Floyd buzz near the saddle

[atarilovesyou]

My SL2H is making this strange buzz sound from what appears to be the saddle. It happens when I hit the open low E string, I've tried everywhere to find where the buzz 'could' be but came up with nothing...the pickups, the nut, the springs, the truss rod...nothing. I can only go by ear, and even the shop tech is stumped. I've even removed the string, clipped off a cm and popped it back in...same buzzy sound.

Anybody know what may be going on here?...Other than just waiting to replace the strings, could it be the string itself? It's pretty annoying and you can really tell when I play clean. Could it be the saddle itself?

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[Grumpy]

Did this just start or has it been a problem prior to?

Did you notice any wear where the string exits the saddle?

Is the fine tuner for that string (or any other string) in the lowest position (highest pitch)? If so, the fine tuner tensioner may be just loose enough to cause a buzz.

Replace the strings and see what happens.

Good luck.

[toejam]

I had the same problem on the B string when I first got my Charvel Star. I traced the buzzing and weird string overtone back to the Floyd fine tuner.

[atarilovesyou]

Thanks for the tips....I didn't notice it until I got it back from the shop setup, now it's very obvious. It's the low E string, and most guys seem to think it's the string, so I'll start with the simplest solution and replace the string. I sure hope it's that easy!...it's a brand new guitar, no wear in the saddle and everything is tight, I've looked everywhere from where the buzz could be coming from. Microtuner is fine, I looked around that area as well to see if any vibrations are happening...it's set at a neutral height.

I weird thing I did was slip a very small diameter screwdriver shaft under the saddle so the string has a new pivot point....that killed the buzzy sound, but I really don't see any wear on the saddle. I'll try a new string and get back.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

might need a new saddle. i've called schaller directly and they've sent me out free saddles before.

[Wylde06]

i have the exact same problem on my warrior...luckily i was able to cut a bit of the string off and now the buzz isnt as bad

[Nuclear Vampire]

I had the same thing on my DK2. I traced it to the saddle and it seemed a tad loose so I shimmed it on either side with some cut up pieces of a ticket stub. No more buzzing, but I'm looking to replace the knockoff with an OFR eventually anyways. That'll be a permanent solution.

[atarilovesyou]

...well this is a USA Jackson, with an original Floyd on it...I think sometimes you luck out, sometimes ya don't...string replacement is happenin' right now, we'll see what happens.

[jrnic]

I had the same problem with my Model 2 after I changed the strings. Before the change, no buzz, after the change the high E buzzed alot. Drove me nuts, then I discovered what it was. My problem was that the string was vibrating on the screw that holds down that saddle. I realized that before I changed the strings the angle of the floyd bridge was different than now. Now the back of the floyd was tipped way back where it was touching the body. No matter how many times I tried to re-tune I couldn't get it to change the angle. What I did was adjust the screws holding the spring claw inside the spring cavity. I loosened those screws a little so now when I tune the guitar the floyd floats up more so the E string was not as close to that saddle screw. I hope this helps (and you also understand how I described it!)

[atarilovesyou]

I'm assuming the saddle screw you're talking about is the intonation screw, right? I'm not thinking that's the case, but who knows? My trem angle is neutral though, and the action is pretty decent so I don't think so. But after all these posts, I think we've covered almost EVERY part on the guitar...lol!!..thanks dudes.

[jrnic]

I'm assuming the saddle screw you're talking about is the intonation screw, right?

Exactly.

I guess my roundabout way of describing it wasn't so bad then. Hope you figure it out.

[atarilovesyou]

Well...I replaced the string and it didn't do a thing.

Hmm....while tinkering around, I find if I press down directly on the lock screw on the end of the bridge for the low E string ONLY, the pitch goes up and the buzzzzz goes away. I let go, the buzz is back. I'm using a 42mm gauge for the low E....I don't wanna go messin' around with different gauges at this point.

Might I need to replace the saddle?...they don't look pricey at all on the web, and they look like an easy item to replace, just pop off the intonation screw and it slides right off, yeah?

I really wish I could figure this out!...if it turns out it's the nut, then I guess I'm screwed. I don't know anyone around here who knows how to 'fix' a Floyd nut, other than replace it outright (again, not too pricey).

Any more ideas?...do you think it could be something under one of the pickups that's vibrating?....the only way to figure that one out is to replace all strings, remove the pickups, rebuild the whole thing. Don't really want to do that.

Again, it's only when the guitar string is played OPEN do I get the buzz. Fretted, nothing...mild string buzz in the lower frets as per usual with my Soloists.

Thanks!

[toejam]

Tighten your fine tuner a little and see if it goes away. That's the same exact problem I had on mine. They just don't seem to make Floyds like the used to.

[atarilovesyou]

Tried that too...everything is 'tight', I've applied pressure to every part to see if I can feel the vibrations....so far, nothing. The saddle replacement is just a shot in the dark, really...

[toejam]

Strange. Might well be the saddle then. Try swapping that low E saddle with your high E saddle just to be sure.