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Buzzing, but not fret buzz

sigmafloyd

sigmafloyd

May 1, 2011
1,994
675
#1
There is a small amount of buzz coming from the a string on my squier vm jazz. It doesn't sound like what I would consider fret buzz. Almost more like a vibration. Any ideas what this is and how to fix it?

Also, when I play up past the 12th fret on the g there is a weird harmonic or overtone thing happening that makes the note sound out of tune
 
#3
Hi.

For any weird sounds that can't easily be located and remedied by damping the various rattle-prone parts like the aforementioned bridge screws, tuners, covers etc. or by tightening all the screws and nuts, I look for a twisted or otherwise bad string.

About 8 times out of 10 that's the culprit, the other two being a rattling TR or some other internal part.


Regards
Sam
 
#6
First the buzz. Strike your A and hold each of your tuners on the clover and see if it stops. If not check that the saddles on th bridge are.all perfectly level. They should not be sloped one way or another. Check that the springs are not loose.
Report your findings. Rattles.will ghost and seem like they are coming from somewhere else.

Next, loosen each string and push the ball end out of the bridge a bit and tune back up. This will fix any twist as long as the string is ok. On the A make sure that it winds around the post as low as possible. Shove it down on the barrel right to the ferrules and tighten it. The tuners they use on these with the concave barrels can cause problems on the A; it needs to be right on the deck. Check for the overtones again. Have you intonated your bass?

Have you adjusted the truss rod at all? If it is rattling it may need to be tightened slightly to snug it up.
 
#7
Just to add to what 96tbird said, another thing to check is the tuner column joint where the cloverleaf part is soldered to it.
I had an annoying buzz on my CV Jazz and although i tracked it down to the tuner everything seemed to check out ok as far as the eye could see. It did go if i held the cloverleaf part and on closer inspection i noticed the solder joint had a very small gap in it, and the vibration from the string was causing both parts to vibrate against each other.

Just a thought if nothing else works.
 
#9
sigmafloyd said:
There is a small amount of buzz coming from the a string on my squier vm jazz. It doesn't sound like what I would consider fret buzz. Almost more like a vibration. Any ideas what this is and how to fix it?

Also, when I play up past the 12th fret on the g there is a weird harmonic or overtone thing happening that makes the note sound out of tune
Click to expand...

You can skip all the previous suggestions (except Mickey Mao's). There's not enough downward tension on the A-string to keep it seated in the nut. Next time you restring your bass, cut the A-string a little longer and try to put on a few more winds...this pushes the string down further on the tuning peg and increase the angle coming down over the nut. I guarantee this 100% is the problem and it's an easy fix.
 
#10
NKUSigEp said:
You can skip all the previous suggestions (except Mickey Mao's). There's not enough downward tension on the A-string to keep it seated in the nut. Next time you restring your bass, cut the A-string a little longer and try to put on a few more winds...this pushes the string down further on the tuning peg and increase the angle coming down over the nut. I guarantee this 100% is the problem and it's an easy fix.
Click to expand...

Thanks guys. Looks like it was just an issue with the string on the tuning peg. For whatever reason, I restrung it a bit more carefully and it is fine now. Pretty happy I do not have to replace my chromes :bassist:
 

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