Buzz in Specific spots on strings (not a loose peg)

James Condino in Asheville will set you straight.

 

There's quite a few different ways this can happen, and they pretty much all need a luthier's experience to diagnose and fix. Fortunately, they tend not to be particularly expensive... at worst, a full fingerboard dressing, but probably not nearly that much work.

 

OP, do you get buzzing from the 5th fret to the nut on all strings?

 

That slant is called a Rorschach Bevel. It is built into many fingerboard blanks to elicit an emotional response when playing on the E-string.

Gaps in the glue joint are not good. Just take the bass over to Meister Condino and he'll fix everything, even though he's not a licensed Psychoanalyst

 

The Romberg bevel would be just left of the A string when facing the bass and would be the surface under the E string. Here's a cross-section of the cello version:

 

PM sent re: Greenville Bass Luthier.
BG

 

If the A string is on the wrong side of the bevel break, that would definitely cause trouble on the A string.

Sounds like there's more issues than that... you need a luthier, and someone has pointed you in the right direction.

 

Ah, ok. That's good then.

 

Recambering is changing the scoop of the fingerboard, either by bending the neck and fingerboard or by dressing (which means removing material). Normally it needs a bit of dressing after bending anyway to get the details right.

So yes, dressing will be involved, but it might be a bit more (to bend the neck you pretty much have to remove the fingerboard).

 

I guess this is a question for the experienced bass luthier-do necks need bending very often when dressing the finger board. I would think that the neck would not need bending as routinely as has been implied by Mr. M. Just sayin, just askin..

 

You absolutely have to remove the fingerboard, and even then, bending the neck is not going to be very successful.

By the way if you want to see if the neck has warped forward ("bent"), sight along the glue seam between the ebony FB and the maple. Should be straight. A slight curve 1-2mm deflection in the middle is common. More dan dat you have a problem.

But it sounds to me as if you just need to get the fingerboard lightly dressed to get rid of any bumps causing the buzz. You don't need to rebend a neck to do that.

 

I have a similar problem on my American Standard- especially now, in winter. Strings go closer to the board- up in summer/ more humid weather.
Careful shaving too much ebony off of the fingerboard-had my bass repairman do that 30 yrs. ago when I got the AS Bass from him with a new neck/ board/ bridge & didn't have the experience or strength in my hands at the time- wanted the strings so close to the board.
Raised the bridge way up-most all buzzes are not heard.
Also, had a thick price of leather put over the saddle ( his suggestion) to raise that(off now!) to lessen what seemed like too much tension for me.
Wondering about raising the NUT,rather than getting new bridge cut. Leather piece to try, maybe?!?

 

that suggestion, to get rid of a few buzzes, is nuts! You need an adjustable bridge.

Also, a fingerboard dressing is a gentle operation with little risk of shaving too much ebony off unless a butcher is working on it.

 

you can trust what Mathew says - he knows his luthiery-

Mathew, did you finish that French bass that you posted for awhile the restoration of- very impressed seeing the pictures and reading about the restoration- just wondering since i had not seen it lately

 

french bass - still going. long job.