Fret Buzz Question

[shredmonster]

This probably has been covered somewhere before but there is 251 pages of posts here and I have not found it yet.

I have a friend who just purchased a brand new PC1.

He has fret buzz on just the high e string on the first fret only.

I am thinking maybe a truss rod adjustment would fix it?

Anyone have any experience or suggestions with this?

[Lazar Gajic]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

It sounds like the fret is slightly raised and this in turn has affected the string height at the nut. The easy remedy is to very gently tap the fret down and see if it has raised itself or gently file the area of fret just underneath the high E string and then recrown and polish to remove all marks, hope this helps. Kammo1

[shredmonster]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

[ QUOTE ]
It sounds like the fret is slightly raised and this in turn has affected the string height at the nut. The easy remedy is to very gently tap the fret down and see if it has raised itself or gently file the area of fret just underneath the high E string and then recrown and polish to remove all marks, hope this helps. Kammo1

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't have any experience working with frets themselves. What do I tell him to tap the fret down with - like a block of wood or somethng that will not damage the metal?

[toejam]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

Maybe shim the nut a tiny bit on that side?

[Newc]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

Y'know, there's a market for Floyd nuts that are individually adjustable for height. If you have to shim the High E considerably, you're also raising the neighboring strings slightly, as well as throwing the radius off, but if you could get a nut that had a height adjuster for each pair of strings....

[toejam]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

[ QUOTE ]
Y'know, there's a market for Floyd nuts that are individually adjustable for height. If you have to shim the High E considerably, you're also raising the neighboring strings slightly, as well as throwing the radius off, but if you could get a nut that had a height adjuster for each pair of strings....

[/ QUOTE ]
That would be a great idea. I had a Yamaha in the mid to late '90s (an RGZ 321P) and it had an adjustable nut. I never used the feature because the height was fine for me, but it used tiny allen wrenches to raise or lower the height of the nut, for all strings, of course. Don't know if they're still doing this on any of their guitars now or not, but I thought it was a great feature. If one could be made for each pair of strings, that would be great.

[shredmonster]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

Yeah regarding shimming - I would do the whole nut.

One side I think might screw things up.

What do you guys think of tin foil as a material for doint this?

[kmanick]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

ChuckSplatter gave me a couple of Shims for the nut on my 89 soloist. PM him he'll know.

[sully]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

listen to what kammo1 said. if it's only buzzing when fretted, raising the nut isn't going to help you.

you can put a block of wood (or something to that exten) to absorb some of the shock over the fret. you're not trying to hammer the fret like it owed you money or anything, just a few taps.

or take it to a tech.

sully

[DonP]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

[ QUOTE ]
He has fret buzz on just the high e string on the first fret only.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is the buzz as you fret down on the first fret, or does it buzz on the first fret when the e is played open?

A truss rod adjustment would be more for frets in the middle of the neck. It won't have any impact on the first fret.

[shredmonster]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

He tells me its just when you press down on the first fret.

[vwall]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

If you have determined it IS a high fret, Try and tap it down, get one of those stew Mac fret setters if you like.
I personally use a fretting hammer brass head if its high to go about lowerering it. But there are so many variables that wan cause this... even other frets or it may even be another fret that's buzzing and causing tyhe problem.. could be 1 or 2 up.

Also, shimming the nut will not mess it up.
The factory does partial but shims on OFR all the time as do I.
If you are just not sure what to do, take it some where ;-)

[shredmonster]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

[ QUOTE ]
If you have determined it IS a high fret, Try and tap it down, get one of those stew Mac fret setters if you like.
I personally use a fretting hammer brass head if its high to go about lowerering it. But there are so many variables that wan cause this... even other frets or it may even be another fret that's buzzing and causing tyhe problem.. could be 1 or 2 up.

Also, shimming the nut will not mess it up.
The factory does partial but shims on OFR all the time as do I.
If you are just not sure what to do, take it some where ;-)

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the advice Scott. He is a novice and does not live near me or I would do the work for him.

I am going to have him determine if any of the frets are not fully in their grooves. If they are all down then I am going to have him shim the nut because it that works it would be the fastest and easiest solution.

[jim777]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

It seems to me like the problem isn't a high first fret at all, but a low first fret on the high E side. If it was a high fret, when the first fret was fretted it would clear the second (and subsequent) frets and not buzz. If it's low, then when fretted it may touch the second fret and buzz, but be buzz free for all subsequent frets on the E.
Find a short straight edge, like a six inch ruler, and lay it on the frets at the high E string, and see if you can rock it with the second fret as the fulcrum. That should tell you if the fret is high or low (if it's high, the straight edge may not touch the second fret at all), or if your problem is something else.

jim

[DonP]

Re: Fret Buzz Question

Good answer jim777.