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Just completed a ST A1 kit and mostly happy wit the result. However I've a an open B string buzz that I can't fix. No buzz on any position on the neck - only occurs on when played open and with a down pick. Have tried adjusting the neck and intonation - but no change. Any suggestions as to what else I should try would be much appreciated.
Hi and welcome to the forum.
Sanity check question - you have remembered to fit the string trees so that there's a decent downward tension on the top strings? Without it, the open strings are liable to buzz.
If it's there, then it's normally from the B string slot being too low and so the string catches on the 1st fret. If you've got some feeler gauges, you should be able to measure the gap. You could try the old trick of putting a small piece of paper in the slot first to raise it up slightly and see if the buzzing stops. If it does, then you'll need a more permanent fix.
It could also be that the slot is a bit rough, and the string is resting on two high points in it. As the string vibrates, the string is swapping between sitting on those two points and making a noise as it does so. In this case, a run through the slot with some fine grit wet 'n' dry (I'd suggest P600 and upwards), might sort it out.
Cool - thanks for the suggestions.
Okay put a small slither of tin foil under the string at the nut and buzzing stopped. What is the more permanent solution? - new nut? (its a new neck :
Probably a new nut reqd, replace the kit plastic one with bone or Tusq
New nut, my advice is to get Dingobass or a local luthier to cut one for you thats perfect for the exact gauge of strings you are using.
If you don't want to replace the nut at the moment you could try the baking soda and superglue trick. it's not ideal but should be enough to build up the slot a bit. StewMac has a video about it.
Yes, baking soda and superglue is a pretty good fix to build up slot depth - but then you need to cut the slot again, and with a B string, it's hard to do without a correctly sized nut file. But if you don't have one, then what Keloooe and the others said.
What you can do to go some way to remedy the problem, is to buy a set of Oxy-Acetylene Tip-Cleaners (bought from Bunnings) and use the most appropriately sized one to clean out the nut-slot for the B-String (it doesn't take a lot), make sure you angle the Tip-Cleaner so that it slopes slightly towards the headstock, this ensures that the resting point of the string is closest to the edge of the nut (or right on it) that's closest to the first fret.
But definitely make sure that you have the string tree for the B and high E-String installed on the headstock first though.
Be careful though cause you don't want to make the B-String nut slot too deep, which will cause the B-String to buzz against the first fret.
If it's any consolation, I had to deal with the same issue too.
You could shim under the nut....