Fret buzz question

tdu · January 9th, 2007, 08:38 AM

Hey guys. On my Reverend Charger I seem to be getting fret buzz but only on the 'A' string when playing the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd fret. I have never had buzzing just in one specific spot like that. It's bad enough that you can hear it through the amp. The action on the guitar feels perfect to me though, and this buzzing just started in the last few days.

Can anyone give me any suggestions remedy the problem?

Telenator · January 9th, 2007, 08:49 AM

You need the take a half turn or so out of your truss rod. Loosen the the truss rod adjuster 1/2 turn and then play it again. That should take care of the problem. If you're not confident in doing this yourself, bring it to a music store who has a qualified tech. He should be able to do it for you on the spot for a minimal charge. It's nothing to worry about. Just a normal adjustment.

Tim Armstrong · January 9th, 2007, 11:02 AM

Lots of guitars get a little funky in the winter when the humidity drops to practically nothing. Try leaving the guitar in your bathroom for a few days so it can reabsorb some humidity. Or tweak the trussrod like Telenator said. Or even just raise the bridge saddle for that string just a touch...

Cheers, Tim

tdu · January 9th, 2007, 12:20 PM

Thanks for the tips guys. Maybe I will try Tim's suggestion first because I know for fact that the room I store my gear in is bone dry right now. We are getting our first cold weather of the year so the heat is on drying the air, and the new house I am in is already dry to start with. I was actually going to look into getting a humidifier this week.

If that doesn't do much, I will do the truss rod adjustment. I have never done it before, but I think I can handle it.

tdu · January 9th, 2007, 04:47 PM

Hey guys, I picked up a humidifier. What % humidity should I set it to?

tdu · January 13th, 2007, 08:15 PM

Hey guys. I have tried keeping the guitar in the room with the humidifier for a day. I loosened the truss rod 1/2 turn, let it sit for a day. If anything I would say the problem is worse. The 'A' string buzzes from about the 1st fret to the 7th now instead of the just the first few frets.

I am at a loss. The guitar is kind of unuseable now because I can't even play cowboy chords on it without being overwhelmed by buzz.

it's frustrating because this guitar has been setup perfect since the day I bought it. It's such a sudden problem.

Anyone got any other suggestions that could save me an hours drive both ways to the shop to get a setup?

chickenpicker · January 14th, 2007, 06:26 AM

I'd take it to the shop - our suggestions are remote, whereas they'd be able to study the guitar.

TG · January 14th, 2007, 07:47 AM

The humidity and the truss rod are probably the culprits but possibly there is a slight uneveness in the frets in that area as well, and that's why it manifested there first. Not necessarily anything to worry about (no neck has perfect frets), but keep an eye on it the next year or 2.

tschommer · January 14th, 2007, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdu

Hey guys. I have tried keeping the guitar in the room with the humidifier for a day. I loosened the truss rod 1/2 turn, let it sit for a day. If anything I would say the problem is worse. The 'A' string buzzes from about the 1st fret to the 7th now instead of the just the first few frets.

I am at a loss. The guitar is kind of unuseable now because I can't even play cowboy chords on it without being overwhelmed by buzz.

it's frustrating because this guitar has been setup perfect since the day I bought it. It's such a sudden problem.

Anyone got any other suggestions that could save me an hours drive both ways to the shop to get a setup?

I hope I'm not insulting you guitar repair skills, but are you sure that you loosened the truss rod, it sounds like you may have inadvertently tightened it. I don't see how loosening the truss rod could make it worse. How much relief do you have on the neck?

tdu · January 14th, 2007, 01:16 PM

No, I know I did loosen it. I looked it up just to clarify after reading the suggestion in he thread. And don't worry about insulting me because I will fully admit I am a noob at repairs. Nothing you can say to me is 'stating the obvious' because the stuff isn't always obvious to me me

. But ya, I know I did loosen it.

I gave it another 1/4 turn last night before I went to bed, and the problem seems a little bit better today. There is definitely still some buzz but it's almost to the point that it's tolerable. Does it take days for these adjustments to 'take'?

How do I tell, or describe how much relief is on the neck?

Is it normal for a problem like this to develop so quickly like it did?

This guitar is under a year warranty, so I am just on the lookout for anything abnormal.

Thanks for the help so far guys.

1293 · January 14th, 2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdu

How do I tell, or describe how much relief is on the neck?

Put a capo on the first fret and fret the D or A string at the 17th fret. Use feeler gauges to measure the gap between the fret and the underside of the string at the midpoint between the nut and the point where the neck joins the body. You should have between 0.004 and 0.012" of relief. Better yet, you can use a good straight edge (at least 12") or framing square. Look for high frets also.

tschommer · January 14th, 2007, 04:28 PM

Yes, it can take a while for truss rod changes to completely set in. They generally don't pop up over night, but the dry air in Canada can cause problems. I think doing a 1/4 turn on the truss rod is about right, wait a day and see how it affects the buzzing, if it's still bad the next day try an additional 1/4 turn. Since Canadians are smart enough to use the metric system (I think) and most people don't have feeler gauges I think .5 mm is a good amount of neck relief. I actually do quite a few truss rod adjustments, and I just do it visually using .5mm as a starting point.

P.S. Did I mention how much I hate the english system of weights & measures!!!

tdu · January 15th, 2007, 10:27 AM

tschommer thanks for the conversions :) .

I am at the age where I still use a mish mash of imperial and metric. I learned metric in school, but teachers and my parents still used a lot of imperial measurements. The school generation after mine uses metric more now though.

I am about 90% sure that the problem is improving. So i am just going to give it a couple of more days to see what happens.

January 9th, 2007, 08:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,532 11 Photos	Fret buzz question Hey guys. On my Reverend Charger I seem to be getting fret buzz but only on the 'A' string when playing the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd fret. I have never had buzzing just in one specific spot like that. It's bad enough that you can hear it through the amp. The action on the guitar feels perfect to me though, and this buzzing just started in the last few days. Can anyone give me any suggestions remedy the problem? __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff:

January 9th, 2007, 08:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
Telenator Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 4,947	You need the take a half turn or so out of your truss rod. Loosen the the truss rod adjuster 1/2 turn and then play it again. That should take care of the problem. If you're not confident in doing this yourself, bring it to a music store who has a qualified tech. He should be able to do it for you on the spot for a minimal charge. It's nothing to worry about. Just a normal adjustment. __________________ Dogs have the right idea!

January 9th, 2007, 11:02 AM	#3 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 10,295	Lots of guitars get a little funky in the winter when the humidity drops to practically nothing. Try leaving the guitar in your bathroom for a few days so it can reabsorb some humidity. Or tweak the trussrod like Telenator said. Or even just raise the bridge saddle for that string just a touch... Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

January 9th, 2007, 12:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,532 11 Photos	Thanks for the tips guys. Maybe I will try Tim's suggestion first because I know for fact that the room I store my gear in is bone dry right now. We are getting our first cold weather of the year so the heat is on drying the air, and the new house I am in is already dry to start with. I was actually going to look into getting a humidifier this week. If that doesn't do much, I will do the truss rod adjustment. I have never done it before, but I think I can handle it. __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff:

January 9th, 2007, 04:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,532 11 Photos	Hey guys, I picked up a humidifier. What % humidity should I set it to? __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff:

January 13th, 2007, 08:15 PM	#6 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,532 11 Photos	Hey guys. I have tried keeping the guitar in the room with the humidifier for a day. I loosened the truss rod 1/2 turn, let it sit for a day. If anything I would say the problem is worse. The 'A' string buzzes from about the 1st fret to the 7th now instead of the just the first few frets. I am at a loss. The guitar is kind of unuseable now because I can't even play cowboy chords on it without being overwhelmed by buzz. it's frustrating because this guitar has been setup perfect since the day I bought it. It's such a sudden problem. Anyone got any other suggestions that could save me an hours drive both ways to the shop to get a setup? __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff:

January 14th, 2007, 06:26 AM	#7 (permalink)
chickenpicker Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,060 14 Photos	I'd take it to the shop - our suggestions are remote, whereas they'd be able to study the guitar.

January 14th, 2007, 07:47 AM	#8 (permalink)
TG Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Beside a bog in the west of Ireland Age: 47 Posts: 4,733 7 Photos	The humidity and the truss rod are probably the culprits but possibly there is a slight uneveness in the frets in that area as well, and that's why it manifested there first. Not necessarily anything to worry about (no neck has perfect frets), but keep an eye on it the next year or 2.

January 14th, 2007, 01:16 PM	#10 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,532 11 Photos	No, I know I did loosen it. I looked it up just to clarify after reading the suggestion in he thread. And don't worry about insulting me because I will fully admit I am a noob at repairs. Nothing you can say to me is 'stating the obvious' because the stuff isn't always obvious to me me . But ya, I know I did loosen it. I gave it another 1/4 turn last night before I went to bed, and the problem seems a little bit better today. There is definitely still some buzz but it's almost to the point that it's tolerable. Does it take days for these adjustments to 'take'? How do I tell, or describe how much relief is on the neck? Is it normal for a problem like this to develop so quickly like it did? This guitar is under a year warranty, so I am just on the lookout for anything abnormal. Thanks for the help so far guys. __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff:

January 14th, 2007, 04:28 PM	#12 (permalink)
tschommer Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 610 3 Photos	Yes, it can take a while for truss rod changes to completely set in. They generally don't pop up over night, but the dry air in Canada can cause problems. I think doing a 1/4 turn on the truss rod is about right, wait a day and see how it affects the buzzing, if it's still bad the next day try an additional 1/4 turn. Since Canadians are smart enough to use the metric system (I think) and most people don't have feeler gauges I think .5 mm is a good amount of neck relief. I actually do quite a few truss rod adjustments, and I just do it visually using .5mm as a starting point. P.S. Did I mention how much I hate the english system of weights & measures!!! __________________ "When I die burry me deep, place two speakers at my feet, place some headphones on my head, and rock-n-roll me when i'm dead" - A T-Shirt

January 15th, 2007, 10:27 AM	#13 (permalink)
tdu Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 2,532 11 Photos	tschommer thanks for the conversions :) . I am at the age where I still use a mish mash of imperial and metric. I learned metric in school, but teachers and my parents still used a lot of imperial measurements. The school generation after mine uses metric more now though. I am about 90% sure that the problem is improving. So i am just going to give it a couple of more days to see what happens. __________________ Torn Down Units brand Rock n' Roll My Solo Stuff: