Strange kind of problem in a 2000 Les Paul Studio

[mindflash]

So, I have been trying to enhance my Les Paul Studio playability by setting it up correctly. I did a lot of research about setting up the tross rush, strings height, and tail piece.

But I noticed some strange sound when I play unplugged that I can't figure out how to get rid of. It sounds like a hammer-on when I press a string against the fret. I believe the pickup doesn't get this noise and that my plugged sound is clean. But I find it strange that I can't set up my guitar to have a clean sound while unplugged. I believe it's some kind of fret buzz but instead of happening when I pick the string, it happens when I press strings against some frets.

It happens in more than one string and it can become better or worse, depending on the changes I make by turning the truss rod, elevating the bridge or changing the tail piece height. Nothing I did seems to get rid of this. I tried reliefing the truss rod so I had 0.5 to 1mm space between the 7th fret to the bottom of the high E string when I'm pressing the 2nd and 16th frets. I tried straightening the neck so it's almost touching the 7th fret. My strings heights are over 2mm at the 12th freth open strings, tried lowering it to.

Did anybody ever heard anything like that in an unplugged Les Paul? I'm avoiding luthiers in my area because people have mixed feelings about them, so I'd like to understand this problem first, before taking it to some "butcher". The guitar is 10 years old but the frets seem to be in great shape, I don't want someone messing the neck of the guitar.

Thanks

[dcmey]

Did you do the setup or did you have a professional do it? Is there any string buzzing?

[Blackie]

Maybe you are the butcher ?.......bite the bullet and get it set up.

[mindflash]

I'm not a butcher, I'm not messing with its frets, hardware or wood. I meant I don't want some bad professional ruining my frets, so before I take this route I'd like to understand what could possibly be a reason for this kind of buzz.

I don't have any string buzz, it's only happening when I press some random notes on the fingerboard, they change when I mess with the strings height or the neck curvature.

Thanks

[Pinkie]

PLEASE take it to a pro!
Ask him to show you how to do a proper set up.That should answer all your Q's

[jmg257]

Could you give a more specific description of what you are hearing and when? I am a bit confused - you get the noise unplugged...the strings buzz when you press them to a fret but not when you pluck them? You get a weird sound on a few strings when you just fret them? ???

[River]

I think you're hearing harmonics. If so, perfectly normal. Some guitars accentuate them on certain strings/frets.

"Tross rush"? You're killin' me.

[TreeHugger]

Make sure that none of the strings are touching the back edge of the bridge, just before they break over the saddle. That happened to mine when I first got it. I raised the tail piece and it went away.

Check relief from the 1st-16th frets, use a capo at the 1st fret if you have one.

I also get that kind of buzz from top-wrapping.

It does get annoying when you're not plugged in, but as long as you can't hear it through the amp you're good.

Yes, it's VERY annoying when you're not plugged in.

Getting it set up by a pro will make a WORLD of difference. I had a bone nut put in my Traditional, plus the setup... plays like a dream!