Fret Buzz - so what?

[conqr]

It seems to be almost like....a law - 'no fret buzz' is absolutely desirable and a basic requirement for most people it appears. Am I the only one who could care less about buzz, especially buzz that does NOT choke off notes, and is often inaudible through an amp, let alone in the recorded or live mix?

Personally I'll happily accept this kind of buzz in return for very comfortable feel for my left hand. Of course if the instrument is built and set up so it can be buzz free with reasonably low action I'll take it, but if it's not killer buzz, why care so much about totally eliminating it?

[bassteban]

IME most fret buzz is due to my sloppy playing & most of the time can't be heard in a live band context. That said, if a bass was excessively buzzy- unplugged, in a quiet room, playing as cleanly as possible & the bass was setup as well as possible- that would not be a great thing.

[elskeetro]

I am lenient with fret buzz. If I can't hear it on a recording or through the amp, I don't mind. If it's affecting the intonation or the tone, then it has to be remedied.

Ask yourself:

1.) is it fret buzz due to the instrument's setup/condition?
Sometimes to get the feel/playability you desire from an instrument, some compromises have to be made.

2.) or is it fret buzz due to sloppy technique?
If it's sloppy technique, then it's time to step your game up and work on your hands. There's no excuse for that.

Again, as long as I can't hear it in the signal and the guitar plays well, then I don't have a problem with it.

Peace!
Skeet.

[plangentmusic]

Fret noise is fine with certain styles. Certain notes buzzing -- never.

[jive1]

As a guy who does ALOT of setups, I find that fret buzz can be a function of a player's technique. Often with lower action, you'll need a softer touch because the strings have less room to vibrate. If you pluck too hard, you can choke off a note. If you pluck perpendicular into the fretboard you'll get much more buzz than if you pluck parallel to the fretboard. Not pressing down hard enough, or cleanly on the fretboard can also cause buzz. And quite honestly, if you pluck hard enough you can make any bass have fret buzz.

Buzz is mostly an issue if it chokes the notes, or you can hear it through the amp.

If the bass doesn't need any repairs like leveling a high fret or back-bow, the easiest way to get rid of fret buzz is to get a good set up that fits YOUR style of playing.