Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Fret buzz at the first/second fret


Jono Bolton
 Share

Recommended Posts

My Peavey Foundation buzzes quite a bit when I fret a note at the first fret. I thought it must be to do with the nut slots being too low, but I placed a couple of shims in under the nut to raise it and I'm still getting the same buzz.

I had a slight bit of relief in the neck when I first noticed the buzz and I've just changed the strings and straightened the neck and it's still there. Does this sound like it's the frets that need dressed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I aim for .012" (business card thickness - that's cardboard not a plastic credit card which is too thick) at the 8th fret with the E held down at the first and last frets. I've got a set of feeler gauges (the sort you use for spark plug gaps) to measure the relief with mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its 99% time relief or low nut slots.

However, it can be the frets. How do they look, and does it quite suddenly stop buzzing after a certain point?

EDIT wasn't totally clear what I meant there, if you bend the string when fretting on the fret, does it still buzz or stop? If it stops, that may point towards the first fret being worn. Is it just the first fret, or just worse there?

Edited by Kev
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always find its a balance between neck relief and bridge saddle height. Too much relief will make the bass difficult to play in the 'money' area around the 5th & 7th frets. As the buzzing is only at the first and second frets, I'd leave the relief alone and try raising the bridge saddles a quarter tun at a time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've put some relief back in the neck; it's slightly less than business card thickness at the 8th fret but it's still more than I had before I straightened it out, so I guess I didn't have enough in the first place. My issue now is that my saddles are as low as they'll go on the E and G strings, but they are still quite high, and the intonation seems to be out in the middle of the neck. I guess now it's a three-way trade off between relief, string height and angle of the neck get it playing as well as it can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Jono Bolton' timestamp='1422369274' post='2671724']
I've put some relief back in the neck; it's slightly less than business card thickness at the 8th fret but it's still more than I had before I straightened it out, so I guess I didn't have enough in the first place. My issue now is that my saddles are as low as they'll go on the E and G strings, but they are still quite high, and the intonation seems to be out in the middle of the neck. I guess now it's a three-way trade off between relief, string height and angle of the neck get it playing as well as it can.
[/quote]

If you now have correct relief but the string height is still high and the bridge saddle are maxed out and won't go any lower then take off the neck and put a shim in the neck pocket. Cut a small piece of business card off then place it in the neck pocket right at the back. Put the neck back on. This will lower the action.

Ive just done this to another peavey

Oh and i know you have resolved the buzzing now but in your first post if ever you have buzz with a fretted note its never the nut slot as fretting a note takes that out the equation. Having said that you can get back buzz but its rare and your strings would have to be resting right on the frets from nut to fretted note. You can check for a low nut by fretting at the 3rd fret there should be a paper thin gap at the first fret to string.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...