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E-string fret buzz at 1st fret and frets 9 - 13?

fourstringbliss

fourstringbliss

Supporting Member
Oct 5, 2003
12,443
6,017
57
Puyallup, WA
#1
I just bought a used Sire M7 and I'm trying to get it set up. I've been messing with relief and string height and I keep having buzz on the E-string at the 1st and frets 9 - 13. No buzz on the others strings regardless of attack, but buzz in those areas on the E. The relief is as much as I'm going to go and the string is already higher than I'd like it. I've checked frets with a fret rocker and there are no high spots in the area of the buzzes. Neck also appears to be straight without twist.

Any thoughts?
 
#2
fourstringbliss said:
I just bought a used Sire M7 and I'm trying to get it set up. I've been messing with relief and string height and I keep having buzz on the E-string at the 1st and frets 9 - 13. No buzz on the others strings regardless of attack, but buzz in those areas on the E. The relief is as much as I'm going to go and the string is already higher than I'd like it. I've checked frets with a fret rocker and there are no high spots in the area of the buzzes. Neck also appears to be straight without twist.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I would start by looking here:
Ski Jump thread
 
#3
fourstringbliss said:
I just bought a used Sire M7 and I'm trying to get it set up. I've been messing with relief and string height and I keep having buzz on the E-string at the 1st and frets 9 - 13. No buzz on the others strings regardless of attack, but buzz in those areas on the E. The relief is as much as I'm going to go and the string is already higher than I'd like it. I've checked frets with a fret rocker and there are no high spots in the area of the buzzes. Neck also appears to be straight without twist.

Any thoughts
Click to expand...
How much relief is there now? And how are you measuring it? What is tge string height at the 12th fret?
 
Last edited:
#7
Turnaround said:
How are you measuring the relief?
Click to expand...
Got it - by holding down the string at the 1st fret and the end of the neck and then trying to slip a credit card in between the E string and the fret around the 8th fret. I know this isn't precise but it's how I usually do it.

I'm confused why I've got buzz in these areas on the E-string and not the other strings.
 
#11
Turnaround said:
Start with .010" to .015" (.3 to .4mm)or the thickness of a business card not a credit card. Then re-adjust the string height at the 12 th fret to 2 to 2.5 mm. See how that works for you
Click to expand...
I've tried all the adjustments I can think of and I still have buzz on the E. Low action, middle action, high action all the same buzzes. Right now it's set up with a small amount of relief like you suggested and the E is at 2 mm. I've tried it at 2.5 and I get the same buzzes with no buzz on the other strings, and I still can't identify high frets with a rocker while the neck is at tension.

Does this sound like a need for a fret leveling or maybe a fall away just for the E-string? I just spent a bunch for this bass and would rather not spend hundreds more getting it worked on. It arrived with what seemed like very high action - I wonder if this is why he sold it...
 
#14
Before doing anything else make sure the witness points are set correctly on both nut and bridge ends. In other words: bend the string at nut and bridge so it doesn't go in arc over breaking points.

Buzz at first fret = the nut slot cut too deeply. To verify/test it: put a piece of paper (might need several layers!) under E string and play. Fix: try shimming the nut at E string side or use superglue and soda mix to fill the slot and recut it to correct depth.

Buzz at frets 9-13 - might be a bunch of reasons: bad string, frets are uneven in this area, relief is too small, ski jump (rather S-shape form of it). Use a fret rocker to see if frets are level to each other.
 
#19
fourstringbliss said:
Nothing else is vibrating, just buzz at the 1st and 9 - 13.
Click to expand...
I would start looking at the levelness of the frets from 9 to end of the board and from the 1st to the 5th frets, all along the E string path. To determine if it's a ski jump problem, fret the E string at the 12th fret and the last fret and see if there is any gap from string to fret in that range. Any gap suggest a ski jump, though if it's nearly imperceptible it's probably not a serious concern. If you can't see a gap but it clicks with a tap test, then I call it imperceptible.

I must ask - have you tried replacing the E string? It could be a fault there.
 
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#20
Turnaround said:
I would start looking at the levelness of the frets from 9 to end of the board and from the 1st to the 5th frets, all along the E string path. To determine if it's a ski jump problem, fret the E string at the 12th fret and the last fret and see if there is any gap from string to fret in that range. Any gap suggest a ski jump, though if it's nearly imperceptible it's probably not a serious concern. If you can't see a gap but it clicks with a tap test, then I call it imperceptible.

I must ask - have you tried replacing the E string? It could be a fault there.
Click to expand...
I'm going to try a different e-string. I've got another set of the same strings and so I can try that e string. Beyond that I'm going to leave fretwork to a luthier - if they're still in business, I found a local guy who advertises fret leveling for $100, so I think I'll probably give that a shot.
 

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