LTD ZH-7 guitar setup help

[H-evolve]

Hi all,

I don't write posts too often in here, but I have a bit of a problem and I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction.

I have searched for answers all over the web, I did find some good info, but I still have some open points. Here's my problem:

I recently bought the new LTD ZH-7 guitar, with the Dimarzio D-Activator pickups. The guitar looks great, the feeling is awesome, but it came with some adjustment problems. Not a big deal, I know it's a common problem on brand new guitars. So I sent it to a technician for a good first setup and he pointed the following problems with the guitar:

1- The pickups were sitting perfectly straight, instead of following the strings (I mean, the pickups were not parallel to the strings). When he attempted to adjust them, there was no adjustment possible. Normally when you unscrew the bolts, they will raise right? Well they were just not moving... So he had to actually put shims under the pickups (made of spunge). To me, it's a bit weird that a guitar does not have pickup adjustment possible. My other guitar, which is a Washburn in the same price range, has height adjustment.

Do you guys think it's normal? Or is it maybe a manufacturing mistake?

2- The nut grooves were way too deep. So, because replacing or shimming the nut is kinda difficult (or so I was told), he prepared some special stuff (some power + glue) to try and fill up the grooves. Personnally, I'd rather have the nut replaced or shimmed, but what do you guys think?

3- The tape around the pickups was done by somebody that clearly didn't care about it. You can see bumps of cables under it, like it was just packed and taped. While it does not hinder the sound of the pickups, it's just ugly. Is the taping usually done by the guitar manufacturer or the pickup company?

4- All that was done by the technician reduced the fret buzz a lot. But yesterday when I took my guitar to play, it was even worse than it has ever been. The high E string is so close to the frets it doesn't vibrate much, as the fret just smothers the sound. I have not done anything to the strings, guitar, etc. It was lying in its case (closed). Is it really possible that the neck moved that much by itself?


So, I might just be very picky, but I am a bit disapointed by the assembly quality of the guitar. I understand that it's not a 3000$ American Custom ESP, but still... It's not a 400$ guitar either. And from the reviews that I read on the internet, people seem to really think it's a great guitar.

Thanks for the help, tips and advices.

 

[H-evolve]

Forgot to mention, it's a TOM bridge type of guitar. I guess it could be relevant to have that information.

 

[varobinson]

Hello,

First issue --
If you can't raise or lower the pickups that is to me a defect of some sort. I can't imagine that being intended. Never seen or heard of that.

Nut grooves...Too low meaning you have a lot of fret buzz. I've found it's quite hard to avoid frets 1-5 fret buzz with thicker strings at typically lower metal tunings with most factory nuts. I've learned to live with it (pickups won't really pickup the buzz from that far away but its still a negative) but plan to get a bone nut. The method your guitar tech used can work somewhat (it did for me). The recommendations I read online is just have a new nut cut for your specific to your tuning and strings, unless you want more flexibility. I don't think its terribly difficult or expensive. It's pretty cheap where I live.

re: the pickup tape. It typically looks a little shabby to me.

I wouldn't think it possible for the neck to really flex that much on its own. I assume the guitar tech performed some neck relief work. It doesn't sound like you had a successful setup to say the least, you could try a different guitar tech and be very specific and be there when he is setting it up. That's what I had to do.

 

[H-evolve]

Hello,

First issue --
If you can't raise or lower the pickups that is to me a defect of some sort. I can't imagine that being intended. Never seen or heard of that.

Nut grooves...Too low meaning you have a lot of fret buzz. I've found it's quite hard to avoid frets 1-5 fret buzz with thicker strings at typically lower metal tunings with most factory nuts. I've learned to live with it (pickups won't really pickup the buzz from that far away but its still a negative) but plan to get a bone nut. The method your guitar tech used can work somewhat (it did for me). The recommendations I read online is just have a new nut cut for your specific to your tuning and strings, unless you want more flexibility. I don't think its terribly difficult or expensive. It's pretty cheap where I live.

re: the pickup tape. It typically looks a little shabby to me.

I wouldn't think it possible for the neck to really flex that much on its own. I assume the guitar tech performed some neck relief work. It doesn't sound like you had a successful setup to say the least, you could try a different guitar tech and be very specific and be there when he is setting it up. That's what I had to do.

Hey thanks for your advice.

Regarding the fret buzz, I agree that, especially on a 7-string, it's hard to not have buzz at all. I like my action to be as low as possible, therefore I can live with some buzz on the low strings, as long as the pickups don't catch the noise it makes.

But, my current situation is that the buzz is so intense even the high E string stops from resonating when played open. I am not an expert, but I think this would be most likely caused by the nut being too low, rather than the neck angle being wrong or the action being too low (I get no buzz when I press the high strings)

Pickup height adjustment, that's what I thought too... Makes no sense that it would just be 1-Positionned completely wrong (not parallel to the strings), 2- No adjustment possible.

So, I think I'll just send it back to the shop where I bought it for them to fix it.

But it sucks that ESP never replied my email about all this problem.