Larger gauge A string buzzing in nut slot vs. lighter gauge not?

[fourstringdrums]

I just bought a Highway One Precision and changed the Fender Light Gauge Roundwounds to Labella 104-43 Flatwounds. I noticed that I was getting some open string buzz on the A that would go away or diminish if I lightly put my hand over the string at or before the nut. So to remedy the situation I wrapped a thin piece of scotch tape around that part of the string and viola, no more buzz.

Now my question and confusion comes because the buzzing should happen only if A) The nut slot was too wide or B) Not enough wraps around the post to adequately break the string over the nut. But here is the thing, with the old Fender strings they were lighter (the Fenders had an .80 A string while the new Labellas have an .82) and when the Fenders were on, they wrapped around the tuner post only twice, while I got 3 out of the Labellas.

So of course this makes no sense as the thickness and wind number of the Labella is greater than the Fender therefor that rules out the slot being too wind and the string break not being adequate enough.

Any ideas as to why this would be happening? I'm glad I remedied the situation, it's just one of those mysteries that will keep me up at night

[73jbass]

That sounds a lot like string break angle.

[fourstringdrums]

Originally Posted by 73jbass

That sounds a lot like string break angle.

That's what I thought, but it's wrapped around 3 times, which should be more than adequate. But the lighter Fender string only went around twice so it would have had even less of a break angle, and it didn't buzz.

I toyed with the idea of installing a tree for the A but didn't know if it would be worth it.

[therex]

i have see this problem with lots of p bass in the A string
i also have the same problem and i reduced the buzz by putting the string more angled but the buzz is still there so i am also looking for answer to this problem

[fourstringdrums]

Originally Posted by therex

i have see this problem with lots of p bass in the A string
i also have the same problem and i reduced the buzz by putting the string more angled but the buzz is still there so i am also looking for answer to this problem

How did you angle the string more? Cut it longer?

I had a thought that perhaps for whatever reason, the flatwound string sits lower in the nut than the roundwound did and that is what's causing it to not break over the nut.

But I should be clear that the string is buzzing from the nut, not on the fret.

[therex]

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

But I should be clear that the string is buzzing from the nut, not on the fret.

i have the same problem
i think next time i will just cut the string longer or not cut at all

[fourstringdrums]

Well I put on some Fender 9050ML's to try and I still get a tiny bit of buzz and I'm starting to think it may just be something somewhere within the next causing the vibration. It's not as much as it was before but it's still there. Again it's not the fret buzzing, it's just some buzzing coming from the nut and the string.

But at this point it's so minimal I'm not bothered by it. I had a Read Custom P which had a phantom buzz somewhere when the E was played, fretted or not. So who the hell knows

[Jaco who?]

I noticed the same vibration only on the A string on my MIM fretless jazz. When I replaced the strings, I noticed the machine screw holding the tuner gear in on the E tuning post (go figure) was a little loose. I took the screws out of all the tuners, squirted them with blue loc-tite and screwed them back in.

The buzzing disappeared, although it's hard to say for sure if that was it because I switched back to DR sunbeams at the same time, and it never buzzed with them.