Fret buzz that won't go away?

Question

I just started playing scales and I spent hours getting rid of the obvious buzzes, I learned to play without them but then I could hear smaller buzzes as well, I spent time practicing to get rid of them, then after an alnighter i realised that it's not my technique, I put my a finger on every fret/string and both hammered on and picked two frets up, and on every string except the thinnest, even with the most precise careful playing I can do, the frets are buzzing. It's more noticeable around the middle, 5th fret to 5th or so. So if I'm trying to play 5-6-7-8-9 on a string it's fine, but if I play 5-7-9-11 or 5-8-10, skipping frets, it buzzes. I put on new strings a few days ago, they've had probably 20+hrs use, they are 9,11,16,24,32,42 gauge, and the tinny sound is gone so i dont think it's coz they're new. I never payed attention with my old strings so im not sure. i hadnt strung a guitar before either so i didnt get it perfect, but from the nut to the bridge is the same as before. Im playing a Squier Strat, it's about 3 months old second set of strings.

Answer 1

Strings, once they're tuned, don't have as much of an effect on buzzing vs string height and how the truss rod is adjusted.



It's not too difficult to learn how to set up your own guitar - but it can be a pretty involved process, I would suggest that you start googling and probably even youtubing "setup electric guitar", "how to intonate electric guitar", etc.



Proper string height and neck adjustment should eliminate 90% of your buzz. I've been reading over a Very Thick Book on guitar repair and maintenance, and a direct quote from it is "... Proper setup will eliminate 90% of fret buzzing, but because it is an electric guitar, there will always be some buzzing. This is normal ..."



Because its a Squier strat, there could be some issues with quality in terms of being able to set it up and intonate it well. I'm not saying there will be, but it is possible - Squier is not as well regarded of a brand as, say, Epiphone, in terms of a brand with decent quality yet low price point guitars.



Your strings are broken in - it's time to invest in some tools and get to work on adjusting your guitar. I would suggest a complete set of Allen wrenches (both English and Metric), a good ratcheting screwdriver with an assortment of different bit heads (especially small and different sizes of phillips and flat heads), a clean 100% cotton t-shirt (old or new, just has to be clean), some food grade or better almond oil for fretboard conditioning, and some GHS Fast fret for string lubrication.



Fretboard conditioning doesn't have to be done too often, and there are many different opinions about what works well. I avoid solvents and prefer to use all-natural vegetable-based oils... so no mineral oil, and no lemon oil either, since it usually contains solvents. I've used olive and almond oil with great results - they don't go rancid, so don't believe people who tell you that, either.



GHS Fast fret isn't the only product out there for lubrication, but I prefer it personally. Again, all natural vegetable-based oil. I put it on my strings before I play, and a little bit on my fingertips as well. That way, if I forget to wipe my strings down after I play, it doesn't impact them as much, since the oil helps form a barrier between the strings and whatever dirt and oils may be on my hands (use the cotton t-shirt to wipe your strings down after every use and double the lifespan of your strings!).



I also prefer Elixir strings, mostly because they're coated and last a long time before they go dead. I hate changing strings unless I have to, and between using Elixirs and the Fast fret and wiping down, etc, even with heavy playing I can go months without having to change strings!



Free tip - if you rub the tip of a pencil (normal, not mechanical) along the grooves of your nut (where the strings go) it helps them slide smoothly, which means you tune more accurately and without that pinging sound you get sometimes when the string catches and releases while tuning.



Good luck!



Saul

Answer 2

Hi



First, put your finger on the 6th string / 1st fret and with the other hand, put your finger on the 12th fret. THe string is a perfect straight line.



Now check in the middle to see if you have clearance of 1/16" - 1/8" max between string and fingerboard. If the string touch at the 7th fret, then you will need to loosen the truss rod 1/4 Turn counter-clockwise (not screwing it like one poster said).

Now check again to see if you have that clearance, and if not, then loosen another 1/4 turn. That should do it and that will take care of the buzzing.



Another way to view if the neck is warped is by putting your eye at the headstock and looking down towards the center (7th fret). It needs to have a slight inner bow . In your case, probably the bow is outer.



One last tip.....always play directly behind the frets and not in the middle. That is why many guitarist aren't clean. The purest tone is not in the middle but just behind the following fret.



Hope this helps :)

Answer 3

Dude, every time you change your string gauge you need to readjust the neck curve and the height of the bridge. Try screwing the truss rod. Really.