yet another mystery buzz thread

[bellebasaur]

New bass, TMB35, the D string buzzes at the slightest pluck. I'm this close to going nuts trying to find the reason. Snapped at my guitarist who kept telling me it's "100% the frets"

It sounds like this:
https://youtube.com/shorts/_3mqDn2Tfx8?feature=share

Not fret buzz: checked every fret to make sure the string doesnt touch them while vibrating.

Not nut issue: the buzz happens on every fretted note right to the last fret.

Not tuners, string guide on headstock: I played the note and held onto the tuners, the nut, the guide. Buzz doesnt go away.

I'm pretty sure the issue comes from below the neck. When I fret 20th, and pluck string side there is no buzz, pickup side buzzes.

Detune and rotate string: No use.

Saddle?
I played the note and pushed on the saddles, on the string wrapped over the saddle, still buzzes. The saddles are not angled sideways, i've taken a caliper to them.

The bridge has no loose hardware, I've checked and rechecked.
Can a string be simply bad? The top part sounds fine though when played between nut and last fret.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I bought a new set of strings and one of them was bad. Didn't do what your's is doing. But yes a string simply can be bad.

Have you had the bass setup? I know you ruled out the usual suspects, but since we have a mystery...

Test: Raise the action. Does it still buzz?

Test: Does the string buzz when played open?

 

[bellebasaur]

Have you had the bass setup? I know you ruled out the usual suspects, but since we have a mystery...

Test: Raise the action. Does it still buzz?
Test: Does the string buzz when played open?

Nope, not set up yet. If all else fails I'd send it for a set up.
Raised the D saddle by 3 turns, stock saddle was pretty close to max height as is. Buzzes still.
Open string buzzes


I'm muting the bridge side and tapping 20th fret, no buzz.
Mute string side and tap, buzz.

 

[4StringDave]

If it was fret buzz all 4 strings would be similar unless the set off was way off for that one string. If bridge isn't rattling I think it's a bad string

 

[Dan_reeves]

Hello - if you are in the US and are near a Guitar Center you should be able to pop in and purchase a single D string, most likely either Daddario or Ernie Ball. Replace the single string and see if it still rattles.

 

[taketwo]

Nope, not set up yet. If all else fails I'd send it for a set up.

First thing is to get it set up. Until then no measurement is valid. Right now, it could be a bad string, it could be a twisted neck, it could be back bow, it could be too little relief for the strength and position at which you pluck, etc...

 

[Reedt2000]

Could certainly be the string, and it's easy enough to change and see. If it's new you may just wanna change all of the strings over to your preffered brand and size (which may cause the need to adjust the truss rod, saddle height, and intonation). As others mention, strings can be bad. If your other strings don't have this issue then the D string being faulty is the most likely answer. It's VERY unlikely that you have fret level issues only on a single string and for the length of the fingerboard.

 

[swink]

loose spring on saddle or head of saddle-adjustingscrew not completely in lock-position (flat against bridge)?

 

[mcnach]

I know you said you checked the saddles... but did you chech the saddle springs?
If you haven't, touch them lightly and see if it affects the buzz. I had that once and drove me crazy until I found what it was.

 

[mcnach]

loose spring on saddle or head of saddle-adjustingscrew not completely in lock-position (flat against bridge)?

what he said!

 

[byacey]

If it's not the string or bridge, I would look at the pickups and make sure they aren't loose. Because the buzz isn't frequency specific, I wouldn't suspect a loose truss rod, or sympathetic vibration from anything else, but the magnetic interaction between the pickup and string is a constant. Though, this doesn't explain why the other strings don't induce any buzz in a similar fashion.

 

[BuddhaFingas]

Move your ear along the length of the bass to see if it's loudest at a certain point -head, body, bridge.

Gently touch everything in that general area while sounding it & see it if quiets.

To me it sounds like a bit of hardware vibrating, like a tuning-peg washer or maybe the truss-rod nut or washer sitting slack. Several possibilities, including stuff under the pick-guard.

Does it also come through the amp, or is it only audible from the instrument acoustically? Can't really tell from the audio clips.

 

[rashrader]

Have you checked the control cavity and the battery compartment? I’m thinking it’s a sympathetic vibration.

 

[Vinny_G]

It may be a bad string, indeed. As swink and mcnach pointed out above, could it be the bridge saddle screw spring? This has happened to me several times, and simply loosening it and/or rotating it fixes the problem.

 

[kevrex]

I wouldn't rule out the nut. make sure that it's cut properly, sloping down toward the headstock a bit to maintain downward pressure. I had something similar but not as bad happening, and that took care of it.

 

[KidAmnesia]

If it only happens with that string no matter what note you play in it, it has to be either the string or something mechanically coupled directly to it (the D string saddle or tuner most likely). If it was something related to the neck set up, it wouldn't buzz when fretting the last frett and if it was some sympathetic vibration it would deppend on the frequency, not the string (it would vibrate on certain notes, regardles of what string they are played on).

Maybe the string has some loose windings.

 

[bench]

From your demo and the info that it buzzes no matter what note you play the problem should be on the body/bridge side of the bass and not the nut/headstock side. The fact that in your demo it doesn't buzz when you dampen the bridge side of the string also makes a vad string more unlikely though it is possible that the windings came loose near the ball end...
Set the bass up well, check the bridge, control cavity, pickup screws. If all that seems ok change the string(s)..
And please let us know what it was...

 

[MVE]

Get a new set of strings and do a proper setup.

99.99% probability the buzz will disappear and your instrument will be more fun to play.

Also, if saddle adjustments are maxed out in either direction, a neck shim is probably needed.

 

[ZedLepp]

Have you tried muting the string on the other side of the nut???

 

[red_rhino]

In those instances where I've experienced one string out of a set being bad, the offending string usually won't tune or intonate correctly, or the string's tonal quality is markedly different from every other string in the set. It could be a bad string, but the buzzing in the video sample certainly sounds mechanical in nature.

If you have an old set of strings handy, switch out the D string with the D from the old set and see if the buzz goes away. If it does, it's the string. If it doesn't, it's the bass.