Open A buzz on P Bass

[Rexel Matador]

Having raised the action on my P bass, I now find that the open A string is buzzing at the nut. I think that this is caused by the higher action meaning that the angle at the nut is slightly insufficient. (If I press slightly on the part of the string between the nut and the tuner and play the note, the buzz goes away.

I don't think it's coming through the amp, so I suspect that the best solution is to live with it for now and then, when I next change the strings, do a couple more windings on the machine head so the string is pushed down a bit lower.

Is this a common? Does my diagnosis sound right? Or is there something else I might have missed?

[stega]

I had a similar thing happen with my A string when I re-stringed yesterday. Kinda tricky to explain, but I changed the winding of the string so instead of the string going into the tuner at the bottom, and wrapping around above it, it went the other way. Stopped the buzzing straight away. Check out the photo below.




Not sure if there is a correct way of winding strings, but I've always done them like the E string in the photo. Is there a right way to do this?

[Muppet]

Best practice is to wind strings down the tuner post to increase the string angle over the nut.

[HowieBass]

[quote name='Muppet' timestamp='1483557087' post='3208255']
Best practice is to wind strings down the tuner post to increase the string angle over the nut.
[/quote]

+1

[Rexel Matador]

They're all already wound down the post. Unfortunately it seems it doesn't go down quite far enough.

[Happy Jack]

Have you checked that it's the string that's doing the actual buzzing, rather than the tuner itself?

Try holding the tuner (instead of pressing down on the string between nut and tuner) and playing the note.

[Rexel Matador]

Thanks Happy Jack. I tried that and it's the string. I think it's a case of another wind or two on the next string change.

[charic]

I bit of folded paper in the nut can sometimes fix this

[pineweasel]

A common problem on Fenders due to the shallow break angle of the A string, hence their own Strong Arm retainer offered on some top end models, or the likes of Sandberg using a retainer that holds down the A string as well as the D and G. But as advised above, simply cutting the A longer so it winds down as far as possible works pretty well.

[deksawyer]

Also, make sure the saddle at the bridge is sitting level....

D.

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

I had something like this happen after I'd filed the nut slots on my Jazz. Took ages to work out what had happened, but it was the string vibrating side to side in the nut slot. As said above, a thin piece of card or plastic in the side of the slot will cure it, though it's perhaps not the most elegant of solutions. Either that or a string retainer to increase the angle. I also wondered whether filing a small amount off the top of the nut, equal to the amount I'd deepened the slots, would do it, but I've not tried that in case the problem is that I've inadvertently widened the slot.