uber n00b fret buzz question

[Shawman]

hey guys

sorry for the n00blet question, but when it comes to doing repairs and stuff, quite frankly i brick it when i think about doing it myself!

the problem is on the B, E, A and a bit on the D strings, anything from open strings to the 6th fret seems to buzz quite badly. i really like a low action so i have it set the way i like it. am i simply overdoing it you think? or is it something a bit more serious

looking at the neck it seems to be perfectly straight to my eye, so i'm confident it's not a warping issue...

think a truss rod adjustment is required?

sorry, just a wee bit concerned

Cheers

Gary

[tommorichards]

try giving it a very slight forward bow....

[Ou7shined]

Contrary to popular belief straight is not necessarily all it's cracked up to be.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1205213' date='Apr 19 2011, 09:09 PM']Contrary to popular belief straight is not necessarily all it's cracked up to be.[/quote]

I cant get on with straight either in fact I think my Ray5 could do with a tad more releif in it to get rid of a few rattles. I think you need to be a tickler to have a dead straight neck, Calling EBS_freak

Has the op checked with the old press down on the first and 13th fret method to see if there is a gap yet?

[Shawman]

i have not

now i have

holding down the first and 13th fret the string is touching every fret...if this is what i'm looking for?

[MoonBassAlpha]

No. loosen the truss rod a quarter turn and live with it for a bit. Then do it again if it's still not quite right. That should do it for you.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='1205328' date='Apr 19 2011, 10:54 PM']No. loosen the truss rod a quarter turn and live with it for a bit. Then do it again if it's still not quite right. That should do it for you.[/quote]
+1 leave it a few days between tweaks especially with this nice warm weather we are having

[Shawman]

nice one, cheers guys! will give it a wee go when i get in from work

[chuck_stones]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1205237' date='Apr 19 2011, 09:28 PM']Has the op checked with the old press down on the first and 13th fret method to see if there is a gap yet?[/quote]

Not to muddy the waters, but from past experience I've learned it's better to use the second fret, as the first fret is often left higher than the rest (depending on manufacturer), and will thus give an inaccurate reading.

[chuck_stones]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='1205328' date='Apr 19 2011, 10:54 PM']No. loosen the truss rod a quarter turn and live with it for a bit. Then do it again if it's still not quite right. That should do it for you.[/quote]
+1 Although, if the op wants to [i]add[/i] forward bow, shouldn't he be tightening the truss rod, not loosening it? Speaking of which, check with your manufacturer which way to turn it as some do vary, though lefty = loosey, righty = tighty is a good rule of thumb.

[tommorichards]

Tightening makes it straighter. The looser it is, the more the strings will pull it forward.

[MoonBassAlpha]

[quote name='chuck_stones' post='1205989' date='Apr 20 2011, 03:44 PM']+1 Although, if the op wants to [i]add[/i] forward bow, shouldn't he be tightening the truss rod, not loosening it? Speaking of which, check with your manufacturer which way to turn it as some do vary, though lefty = loosey, righty = tighty is a good rule of thumb.[/quote]
If it's rattling from 1-6, adding forward bow would be exactly the right thing to do. To make it worse.

[chuck_stones]

[quote name='tommorichards' post='1206308' date='Apr 20 2011, 07:19 PM']Tightening makes it straighter. The looser it is, the more the strings will pull it forward.[/quote]

Doh! **Smacks forehead with hand**

[ThomBassmonkey]

A tip I picked up a while ago for adjusting the relief is to detune a string (shouldn't matter which one assuming your neck's not warped, I usually go for the A on my 5ers) down until you get a good amount of fretbuzz (usually D-E on the A string). Now play up and down the neck on that string.

Ideally you should get fairly even amounts of fretbuzz up and down the neck, if you're getting too much either above or below about the 6th fret then your truss rod probably needs an adjustment.