Fret buzz past 15th fret.

[Joshua]

You all really want me to have to moderate? Really?

Rule #1 people:

Learn it. Know it. Live it.

 

[JLS]

You all really want me to have to moderate? Really?

Rule #1 people:

Learn it. Know it. Live it.

^^^ That lightened things up, considerably, thanks!

 

[walterw]

Like shimming a neck over cutting a nut deeper. Try the shim first and then have the nut cut not the other way around.

i suppose you could argue that when trying to file down the nut by eye, getting the string height right at the other end first (via shimming if and only if the saddles won't go far enough) is important.

in actual best practice though, nut height is correctly calibrated off the first few frets, regardless of the rest of the set up. (hell, i set nut height before the strings are even on the bass.)

One tip I was given was buzz at any of the first 3 frets adjust action, buzz above the 12th fret raise saddles..works eveytime for me.

if by "adjust action" you mean "adjust truss rod", then this actually makes sense. buzz on the low frets points towards a back-bowed neck, while buzz up high tends to be from the saddles being too low (often due to trying to improve the action on a too up-bowed neck.)

 

[bassbully]

i suppose you could argue that when trying to file down the nut by eye, getting the string height right at the other end first (via shimming if and only if the saddles won't go far enough) is important.

This was exactly what I was saying. I had a guy once who filed his nut grooves to deeply trying to lower his string height. He then needed to have a new nut made costing him money. I looked at the bass and a simple shim was all it needed. All I was saying is if you have no more room to go with the saddle try shimming..its only a biz or playing card v.s. hacking up a perfectly good nut.


in actual best practice though, nut height is correctly calibrated off the first few frets, regardless of the rest of the set up. (hell, i set nut height before the strings are even on the bass.)

if by "adjust action" you mean "adjust truss rod", then this actually makes sense. buzz on the low frets points towards a back-bowed neck, while buzz up high tends to be from the saddles being too low (often due to trying to improve the action on a too up-bowed neck.)

Yes this was all i was saying. Of course if you have buzz in the first position frets its back bowed. Try putting TI JF on a P bass that already had low action and see if you dont have fret buzz up top. Buzz on the bottom frets as i said befrore in most cases try raising saddles a touch. A simple adjustment adding relief will do the trick...again not rocket science and every bassist should know this. Saves a trip to the shop and money in your pocket.

 

[Turnaround]

Yes this was all i was saying. Of course if you have buzz in the first position frets its back bowed. Try putting TI JF on a P bass that already had low action and see if you dont have fret buzz up top. Buzz on the bottom frets as i said befrore in most cases try raising saddles a touch. A simple adjustment adding relief will do the trick...again not rocket science and every bassist should know this. Saves a trip to the shop and money in your pocket.

Can we clarify a bit? "Up top" and "bottom frets" can mean different things to different people. My first thought would be the the top end of the fingerboard is where the higher notes reside - i.e. nearer the bridge, while the bottom notes are nearer the nut. So the advice above would be backward. Perhaps readers could weigh in with their view of what the top and bottom of the fingerboard are so we can be sure we are all on the same page.

I'm not sure what you mean by "buzz on the bottom frets try raising the saddles. A simple adjustment adding relief will do the trick". Saddle adjustment and relief adjustment are two different things.

 

[Chrisk-K]

If every note past the 15th fret buzzes, the neck has too much relief. Tighten the truss rod.

 

[JLS]

If every note past the 15th fret buzzes, the neck has too much relief. Tighten the truss rod.

Unless it has a ski jump, in which case all the trussrod tightening you care to do, will have no effect.

 

[bassbully]

Can we clarify a bit? "Up top" and "bottom frets" can mean different things to different people. My first thought would be the the top end of the fingerboard is where the higher notes reside - i.e. nearer the bridge, while the bottom notes are nearer the nut. So the advice above would be backward. Perhaps readers could weigh in with their view of what the top and bottom of the fingerboard are so we can be sure we are all on the same page.

I'm not sure what you mean by "buzz on the bottom frets try raising the saddles. A simple adjustment adding relief will do the trick". Saddle adjustment and relief adjustment are two different things.

ok a more detailed look.

Fret buzz at frets 1-2 (first position area)
normally neck is back bowed add relief.


Frets buzz above the 15 (who even goes there)
try raising saddles.

try checking the board with a straight edge and feeler gauges for proper string height. There is allot of good info on the net for this. Maybe not so much on TB but its out there.

 

[walterw]

Perhaps readers could weigh in with their view of what the top and bottom of the fingerboard are so we can be sure we are all on the same page.

it should always be defined by the sound. the "lowest" fret is next to the nut, and the "lowest" string is the fat one.

that the highest note on the highest string (on the highest fret) is usually closest to the floor is just the way it is

I'm not sure what you mean by "buzz on the bottom frets try raising the saddles. A simple adjustment adding relief will do the trick". Saddle adjustment and relief adjustment are two different things.

yeah, that still doesn't make sense.

If every note past the 15th fret buzzes, the neck has too much relief. Tighten the truss rod.

nope. (well, sort of "nope").

it usually means the saddles are too low, which a too-upbowed neck would sort of "disguise". straightening the neck in that case would make the buzz worse by laying the strings right down on the frets, "revealing" the "true" saddle height.

at that point, you would raise the saddles, confident you were putting them where they really belonged.

you do want to tighten the rod, not because its causing the buzz, but because it's hiding the true cause.

 

[ia02]

If every note past the 15th fret buzzes, the neck has too much relief. Tighten the truss rod.

Agreed. If the overall string height (action) is where you like it and you get buzzing above the 15th fret try tightening the truss rod a bit. This will remove relief from the neck, and will also lower the action slightly. Then go back to the saddle adjustment and raise the saddles to get the string heights back to the place you started.

Rule of thumb:

• Buzzing only on low frets (~1-5): add relief by loosening the trussrod
• Buzzing only on high frets (~12+): remove relief by tightening the trussrod.
• Buzzing on all frets: raise the saddles and or play a bit less aggressive.

 

[walterw]

Rule of thumb:

• Buzzing only on low frets (~1-5): add relief by loosening the trussrod
• Buzzing only on high frets (~12+): remove relief by tightening the trussrod.
• Buzzing on all frets: raise the saddles and or play a bit less aggressive.

sorry, but the second case is a little murky. just tightening the rod will not eliminate any buzzing; it will make it worse.

i would say it's correct as long as it's followed up with your other instruction:

Then go back to the saddle adjustment and raise the saddles to get the string heights back to the place you started.

 

[ia02]

walterw: You are 100% correct, I should have been more specific. With any setup related issues you must first adjust the truss rod and then adjust the saddle height to make up for any changes in action caused by the truss rod adjustment. Tightening or loosening the truss rod should not be done without then adjusting or at least checking the action after.

For that matter it should be noted that you should then adjust the intonation, because that is likely out of whack after the other adjustments. But that is not really a fret buzz related issue I suppose.

 

[Slowgypsy]

I'm always fascinated by how a thread can take on a life of its own. The OP asked his first question, and hasn't been a part of this thread since

 

[bassbully]

I'm always fascinated by how a thread can take on a life of its own. The OP asked his first question, and hasn't been a part of this thread since

Really? This is Talkbass,...are you new around here? Same old same old.