General Music Chat

how do i get rid of the buzz on my acoustic guitar? It only happens on the E string on the third fret. Its a bit annoying.

Any answers will be grateful

thanks

Hi Mega.

Which E? Top or bottom?
Could be a number of reasons. Did it just start or was it there when you bought it? Recent history might help on this please?

how do i get rid of the buzz on my acoustic guitar? It only happens on the E string on the third fret. Its a bit annoying.
Any answers will be grateful
thanks

There are a couple of possible causes, which I will list in order of most frequently occuring:

1) the fret(s) are worn to the point the string touches a lower fret when the string is depressed. This occurs mostly at the top five frets; move the string and if there is a groove in the fret you most likely have your answer.

2) the bridge is worn or incorrectly adjusted. This is a toughy for acoustics, sometimes requiring a new bridge or some kind of jerry rig

3) the neck has become warped/bowed

If it's an expensive guitar it may be worth fixing; if not get rid of it.

Best of luck.

There are a couple of possible causes, which I will list in order of most frequently occuring:

1) the fret(s) are worn to the point the string touches a lower fret when the string is depressed. This occurs mostly at the top five frets; move the string and if there is a groove in the fret you most likely have your answer.

2) the bridge is worn or incorrectly adjusted. This is a toughy for acoustics, sometimes requiring a new bridge or some kind of jerry rig

3) the neck has become warped/bowed

If it's an expensive guitar it may be worth fixing; if not get rid of it.

Best of luck.

Great tips.

You can bring it in to a guitar tech or luthier for a set up. It may just need a truss rod adjustment.

I actually have a tiny piece of paper suck between the nut and B string on my acoustic right now-was having a buzz problem also, due to the nut being worn. It's a temporary fix, but it's solved the problem until I can do proper maintenance...

Twice a year, I find the need to slightly alter my truss rod, due to humidity factors, I do believe. I only need an alteration of about 1/4 to 1/3 turn, but when my axe starts buzzing, it fixes it. I also had to do this when I went to a lower gauge string, cuz there's less tension on the neck, & it tends to pull back when you ease that tension.

In the early winter/late fall, I need to tighten the rod, & in late spring/early summer, I tighten it.

That solves my problem, but I'm not sure what yours may be. It could be the nut or the bridge or the fret wear or even something far worse, depending upon your guitar.

I'd check the frets 1st, then the nut & bridge, for wear. Then I'd try the truss rod fix, if I were you. If it continues, I'd take it to a luthier, if it's worth the bucks.

Raising the nut (the plastic 'string-rest' by the headstock/tuning keys) won't fix this problem at all.
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But your bridge might be too low; humidity changes affect the string height . . .
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To fix it (it's easy - and free) . . .
Remove the saddle from the bridge. That's the thin white plastic piece that the strings rest on.
Usually there's nothing keeping it in place, but the strings.
You need to raise it.
I would definitely do that before adjusting the truss rod.
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To raise it - put one of these 3 items underneth the saddle. I've tried all 3 over a period of 6 months each, and they all work great.
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Small adjustment: - a thin strip of paper, or two.
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Medium - a thin strip of shirt cardboard.
OR
a slice out of a plastic food container (like a cottage cheese or yougurt lid, for example). The plastic is immune to humidity changes.
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Large adjustment - combine the above, til you find the sweet spot.
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If this doesn't solve it, or if you need way too many strips under the saddle, then you might check to see how deeply the strings have settled (grooved, or etched) into the saddle.
If the slots are deep, then replace the saddle, for about $5. Just about every music store on earth carries replacement saddles, - but bring your old one in with you.. . .
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I agree with the other mentioned problems - fret wear, neck bow.
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By the way -
If you adjust the neck, never go beyond 1/3 or 1/2 turn at a time.
And wait a couple days for it to fully respond, before turning it a 2nd time . . .

I hate it when the first thing everybody says is adjust the truss rod...that's always the LAST thing to ever touch, it's very easy to break...and usually is NOT the problem.

Another possibility is a high fret. A file can fix that but be careful, don't want to take off too much, and make sure the top is rounded, not flat.

Truss rod...I always recommend leave it alone unless absolutely necessary, it's too easy to break. Every book, reliable website and guitar tech I have checked with for 20 years has always said no more than 1/4 turn, let it settle overnight and I prefer to add a drop of light oil the day before trying to make adjustments. (3 in 1 or sewing machine oil, NEVER penetrating oil, bad idea for guitars.)

Truss rod adjustments are made ONLY to increase or reduce backbow. Back bow is a very slight curve away from the strings in the middle, where the vibrational pattern of the strings is widest. Truss rod adjustments usually will not affect action or intonation, or have a very minor affect on action and only a very minor affect on string height, again only in the middle of the neck.

For a buzz at the 3rd fret, I think truss rod is out of the picture, it will have little or no affect at the 3rd fret. Check the nut, fret grooves and fret height. String height (action) could be too low but I would expect buzz at several frets in that case. My money would be on a deep fret groove at the 2nd fret. Check the 2nd fret closely, see if it has a deep groove or trough underneath the string. That would mean it needs a fret dressing/filing. I have to do mine every 3 or 4 years to remove serious fret grooves. If you don't know how, take it to a reputable shop.

I disagree. I have been repairing, setting up, and customizing guitars for over 45 years in my shop. During very dry weather the neck will often bow
towards the strings creating a buzz.

To find the problem, you first have to eliminate the truss adjustment as the possible problem. To do that you can use your string as a straight edge. Hold the big "E" down at the first fret. Then with the other hand slowly bring the string to rest on the last fret. Carefully watch the center portion of the neck to see if the string touches the neck before the string hits the last fret. If that happens, you need to back off or loosen the truss slightly. WHENEVER YOU DO ANYTHING WITH A TRUSS ROD loosen the strings first. Only try 1/2 to 1/2 a turn to begin. Then tighten the strings to pitch too see if your adjustment worked. A double truss rod is more stable than a single truss rod, there fore it needs less adjustment. But a single truss often needs adjustment with humidity changes.

My house if very dry in the winter. I have to adjust once about every seasonal change since my strings are so close to the finger board. It is so humid here in the summer that dew forms on your nose in the summer. And I have to adjust again if I want to keep my action low. And I have all double truss rods. I keep my action so low that I take whatever it needs to adjust a truss whenever I jam or play. Humidity is hell in Iowa.

A slight bow in the neck actually stops a lot of buzz on a low action guitar. If you have the bow of death, (The bow from the nut to the first fret) and the rest looks OK, you have a neck that can not be lowered properly.

To check for a twisted neck, and some do twist, do the straight edge check on the little and the high "E" strings. There should be the same amount of deviance. If the low "E" is high, and the bottom "E" is lower or higher, the neck is twisted. No fixing that. But you can squeak by and still make it easy to play when using saddle adjustments. If you have them.

If, when you hold down the string on the first and last fret and there is a slow gentle curve the entire length of the neck, that is a neck that can usually be set for very low action without any problems. I always check this out before purchasing a guitar, no matter how good it seems to play in a store.

Slacker - your info is essentially correct, but I don't think the truss rod is the problem here. Usually if the guitar neck is bowed toward the strings, it will create buzz in the middle of the neck, around the 8th - 12th frets, rather than near the nut.

A twisted neck sometimes can also be seen by looking straight down the neck from the tuning head.

You've apparently been working on guitars longer than I have, (around 20-25 years) and from your info I'd say you know what you're doing, but I have to disagree on the truss rod adjustment, everything I've looked up says no more than 1/4 turn at a time in either direction. Sometimes I'll see info that says 1/4 turn them wait a feew hours and another 1/4, no more than 1/2 turn per day but I prefer only 1/4 turn and let it settle overnight. I don't think I've ever seen 1/2 turn at once recommended. Except by 17 year olds...no insult intended. I've done over 100 setups, only 4 or 5 required truss rod adjustments. I'm in a much more humid area, that may be the difference, I rarely see truss rod problems around here. I see lots of rusty or corroded bridges and hardware...

For low action I always make sure it has some backbow, for higher action like I use it's not critical, but you're right that some backbow can eliminate a lot of buzz on low action guitars. Those are usually the ones I have to adjust, and a lot of guitars are not adjusted properly from the factory. I check it when looking at guitars in stores too, and I always play it unplugged before plugging into an amp. Saves a lot of trouble, if it sounds dull and lifeless unplugged no amp made can do it any justice...

I still think this should be either a high fret or a fret groove...that's exactly what it sounds like to me. That's why I had to do my first fret filing...grooves were so bad several strings started buzzing on open chords. Go a few frets up and it would stop so I did some checking...then got out a file.

Seasonal humidity changes that have caused buzzing for me always appear above the 9th fret; usually frets # 11, 12, 13 or 14.
I raise or lower my saddle to compensate: it works, it's FAST, and it's safe and easy.
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Although I use a humidifier - I also have a wood stove, which sucks a lot of air and leaves it very dry in my home. The humidy in my house in the winter ranges around 35% - way too dry.
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I live 8 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean (Long Island Sound), so it's always humid in the warmer weather - always above 70%, up to 100%.
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Given a choice - I like about 65% humidy, or thereabouts . . . that way there are less tension changes on the strings, when the body of my guitar reacts when I bring it somewhere to play.
Most people can't even hear the tiny tone changes over an hour's period of humidity changes. They tell me their guitar stays in perfect tune. HA! Well: I listen to their guitars, and strongly disagree - I can hear an out of tune guitar. But - I don't bother correcting them - I can just hear stuff they can't. No biggee; I wear earplugs at loud events - they don't . . .
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The following info is aimed at newer guitar players - us old farts already know about it.

Most people play guitars that are slightly our of tune.
Oh, their tuners SAY the guitar is in tune. And most peoples' guitars are tuned 'pretty good.'
But - after you've tuned it perfectly - check at the 12th fret. It should be tuned perfectly THERE, too.
When I see a slight difference, often slightly adjusting the other 5 strings will put a string in perfect tune both open and at 12 fret.
Stay at it - tune each string over and over again - open and at the 12th - and you'll hear a markedly better sounding guitar.
(And, for God's sake, when you tune - let the strings ring for a second or 2; you may not be waiting long enough for the tuner to give you a completely accurate reading . . .)
Again - I'm talking a very small percentage of being out of tune - USUALLY below the tolerance level of the tuner, - but - not always.
You can be a little sharp or flat, and the tuner will tell you that you're in perfect tune. And - that's good enough for the average player.
But - listen carefully - both open, and again at the 12th fret - and I suspect many of you should be easily able to hear a difference, regardless of what the tuner says. . . .
oops . . .
Apologies for drifting off-topic a bit . . .

Yeah. Obviously a typo as I was posting. I/2 to 1/2 doesn't make any sense. I meant 1/8 to 1/2 turn.

I have had some guitars, such as Carvin's that only need 1/8 th of a turn to make a change. Most of my Warmoth necks require about 1/4 to compensate. Gibson's have taken as much as 1/2 turn. Older imported guitars took as much as a full turn to align the neck. However, as this guy in the link below states, you should back it off first to see how tight it already is. Always leave tension on the big "E" to check the variance as you loosen or tighten the truss. That will be a good indicator of how it responds. Warmoth has good instructions on how to set up a neck and adjust the rod.

1/8 to 1/4 is relative anyway. Some trusses use metric threads, some guitars use SAE threads. Thread pitch makes a difference.

It also makes a huge difference as to if it is a single or double truss. Singles warp easily and often with radical seasonal humidity changes. Doubles take the change far better.

However, as mentioned raising the bridge can get rid of some buzz. However I do like my action super low, so that is not a good solution for me. As mentioned previously, you should always use your string as a straight edge first to determine where the problem area is before doing anything. If the neck is straight you should leave it alone, or you can back it off ever so slightly to stop buzzing in the center section in a lot of cases. That doesn't effect playability very much. Works in some instances, not in others. As far as high or low frets, I would leave that to someone who does it often. A lot safer. A shop will charge dearly for that a lot of times. But on the other hand, you can take them to court if they screw it up.

There is always controversy about adjusting truss rods. I decided to look up a couple of other viewpoints. I found a pretty good link right at the top of the list.


http://www.athensmusician.net/archive/2 ... ody1.shtml

this ones for Pilby,,,, have the guitar set up with a more balanced set of strings.
Most string packs have ridiculous string tension differences. I don't care how talented the guit master is. These are problems you kind of have to trade off,,, when you play a fretted instrument.
CRIP ,hated the new Les Paul, when he had it strung with his favorite strings,,
It gets so personal and every guit is so different.
BUMMER.

R,M, You are so right about that set up. That is the easiest way to explain setup to a new player. However I see to many young players trying to compare the harmonic of the 12 fret to the open. This does not account for the pitch change when string tension is changed by playing that fret.
As a matter of curiosity,,,,Higher octaves on a piano will normaly register a few "CENTS" sharper than middle octaves,,, this helps to give a piano that brilliance.
The funny thing is the same can be said with vocals,,, A tiny bit sharp has some brilliance,,,,,, A tiny bit flat and it really sucks.

So ... what you saying is when adjusting intonation I should not strive to have the open E and the 12th E to be E ??

Now I,m really confused.