Buzz Feiten tuning system

[Transcend]

Whats the deal with this? i have my eye on a guitar that has it well its almost THE guitar ive been searching for for the last 2 years or so

http://www.dv247.com/guitars/washburn-wv66gt-greg-tribbett-electric-guitar-white--49187

the only things putting me off so far are the headstock which im unsure on and the tuning system as i dont know anything of it at all

i looked on the buzz feiten site and it looks more hassle than its worth having to tune the guitar in a different way.

Would it play havoc if i tuned it the way i do all my other guitars?

[FELINEGUITARS]

If you get one of the tuners that has  the offsets built in it makes it easier

I much prefer the Earvana system as once fitted the player doesn't need to do anything differently at all

[Transcend]

If you get one of the tuners that has  the offsets built in it makes it easier

I much prefer the Earvana system as once fitted the player doesn't need to do anything differently at all

So id have to buy a specific tuner or just follow the guidelines on the site?

thanks

also what do they mean when they refer to beatless?

http://www.buzzfeiten.com/howitworks/tuningbyear.htm

[Keven]

i figure they mean without any oscillation between the notes. (the kind of out of tune chorus effect)

[Pete24v]

i have it on my N4, it does sound more 'intune' than other guitars i have. I did buy the Peterson strobostomp tuner to tune it properly as well.

[DavidRees]

I started a thread on this a while back - its all in here

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=18145.msg243157#msg243157

[Transcend]

Thanks a lot.

Is it hard to pick up the system or is it just one of those things that become natural after doing it a few times?

i imagine it will confuse the hell out of me when switching between my ibanez and this washburn if i do buy it

[Groove Cartel]

You do need a 'special' tuner, but most modern tuners offer an option for 'sweetened' or Buzz Feiten tuning. The guitar definately sounds better, especially if you play alongside keys as I do. However, you cant get a guitar that has it and tune it to 440 as it will sound out of tune slightly and defeats the objects. All my Vanquish Guitars have it and I would recommend it to anyone. Its not a black art or something special, its just different intonation and a new nut basically.

[FELINEGUITARS]

Both the Buzz Feiten and Earvana systems work well and give pleasing results
Here is a piccy of a Fender with the "shelf" version of the Earvana nut



IOt's a nut the cradles over the edge of the fingerboard to shorten certain strins by a set amount
It is completely reversable , so it makes it tempting if you have a valuable or vintage guitar that you may wish to later reverse the process on (not that you'd want to for sonic reasons) it's just a question of getting the old nut refitted or having a new standard one installed

[Transcend]

thanks guys youve all been very helpful

[Elliot]

I've had Jon/Feline do 3 of my guitars with earvana nuts and I can confirm that they make the guitar sound fanatastic.  For some reason the acoustic properties of the guitar are lifted - For example, my Mexican 60s strat was always dead sounding and on the bassy end of the spectrum - The earvana was like lifting a sonic fog from the guitar.

I was totally sceptical at first but I really recommend the earvana - people talk about the lift a Calaham bridge/block gives a Fender - for the a lesser price including fitting the earvana adds a hell of a lot more zing to your guitar than changing the block or the bridge.

[JDC]

Anyone know if you can you get the Earvana Floyd style locking nuts yet? Saw them on their website a while ago, do they still work if you down tune?

[FELINEGUITARS]

The Earvana Floyd Nuts have just become available in the R3 Floyd Rose or 1-11/16" width
They are about £60-£70

I will be ordering some in with my next earvana order

[DavidRees]

I still kind of go back to some of my original comments - various players within whom we place our trust said something - they must watch what goes on on these boards - fess up or not?
Jonathan's take on this seems the only opinion I can feel comfortable with even though Earvana may not be for me - at the end how our tuning is is always a bit of a funny thing and there is no magic answer for everyone
tune all your E's to E -drink a can of Brew and kick ass!!
best wishes
David