Some saddles can cause a buzz - but the barrel saddles shouldn't as they have a string forcing the saddle down at each screw in post.
I have only had tuners vibrate when the nut has come loose!
Some saddles can cause a buzz - but the barrel saddles shouldn't as they have a string forcing the saddle down at each screw in post.
I have only had tuners vibrate when the nut has come loose!
PitBull Builds: FVB-4, LP-1SS, FBM-1, AG-2, TB-4, SSCM-1, TLA-1,TL-1TB, STA-1HT, DSCM-1 Truckster, ST-1, STA-1, MBM-1, MBM custom, GHR-1 (Resonator), FH-5V (Acoustic).
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The little voices in my head keep telling me "build more guitars"
I noticed that the tuners were vibrating when they were not strung. took a while to figure out where the "fuzzy" sound was coming from. But if the tuner is not strung, the "post" can move a bit.Originally Posted by Trevor Davies
My youngest daughter thinks that most of the buzz comes from the bridge and a fainter "tinnier" buzz from the first fret area....
If:
capo'd at the first and fretted on the 17th frets - I'm going to guesstimate that the bottom of the string is about 0.5 mm.
Capo'd at the first fret - I'd say the gap at the 12th is about 2.5 mm for the low E
To illustrate that string a bit further, if Capo'd at the first fret then at the 21st fret the gap between the fret and the bottom of the E string is 3 mm.
.......and to reduce the buzz (to only when you really try to get it) I'd have to raise the "E" and "A" saddle a bit more.
Last edited by EsquireEsque; 15-06-2025 at 07:07 AM.
I think TD's right about the saddle. But do check all the screws holding the bridge down. Anything that is not tightened down will rattle. I once thought that my bass had a rattle in the low E...which turned out to the the snare on my son's drum kit that was rattling.
Couple of things to keep in mind: Always do your buzz tests with ALL strings at at tension and in tune.
Can tuners buzz? Absolutely! I was having a terrible time getting the buzz out of my acoustic, until Simon Barden on this forum recommended that I tighten the tuner nuts. Voila! (as my Quebecois grandmother used to say). Almost all of the buzz went away. Under tension the geared part should be quiet and the post should not move. If the post will wiggle under tension that could be a problem. I'd recommend tightening anything that can be tightened. I use a "three finger" rule. Tighten everything until it stops using my thumb and two fingers on the screwdriver. EVERYTHING on the tuner: knob, bottom screws, and top nut.
screw down everything that can be screwed down everywhere on the guitar including the pickguard and pickups if they are on.
Eyeball the neck from the heel looking up the fretboard to see if there is a twist. If not...
Redo the fret leveling with a longer stick. I don't think this is the issue, but it's worth a try.
Use a fresh set of strings. They don't have to be good, just "intact".
Redo the first three steps in TRAIN:
Tune
Relief (get it flat then reset the truss rod--with capo on fret 1)
Action (set the action at the bridge--with capo on fret 1)
If you still have a buzz at that point we may need to get out the auto mechanic's stethoscope to figure out where it's coming from!
Last edited by fender3x; 17-06-2025 at 03:20 AM.
Good thinking choosing the youngest daughter. No doubt the one with the best hearing ;-)
The faint, thin buzz may be from the capo. If you can tighten it down a bit...
I may have found it....... utilising the eyesight of someone over 45 years younger than me this time .......
I had a thought that maybe the neck socket or the neck heel is not on "dead flat". As it turns out, my youngest looked at the measurements for me, and she thinks the bottom of the fretboard is a tiniest bit higher from the body at the 22nd fret than it is at the 18th/17th fret.
I imagine that this would make enough of a difference over the length of the neck.... at least I'd think it's worth having a look at
Yes, that's possible. The neck bows under tension, and it's not uncommon for the string to be a little closer at the 22nd than the 17th. I checked one of mine, and if I fret at the 17th and 21st there is a teeny bit fo daylight under the string. Less than my thinnest feeler gauge...maybe just enough for a thin piece of paper.
If it is causing the buzz, the tape on the 12th or 9th, and then doing a bit more leveling may help
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No joy, I'm afraid.
Sorted that out and any difference is very minimal.
Well - I'll make a metal notched straight edge and check the fretboard.
See if frets are all level Then see if the frets are a little higher on the Low E side.
If that's all as it should be... then as you suggest it's taping at the 12 or 9th fret and lightly go over the 22 to 11 frets.....
Well - I've made a longer fret-filing tool that is a bit over the fretboard length.
My existing file I'm also still using.
So - made a notched straight edge out of a steep ruler.
got the neck flat - and noticed that the fretboard was possibly not dead flat...
So I put the neck in a very slight back bow (as per the video)
Then levelled the whole fret board with the longer levelling tool (used 240G sandpaper) frets one and two were barely "touched".
I then put tape on 9th fret and used the shorter tool (same grit) over the frets 10 to 22, making sure that none or very little was taken from frets 10, 11 or 12.
tidied each fret up with 400 grit sandpaper
Took off the shoulders of each fret with 600 grit.
Restrung, tuned up and adjusted the neck to a slightly forward bow and tuned up again....
capo'd at the first fret, the Low E string is about 2 mm higher than the 12th fret.
Capo'd at the first fret and fretted on the 17th - the Low E string is about .5 mm above the 7th or 8th fret
Capo's at teh frst fret - the string is about XX mm higher than the 22nd fret.
Normal "playing" - no buzz
If I use my thumb on the low e with a "bit of force" - buzz.
Buzz is a tiny bit "easier" to get when fretted on the first fret. Fretted at the second and no buzz - so I wonder if the second fret needs to be fractionally lower than the first?
fretting all the way down the neck and a very slight buzz happens approaching the 17th fret.
There is some improvement (I think the initial one was a bad levelling effort!) but there is a very slight buzz on occasion.
So if I repeat the process (this time taking a tiny bit off the second fret and a bit off frets 16 to 22) I'm hoping fr no buzz.....
Glad that you got most of it out! That's real progress given where you started! It's amazing how much of an improvement fret leveling makes, I have found. I have only had one neck that didn't need at least some leveling. The one that didn't was a Warmoth radiused neck. I'd expect that from a neck that sells for more than any kit I have bought ;-)
Getting rid of the buzz with normal playing is pretty good. Eventually you will hit the point of diminishing returns trying to get every bit of buzz out of the low E when you are playing hard. You may want to see if you can hear it when amplified before doing too much more.
If you do decide that you want to try to get that last bit out, you might use one of these on the 2nd fret:
These are sometimes marketed as "fret dressing sticks" or "fret dressing tools" in places that sell to guitar people. The exact same item is often sold cheaper at wood working sites where it is called a "sanding detailer stick."
Something nice about these is that you can use them to lower a fret just under the string that is buzzing without taking more metal off the whole fret. I have used mine on the low end of the fretboard when the fretboard is pretty much level, but I have a small, persistent buzz, usually one the 2nd or 3rd fret, and just one one or two strings.
If you decide to go after 16-22. Tape off the frets from 1-11. Put two pieces of blue painters tape on the 12th fret. Then level the frets from 13-22. The painters tape will raise the height of the 12th fret just enough to take off just a bit of the frets below that. You could concentrate just on the bass side of the neck if you want, or the whole neck. If you want Either way that should eliminate your problem at the treble end of the neck.
I just did this with a Tele neck, although I raised the 9th fret rather than the 12th for a slightly more gradual slope. I have done it both ways and don't think it makes much difference, since you only have a little buzz you could do it either way.
Hope this helps. It always seems to me that the last 10% involves 90% more effort ;-)
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