String Gauge and Buzzy Frets

[ahkiatt]

Hi all,

I've got buzzy frets on E String... first two frets... and a bit more here and there if I don't fret hard enough. Guitar Connection says it's a loose truss rod. Nothing much can be done to it apparently. So I was wondering if changing the gauge of the strings could help reduce the buzz cause my strings need a change as well... I'm currently using a 105 for E... Does smaller gauge = lesser buzz? HELP!

Thanks in advance.

 

[DarkRed]

yo bro.. had the same problem couple of weeks back, could be either the change of strings or truss rod.

i filed down the bridge slightly and did a couple of truss rod turns and its better. not ideal, but better.

on a similar note, if anyone is familiar with dual truss rod basses and wouldnt mind looking at my bass (custom warmoth neck thru), pls pm me.

ive improved the setup somewhat, but still room for improvements.

 

[trek]

i wouldn't do anything destructive to my bass if i'm not sure where's the root cause. when i changed my strings to another gauge, my bass sounded like s#@t. I panicked for a while and started screwing around with the truss rod but when i regained my sanity. i decided to let the pros handle it. in the end, i sent to maestro and guess what? problem solved. it's the first time i sent my bass for a set-up. now it plays like a dream, i've never enjoyed playing my bass so much before.

unless you are really good at it, otherwise, it's a 40~50 bucks problem to sort out the mess.
cheers!

 

[cherns]

What's the context of this buzzing? Did you just wake up one day to find your strings buzzing?

Did you've change your strings recently?
Did you adjust your trussrod?
Did you change the height of your bridge saddles?
Did you leave your bass in extreme temperatures (e.g. in a car boot on an extremely hot day)?

There's no logic/sense as to how a loose trussrod = buzzing.
If they're saying that your trussrod is loose (i.e. broken) and hence they can't adjust the relief of the neck of your bass, or is rattling inside the trussrod cavity, then that makes sense.

But apart from that, a loose trussrod does not cause buzzing at the first fret.

 

[exin]

i've never heard of a loose truss rod ... if it were such a cause your neck would have warped badly by now.

I suggest you take your guitar elsewhere except for wherever you've taken it to. I've had very bad experiences with that place when i brought my bass there and have never allowed them to do anything drastic to my bass ever since then. Bascially, i lost faith in their reliability and their integrity as a business.

You can take it to Guitar Workshop at Bras Brasah ... or, if you really want a no-nonsense setup and servicing, Malcolm Tan.

I suggest diagnosing your bass problem first before anything else happens. =)

 

[cherns]

+1 with Malcolm. His time isn't cheap, but certainly worth the money.

But honestly, with a little reading up and experimenting, there's no reason why you can't rectify the problem yourself - to some extent at least.

Try adding some relief to the neck, or raising the bridge saddles for the E and A string. Or both.

If you really have to, shim the nut at the E and A string.

 

[almondx]

Never send to Guitar Workshop. My 5k PRS died there. Lighter string gauges will worsen the problem as it will have less tension and hence a higher tendency to vibrate and rattle against the frets. On the first few frets the problem will most probably lie with the nut slots which have either worn down too deeply or were cut too low in the first place.

 

[sharmee]

Thanks guys.

I think I'll send it to Malcolm since he lives near my place. Erm... Are his consultations free? Or do I have to pay for only the repairs.

 

[ahkiatt]

oh crap... i was logged in as sharmee when i was in the school library today. Sorry sharmee! X /

 

[exin]

130 for bench price ..

 

[ahkiatt]

I should be heading over to his workshop this week. Any bassists with similar problems want to come along?

 

[shinobi]

went to look for KC at maestro yesterday to do a setup on my new bass, he did a great job.

the best part was, i was abit busy that day, and i couldn't stick around to wait for him to finish the job. i could have collected my bass the next day, but KC was willing to do the job asap so i didnt have to make another trip down to the shop. two thumbs up for great service

 

[ahkiatt]

PM me his price can? mr shinobi?