Too Much Back Bow, String Buzzing

XcitR · #1 06-02-2008, 08:36 PM

I posted this over at projectguitar as well, but I'm in a bit of a jam and in need of advice. I just put together and strung up my 1570, and I've got string buzz between the 1st and 12th frets. No buzzing on open strings, though the action from 1-12 is VERY low, and the action from 12-14 is a bit higher. Has a new fretboard, and the frets are nearly perfectly leveled with a straight edge.
I tried to loosen the truss rod to give a little more relief, but the truss rod is already as loose as it gets. What next?? Would shimming the nut help?

Rich · #2 06-02-2008, 08:40 PM

Fret the low E at 1 and 24 and cheak to see if you have relief around 9. If not it's quite possible the new board, or how it was installed, is keeping it from getting any relief.

XcitR · #3 06-02-2008, 09:05 PM

Rich, fretting low E on 1 and 24 leaves very little clearance on 9. Can't quite slip a playing card between the string and fret. The low E string seems to be the worst - buzzing from 1-9. Fretting all strings on the first fret results in buzzing. The height of the bottom of the nut's string guide to fretboard on low E is .080". There is no shim under the nut or in the neck pocket.

Rich · #4 06-02-2008, 09:10 PM

Shim only affect fret #1, after that it's relief. If you had relief in the neck before the new board I think that's clear where the problem originated.

XcitR · #5 06-02-2008, 09:20 PM

Unfortunately, when the original board was taken off, the truss rod was already at its loosest point. I haven't done any leveling to the frets, but they are nearly perfectly leveled to each other, and the radiusing is pretty spot-on. At this point, would any amount of individual leveling help?

Rich · #6 06-02-2008, 10:16 PM

You can roll it into backbow, tape off the first few and last frets, then cut it. You'll end up with relief when you're done, but I'm not sure you'd want to do it yourself.