How much non-amplified fret buzz is acceptable?

hesson11 · #1 12-12-2023, 06:16 PM

I am a bit of a noob to electric guitars, but I'm playing (and buying!) more of them lately due mostly to hand injuries and their ease of play. I'm pretty good at setting up acoustics, but I'm getting a bit of fret buzz on my electrics that I haven't yet figured out how to eliminate. I'm wondering whether a bit of acoustic buzz is considered to be acceptable on electric guitars, so long as it isn't obvious in the amplified sound, such as in my case. Is there any generally accepted opinion on this? Thanks for any thoughts.

Russ C · #2 12-13-2023, 03:35 AM

Sure most players live with it.
When it kills your sustain or dynamics it’s too much imo though there are guys who even use that by choice.
If you’re playing with any overdrive as most players do, fret buzz incorporates into your amplified sound anyway.

ljguitar · #3 12-13-2023, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hesson11

I am a bit of a noob to electric guitars, but I'm playing (and buying!) more of them lately due mostly to hand injuries and their ease of play. I'm pretty good at setting up acoustics, but I'm getting a bit of fret buzz on my electrics that I haven't yet figured out how to eliminate. I'm wondering whether a bit of acoustic buzz is considered to be acceptable on electric guitars, so long as it isn't obvious in the amplified sound, such as in my case. Is there any generally accepted opinion on this? Thanks for any thoughts.

Hi lesson…
I tolerate things with my Strat or Tele that would be unacceptable with my acoustics.

Mostly that's because I play amplified and cannot hear the buzz on stage, nor can the audience. That would not be the case with an acoustic.

rmp · #4 12-13-2023, 01:16 PM

With low action it doesn't take much to yield buzzing, especially when the player may not have a real light touch

fretting out? That's something different.

if it's only a few frets, or just "spots" on some frets they can be checked to see if they're pulling up or loose, In some cases may be possible they were just a bit high from day 1

A fret rocker will call those out.

if it is a new guitar that was pleked, the frets should be pretty level once that was done.

you can check if a fret is pulling up by the way it sounds in comparison to surrounding frets when you tap it very lightly with something like a fret hammer or a fret rocker.

when in doubt, find a good setup guy and let them see what they find.

Steve DeRosa · #5 12-13-2023, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hesson11

I am a bit of a noob to electric guitars, but I'm playing (and buying!) more of them lately due mostly to hand injuries and their ease of play. I'm pretty good at setting up acoustics, but I'm getting a bit of fret buzz on my electrics that I haven't yet figured out how to eliminate...

Two words: Flatwound Strings - easy on the hands, and you can set the action far lower than roundwounds without buzzing...

YamahaGuy · #6 12-13-2023, 02:54 PM

My electrics are all set up with 12-52 wound G strings and they all buzz acoustically but it is ok when they're amped up.

jonfields45 · #7 12-13-2023, 03:45 PM

I have all my guitars, acoustic and electric, action at the 12th fret 3/32" and 2/32", low and high E, respectively. There is enough forward relief to be visible if I hold down a string at the first fret and first fret over the body (probably something a bit less than 10 mils dead center). The electric has 10s and the acoustic usually has 11s (10s as I type this). At least with the aggressiveness of my playing they don't buzz, which is my expectation.

hesson11 · #8 12-13-2023, 06:04 PM

Thanks a lot, everyone. I'm still on the upslope of the electric-guitar learning curve, and this helps out a lot. rmp, I do have a fret rocker, and there are one or two VERY slightly high frets, but they don't appear to be bad enough to cause the problem (adjacent frets do fret cleanly). Steve, I've never tried flatwounds, but it sounds like I should give them a try. In any case, the buzzing isn't all that bad, and I can't hear it through the amp, so I think I'm good to go. Thanks again, all.

Brent Hutto · #9 12-14-2023, 06:04 AM

I'm not too much ahead of you on the learning curve for electric guitar but I've been at it a couple years now.

I have occasionally noticed a very slight buzz somewhere along the neck when I have the amp turned off, yet it doesn't affect the amplified sound.

But I've also noticed something not quite right with my amplified sound at a certain position and when I turn off the amp I can find the problem by listening for acoustic buzzing. It's a good way to troubleshoot, turning off the amp for a moment to check.

edward993 · #10 12-14-2023, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hesson11

Thanks a lot, everyone. I'm still on the upslope of the electric-guitar learning curve, and this helps out a lot. rmp, I do have a fret rocker, and there are one or two VERY slightly high frets, but they don't appear to be bad enough to cause the problem (adjacent frets do fret cleanly). Steve, I've never tried flatwounds, but it sounds like I should give them a try. In any case, the buzzing isn't all that bad, and I can't hear it through the amp, so I think I'm good to go. Thanks again, all.

Good advice here already. I will concur that the fret buzz on electrics that is acceptable is that which you don't hear through the amp. But know this: fret buzz is also a product of your attack. So what is and is not acceptable has as much to do with one's playing as much as the guitar's setup.

Myth 1: lowest setup w/o buzzing is a good setup. The proper setup is the right heights (nut and saddle) and relief that work for your style of playing. Eric Johnson and SRV are going to "shred" differently. Ultimately, your style will dictate your setup. Fwiw, I have long since come to the understanding that raising the action was best for me and my playing style. What small compromise I give up to higher action I gain in dynamics and tone. My solution won't be yours

Myth 2: fret buzz should be dialed out. If one's music genre is comprised of clean tone then yah, but the vast swath between semi-clean tones to heavily saturated OD is going to mask said buzzing to varying degrees. So compromises can easily be made in fret buzz if dirt is your sound and speed is your game.

String choice will certainly affect the feel, but also tone in no small measure. Try flatwounds, sure. But know that will be a dramatic shift in your tone, and only you can decide if that's where you want to go.

Rock on, man ...going to the electric side can be as steep a learning curve as buying one's first acoustic. An acoustic's wood species, body size, shape, bridge pins ...ya, explain all that to an electric player, lol!

Edward

hesson11 · #11 12-14-2023, 06:13 PM

Thanks for the tip, Brent. And thanks, Edward, for your thoughts. Fortunately, I've always played with a very light touch—fingerstyle exclusively. So I think that works in my favor. Part of my motivation for expanding to electrics is the fact that I have some hand/wrist issues that bother me much less with the "slinkiness" of electrics. So far, it's working out pretty well!