Fretting Pressure and Buzz

[FerruleCat]

I have a new Squier Vintage Modified '70s Jazz, which is working out well (great tone), except that I've noticed it's easy to get some fret buzz unless I fret the notes quite firmly. My sense is that I am fretting a bit harder than I should have to in order to keep the note clean. This happens on all strings over most of the board.

Is my best bet to raise my saddles a tick, or to add a hair of relief with the truss rod? Or does this sound like a fret leveling issue? The action is pretty much where I want it -- low but not extreme -- so I want to make only the smallest adjustment necessary.

Thanks!

 

[Mushroo]

Fret buzz is a good thing, it is a big part of engineering the bass guitar to sound punchy and aggressive in the mix. '70s style Jazz basses are treasured for this sonic characteristic. Compare your tone to these beloved hit songs and hear how you measure up.








Anyway if you are looking for setup help, this thread is the mother-lode: ALL BASIC SETUP QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE | TalkBass.com

In particular I recommend the "Fender Setup Guide."

 

[ii7-V7]

I see what the above poster is saying. But, I'm just not a fan. There are several styles, songs, feelings, etc. where that just doesn't work.

Back to the OP's question. If the buzzing is all over the board at every position, then you're action is too low, or you're playing too hard. If it's only in certain areas of the neck, then it's a fret leveling issue.

 

[FerruleCat]

Thanks for the replies -- and for that great collection of isolated tracks.

I don't think it's a right-hand "plucking too hard" issue; it's clearly related to fretting pressure. If I fret a note firmly then pluck with a sensible average attack, it's fine. But if I ease up the fretting pressure ever so slightly, a buzz immediately shows up.

I'll try raising the saddle screws one turn each and see how that works. Hopefully that will provide just enough extra clearance over the higher frets to solve the issue.

 

[JimmyM]

Wouldn't change the action. What you really need to do is fret directly behind the fret and get as close to it as you can without going over. This gives you the most contact with the least pressure. This whole fretting thing takes a little getting used to, but when your bass is set up the way you need and you've determined exactly how much pressure is required without going over, it gets easier to relax with the pressure a little and not use a death grip.

 

[FerruleCat]

Thanks, Jimmy. I should add that after playing short scale, I'm now adding 34" to the mix. I've noticed that I need to make a conscious effort to land right up behind the frets, since I'm used to the shorter scale. In general, the geometry of 34" seems a bit more exacting, both in the fretting and plucking. Moving more string provides more opportunity for error.