[Dorian2]

Quick question. I looked this issue up real quick and there could be 2 possibilities at work.

Nut: I restrung the Bass a while ago, pretty sure it has the standard strings (maybe a bit lighter, not sure)
Could be a nut issue
2: String trees: It was on a Fender Bass site I saw that possible fix.

The LTD doesn't come with trees. I do not want to introduce them to the equation neither, so I'm thinking there might be a 3rd possibility. When I restrung the Bass, I applied my string winding technique for guitar. So I have 3 winds on each string....except for the low E which has 4 (accidentally). Would too many winds on the peg cause this? If anyone has run into this particular situation, let me know how you dealt with it yourself please. It's really frigging annoying.

Oh, I'm pretty sure I applied Nut Sauce to the nut before the change as well, if that helps the assessment here. I'll try posting a decent pic or 2 very soon.

Thanks in advance

 

[Dorian2]

After taking the photos, I really did F up the winds pretty good, so that could be a contributor to the issue:

The winds:

The back of nut, which leads me to think there may be an angle issue here (similar to pleking issue on new guitars?):

Hope the pics help.

Maybe the dust particles are making the buzz with the extra weight added is another option.

 

[cdntac]

I'm missing something --- you're getting fret buzz between the nut and tuning pegs? Huh???

Is it a vibration that you're experiencing?

 

[Dorian2]

I'm missing something --- you're getting fret buzz between the nut and tuning pegs? Huh???

Is it a vibration that you're experiencing?

Yeah, vibration. Poor choice of wording on my part. Title has been updated. Initially I thought maybe it was loose tuning pegs or something, but they're pretty tight. Almost a rattling sound.

 

[cdntac]

Check every screw on the guitar and the nuts that tighten the tuning pegs on top of the headstock..

Also, try reseating the strings in the nut slots and on the saddles. I've seen vibrations caused by that for some reason.

Edited to add: I forgot to mention --- tug on the strings to remove any slack from the windings.

 

[Dorian2]

Tugging the string is my routine after a restring, but I'll do it a bit more after I've done everything else you've suggested. Thanks. Since it was my 1st bass restring ever, I may have neglected certain normal guide lines I follow on the 6 strings.

 

[Granny Gremlin]

Is it just me or does it look like those strings (OP did say lighter) have some extra room in the slots? If so that's probably it. Easiest to jet the same guage strings (or bigger).

You don't need trees on a 2+2; only 4 in line, and then only 1 which will do the top 2 strings.

The tug ("stretching") is good to do but has nothing to do with this issue - that's more about tuning stability. I also tune up a half to full step up and leave it overnight; retune, check action and intonate next day. Guitar or bass; same.

 

[cdntac]

Somewhere you're getting a frequency vibration (that's my guess). Sometimes it doesn't take much to cause it. Even something just a tiny, tiny bit loose can result in this happening.

 

[Granny Gremlin]

Forgot to mention, prob not it, but easy: check that the nuts around the tuning posts are not loose.

 

[Dorian2]

Man guys, thanks a lot. I just tugged the strings with no result. Reseated strings with no result. Tightened screws with no results. So I sat on the couch and shook the guitar back and forth. Sounds like one of the cheap ass tuning key housings is shaking on the inside. Sounded to me like the D string one, but will verify. Thanks a bunch for the suggestions.

Any recommendations for decent tuning pegs that won't cost a shit tonne of cash? I went really cheap on the pegs, but I have more that I can replace it with. Like the original ESPs for 3 strings anyways.

I new better than to gets cheap ass replacements, but I really didn't want to spend any money on it besides the original investment. Should've known better.

 

[cdntac]

Does the tuner still work correctly?

Can the vibration be heard while playing through an amp?

If no to both of those questions --- don't worry about it. Play away!

 

[ZeroGravity]

I had an annoying buzz that I thought was coming from the pickup cavity. Turns out it was the leaf/elephant ear of the tuning peg was actually loose. A small piece of paper jammed in fixed it. Not your issue since you have different style of tuners but shows that the vibration can come from unlikely spots.

 

[Dorian2]

Does the tuner still work correctly?

Can the vibration be heard while playing through an amp?

If no to both of those questions --- don't worry about it. Play away!

Haha. Yeah, I can hear it even playing through the amp, even though the rattle doesn't go through the amp itself.. Rattles like a Mother f'er. It's got to be fixed for sure, it'll drive me bananas. Plus I like to sit and play guitar and Bass without an amp just for finger exercises and scales/chords/arpeggios.

 

[Dorian2]

Stuck the original ESP tuning peg back on the D string. Tightens up solidly, as opposed to the slippage on the other POS. Threw that crappy tuner out and plan on putting the other 2 ESPs back on their respective places. Just need to find a replacement for the original left side that was busted.

Moral of the story, don't cheap out on parts just because the guitar was cheap as shit. Now I have to search for proper ESP tuning pegs for an ESP LTD Viper 54. Sometimes just creating a thread to ask a question when you need a nudge in the right direction helps. Obviously I'm fairly inexperienced on working on guitars. But that's what I joined this site for. I compared the 2 different tuning peg housings, threads, and screws. Everything from size, weight and length were different....just by a smidgen, but the difference in quality was very apparent. The ESPs parts were much more solid feeling. Learn something new every day.

EDIT: Rattle gone.