To know guitar fret buzz causes and repair is crucial for any guitarist. You came to my post because you need information regarding this problem. I will try my best to explain everything to you in the simplest possible terms.
One of the most annoying problems with a guitar is fret buzz. Even how good your electronics are, or how good your guitar is, if you have fret buzz, you and your audience will not be happy. Notes will be choked, dead or choked while on a bend.
I am going to share my knowledge and my experience about fret buzz causes and repair being a guitar player and a guitar technician for more than 17 years.
What Causes Guitar Fret Buzz, What Is The Repair Needed?
1) Problems on the nut
If the guitar fret buzz happens on open strings, it could be caused by the nut. These are the scenarios:
- Multiple open strings buzzing on first fret.
If there are multiple strings that buzz on the first fret, it could be caused by the nut set too low. The check the proper height of the strings, use a feeler gauge and measure the space between the top of the first fret and the bottom of the strings is .018 inch or .45 mm. If you noticed that most of the strings are below the mentioned dimension then it is confirmed the nut is set too low.
How to fix?
If it has a locking nut like a Floyd Rose it is easy to fix by removing the the lock nut allen screws and the nut screws and shim the nut.
If you have a non locking nut, those that have a bone nut or other material, I suggest you bring your guitar to a guitar tech as you might damage the finish of your guitar when removing the nut.
If most of the string heights are more than the above mentioned dimension while there are strings that are buzzing, then we have another problem. Please proceed to next step.
- Open string buzzing on first fret
If most of the string heights are more than the above mentioned dimension while there is an open string that are buzzing, that string slot is too deep.
How to fix?
You can try to use heavier gauge strings, but if the problem still exist, the nut has to be replaced.
- Buzzing on the nut
If the string heights has the above mentioned dimensions, but the string buzz at the nut, this could be caused by a string slot too wide at the nut.
How to Fix?
Try to use heavier gauge strings, if the problem still exist, then the nut needs replacement.
2) Fret Problems
- High Frets
It is usually caused by a fret or frets higher than the one next to the fretting finger towards the bridge. This scenario is true if the neck relief is good. There is a very simple tool to check for high frets. Check this out.
This tool is very simple to use. Just select any edge to sit on top of three adjoining fretwires. Rock the tool, if it rocks that means the center fret wire is high. It is that simple and no rocket science required.
I am not recommending that you do your fret leveling unless you have a guitar technician watching you do that as a hobby. I have to re-fret my friend’s guitar because he kept filing until his fret wires are too low. By the way, I am not trying to scare you into not doing it because nobody taught me at first. I just use common sense.
If this is the problem with your guitar, proceed to Fret Leveling.
- Loose Frets
Guitar fret wires have a barbed tang to keep it in place in the guitar fret slots when installed. Some manufacturers will just install the fret wire utilizing the barbed tang to keep it in place.
Some manufacturers have their fret wires glued in the slot of the guitar fretboard. This method is better because you have the barbed tang plus the glue to keep the fret wire in the slot. Fret wires sometimes become loose in the guitar fret wire slot.
This issue can be checked by tapping on the guitar frets using a small piece of wood (the handle of the crowning file is very suitable). The frets should sound solid. If you hear like a rattling sound, then that fret wire is loose. The subject fret wire should be re-installed.
3) Guitar Neck has no Neck Relief
A guitar without neck relief will have fret buzz. To check this, put a capo before the first fretwire and press the string after the last fretwire. Do this on both lower and higher strings.
There should be a gap between the string and the top of the eight fret wire. If the string is touching the fret wire, then the truss rod should be adjusted.
How to Fix?
The truss rod is turned counterclockwise to add neck relief thus removing the fret buzz. Adjust your neck relief using these dimensions. Do not adjust more than a one fourth of a turn at a time.
- 15-17 inch Radius = .008 inch (.20 mm)
- 9-12 inch Radius = .010 inch (.25 mm.)
- 7.25 inch Radius = .012 inch (.30 mm )
4) Bridge saddles set too low
This issue mostly happens when a player needs a low action setup. If you raise the bridge saddles and the fret buzz is gone while the string action is still acceptable, that solves the problem.
Can We Just Live With Fret Buzz?
If the string action is raised and the fret buzz disappears, and the string action is acceptable to the guitar player, it does not matter. If you are a shredder, then those frets are better leveled so you can have a low action set up and yet you will not have fret buzz.
Please feel free to ask questions, post comments or subscribe to my email list so you will be the first one to receive updates and offers.
Cheers,
Den
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Hello Everyone,
I am Belden but friends call me Den, and I am the owner of this Website.
I have finally quit my job in Aviation as my online business is giving me financial freedom.
I love doing this online business as I love to help people quit their day job and do things they really love.
You will mostly find me hanging out at the coolest site to learn anything about online business.
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I don’t play guitar, but I love to listen to it especially the base, however, if I were to start learning this is where I know I would learn a lot.
Thanks too for sharing and if ever I need to start I know exactly where to come.
Hi Ronald,
Yes, I try to educate people so they teach themselves to play the guitar or do some modifications and repairs.
Thanks for the comments,
Den
Hey Den,
You offered some good tips here. I taught myself to set up guitars and also worked in a guitar factory shaping fret boards. Some guitars are set up well out of the box but some of the cheaper ones are far from ideal. I like a low action, so I find the capo trick works well to identify problems.
I usually start with the nut, then work my way down to the bridge to check the radius with a radius tool, and if there’s still a buzz then the truss last to see if either adding relief or if it needs tightening but it’s always recommended to make a quarter turn at a time to avoid doing damage. Once you get used to how your guitar reacts you can save yourself allot of money too by doing your own set ups.
Cheers
Hi,
You sound like you have experience working on guitars. You are absolutely right about the truss rod adjustment. I just want to add that the radius tool will check for correct fretboard radius but it will not detect high frets. You need to use a fret rocker to check for.high frets.
Thanks for comments,
Den
My brother is a guitarist. He would adore this site. I am sharing it with him now as you have a very indept knowledge about guitar fret buzz causes and repair. Thanks for the great information. I always wanted to learn how to play guitar as well. I did a short time while living in China but stopped. This information has sparked my interest again.
Hi,
Thank you for finding my post useful. Learning what causes guitar fret buzz is a must for every guitar player.
Thanks for the comments,
Den
I wouldn’t consider myself a guitarist, but I do own one and I’ve always had a love for guitars. I’ve always wanted to be a fluent player like the other musicians that I would see, but everything takes practice. Being that I am at the beginner stage, I appreciate articles like this. Even I am a beginner I do know about a guitar fret, I haven’t experience the buzz just yet, but if I do I know where to go if I need help. Thanks for this, it was really informational.
Hi,
I am glad you found my article informational. It is an advantage for a guitar player to know more about the guitar. Most guitar player knows how to play only and get stuck when they have guitar problems.
Thanks for the comments,
Den
Thank you for a wonderful article on fret buzz. Though I’m a guitarist for many years, I’ve never read any article on fret buzz before. So to me, this article stands out unique. Just to ask, What may cause one fret to be higher than the rest? Some years back I was using a guitar that had very tight wires and my fingers could pain due to hard pressing. Is that fret buzz also?
If I find that the neck of the guitar is bending to a point of having a bigger distance between wires and the fingerboard, what am I supposed to do? Can I fix this problem by myself?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Paul.
Hi Paul,
Most of the time, improper installation of the frets will cause the problem. Change in humidity will also play havoc to a neck of a guitar. You had tight strings in your guitar because the action is set too high, it is not fret buzz. String action is the distance between the top of the fret wires and the guitar strings.
If the neck of the guitar bends towards the strings, it requires neck relief adjustment by adjusting the truss rod. You should let a guitar technician do it for you. You have to know what you are doing when adjusting the truss rod or else you might ruin your guitar neck or the truss rod itself.
Thanks for the comments,
Den
Much as I like the guitar, I need the information you have put out about the Fret. You have helped me find out how to handle the issue of playing the same guitar for a longer time.
So they can be repaired? I am finding out now.
Thankx a lot.
Hi, Mariam!
Guitars that are well maintained lasts a long time. Yes frets can be repaired or changed , but set up should be done first.
Thanks for the comments,
Den
Is this a problem that develops over time or something that you would be able to identify from the start? I always thought that it was a sure sign of below average craftsmanship on behalf of the manufacturer but a lot of your solutions make sense.
Would you recommend going to a professional guitar tech if I require a low action setup or can i modify it myself with ease?
Hi, Ryan!
Some guitars have this problem from the start. Most guitar fret buzzes are caused by humidity and temperature as the wood in the neck will interact with those. If the guitar frets are perfectly leveled, you can do it yourself by adjusting the saddle height on electric guitars.
I will not recommend that you adjust the truss rod unless you know what you are doing. One tip ( adjust string action first before you adjust intonation as string height affects intonation).
Thanks for the comments,
Den
This is quite interesting. The guitar is such a complicated instrument to tune and maintain, much like a piano. I have watched my son tune his guitar and very amazed by it. I found your website to contain a lot of used information about how to eliminate that annoying buzz. You have covered all the possible causes and how to work on each one. I would forward someone to this site for information.
Hi, Michelle!
A guitar needs constant maintenance to produce its best sound. Fret buzz can be caused by a lot of factors.
Thanks for the comments,
Den
Great info. I am a bass player and have had some fret buzz on my old Fender. I am not confident enough to mess with truss rods, so i just raised my action, perhaps a little too much. I have never thought about fret leveling. Will defo look into that.
Cheers.
Hi, Mason!
Sometimes the neck without a relief will cause the fret buzz. There should be a neck relief. A neck relief is a slight bow towards the strings. The way to check this is to put a capo on the first fret. Then press the string on the last fret. Then check on the twelve fret, it should not be touching the strings.
Thanks for the comments,
Den
Hi Den,
I just had a look over your site. I am a bass player and can relate to fret buzz. Your site is very informative. You sound like you are a guitar luthier, and this comes across well. In my experience fret buzz on bass is usually caused by neck relief as the string tension applied to the long bass neck is sometimes hard for the truss rod and the neck itself.
Hi, Chris!
I am really glad to know that you like my website. Yes, you are absolutely right about that. Bass does not require low action and in most cases it just requires truss rod adjustment.
Thanks for the comments,
Den
Thanks for the info! At my previous job, I started learning how to set up guitars. (It was a second-hand store that got in a lot of used guitars that needed to be set up before sale). Some were definitely easier to set up than others.
There were some that I just couldn’t manage to intonate perfectly, eliminate all of the fret buzz, and achieve a comfortable action. It’s definitely a bit of a balancing act, and more inexpensive guitars tend to be a lot more difficult to set up. A lot of times, I would have to set the action higher than I would have wanted just to avoid fret buzz or intonation issues.
I hadn’t really thought of uneven fret height though. I’m not sure why it never occurred to me. Perhaps some of those more difficult guitars had uneven frets. I know that a poorly made or damaged neck can cause weird issues too, but I really hadn’t thought of fret height until I read this.
The good news though is that I’ve found some fret buzz to be acceptable on electric guitars. As long as the fret buzz doesn’t transfer through the amp, you can get away with a little bit on an electric. I prefer to play with really low action, so that means my main guitar has some fret buzz. It doesn’t translate through the amp though.
I have a very light touch which means I can get away with lower action. I also play fingerstyle on the electric (like Mark Knopfler) the majority of the time, and this also helps. So basically, your playing style will dictate how the guitar needs to be set up to avoid fret buzz.
I know that if I did heavy strumming with a pick most of the time, then I would probably need to raise the action and/or use heavier strings to avoid the buzz (I usually use 10s, so I would probably have to move up to 11s).
I’m finding that there’s so much that goes into having a properly set up guitar and that it’s not all “one size fits all”. There’s a lot of tinkering and experimenting involved. I’ll definitely do more reading on fret leveling. It sounds tricky, but it is a skill I would like to learn.
Thanks!
Hi Natalie,
When it comes to the point that guitar fret buzz issues can only be fixed by fret leveling, crowning and polishing it is the time that some specific skills are required. You should be able to pinpoint that high fret. The Fret Rocker is very handy for this job.
Thanks,
Den
Hi,
As someone who knows little or nothing about the guitar (me), and reading something written by someone who obviously knows the guitar (you), I found what you wrote to be over my head.
However, I like how you broke your writing into bite-size pieces, which makes for easier reading and understanding.
If I may make some suggestions:
It would be more effective if you made your link blue instead of black.
Well done. Keep up the good work.
Bob
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for this site. I’ve been playing guitar for a while and never really thought about working on the fretboard. I learned some new terms and have some new ideas now. I may take the plunge and see if I can fix my old buzzer. Thanks for sharing your expertise with the rest of us.
Hi Lionismee,
It has been my objective to share my knowledge about guitars to anybody who plays the guitar and encourage them fix it themselves.
Thanks for the comment,
Den
hey as a guitar player, Guitar fret buzz is something I definitely hate to experience.. Thanks for the advice… this is great to know for the future if I ever have to face this again in terms of guitar fret buzz.
Look forward to reading more from you in the future, Great article.
Nelson
Hi Nelson,
Guitar fret buzz is very annoying that is why I really wanted to share my experiences on how to deal with guitar fret buzz.
Thanks for the comment,
Den
Sometimes, when learning to play guitar, the guitar fret buzz can be something that would put someone off because you’d think you’re just not doing it right. But this little Fret Rocker sounds like just the ticket to take the pressure off learners, and it’s a good wee price too! Great write up – you clearly know your stuff, thanks 🙂
Hi Jyl,
Yeah, the fret rocker is a very cheap tool but essential for checking high frets so guitar fret buzz is eliminated. A professional guitar setup is required for a newly bought guitar.
Thanks for the nice comment,
Den