Low E String Fret Buzz

[02R96]

Is it normal to have some fret buzz on the low E? I play in standard tuning (EADGBE), and on every guitar I've owned, there has been some buzzing on the frets approaching the body. The neck relief is set correctly,and I'm not using any odd string gauges (10-46). The only way to eliminate it, is to jack the string height to a ridiculous level!

 

Anyone else have this issue or am I chasing a ghost? :idk

[CEB]

Hard to say. You should not have to raise the height too high. How heavy handed are you? Do you play with a light or heavy touch? How do you stretch you strings out when change them?

[Winston Psmith]

I'm assuming that we're talking about an electric solidbody guitar here, so, a couple of questions - what model guitar, and do you have individual string saddles? With Fender guitars, even if your neck is set correctly, your bridge saddles may not follow the curve of the neck radius properly. There is a lot of variation among Fender necks, as well, even among Strats, depending on the year, and the model. IIRC, the most recent edition of the Guitar Player Repair Guide comes with a set of radius gauges?

 

You could also check that the frets are all properly seated, with none of them sticking up.

 

Another possibility is that the nut slot was cut for a wider string gauge, at some point, like for a Lt. Top/Heavy Bottom string set, although if you're the original owner, you'd know if you'd had any work done to it.

 

That's all I've got for now, if the neck is properly adjusted. IME, strings crashing into the upper frets (nearer the guitar body) usually meant a very low action, or even a slight backbow to the neck. Pull out your 18-inch straight-edge, and take a closer look.

[The Geoff]

....also, are the pickups mounted too high?

 

G.

[Bartholomew]

I get it with Fender I get it with Gibson, I get it with everything...

[A String]

There is a balance between nut hight, saddle hight and neck relief. If any of these are off, you can get fret buzz or strings to high. Your best bet is always to have it set up by a pro.

[Scott Fraser]

Beside the other things mentioned already it could possibly be that an upper fret needs leveling. A luthier can find that real quickly.

[Larryz]

I have my Taylor guitars set up for the strings I'm using by my techs (11-49's). I tell them I do not want the low or the high E strings any higher than I can slip a quarter between them at the 12th fret. They do the adjustments and I have little or no fret buzz.

 

On my Strats, I like 10's...some guys like a flat neck and adjust their Strats as low as they can. Thus, they create their own fret buzz as Fenders have a slight bow (as do Taylor Nylon acoustics). String height is set at he 12th fret using a capo on the 1st fret as recommended by Fender. In the old days, I adjusted them myself but now I have them done by techs and have little or no fret buzz. I don't even attempt acoustic guitar adjustments. There is a truss rod adjustment along with string height saddles, intonation, nut cut, etc., to include working with the string gauge you will be using. I just leave it to the guys that know their stuff for about $20 bucks for each guitar, as I'm no longer a DIY'er...

 

 

 

 

[skipclone 1]

I don`t have any trouble with it currently but I have in the past. My main acoustic is back in the U.S. and the one I use now plays and sounds fine but I have to adjust the neck relief much more often than usual. One thing you can do is, pluck the string and sight along the neck-find out where the buzz is coming from. Is it touching the fretboard or a pickup? if it`s neither then the nut is the prime suspect.

[Bartholomew]

If it doesn't come through the amp it can buzz - I set them up that way intentionally.

 

When I do set-ups I bring the action down until it buzzes everywhere - then bring it up to where it feels right.

[Caevan O’Shite]

....also, are the pickups mounted too high?

 

G.

 

The Geoff might be on to something! My thoughts, as well!

 

What kind of a guitar is this? Strats are particularly vulnerable to the magnets of the neck and middle pickups pulling down on the strings and doing weird things to them if the pickups are too close to the strings, not the least of which can be fret-buzz. But it can happen with other style axes, as well.

 

Also, relief is somewhat subjective from one player and guitar to another, so maybe you need slightly greater relief and slightly higher action on the bass-side. Slightly. Combining just a little more of both relief and action together to alleviate fret-buzz feels better than too high an action or too much relief on their own.

 

And, as others have mentioned, a little "English" on your picking touch can make a big difference. Years ago I used to get that big "braaawngg" all the time on the 6th/Low-E, any more I don't so much.

[02R96]

Thank you everyone for the ideas and comments.

 

OK, I'm having issues with both of my solid body electrics. The main culprit is my Telecaster. I'm only having a slight issue with my Schecter Hellraiser. The Tele is just about unplayable.

 

It's a 2009 American Standard with a Warmoth Neck. The saddles are the newer bent steel type, and the nut is a Graph Tech TUSQ. It was originally set up with 11-48 strings.

 

From all of the suggestions, it looks like I need to do a more in depth examination of the setup. I might have to take it to a different Luthier, as I've had the same guy look at it twice now.

 

[Caevan O’Shite]

The main culprit is my Telecaster. The Tele is just about unplayable. It's a 2009 American Standard with a Warmoth Neck.

 

It was originally set up with 11-48 strings.

 

The lighter gauges that you're playing on it now would pull less on the neck, and reduce the overall amount of relief. if the neck relief hasn't since been re-adjusted, that would make for a greater possibility of fret-buzz.

 

I'll add that Strats and Teles typically do best with as little relief as can be gotten away with. Also that a little- just a little- fret-buzz during wide-excursion on some notes when the string is hit hard or otherwise picked 'just right', contributes to a sense of growl and attitude.

 

From all of the suggestions, it looks like I need to do a more in depth examination of the setup. I might have to take it to a different Luthier, as I've had the same guy look at it twice now.

 

Be sure to have your luthier see and hear you playing the guitar, giving examples of the troubles you're experiencing.

[Bartholomew]

I'm currently using .105 on my 68 tele and .11 is better as the neck has back-bowed slightly over the years.

[The Geoff]

.105? That's a bass 'E' - heavy! Are you sure?

 

 

G.

[Bartholomew]

Whoops - did I miss a zero ?

[Winston Psmith]

The main culprit is my Telecaster. The Tele is just about unplayable. It's a 2009 American Standard with a Warmoth Neck.

 

It was originally set up with 11-48 strings.

 

The lighter gauges that you're playing on it now would pull less on the neck, and reduce the overall amount of relief. if the neck relief hasn't since been re-adjusted, that would make for a greater possibility of fret-buzz.

 

+1 on this. Lighter gauge strings, slightly less neck tension, and the wider nut slot could all contribute to string buzz.