Repair And Restoration
TO ADD FORUM POST USE THE DISCUSSIONS TAB OR ADD NEW TOPIC IN THE SIDE BAR
Organizer:
- Organized by
-
-
Some guitars “just buzz more than others”..
-
Some guitars “just buzz more than others”..
Hi everyone!
So I have a Fender Custom Shop Strat in my shop at the moment, and it’s a real PITA. I’ve leveled the frets, made a new nut, and set it up to my liking. Normally this would help remove a lot if not all fret buzz, but this guitar just keeps buzzing all over the fretboard. Every single fret buzzes. It’s very prominent as well. I’ve heard some guitar techs say that “some guitars just buzz more than others”, but I can’t accept that. Could it be that there’s something wrong with the angle of the saddle surface? The trussrod is tight, so I don’t think it could be trussrod rattle? Could it be some sympathetic vibrations in the springs for the pickups? Are there any other sources of buzz or rattle that I could check? I’ve had guitars before that just seem to be more buzz-y than others, but this one takes the cake, and it’s an expensive custom shop guitar… Any advice would be appreciated!
-
5 Replies
-
I have a Squier Strat where the trem springs vibrate all the time. Sometimes it’s almost like a built in reverb, others it just sounds like a buzz. Try stuffing a rag between the springs to see if it cuts the buzz.
-
If you still have the instrument, we can take a look at it on the loothalong.
-
I will usually go through and tighten every nut and screw on the guitar (even under the pickguard and both strap buttons). You’re saying fret buzz, so maybe not this: but I’ve had rattling trem springs, rattling pickup height adjustment springs, rattling intonation springs, vibrating saddle screws, and vibrating truss rods. If it really is fret buzz everywhere, then have you considered the height of the pickups (Strat-itis)? Also if the saddles are low, a neck shim can sometimes help the guitar feel a little more solid.
-
Plus 1 on pickup height… don’t ask how I know…
And those spring can be troublesome also. Sometimes I’ve tackled the problem adding shrink tubes over them.
-
I had just seen a video where someone claimed that fret slots cut too wide with too little glue could potentially cause a buzz, especially if all the frets are just “tack glued” on either end of the fret with CA glue
I also had a buzz that was actually coming from the bridge of a Strat – a few of the height adjustment screws were just a tad “loose” and would buzz universally
Log in to reply.