Fret Buzz

[Pete Academy]

Difficult to avoid if you want your action low. Even more difficult with lighter strings. But it doesn't usually come through the amp.

Does it annoy you?

[skankdelvar]

Your fret buzz bothers me not at all. Sounds fine to me. Tell you what - you fill your boots, me old china and I'll put the kettle on.

Edited April 12, 2010 by skankdelvar

[JTUK]

Nope...you can't hear it out front otherwise I would adjust it. I sometimes use it to imitate a fretless type sound...but I don't want to go too far down that line otherwise I'd get a fretless

So, just a tad of buzz doesn't worry me.........

[BassJase]

The amount of times I hear other bassists say they just can't play my basses because the action is too low...
I play with a really light touch though so I don't get fret buzz, but give it to anyone else and it sounds bloody horrible.

[Pete Academy]

It's mainly down to the player. Personally, it doesn't bother me.

Bad technique, maybe?

[neepheid]

I prefer there to be as little as possible. As a result, I probably have a slightly higher action than some people would like.

[velvetkevorkian]

[quote name='BassJase' post='804143' date='Apr 12 2010, 08:57 PM']The amount of times I hear other bassists say they just can't play my basses because the action is too low...
I play with a really light touch though so I don't get fret buzz, but give it to anyone else and it sounds bloody horrible. [/quote]
Likewise. It lets me get a proper clank when needed just by changing my plucking angle slightly.

[Sarah5string]

Doesn't bug me so long as it doesn't come through the amp. Unless I'm playnig an acoustic of course..

Edited April 12, 2010 by Sarah5string

[Pete Academy]

It occurred to me because I recently had a guy say he couldn't gig with his bass because it was so loud, and the other band members could hear it above everything.

Eh?

[Sarah5string]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='804194' date='Apr 12 2010, 09:24 PM']It occurred to me because I recently had a guy say he couldn't gig with his bass because it was so loud, and the other band members could hear it above everything.

Eh? [/quote]
How the hell? Is his neck more curved than J-lo's ass?

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='804201' date='Apr 12 2010, 09:26 PM']How the hell? Is his neck more curved than J-lo's ass?[/quote]

[Protium]

My bass buzzes a bit above the 12th fret because the action is so low. It doesn't come through the amp so it doesn't bother me.

[Ancient Mariner]

Saucer of milk to table 5^



If I can't hear it then it doesn't bother me.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Protium' post='804210' date='Apr 12 2010, 09:30 PM']My bass buzzes a bit above the 12th fret because the action is so low. It doesn't come through the amp so it doesn't bother me.[/quote]

Good man!

[thisnameistaken]

I tune out fret buzz completely because it means I get better peformance out of 'note-tracking' pedals. My action is still pretty low, but I'm not really bothered about having it super-low. It's not like I'm ever pushing the envelope of what I can play on a bass.

[Marvin]

If I can't hear it it's not a problem.

What would happen if I saw J-Lo's arse curving across my field of vision whist playing is a completely different matter

[Doddy]

I don't mind a bit a fret buzz. Like you said,as long as it's not being amplified it's not
a big problem-especially on a rock gig.It gives the note a bit of character when you dig in.
However it really pisses me off when I'm playing Upright.

[Marvin]

[quote name='Doddy' post='804322' date='Apr 12 2010, 10:36 PM']However it really pisses me off when I'm playing Upright.[/quote]


Do you normally play lying down?

[alhbass]

I love fret buzz. I use Rotosound Tru-bass nylon flats, with a low action on my Jazz bass, and love the resulting dirty, gritty, percussive sound.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Doddy' post='804322' date='Apr 12 2010, 10:36 PM']I don't mind a bit a fret buzz. Like you said,as long as it's not being amplified it's not
a big problem-especially on a rock gig.It gives the note a bit of character when you dig in.
However it really pisses me off when I'm playing Upright.[/quote]

It bothered me so much I got my upright de-fretted.

[Doddy]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='804416' date='Apr 12 2010, 11:41 PM']It bothered me so much I got my upright de-fretted.[/quote]

Yeah ok.

That's the only thing that bothers me about Stanley Clarke's Upright playing. His action is so
low that he gets quite a bit of noise from the string hitting the fingerboard- especially when he's in
thumb position.

[Bassassin]

A low action plus a hamfisted right-hand technique means buzzing, clattering rattling & thwacking are as much a part of my "style" as all the wrong notes.

Jon.

[Marvin]

[quote name='Doddy' post='804424' date='Apr 12 2010, 11:47 PM']Yeah ok.

....... especially when he's in thumb position.[/quote]


I think personal antics are best left to off topic.

[KERMITNT]

depends

sometimes my mind stucks and says oh no i have e fret buzzing my god i have to fix this then just i understand is not through the amp

can anyone tell me why i have lower action with 85 105? instead with 80 100 in A and E string ? is because of the tension that string aplies? or and the gauge makes matter to the frets?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I like my action super-low and play with a light touch with thomastiks Jazz Flats. When I bought my mustang it did have an annoying buzz in one area of the neck due to one or two uneven frets once I put on the flats as the issue had been masked with higher tension strings and a bit more relief. I got the frets sorted out at the Gallery and it doesn't buzz at all now. Not really had any problems with any other basses though, apart from my '81 QE2 anchor precision which had a few badly fitted frets from new - also sorted at the Gallery.