Any ideas on this buzzing?

JackB1 · #1 08-02-2021, 07:27 AM

My guitar is buzzing slightly on the high E & B strings when fretting notes.
The relief is where it should be and the action is not too low (.009"). The nut does look low, but if it was too low it would buzz on the open strings too right?
When I measure the neck alignment, the ruler landed just slightly about the top of the bridge. Like maybe 1/16". Could that be the issue? Or could it be high frets? Should I check with a fret rocker? My luthier is quite far away so i am trying to check what I can myself first. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

redir · #2 08-02-2021, 07:38 AM

What is the height of the string at the 12th fret measured (accurately) from the top of the fret to the bottom of the High e-String?

When you say "My guitar is buzzing slightly on the high E & B strings when fretting notes." What notes? All up and down the neck on those strings or just the first few frets?

JackB1 · #3 08-02-2021, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir

What is the height of the string at the 12th fret measured (accurately) from the top of the fret to the bottom of the High e-String?

When you say "My guitar is buzzing slightly on the high E & B strings when fretting notes." What notes? All up and down the neck on those strings or just the first few frets?

action is .050-.060 on the high E at the 12th fret and .090-.080 on the low E.

Also now that I checked again, it is buzzing on the open E and B as well as slightly on fretted noted at frets 1 thru 5. Low nut? Is there an easy way to check nut height?

redir · #4 08-02-2021, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackB1

action is .050-.060 on the high E at the 12th fret and .090-.080 on the low E.

Also now that I checked again, it is buzzing on the open E and B as well as slightly on fretted noted at frets 1 thru 5. Low nut? Is there an easy way to check nut height?

Yes:

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musi...nutaction.html

.05 is extraordinarily low on the high e-String. 1/16th is .0625 which is not unheard of on a very well set up guitar but that is the absolute lowest. .08-9 on the Low e-String is about right.

My guess is you have a few problems, fist is the action is too low on the high end of the saddle. Second could be that in combination to that your frets are not quite level. Certainly check the nut though.

JackB1 · #5 08-02-2021, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir

Yes:

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musi...nutaction.html

.05 is extraordinarily low on the high e-String. 1/16th is .0625 which is not unheard of on a very well set up guitar but that is the absolute lowest. .08-9 on the Low e-String is about right.

My guess is you have a few problems, fist is the action is too low on the high end of the saddle. Second could be that in combination to that your frets are not quite level. Certainly check the nut though.

frets are level. Checked the first 7 frets with a rocker and no issues. I think you are correct in saying the action is too low in the high side. The saddle does not look unusually low on the treble side at all. I suspect it's the nut. The person I got this guitar from likes his action super low, so I put in a new saddle when I bought it to bring it up a little. I will try and check the nut and get back with you.

macoshark · #6 08-02-2021, 09:24 AM

I'm not an expert but I would check the string height at the 1st fret by holding the low E string down at the third fret. That space from the bottom of the E to the top of 1st fret should be enough to get matchbook cover or at least a piece of paper in there and moving freely. I use a feeler gauge.
Bottom line you need clearance at the 1st holding the string at the third. I tap the string to see if it has enough room for clearance at the 1st fret. You can do this for all the strings and this is what your doing when setting the string slot height at the nut. Check Stumac for videos on this.

JackB1 · #7 08-02-2021, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macoshark

I'm not an expert but I would check the string height at the 1st fret by holding the low E string down at the third fret. That space from the bottom of the E to the top of 1st fret should be enough to get matchbook cover or at least a piece of paper in there and moving freely. I use a feeler gauge.
Bottom line you need clearance at the 1st holding the string at the third. I tap the string to see if it has enough room for clearance at the 1st fret. You can do this for all the strings and this is what your doing when setting the string slot height at the nut. Check Stumac for videos on this.

I have feeler gauges. What size should I use to check clearance at the first fret when fretting the 3rd. We are talking about the high E (treble side) string.

JackB1 · #8 08-02-2021, 09:55 AM

When I put a capo on the 4th fret, there is about .003" clearance at the first fret. Is that too low? I read somewhere it should be about .008"

macoshark · #9 08-02-2021, 10:45 AM

.003 works on my LG0. I would capo between the 3rd and fourth fret. Assuming that's what your doing.

macoshark · #10 08-02-2021, 10:48 AM

If your buzzing at the E and B string when fretting you can't blame the nut. The nut can be blamed when buzzing occurs when playing open. Also, get a nice string action gauge from Stumac or another that shows Height measurement from fret to bottom of string. You might be low at both the nut and saddle, depending on your style of playing. .050 at he 12th might be too low for YOU. Try and slip a thin shim under the saddle to raise it a tad for more clearance at the 12th. If the buzzing stops then you know you'll have to deal with the saddle, and it might stop the buzzing when played open. That's what I think but there's more experience members here

John Arnold · #11 08-02-2021, 11:48 AM

Buzzing on the first few frets is an indication that you don't have enough relief.

redir · #12 08-02-2021, 12:05 PM

As mentioned when you have a buzz on fretted notes you cannot blame the nut. I'm not sure how anyone could accurately measure with feeler gauges to .003in. Just eye ball it. To get an idea of how low it can go put a capo on the first fret then do the the '3rd fret rule' this time on the 4th fret and observe the airspace over the second fret.

You could try letting more relief in the neck as John A mentioned but still the saddle arch is wrong from what you describe (it's too low on the treble side) and it will still be wrong even with more relief.

JackB1 · #13 08-02-2021, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir

As mentioned when you have a buzz on fretted notes you cannot blame the nut. I'm not sure how anyone could accurately measure with feeler gauges to .003in. Just eye ball it. To get an idea of how low it can go put a capo on the first fret then do the the '3rd fret rule' this time on the 4th fret and observe the airspace over the second fret.

You could try letting more relief in the neck as John A mentioned but still the saddle arch is wrong from what you describe (it's too low on the treble side) and it will still be wrong even with more relief.

the saddle arch is not wrong. It is quite normal and plenty high on the treble side. I have buzzing on open E & B and also a slight buzzing on fretted notes.
I suspect the nut slots were filed down too low on the high E and B.

Silly Moustache · #14 08-02-2021, 01:59 PM

Personally I 'd put it down to environmental changes.
I have my guitars set up with .070-.080" on the top E too, but often Ill get a strange sound from them -which seems to coincide in changes in RH.
Put some graphite on the nut slot, see what happens.

(You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead!)

redir · #15 08-02-2021, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackB1

the saddle arch is not wrong. It is quite normal and plenty high on the treble side. I have buzzing on open E & B and also a slight buzzing on fretted notes.
I suspect the saddle slots were filed down too low on the high E and B.

Oh so the saddle actually has slots like a nut has? Yeah that's probably it then.