Low E buzzing problem

[EXCrosslink]

Hey guys,

I just noticed today that the low E on my JS1000 is buzzing slightly when open but it perfectly okay further up the neck. It's not very loud but can get rather annoying as I can hear the buzzing abit through the amp on the clean channel.

The action on the low E side (measured at 22nd fret) is 2.0mm and on the high E is about 1.7 - 1.8mm. In fact, the low E action was slightly lower from the factory and there was even more buzzing then. Is it safe to raise the action further on the bass side alone? It seems like the bridge is tilting quite abit (higher on the bass side and lower on the treble) and I hope that doesn't harm the knive edges. Also is it safe to turn the trem posts under string tension? I read somewhere that it is but I have also read that the strings should be loosened before action adjustments...

Or would it be better to loosen the truss rod to give the neck a little more bow? I actually like the action height I am at now and maybe a small truss road adjustment would be better instead? Again is it safe to make truss adjustments under full string tension? Could't find an answer to this anywhere...

Sorry if this sounds silly but I haven't really messed with trems and all before! Would appreciate any help, thanks guys

[jemsite]

the tilt is fine and normal/expected. you can shim the nut a bit on the low-E side or raise the action on the low-e side. trussrod should be adjusted only after the open buzzing is corrected... glen

[EXCrosslink]

Hi Glen!

Thanks for your reall quick reply I just edited and added one or two more questions about adjustments under string tension, hope you could help out with those as well.

I checked and I already have a shim under the nut, there is an extra shim towards the treble strings side but the bass side only has one long shim that runs across the whole nut. I'll give the shimming a try with some aluminum foil just to see how it goes. Thanks again!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by jemsite

trussrod should be adjusted only after the open buzzing is corrected... glen

Unless it was fine and then started buzzing, which would mean a truss adjustment is all that's needed

[dcord]

Get the nut as low as possible to allow no open string buzz. You might want to try inserting a small amount of tin foil under the low side of the nut...

From my experience, Ibanez shims their locknuts high from the factory. You may want to check the open string clearance on the high E side to see if that part of the shim can be removed (you can easily cut the shims with a tin snips).

As a rule, you want the nut to be about as high as the first fret, so that it acts as a "zero" fret. What I usually do is place a capo on the first fret and measure the string to fretboard clearance under the string just in front of the first fret. I then set the nut height to equal that measurement.

Good Luck, feel free to email me if you have any questions.
~d~

[Rich]

When I setup a new guitar I'll pull everything out from under the nut [and sometimes it's STILL too high] and put back in what's needed.

[EXCrosslink]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I'll try and adjust the shims when I get back home later

How high of a clearance should I be looking for if I am checking for neck bow? I have about 0.3mm at the 9th fret right now when fretted at the first and the 22nd.

Is it safe to adjust the truss rod at full string tension? I think I might just give it a small little adjustment (loosen by 1/4 turn?) as well as the low E string is buzzing very slightly when played at the 7th and 8th fret.

[dcord]

If you're buzzing at the 8th fret, you need more bow. Loosen the truss rod a smidge (1/8 - 1/4 turn), then let it sit over night. Retune and check it again in the morning.

I always tweak the truss rod with the guitar at pitch.

How high should your clearance be? There is no "set" number, since all guitars vary a little. .3mm seems a bit on the low side, but again, there is no "set" number. I adjust mine until the buzzing stops.

Try doing a complete setup: adjust your nut height to give you no open string buzz (but get it as low as you can), then your bridge height (get the action as low as you can on frets 12-24 without buzzing), then adjust your neck bow to give you buzz-free action on frets 2-12. You'll be good to go.

Hugs,
~d~

[Rich]

Most of the time buzzing around the 8th is where the bow is transitioning into straight neck. [rulling out a high fret of course]

[EXCrosslink]

hey guys,

just gave it a quick check, apparently the distance at the 9th fret is now so small i can hardly fit a piece of paper in between, so i guess the neck bow is contributing to part of the problem. it's fairly new about three weeks old, so i guess the temp change from japan to malaysia must have messed up the bow, i'll give a small turn later on today and see how it goes tomorrow thanks again for all the suggestions and i'll keep you posted!

[gtrcollectr]

I have a rg560 that changes action from leaving it on the wall hanger for more than a day. Most guitars could use a neck adjustment after bieng shipped. Good luck with yours and post what you ended up doing to fix it.

Todd