Is it Wrong to Have String Buzz?

[rarbass]

Alright so the way my bass is set up, when I play the open A, I can hear the string vibrating against the fret. I realize peolpe usually try to stop this, but if I like the kind've crispy sound I get from it, is it ok to leave it like that? I don't find it to be an overwhelming sound and it doesn't stop me from playing smoother stuff, but when I'm playing stuff that I like to use a twangy sound for, I like how my bass sounds. So is it wrong to leave it like this?

Don't know much about set-up, just curious...

 

[Rock-Bassman]

IMHO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

But if YOU like it YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS
Buzz away my friend!!! Can't hurt nothin

 

[DougD]

IMHO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

But if YOU like it YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS
Buzz away my friend!!! Can't hurt nothin

+1
Some people like it like that

 

[rarbass]

ok good to know thanks guys!

 

[anon65884001]

No,
But they are annoying

 

[guizzy]

You like it? Then all the more power to you; you'll be able to be satisfied with cheaper, poorly set up basses. If you ever find a bass you can't get to properly buzz at all, be sure to drop me a line; I'll take it off your hands

 

[mjolnir]

Mine is set up with a little fret buzz, doesn't harm anything.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

I notice a bit of clicking on my frets when I play the lower strings (E, B, and F#) rather aggressively and I actually like it. Gives me a bit of a bite to my tone and it reminds me of the slap technique that I don't use much. To each his own.

 

[NOVAX]

4 me it depends: is it buzz you only hear acoustically?
or, is this buzz making it through the amp?

The former is fine, the latter is a concern.

 

[Darkstrike]

I have my no. 1 set up to be buzz free, but if I adjust my attack angle, and hit harder, I can bring it in, really helps with that rock snarl.

 

[ironrat]

play it as you like

 

[Mike151]

It depends on what type of music you play and what YOU like.
I work it into my sound. I prefer bright punchy P bass sound with some string buzz.
Check out this video. This guy has excessive fret buzz but I think that only bass players really notice it. It kind of growls IMO.

 

[XylemBassGuitar]

So is it wrong to leave it like this?

In the biblical sense, I hear that it's an abomination against God, but if you like it, keep it. Buzz by itself will do not harm to your bass. A lot of guys like a little buzz to their bass.

 

[holllowbody]

The only bad thing that I can think of regarding fret buzz is that the frets will wear down quicker. That means you will have to refret more often.

 

[PBass101]

I'm fairly certain that John Entwistle's tone often included some, if not quite a bit, of fret rattle and buzz.

 

[RicPlaya]

Mine buzz's a little, but you can't hear it through my amp

 

[NOVAX]

Mine buzz's a little, but you can't hear it through my amp

Bingo!

 

[BillyRay]

It depends on what type of music you play and what YOU like.
I work it into my sound. I prefer bright punchy P bass sound with some string buzz.
Check out this video. This guy has excessive fret buzz but I think that only bass players really notice it. It kind of growls IMO.

I also spotted some pretty excessive mullet in this video.

Some fretbuzz is fine. I like my basses to be pretty much fretbuzz free, but to have some when I dig in.

 

[pringlw]

I've always believed that minor fret buzz doesn't really make it through the amp - that it's mostly just an accoustic thing. It's hard to hear your sound out in the audience so... is that right in the collective experience here?