Movement on GS Mini

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I have a problem with my GS Mini that I need some ideas on.
When it was new, with just a little adjustment I was able to minimize the neck relief, and lower the saddle just a bit and get a well intonated guitar with fairly low action. I was quite pleased with how it played.
I noticed that seasonal changes sometimes required a little more, or a little less relief.
Sometime over the last month or two, the D string developed a buzz on the first fret and only the first fret. Only the D String.
I changed the strings last night and decided to add a little more relief to eliminate the buzz. Now the action is noticably higher than I prefer and I lost intonation for the most part. At least as I hear it, maybe not others.
I did this knowing it would probably not be the answer, but it was an easy try, and easily reversible.
I just read someone else's recent post and a poster suggested a buzz may be due to a fret lifting.
Since I'm having issues with only one string, and its the first fret, I'm wondering if that might be the issue.

Can someone suggest the systematic steps I should take to address this issue.

Thanks,
NW

[B. Howard]

Could be the nut slot has worn too low. which in turn allowed the string to slowly cut a small groove into the first fret. This happens slowly and without a lot of buzzing at the open note but the groove it wears in the fret will cause a buzz when played at that fret. Push the string aside and look closely at the first fret directly under the D and see if it has a little groove worn in it.

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Brian,
It does have a small groove worn in the fret at that point.
The buzz however was with an open string.
Either way, it would seem the answer is a new nut with a bit more distance between the string and the fret?
And I would guess, not a direct replacement from Taylor? I would wager they are all cut more or less (probably more) to the same dimensions?
What I don't understand is how the nut could wear. The guitar is under 3 years old.

Thanks for your assistance.

NW

[B. Howard]

The nut holds one end of the speaking portion of the string, it is the terminus of all the vibration when the string is playing the open note. These vibrations will gradually eat away at the slot. Tuning also drags the string through the slot causing more wear. It is very slight and happens very slowly. If not caught and remedied early the groove will quickly start to move up the fretboard. People don't realize the wear that occurs to certain parts of a guitar with use. I have some pro customers who can burn through a nut in less than a year and I myself am usually in need of a level and crown on my frets every 2-3 years on whatever guitar happens to be my #1 at the moment.

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Brian,
I elected to take it to a local shop after Taylor recommended the luthier that works there.
They looked at it and confirmed the nut needed adjustment.
Could have waited but decided to get the frets leveled and crowned, etc.

It was a little more money than I envisioned, but that's OK.

If the job looks good, I'll feel better taking a more expensive guitar in the future.

NW

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Brian,
So you were dead on correct in your assessment.
I left the guitar at the local shop for the day about 2 weeks ago, and the owner convinced me to have the full set up.
Well I got the guitar back with no buzz, but a new saddle, shimmed ever so slightly nut, new set of lights installed, and a much higher action

took it back last saturday and asked mediums be put back on, after convincing almost everyone in the store that is what came with it....

Decided to rework the saddle myself during the week last week and get the action I wanted. Slackened the strings and removed the saddle and at the same time, the nut fell out.
Not a big deal, but I did want the nut glued slightly, but that was the last straw.

When I took the guitar in first I expressly told them I liked the action and only wanted the buzz gone.

They did the pedestrian, set it high, put on light strings and hope they don't know differently.
He also tried to tell me short scale guitars should get lights, not mediums.

I got my cash back and decided to do it myself.

Anyway, I looked at the nut and sure enough, the d string slot was worn ever so slightly dropping the string a few thousands deeper.

Thanks for your advice.

I could have learned to do it right by trial and error in the time and with less effort than I spent taking it somewhere.

BTW, this was not a big box, but a local store here in the city that has been in business for 20 years or so.

NW

NW

[B. Howard]

Sorry to hear about a bad experience with a Taylor recommended repairman.You should pass that info along to Taylor.

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I did not get the luthier suggested. It was the shop owner. 50 years experience, but probably set in his ways a bit and not ready to spend the time and money (time IS money!) on a simple $500 guitar to get it just like the owner wanted.
I guess I could go back and request the luthier by name, but the more I read and talk to people, I feel like I can and should learn to do it myself.
Then all my guitars will, eventually, play like butter.......

Considering the stew-mac nut building set, but for this guitar, all I probably need to do is reset the neck like I want it, change the nut to new, then lower the saddle.

I had it there before the buzz set in.

NW

[B. Howard]

If you did not get the luthier suggested then your work may not have been done by a Taylor authorized repairman. Taylor unlike most other manufacturers does not register a shop as authorized, only a tech or luthier. By having an authorized tech on hand your shop is a repair center but only that tech is authorized and trained by Taylor.

As for the neck re-set, again that will need an authorized service man as we are the only ones with the needed shims to do the job. If you go back to that shop, make sure the person actually doing the work is actually Taylor certified. They should have their certification posted someplace in the shop.