high fret at all. The frets are all leveled just as they should be. There was nothing to fix.
At this point I'm confused. There's definitely a buzzing problem on the 6 string at the 11th fret.
I take a closer look at the 6 string, which I had loosened to check for a high fret, and then I saw it. A small "hump" in the string, exactly at the point where the fret buzz was happening.
The next day, I bought a new pack of guitar strings, put them on and the fret buzz was 100% gone.
Was it my fault?
I'm saying it is even though it might not have been.
I think what happened is that I somehow put a bend in the 6 string when I loosened it along with the others to made a bridge height adjustment.
However, it is also true that guitar strings that sit on a store shelf a long time can exhibit the same problem. Even though the strings are obviously coiled when in the pack, if coiled too long they may get malformed and never uncoil correctly.
It is possible I may have just had a bad pack of strings where the 6 string had a malformation in it. As noted above, I didn't even see that little "hump" in the 6 until I looked very close at it.
Fortunately, I had the proper metal dowel to confirm my frets were fine and that it was the low-E string that was the problem. That leveling kit saved my butt yet again. I didn't have to level any frets, but having those dowels confirmed 100% that the fret wasn't the problem.
Fender (or Squier) needs to release a standard reverse headstock Strat
I find it interesting that Fender doesn't do this. They should.
Just for kicks I went through both Fender and Squier's entire lineup of Strats just to see how many reverse headstock models exist.
On the Fender side, there is one production model and three from Fender Custom Shop. The production model is the Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster. The three custom shop models are the Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child Strat, Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child Strat Journeyman Relic and the Dick Dale Signature Stratocaster.
On the Squier side there is the Contemporary Stratocaster HH.
As you'll notice, none of these are traditional build Strats. All of them have custom stuff in them.
Given the fact that most guitarists think reverse headstock Strats are cool, and that cool factor matters for guitar sales, why isn't there a "plain" Fender or Squier Stratocaster with a reverse headstock?
This is what I suggest to Fender if they happen to read this: Do a short run of Mexico-build Player model reverse headstock SSS Strats as a test and have Guitar Center/Musician's Friend sell them. Call it the Player Reverse. Three solid color finish options. Sunburst, Buttercream and Tidepool. 1-piece maple necks only. Use necks with the larger headstock and the transition a.k.a. '70s style logo treatment. No need to reinvent the wheel here.
If it's a Squier, release as a short run Classic Vibe model. Take the Contemporary HH model, put that back to a traditional build style with traditional SSS pickups and tremolo, offer in 1 or 2 colors with 1-piece maple neck.
I think either of these would sell well. Flipped headstocks on Strats just look cool.
Is a 3.5" screen Garmin GPS still usable?
Answer: Yes. I use one myself as a daily driver.
The very last 3.5" screen Garmin car-specific GPS ever released for North America was the nuvi 30 in 2012. The 30 was launched with hardly any fanfare, lived for a short time, disappeared, and we never saw another 3.5" car GPS after that from Garmin.
I own two nuvi 30 GPSes because I like them so much. If my main 30 ever busts, I have a backup.
The 30, just like any 3.5" Garmin GPS, works the same as widescreen models, with the exception all of them have the ABCDE keyboard layout and no QWERTY. But that's literally the only difference. The 3.5" is functionally identical to widescreen models otherwise.
What makes the 30 great are two things. First, just like the 50, it has that glorious daylight-readable screen that was the best generation of screens Garmin ever put on a car GPS. Second, the screen touch response is far superior to that of the 40 or 50 of the same generation. For whatever reason, 3.5" matte screens always had better touch response compared to wide 4.3" and 5.0" matte screen models, and the 30 is no different.
Text too small?
The map text is fine, but in the Favorites list the text is a bit "scrunched".
Because the 30 model has such good screen contrast like the 40 and 50, it's easily read during bright daylight driving. For night driving, obviously there are no problems with legibility there.
Again, on the Favorites list is where the smaller text gets a little annoying. But it's not a deal-breaker.
Map too small?
In Track Up or North Up map display mode, yes, too small. But in 3-D mode it's just fine.
The 3-D display option has big thick on-screen map arrows and increased text size that can be read easily on the 3.5" display.
Works?
Yes, the 30 works very well as does just about any Garmin 3.5" with updated firmware and maps, even if it's free OSM map data.
Good enough for 2019 and beyond?
Yes.
A Garmin nuvi 30 or any other 3.5" model for that matter is a means of car navigation only used by nerdy folk who appreciate simple, reliable GPSes.
You have to be nerdy to use one of these things. If you buy one, it will be old, it will need its firmware updated and will need new maps (usually handled by a free OSM map image).
I was willing to go through the process of doing all the updating to get a nice, reliable 3.5" GPS with a truly daylight-readable screen. The 30 doesn't do traffic nor Bluetooth nor Wi-Fi nor connect to a phone and never did. All it does it navigate. And it does a damned good job at it.
Alternative?
Seek out a Garmin Drive 52. It's a 5" model, but it's the last one with a matte screen that's truly daylight-readable.
Schecter Omen Extreme-6, 3 months later
It's been 3 months, and this guitar is doing well.
Some guitars I buy and they don't even stay with me a month. Some don't even last a week. But this one, the Schecter Omen Extreme-6 in Ocean Blue Burst, has stuck around. I've now had it about 3 months.
Here's how things have fared out thus far:
I still very much appreciate how light in weight this guitar is. I've not weighed it, but it's either at or just under 7 pounds. It's lovely.
Tuners hold tune just fine, the nut string travel is great, the bridge saddles haven't budged, all the electronics still work great, and there's no creaks, squeaks or rattles anywhere.
I think what's amazed me the most is the neck stability. I only had to adjust the truss rod once. Just once. And it stayed put. I've not had to readjust it since.
It took me some time to get used to the pickups, but now I very much like them. When split, this is the most Strat-sounding guitar with a pair of humbuckers I've ever heard. The pickups totally have that Strat "quack" when used in single-coil mode. It's so good that you'd think it was a Fender. I'm not kidding.
Least usable pickup setting for me is neck-only. I find myself using bridge and bridge + middle the most. It's not that the neck-alone setting is bad. I just haven't really found a use for it just yet.
I only have two complaints about the guitar. The push-pull is a bit stiff and requires a firm pull to put it in the up position, and I don't like that volume controls are flipped. The knob closest to the neck controls the bridge pickup and the middle knob controls the neck pickup. I may at some point flip these around, but for now I'm okay with it.
For most players, the flipped volume controls is a plus rather than a minus since so many guitarists live on only the bridge pickup. But I like it the old-school way, so again, I may flip the volume pots back to traditional positions. The only reason I haven't is just laziness since the guitar works just fine.
No issues otherwise. Everything still works exactly as it should. Schecter definitely did this guitar right.
How to avoid guitar shipping damage
This is based on an email conversation I had, and it's definitely good enough to write about since you can avoid a lot of headaches from what you're about to read.
I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where I literally have access to just about any guitar I want to try out. For anything from a cheap Squier to a very ritzy PRS McCarty or anything else you can think of, I can just drive on down to any number of guitar stores to play one.
I full well understand that's a privilege most people don't have. I also full well understand that most people have to literally buy to try a guitar. And one of the worst things that can happen is when a guitar arrives in the mail damaged. That will just ruin your whole week.
Here's the truth about guitar shipments and what you can do to avoid shipping damage.
Most if not all shipping damage will happen at the last leg of the shipment route
Typically, where packages get thrown around most is obviously not at the guitar store, not at the warehouse and not at the shipping distribution center. It happens when the package is fewer than 25 miles from your house. That last leg of the journey is where things can go wrong.
Just about everyone can tell this exact same story:
"I ordered X from Y company. The ordering process went fine, but then the day X was supposed to arrive, it didn't. I called [insert shipping company here], and they said the driver made an attempt at delivery and said I wasn't there. I said I had been home all day waiting for the package and it never showed."
This story always means the same thing. The delivery driver got behind on his route and lied about where he said he was. This means your package was shoved on to a truck, banged around, then shoved back into some holding place at the distribution center.
How does this story end? It involves several rounds of phone calls leading nowhere, the driver making "repeated attempts" (more lies), and you having to have the package redirected elsewhere just to get it. By the time you do, the box is all banged up, package damaged, and your day ruined.
Want your guitar to arrive undamaged? Never have it delivered to your house.
If you have a delivery driver that you can't trust, don't trust him. Go around him.
How? Have the package redirected to a pickup location.
Which are the best pickup locations?
UPS Stores, UPS distribution centers, FedEx Office stores and FedEx distribution centers.
Using a store instead of a distribution center is usually easier for most people.
How to redirect a package in transit
Some places you order from online may not allow to specify the option to ship to a shipping store or distribution center.
Not a problem. Have it redirected while in transit.
Perform the following steps:
- Before ordering your guitar, find out what shipper will be used.
- Locate a local store or distribution center (whichever is closest to you) and get its address. You'll need this later.
- Order the guitar.
- Get the shipping tracking number.
- Monitor the shipment and wait until it's actually in transit, because you can't ask for a redirect until the shipment is "in the system", so to speak. This usually takes about a day.
- Once the first leg of the shipment has started, call the shipper and request a redirect to a local store.
- Monitor the shipment via the tracking number.
- Once the shipment arrives at the store, print out all the tracking info.
- Go to the store. Have some form of ID with you (driver's license usually is enough).
- Give the guy at the desk the printout and your ID. He will get your package.
- Inspect the box before leaving. Look for damage. If you spot any, grab your phone and take photos of it. Make sure those photos are time-stamped (it is worth it to look up how to do this with your phone as they can all do it).
- No damage? Cool. Take your package and go home. But if there was damage, you have photos proving absolutely it was the shipper's fault just in case you find anything busted when you open the box later at home.
Should you always have guitars shipped this way?
If there are no guitar stores near you, yes. Always pick the guitar up at an official shipping store or distribution center and never have it shipped to your house.
If you do have a guitar store near you that has the guitar you want to order, always have it shipped to the store and not to your house.
I've been doing this for years with Guitar Center stores. I never have a guitar shipped to where I live to specifically avoid lost packages and shipping damage. In addition, I can inspect the guitar at the store once received. If anything is wrong with it, I just refuse the instrument and get a refund, take store credit or have a replacement ordered. GC is not only very OK with this, they encourage it because it's actually easier both for you and them to handle everything in-store.
Have freight packing tools just in case you need them to ship the guitar back
If you don't have packing tape, get some. The really good stuff for cardboard boxes is reinforced gummed tape.
Buy some king size chisel tip Sharpie markers. You'll need these to cross out old stickers. Great to have.
Get yourself a heavy duty packing stapler. Just about all guitars come shipped in stapled boxes. Yours won't be as large as the brass ones the box has, but will be good enough to repack the box in case the guitar has to be shipped back.
And remember, unpack any guitar out of its box slowly, save all the packing materials, and TAKE PHOTOS with your phone to see exactly how it was originally shipped so you can repack it exactly the same way, if need be.