Fretbuzz for dummies..

[witchtrials]

So I pull my SG out of its case and discover a horrendous fret buzz across the entire low e string, It looks like its buzzing on the 2nd/1st fret when plucked open however the rest of the strings seem to be fine. Usually this kind of thing wouldn't bother me if it doesn't come through the amp but the string/fret contact is at a level where the open E is 100% buzz.

I tried raising the action on the bridge but to properly alleviate the buzz it has to be cranked right up, and obviously I don't want to do this out of concern for the neck. Im not game enough to mess about with the truss rod yet but am in a tight spot as this is my main guitar gigging guitar, and my backup is currently out of action also. Really don't have the money to hit up a tech.

The guitar gets at least a few hours play everyday, plus shows rehearsal etc. However on Tuesday past I injured my knee skateboarding so the guitar was kept in its case whilst I was laid up until I got it out last night. This is the only thing that I can think of in regards to a specific event that caused the issue but I doubt its the case.

Is this something I can fix myself? Iv remedied these kind of issues with guitars but they were very minor in comparison..

Thanks!

[starling1]

was it out in especially humid/moist conditions at all? I'd say 99% of fret problems have turned out to be related to warping (even a fraction of a mil can cause serious issues). Other than that it might be something to do with your nut--I'd try replacing this if you're sure is isnt anything to do with your bridge. Like you said you could play around with the truss rod but yeah, this can be more trouble than its worth.

Is it buzzing out on the actual fret? It's also possible that one of your frets has lifted from the groove.

[Les Paul Lover]

Got to say i don't like the fact that it's buzzing only on the 1st 2 frets, and only for the low E. If all your strings were buzzing equally, it would indicate that something changed in an uniform manner...

A few things to check out:

- neck relief: fret the string at 1st fret and at the 1st fret where the neck gets into the body, on your sg probably the 19/20th fret? There should be a gap just sufficient to let in business card between the string and the fret around the 9/10th fret.
Do this with the high E and the low E. If the height is different on each side, your neck is warped side way. Nothing much you could do about that - except try and sell it quick before the problem gets worse....
If the space is roughly equal on each side the neck should be good. If there's more space than a business card, you have too much relief, you'll want to tighten the truss rod, roughly half a turn every 2 days til it's right. Make sure you give it 2 days, the neck will take time to fully settle.
If you haven't got a gap, you want to increase neck relief and loosen the trus rod.

- next thing, fret your strings at the 3rd fret. There should be a space between the string amd the top of fret 1 and 2. Assumimg your neck relief is ok as per the above, if you haven't any space on top of fret 1 and 2, your nut is cut too low - you will need to change it.

- if the 2 steps above check out ok, and your frets are ok (no lifting, all seated right and not grooved in by wear) then you have to set the proper height at the bridge.


My hunch would be that your nut is cut too low or got grooved by string wear. Also, did you change to a lower string gauge lately? That could cause the low E to sit lower in the nut.

[leopoldbloom]

My hunch would be that your nut is cut too low or got grooved by string wear. Also, did you change to a lower string gauge lately? That could cause the low E to sit lower in the nut.

+1

It's better to store your guitar in a good floor stand and not in a case (especially after playing). The end of the neck is the most sensitive part on an sg. (don't want to scare you but I would also suspect beginning of crack on the neck or the neck joint...)

Leave the guitar on a stand for a couple of days. If the problem doesn't go away by itself you cannot avoid the guitar tech or you might be risking further damage.

[baytamusic]

All this advice is good, if you aren't paying any attention to your truss rod from time to time then your guitar isn't truly set up. When weather changes come about, your truss rod may end up needing adjustment. It's seriously not rocket science, do a little reading and give it a whirl. You probably need some more relief which is usually indicated by buzzing in lower positions. The main thing is don't go nuts turning the truss rod adjustment. 1/8 to 1/4 turns can do the job. Sometimes it's best to adjust it a little at a time over a few days.

[nlimbaugh]

You would think a nut adjustment could definitely stop a 1st or 2nd fret buzz, but it could be a short term fix of a bigger problem. I had buzz in the middle of the neck; bridge and truss rod adjustments "fixed" it , but only to the detriment of the overall playability and the problem areas still sounded weak even though they didn't buzz. I sent it away as I feel it's one single fret that is grooved a bit causing the buzzing in that area. So frustrating. Sorry I can't offer much help. I'd definitely start looking at the string height via the nut and/or string gauge as mentioned above. Best of luck with that.

[witchtrials]

I ended up messing with the bridge height for a temporary fix as I really need this guitar to be playable. Managed to get rid of the buzzing issue but the action up the neck is noticeably higher then towards the nut. I had a look at the all the points of interest and nothing looks out of order, "will take the time to measure things properly tomorrow".

Maybe it is a nut issue as the strings on the nut side seem to be particularly close to the 1st fret, the low E definitely. I haven't changed string gauge or anything like that, so its either the nut or it being left in the case for so long. It does usually sit on a stand when left at home.

Thanks for the feedback!

[witchtrials]

Bit the bullet and took it to the tech, he had a quick look over it and a nip of the truss rod fixed the issue. He said that most likely the neck had shifted due to a string of very cold weather in our city/the case thing. Was even good enough let me watch and learn as id mentioned I was rather anxious of adjusting the TR myself.

[baytamusic]

Bit the bullet and took it to the tech, he had a quick look over it and a nip of the truss rod fixed the issue. He said that most likely the neck had shifted due to a string of very cold weather in our city/the case thing. Was even good enough let me watch and learn as id mentioned I was rather anxious of adjusting the TR myself.

Told ya!