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  #1  
Old 05-02-2017, 06:13 PM
eyesore eyesore is offline
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Default a nut question

hi; i know i ask pretty goofy questions. but can anyone give me a quick fix solution to adjusting the the string height at the nut? my problem is this. the high E and B string buzz pretty bad and i have gig tommorow night . what can i use to "shim" under the nut to raise it up ;slightly? i don't care what it looks like for now ,i just need to fix it.thanks!
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Old 05-02-2017, 06:37 PM
JonWint JonWint is offline
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Build up offending slots with baking soda and CA glue. File to suit.
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  #3  
Old 05-02-2017, 06:41 PM
ricklt ricklt is offline
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Have seen people use masking tape. Not a very long term fix.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
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  #4  
Old 05-02-2017, 07:01 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Start by checking the neck to ensure that it is not back-bowed. If back-bowed, loosen the truss rod. If not back-bowed, leave the truss rod alone.
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  #5  
Old 05-02-2017, 07:28 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Place a small piece of paper on top of the first fret of the offending string

Push the string between the 2nd and 3rd fret to the board.

Is the paper pinched or does it pull out freely above the 1st fret, if it pulls out freely, then that is good. Fold the paper in half and try again, you should now feel some drag happening between the string and the fret.

Steve
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Old 05-02-2017, 07:33 PM
eyesore eyesore is offline
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thank you guys i'll mess with it tommorow
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  #7  
Old 05-03-2017, 02:31 AM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
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Just to clarify ...you state the e and the B strings are buzzing; presumably they are buzzing only when played open, and the buzzing disappears as soon as they are fretted, is that the case?
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  #8  
Old 05-03-2017, 04:21 AM
eyesore eyesore is offline
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E and B STRINGS BUZZ AALITTLE BIT WHEN OPEN. BUT WHEN I FRET THEM THEY BUZZ PRETTY BAD. ... oops sorry caps! maybe it is not the nut ;come to think of it;because these two strings buzz allthe way up the neck.neck is straight! frets were just dressed by a reputable tech.
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  #9  
Old 05-03-2017, 04:56 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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The process I listed above will identify or eliminate a nut issue.

Once eliminated, you can look for other reasons such as high fret, low action, too little relief, backbow and so forth.

Steve
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  #10  
Old 05-03-2017, 10:05 AM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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Buzzing of the treble strings on fretted notes eliminates the nut as the problem.
Since the frets have been dressed, they may be flat on top. If the frets have been properly crowned, then I would raise the treble end of the saddle with a shim under the saddle.
Or loosen the truss rod.
Or both.
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  #11  
Old 05-05-2017, 06:30 PM
eyesore eyesore is offline
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ok i don't get it but the guitar is not buzzig anymore and i have not done a thing ;except play the hell out of it for the last week.maybe the strings wore done enough to stop buzzing; i don't know. but when i install new strings it'll be interesting to see what happens.
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  #12  
Old 05-05-2017, 06:37 PM
peter.coombe peter.coombe is offline
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If the buzzing stopped and you did nothing then the most likely thing is the neck has moved up a bit, just enough to give enough relief to stop the buzz. Loosening the truss rod would have done the same thing. Sometimes this can happen if the strings have been off for a while. The neck straightens and after strung up again it takes a few days to bend and settle.
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  #13  
Old 05-05-2017, 07:59 PM
eyesore eyesore is offline
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well..... i take it back ; it is still buzzing. my original thought of it being the nut is out the door. it has to be the neck, i'll mess with it in the next day or two.
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  #14  
Old 05-05-2017, 10:38 PM
runamuck runamuck is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eyesore View Post
well..... i take it back ; it is still buzzing. my original thought of it being the nut is out the door. it has to be the neck, i'll mess with it in the next day or two.
It doesn't "have" to be the neck; it could be, in part or entirely, the saddle.
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  #15  
Old 05-06-2017, 07:02 AM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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If the buzzing is primarily near the nut, loosen the truss rod.
If the buzzing is worse near the body, tighten the rod.
If the buzzing is the same all along the neck, leave the truss rod alone and raise the saddle.
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