The buzz feiten designed tempered tuning system allows our guitars to play more in tune than you have ever heard before. The buzz feiten website has all sorts of great info on it and looks like everything else is pretty straightforward. I am really grateful to tonezone, who convinced me to get buzz feiten tuning system in this guitar it gives me freedom to use strange chords or chord lines, as well as simple sounds. The bridge intonation has been set at the factory and should not need to be readjusted, unless changing string gauge by two or more sizes i. There are other systems on the market like the earvana nut, which promise installityourself compensated tuning without the offsets at a lower price, but your mileage may vary depending on the. American airlines sponspored the american youth performs program pdf. The alder core, combined with a swamp ash top, gives the elitepro a rich low midrange and the sparkling top end thats the signature tone of ash. Shop for buzz feiten tuners peterson strobe tuners.
Correct tuning and intonation for guitar, bass and all fretted, stringed instruments. Guide that employs a 2step visual indicator system to help you achieve the ultimate in. Along with our shelf nut position, this brings the guitar. In 1992, guitarist buzz feiten patented a new tempered tuning system for guitars, known since as the buzz feiten tuning system or bfts. Buzz feiten elitepro in store pickup only the elitepro is the workhorse of the line, and i designed it from the ground up to combine the two woods that seem to cover all the bases. Sometimes i think this whole deal is a case of the emperors clothing my ears arent that critical, so i wouldnt spend the money. Buzz feiten system the buzz feiten system certified installers do partial nut compensation by moving the nut forward by a specified amount, and then using one of their patented feiten pitch offsets to tune the open strings.
The system that buzz devised has been a godsend to guitarists. The result is kind of like the stretch tuning commonly used on pianos to make them sound more in tune to our ears. The guitars bridge is then adjusted to buzz feiten tuning system patented bridge offsets that create balanced intonation over the entire fingerboard every fret every string. The system consists of a compensated string nut or shelf nut and a. The resulting tempered tuning is superbly musical, and most important, in tune. Once the nut has been moved to the correct location, the guitar is intonated according to the feiten tempered tuning tables a very specific list of. Tuning with the bfts tuning with an electronic tuner buzz feiten. And some say its just a collection of luthier tips that were already widely known. I got a washburn jb100 midi as soon as it came out. The following is a guide to the use of the buzz feiten tuning system. Great balance, but if you have to perform a retrofit you may still have issues. I have reached the point where i am fed up with tuning, intonating, re tuning, reintonating, ad nauseum and still not being able to get rid of the outoftune beating on some. Luthiers thoughts on buzz feiten tuning system page 2.
I use it a lot for midi sequencer stuff and it works perfectly in that context. Bfts shelf nut moves the strings closer to the first fret according to our patented formula. Most installations do not need to make any permanent modifications to the instrument. By using the 12th root of 2 as a basic tuning system, you are not using the natural pythagorean tuning system that follows the harmonics on your strings. There will be courses offered at the end of regular construction courses.
When we intonate and tune a normal guitar, even when using a very accurate tuner, we find that chords, especially, dont sound very in. Korg tuners and metronomes purchased from a korg usa authorized dealer now have a three year warranty. In short, feiten is a guitarist with firsthand knowledge of the demands of live performance, recording, and realworld functionality, and its all. Guitars and basses retrofitted with bfts check our dealer page for an authorized retrofitter near you. Tuning buzz feiten electric guitar peterson strobe tuners. Buzz feiten tuning system bfts if this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. The buzz feiten tuning system includes formulas for calculating the optimal amount of nut compensation for the scale length, string gauge and string type in use. Does anyone have this installed on their epi lp and is. Wasnt terribly expensive and can save several tunings. Buzz feiten describes the benefits of his tuning system. The fact that you need tuning offsets with the feiten system shows that it does not give equal tempered intonation. The buzz feiten tuning system can be retrofitted onto pretty much any electric guitar or bass. Based on that, i would say that such an offset is not considered to be a fundamental part of the system. How to identify a bfts guitar buzz feiten tuning system.
He is best known as a lead and rhythm guitarist and for having patented a tuning system for guitars and similar instruments. Buzz feiten tuning system support open string and intonation settings. Buzz feiten tuning system bfts tom anderson guitarworks. Even when the nut was cut foward towards the first fret he never used the compensated intonation. How is my guitar retrofitted with the buzz feiten tuning system. I bought the tuner suggested by tom which is a sonic research st300 strobe. Builtin support for buzz feiten bfts equipped instruments is included. It could be a clip on tuner, a tuner app, or a roadie. The buzz feiten tuning system bfts relocates the nut slightly and uses different offsets in setting the intonation at the bridge. This will defeat the feiten system, so you can use any tuner. The solution the buzz feiten tuning system inspired by the pianos tempered tuning, the buzz feiten tuning system is a revolutionary intonation model for guitar that intonates each string not only to itself, but also to every other string. Hamer and prs i believe both use a compensated scale length similar to the feiten system.
Composer, guitar lightnin rodhustlers convention 1973. Combining correct nut placement with a new, easy to use intonation model, the buzz feiten tuning system tm allows the guitar to sound better than ever before. The buzz feiten tuning system solves tuning and intonation problems with 2 simple steps. Luckily, all mtd kingston basses come with the zero fret installed. The buzz feiten tuning system explained anderson guitarworks. Buzz just happened to think about registering them under a patent first. Mar 24, 2011 buzz feiten tuning system explained duration. The following tuning methods were specifically developed for guitars with the buzz feiten tuning system. Along with our shelf nut position, this brings the guitar into proper intonation that is in tune all over the fingerboard. The feiten system is primarily a visually undetectable structural neck change in combination with slightly altered bridge intonation offsets. Part of it is that there is more wiggle room allowed in the tuning of a perfect fourth or fifth than there is for a major third. Add professional tuning power to your daw with strobosofts slink technology. My local guitar shop is certified for buzz feiten tuning system installation.
The buzz feiten system, and others that attempt to make certain chords in specific keys sounds better are reverting to other tuning systems than 12tet. Feiten patented a tuning system for guitars, marketed as the buzz feiten tuning system, which is intended to correct problems of the standard equal temperament. Using a multipatented combination of altered placement of the nut, and recalculated intonation at the bridge, the feiten system corrects the guitars innate inability to play in tune. Guitars retrofitted with bfts buzz feiten tuning system. His longrenowned buzz feiten tuning system allows players to tune their guitars more accurately, and his line of solidbody electric guitars display a keen eye for detail and ergonomic feel. Aug 18, 2014 the buzz feiten intonation system is a series of subtle intonation offsets that stretch the tuning slightly to account for the interaction of different string gauges and scale lengths. My new tom anderson has the buzz feiten tuning system. It allows your guitar to tune more accurately than you have ever experienced before. Luthier celso freire is an authorized retrofitter in brazil. The buzz feiten tuning system is standard on all usa made washburn guitars and basses and is featured on select imported models. A buzz feiten tuning system serial numbered logo sticke r on the back of your guitars headstock. Buzz feiten elitepro in store pickup only welcome to steve. You will need a tuner that can either be programmed to those offsets or that has them already programmed.
Tonezone tele with buzz feiten tuning system youtube. Find the best selection of buzz feiten guitars at guitar center at the guaranteed lowest prices and free shipping. Because of feiten s patented bridge offsets, the only way to install a feiten system is to get an authorized buzz feiten retrofitter to do it for you. I can use a normal tuning, and save my tempered tuning and intonation as well. This eliminates sharp notes at the first three frets. Its probably the biggest thing to happen to the guitar in 2 or 300 years. Feiten is also a luthier, having originated the patented buzz feiten tuning system and later designing and producing solidbody electric guitars under the feiten, buzz feiten, supernova, and supernova future vintage logos. Although hard to see, the picture on the right shows the almost 116.
Contact the buzz feiten tuning system authorized retrofiter near you to have your guitar or bass retrofitted with the buzz feiten tuning system. If the guitar is manufactured with it youre better off. Go to top finally i buffed the entire body with cotton buffing wheels and high quality 3m compounds, added some white felt strap button washers, cleaned the chrome, restrung it, checked the truss rod, and set. Feb 25, 2008 hi, i recently purchased an epiphone les paul standard in ebony. I know you need the special offsets in your tuner to get the true buzz feiten effect, but can you get away with tuning on a regular tuner in a pinch. Also unless your guitar says feiten on the back of the headstock it doesnt have the nut moved. Its just that guitars dont play in tune, so this is a way to get better tuning out of them. The buzz feiten tuning system solves tuning and intonation problems by slightly extending the nut over the fingerboard. Even if it is you can intonate from a fretted note to a fretted note instead of using open. According to a patented formula, the buzz feiten tuning system solves tuning and intonation problems by. At this writing late 2019, he is the principal at supernova guitar research, a. Buzz feiten tuning system redzone guitar works redzone. The architecture of his system makes it possible to tune guitars and basses more accurately, resulting in more accurate tonality of notes played on the lowest 3 or 4 frets, which can frequently sound. Buzz feiten tuning system fender stratocaster guitar forum.
All anderson guitars are equipped with the buzz feiten design tuning system. The classic also features a new wraparound style bridge with the buzz feiten tuning system built in, a 24 34 scale, tuning key extensions with a pyramid style tuning machine layout that provides straight string pull for all 6 strings, and my version of the classic paf pickup design. When we intonate and tune a normal guitar, even when using a very accurate tuner, we find that chords, especially, dont sound very in tune. David is now certified to teach the buzz feiten tuning system. Fans of the system include eddie van halen, steve vai, joe satriani, liona boyd and andy summers. Just because someone is an authorized buzz feiten retrofitter, doesnt mean they are detail oriented. These tuning instructions are only applicable to electronic tuners that include the buzz feiten tuning system. These shops have been trained and authorized to retrofit guitars and basses with the bfts and carry our shelf nuts and serial numbered stickers to perform the work. Designed to improve the tuning results of guitars and basses that have been built to include the buzz feiten system, it includes the installation of a special shelf nut.
Its my first les paul and want to send it to my local guitar shop to have it properly setup. Luthier took training in january 2006 for this intonation adjustment. For what is done, the money is little if you like your guitar and feel it needs to play in better tune. The buzz feiten tuning system is a tempered tuning formula, which uses a compensated nut and saddle to correct the inherent intonation problems of the western tuning formula. In either case, its something that many of us hear about, and few of us actually know the mechanics of how it.
These shops have been trained and authorized to retrofit guitars and basses with the bfts and carry our shelf nuts and. This eliminated sharp notes at the first three frets. Then they set the saddle intonation also using the btfs pitch offsets. The results are astounding when you consider the small adjustments made to the instrument. Timeless instruments is now offering buzz feiten tuning system retrofitting for both electric and acoustic guitars. Each shelf nut is precision machined from high quality. Available as a retrofit on any guitar, and on new instruments from a wide. It corrects the bogus spacing of the nut to the first fret and then it implements a tempered tuning system on a gtr much like how a piano is tuned. The peterson tuner range includes all existing tuning and intonation offsets for the buzz feiten tuning system. Its not better or worse than the buzz feiten system, just different.
The feiten system is a system, more than just a nut modification. Buzz feiten summit school of guitar building and repair. Use a standard tuner and program in the open and 12th fret offsets. Electric retrofit standard nut nut nut relocation is accomplished with our noninvasive bfts shelf nut, machined from bone or graphite, and expertly retrofitted by one of our trained, authorized retrofitters. My custom designed pickups feature alnico5 magnets, incredible. Not long ago mcpherson began implementing the buzz feiten tuning system into their guitars. Although the guitar is also an instrument capable of playing chords, that same method was not applied to the guitar until tom anderson introduced the buzz feiten tuning system in early 1996. They lose their normal hourly rates, actually taking in less, when they do buzz feiten systems on guitars. The nut is moved closer to the first fret to eliminate sharpness at the first three frets caused by end tension. I have reached the point where i am fed up with tuning, intonating, retuning, reintonating, ad nauseum and still not being able to get rid of the outoftune beating on some chords, especially when sustained with distortion. The dt7 tunes both in a normal mode or in the buzz feiten mode for guitars, a patented tuning that adjusts or tempers the standard tuning slightly to set up in the feiten system.
Batson guitars generation 2 acoustics with buzz feiten tuning. Buzz feiten shelf overhang not only allows the first fret notes to sound in tune, but also for more contact with the the rosewood board. The buzz feiten tuning system some think its a singular invention by buzz. This proves authenticity and certifies that the shop doing the work is one of our authorized retrofitters. Buzz feiten tuning offsets tom anderson guitarworks. Buzz feiten tuning system instructions these tuning instructions are only applicable to mtd basses that include the buzz feitentuning system. The feiten website includes the following language regarding tuning note item 3 which would negate the principle of producing an offset by tuning to the open string. Buzz feiten s system works far more convincingly, it is based on exact calculations, and is relatively simple to reproduce. Ive used the peterson strobosoft software for this purpose and i believe the hardwarebased tuners are capable as well. In fact, the buzz feiten tuning system tm permits every stringed and fretted instrument to play in every key with equally pleasing intonation. As we all have experienced, a guitar is not an instrument that can play perfectly in tune.
Can you use a regular tuner with a buzz feiten system. Howard buzz feiten born november 4, 1948 is an american singersongwriter, guitarist, session musician, and luthier. The existing nut is replaced with a bfts shelf nut which is custom cut to each particular guitar during installation and the intonation is modified based on the. Shelf nut our exclusive buzz feiten tuning system bfts shelf nut moves the strings closer to the first fret according to our patented formula. Heres a les paul custom that came in with a previously installed buzz feiten nut that really had me scratching my head. Aug 08, 2006 it is the feiten tuning system that is patented not the nut placement scale change. Get the feiten system installed on your current guitar or bass by a trained expert, buzz feiten tuning system authorized retrofitter. The buzz feiten tuning system tuning and intonation setup for your bridge saddles.
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