String Buzz, only on 7th fret G string

[ac11367]

My G&L SB-2 (4-strings, of course) is getting a string buzz on its G string whenever I simultaneously hold down the E string and the G string on the 7th fret (a 2 notes chord with root of B and its minor 10th note). I took it to a luthier to have neck straighten out, only to make the buzzing worse. The bass does not have a low-action setup, and the neck is fairly straight. Please help.

[Benjamin Strange]

If the luthier attempted to fix a fret problem by straightening your neck, he's not doing you any favors. That won't address the problem at all.

You have uneven fret(s). If it's just one fret (doubtful), then a COMPETENT tech can lift or press it and level it with the rest of the frets. Most likely you could stand for a fret level on the entire board. I find that almost every instrument could benefit from this. It's extremely rare to find a factory instrument with level frets.

[dmusic148]

It's actually the E string vibrating sympathetically with the G, between the 6th fret and the nut. Weird but true. There's no good solution, short of placing a hair scrunchie around the neck. Good news is you shouldn't be able to hear it through your amp, or barely.

[ac11367]

Thank you everyone.

Originally Posted by dmusic148

It's actually the E string vibrating sympathetically with the G, between the 6th fret and the nut. Weird but true. There's no good solution, short of placing a hair scrunchie around the neck. Good news is you shouldn't be able to hear it through your amp, or barely.

I think this pinpoints the problem, because the ONLY time there's a buzz is when I press the 7th fret by the E and G together. Is this common?

[Benjamin Strange]

Well, the problem is that apparently your bass is excitable at those particular frequencies, which causes the string to behave abnormally and buzz against the fret. Still, it might be worth looking in to to see if the frets are uneven.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by ac11367

Is this common?

I've got three Fenders- two do it, and one doesn't. Go figure. By all means check the fret level, but I think you'll find it's just the nature of the beast. Again, it shouldn't be audible amplified anyway.