new fender problem!

Hi

I've just received my Fender Pa'ina by post. My first ever ukulele!

I'm pleased with the way it looks and sounds overall but I have a couple of issues with it.

I'm pretty sure I've tuned it correctly (I used Youtube videos) and I've detected...

• a buzz on the wound C string, 6th fret
• a smaller buzz on the G, 6th fret
• (most worrying of all) the same sound on G string frets 6 and 7

I've ordered another set of strings that hasn't arrived yet.

I've read he sticky on buzzing problems but there's no way I can attempt anything myself.
Are these kind of problems common on ukes people buy onlline? (

what would you do?

• send it back (I presume I'll have to pay for shipping)?
• change the strings?
• take it to my local music shop to try and have it fixed?

thanks for your help

If you get the same note on frets 6 and 7, that explains the 6th fret buzz. It's hitting the 7th fret. You need someone to look at the fretboard and look for a high 7th fret, or a low 6th fret or a fretboard that's not level.

You can spend forever chasing buzzes around and never get it solved, or send it back where you got it and ask for another one. Try taking it to a local shop with a good repair department first. If you're lucky they might be able to help more cheaply than the cost of return shipping.

Buzzing isn't necessarily a big problem, but in conjunction with the last issue you mention (and which I'd agree is probably the most significant), I think it's a good idea to take it to the nearest store with a good guitar tech/repairman/luthier.

Get them to tell you if there is an identifiable fault that should have been addressed before the instrument was sold.

The "same sound on frets 6 and 7" thing (I guess you mean the same note?) would usually indicate a fret problem. Occasionally a kink in the string will cause it, but most often it will mean either a high 7th fret or a low 6th.

If that's the case, then in my opinion, that (unlike a simple nut or bridge adjustment) is beyond routine set-up and constitutes a fault that means the instrument cannot be correctly played. I would contact the seller and ask for it to be rectified under warranty. I would not expect to pay shipping to have a faulty instrument repaired or replaced if the problem was present on delivery. You'd need to discuss the terms with your retailer.

Near enough simultaneous post with Dave.

Looks like consensus on the fret thing.

Thank you both for your answers.

You say buzzes are common but I've checked on my very cheap 15 year old guitar and there are no buzzes and no similar notes anywhere on the fretboard!

That's quite poor from Fender really, I expected better than that.

I'll take it to a shop tomorrow and I hope they can fix it.
Cheers!

fab612 said:

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That's quite poor from Fender really, I expected better than that.
...

Click to expand...

They're mass produced so you can't expect too much. The first thing I did on my Fender was change the strings. Major improvement.

He didn't say it was "common" just that it's not that big a deal. You can either take it to a repair shop, or take your chances and exchange it and hope the new one is better.

Mine buzzed, too. The saddle on was lifted a bit. I found it when changing the strings. No more buzz.