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Thread: 1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

  1. #1

    1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

    My first post. Apologies if I must read the entire forum for similars, but did not.

    It's a 1987 Strat Plus, 3rd owner, and I'm forgetting if it has Wilkinson nut or which. I think it's in fine shape and straight, but it's low action. Owner's manual is generic and doesn't tell me precisely which this-or-that mine has.

    How to unbuzz. Just like a buzzing fly ... I need to swat. Could be a change of strings would solve it.

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

    There should be rollers under all of the strings and rollers over the G, B and high E on an early Strat Plus (they added rollers over the low E, A and D soon after). Make sure those rollers are all there. You might consider taking the nut off of the guitar (watch out for shim locations) and clean the nut with a mild solvent and blow it out.

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    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

    What's the nature of the buzz? Only when open, fretted, one particular place on the neck? Did this just happen? There's a lot of information that we need to properly help you.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

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    Forum Member Gravity Jim's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

    Quote Originally Posted by chuckocaster View Post
    What's the nature of the buzz? Only when open, fretted, one particular place on the neck? Did this just happen? There's a lot of information that we need to properly help you.
    Agreed. If it buzzes at several free positions, it may be a resonant frequency thing, a high fret, action too low with relief.....

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    Forum Member CoyotesGator's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

    Pictures will help our panel of experts assist you.

    And...

    What happend?
    Who let the magic smoke out?

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

    Good luck with it!

    I heard a guitarist with a Strat Plus once, and that thing just sang. Wonderful guitar
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

    The firstling I'd look for on a buzzing Strat Plus is the Tremsetter. They are notorious for rattling. I tool mine out of Strat Plus about 25 years ago and it hasn't buzzed since. Great guitars IMHO. Mine's been a workhorse.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  8. #8
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    Re: 1987 Strat Plus has buzz in high E. Little bearings are missing maybe?

    Just fixed my Wilkinson string buzzing problem (also first year Strat Plus). I took the nut off and looked at the rollers and they were loose and the problem strings had rollers that had "fallen down". There are little (press fit) end caps for the rollers and I pushed them together and the rollers lined up. I put some super glue around the circumference of one of the end caps that moved the most, as the other end stopped and the roller alignment was good. Sprayed the assembly with aerosol oil, knocked out any excess and wiped it. Reinstalled. Working great now. Temporary solution, maybe. Plays and sounds great now.

    I don't know if forgetting to put the strings under the second roller has a buzzing effect.

    I like the Wilkinson nut and am really happy not to spend $$$ for NOS or alternatively put in an LSR nut and maybe a string damper.

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