fret buzz on low strings

ebh · #1 06-30-2009, 03:03 AM

Hi

I get an annoying fret buz on the low strings (E, A, D, G). I tried raising the action with no result. The truss rod adjustment seams fine. I get buzz only on heavy strumming/picking and it's all over the fret board, especially in the "middle" (frets 5 - 15).

The guitar is a RG 2550Z.

Thanks!

ew94 · #2 06-30-2009, 04:55 AM

hey dude, im getting he same problem with my guitar, but on the 6th string. ive taken it to MANY places, and they say that its "unfixable"! my guitar is an RGT320Z

Homebake · #3 06-30-2009, 05:17 AM

what is the curve in your neck like?

i own an rg2550z. my neck curve is very slight, almost flat. my action is pretty low, but it can go lower. i get very minimal buzzing around the 3-5 fret area on the low E but so little it's barely worth mentioning.

it sounds like your neck needs to be adjusted. what gauge strings do you use?

ebh · #4 06-30-2009, 05:26 AM

I use the standard gauge strings (9-42). I don't get buzz if I play smooth/lightly. On normal gain is not noticeable. I can hear it unplugged.

GAZ · #5 06-30-2009, 11:48 AM

A slight buzz is inevitable with a very low action/light strings but it shouldn't be audible through the amp. I'm assuming you tune to concert pitch ? If the buzz is worse in the middle frets you need more neck relief, i.e. you need to loosen the truss rod slightly. If you play aggressively try a set of 9-46 strings !

ebh · #6 06-30-2009, 01:53 PM

I tried (a lot of) truss rod relief, but the buzz was still there, even with pretty high action (about 3mm, maybe even more on the low E). No success.

Now I got it back where it was in the beginning (pretty low action and only a slight neck relief) and I'll try to get used to/over the buzz.

It's not audible through the amp with average/high gain. But with low gain and especially on clean it is audible (not a lot but you can hear it's there) on some notes/frets/strings. I don't play concerts, I am a home user

I boght some d'addario 9-46's today but I will change them when the ones I have now get used (enough) or at least one breaks. I just put some ghs 9-42 yesterday (thought it could be the stock strings, but it didn't solve anything).

LonePhantom · #7 06-30-2009, 08:48 PM

Maybe you need to shim the nut a bit?

GAZ · #8 07-01-2009, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonePhantom

Maybe you need to shim the nut a bit?

That will only affect the open strings !

Homebake · #9 07-01-2009, 06:24 AM

you're either missing something big, your guitar has a freakish problem or you're paying too much attention to the buzz.

southpaw_lefty · #10 07-01-2009, 10:05 AM

This really does sound like a neck relief issue. How much time did you give it when you loosened the truss rod. It may not react instantly.

ebh · #11 07-01-2009, 02:10 PM

I came to a conclusion. It's an acceptable amount of buzz (when i strum/pick gently I don't get it and neither when I use my fingers). I can barely hear it through the amp on the humbuckers with normal/blues gain (with high gain I can't hear it at all, no matter what pup/combination I use).

As it is my first over 1000eur guitar, I had the highest expectations out of it and I expected it to be perfect - as in really low action and no fret buzz, no matter how hard I would pick/strum it.

Thanks for all your replies!

AlkyHauler · #12 07-13-2009, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GAZ

That will only affect the open strings !

no, shimming the nut will raise the action of all strings across all frets...

spider murphy · #13 08-14-2009, 12:09 PM

as soon as you press a string to the board the nut height means nothing.

Dino · #14 08-14-2009, 01:54 PM

Get a professional setup and level, then just play it and it will go away.

einarabelc5 · #15 08-14-2009, 06:24 PM

Check that the frets follow correctly the arch of the Fretboard/Neck. I was just testing what Rich Suggests on his site and noticed that after I got my acoustic refretted the guy didn't arched the fretwire correctly and that's why my guitar is buzzing after I moved from one side of the continent to the other. And even when I increased the Gauge from 9-42 (I had electric guitar strings) to a 10-47.