Why do all of a sudden I get a little buzz going on around the ninth fret .everything was fine before .So I'm thinking the 10th fret is high I'm looking at my guitar right now and want to file a little off that guy ,but I'm not going too.What could have happened. Thanks
Why do frets become HIGH
- Thread starter LeftyAl
- Start date
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sacizob
Friend of Leo's
Sounds like you need to adjust your truss rod.
qblue
Friend of Leo's
Its the wood. I know it doesn't breathe but it may respond to humidity changes. And the fret rises. You'll probably need a crown and leveling job at least.
Check the neck relief to begin with. Too much bow or a even a slight back bow could cause that. If it's just one or two strings (as it usually is) raise the saddle height on those strings just a tad. All this should be checked first before assuming you have a fret problem.
Last edited by a moderator:
Chris S.
Asst. Admin
It's called "fret sprout" and it happens when the wood reacts to temperature and humidity changes. Your truss rod adjustment affects the amount of bow in the neck; it doesn't have anything to do with the height of the frets in relation to the fingerboard. However a truss rod adjustment may help with your immediate problem. CS
I think of fret sprout as when the fingerboard or whole neck shrinks and the ends of the frets stick out the sides of the neck.
Otherwise, in addition to what others already said, if you have playing habits that put more wear in certain areas, those frets wear more, and become LOWER than the next higher fret(s), making the next higher fret appear to have gotten higher.
Then there's the occasional fret that actually pops up at the end, coming unseated from the board, but if you look you'll see that it has lifted, and if you can't see under the end of the fret, it's not the problem.
DW Calumet
Tele-Meister
Theres also a good chance your frets were never level to begin with. Most production guitars (even higher end usa made models) just don't get that much attention before they leave the factory.
boredguy6060
Poster Extraordinaire
Loosen the truss rod about 1/4 turn let it set a few hours, that should improve the buzz, if not try another 1/4 turn and wait a few more hours.
Changes in humidity ( change in seasons) will cause this.
I have to adjust the truss rod twice a year on all my guitars, because the action is set real low.
Its worth a try before you go filing frets.
Changes in humidity ( change in seasons) will cause this.
I have to adjust the truss rod twice a year on all my guitars, because the action is set real low.
Its worth a try before you go filing frets.
There is some bow in the neck.I relaxed the strings and I'm going to loosen the trussrod to try to straighten the neck .I'll leave it overnight .I'll use my fret rocker(credit card)tomorrow to see if that 10 fret is high.I have to say that I did a string change ,but I had 10's on it and I put 10's back on it.I may be asking for advise tomorrow.The last thing that I want to do is file that fret.I 'm going to order some guitar tools,like a notched straight edge, a real fret rocker and a fret leveler from Neck Check.But filing a fret is a big step, a whole other story.I'm not ready for that.Thanks .I'll get back
boredguy6060
Poster Extraordinaire
You're welcome!
NewPort
Tele-Meister
If you go through all of the above and decide you need to file the fret, please check to be sure the fret isn't popping up in the slot. check it with your finger nail or a knife blade under the edge. If there's a gap you can wic in a little super glue and clamp it down. When it's dry check it again and see if it still needs filing.
This.
If you compress, and glue the fret, use a block of wood across several frets so that you press it down in place level with the frets around it, and not lower than the other frets, or you'll really have a problem. Put a tiny trace of lubricant on the block so that you don't inadvertently glue the block to the frets.
cowboytwang
Poster Extraordinaire
It's just a contact high from being in the same room with musicians.
When I read all these posts about adjusting truss rods, I wonder if I'm missing something with my own guitars. I've never adjusted a truss rod. My Fender acoustic is 35 years old, and my Yamaha electric is 25 years old, and I've never adjusted the neck on either of them.
Is that common?
Is that common?
I guess it's common for yours. It really depends on how finicky you are about string height. The lower you have the string height, the touchier the neck rod adjustment is. If like some, you have your strings a little higher, you probably won't notice the minute flexing of the neck.
My Martin MMV which is an intermediately priced guitar never needs adjustment. When my son first got it, we put a Fishman pickup in it, and gave it a setup. I don't think I've done anything to it since we got it in 2009. I have owned guitars though that probably three or four times a year the neck would shift because of the change in temperature and humidity (I suppose).
I liked my old Martin's design the best, it had a beefy neck, with a solid Tee Rod in it that neither required, nor was there a provision for adjusting it. I owned it for 44 years and it never needed a neck set either. Of all the guitars I wish I had back, that's the one I miss most.
rebelwoclue
Poster Extraordinaire
It might be because of the humidity in your area being constant. I find that I need to set up any new guitar after a couple of days once it's acclimated to the house and then its fine- until winter when it gets dry. Then I sometimes need to adjust the truss rod.
Budd
TDPRI Member
Could be the neck is getting dry & fret is becoming proud
of the fret board . You may have to remove it & clean the fret slot , use a little super glue & clamp the fret back in . Using a proper clamp so as to not harm the underside of neck & the fret
of the fret board . You may have to remove it & clean the fret slot , use a little super glue & clamp the fret back in . Using a proper clamp so as to not harm the underside of neck & the fret
