The buzz is not an issue?

[Phil]

I was told by a friend that buzzing is the norm for guitars with F.Rs, or even fixed bridges as long as the buzz is not from the amp.

To quote him, "It is normal. If you hear it from the amp, then you have a problem."
He also says that to be completely rid of the buzz, the action on a F.R would probably be as high as a classical.

I respect him for all his skill and experience, but somehow I am not entirely convinced.

I mean, it is rather true when you are gigging, and no one can hear the buzz when the amps are blasting. But if the buzz is not an issue, then what is all the fuss about buzzing that so many are entwined in?

Comments, please?

 

[ErotoPrison]

Yes its quite true.Subversion told me about it when he checked my fr guitar the other day.Its quite ok to have a lil bit of buzzing on the guitar itself but not when its heard through the amp.
People hate the buzzing just because of the annoyance i think.But u can raise the bridge by a lil bit just to ease the buzzing by a fraction so it wont feel too weird.But then i think the action will be a tad to high if the buzzing is to go away completely.Just ignore a lil bit of buzz.

 

[Vaiyen]

if you're playing loud through an amp as rockers are wont to do, you can't even hear the buzz! so why fret over it.

 

[subversion]

depends on which buzz.

1. fret buzz
best bet is the action, this kinda buzzing will go away if one tinkers with the action. usually, it's a bad set-up out of the box.

also, this buzz type has something to do with neck relief (bow of the neck/ how straight it is). if it buzzes right out of the box, then your guitar might have reacted with temperature fluctuations. truss rod adjustments will do the trick.

2. nut buzz
badly cut nut/ you upgrade your string gauge but your nut was made to accomodate thinner strings. rectify your nut slots & it'll go away.

for locking nut types, sometimes its loose parts- check your don't have any.

3. bridge buzz
locking bridge- might be loose parts again. sometimes the string saddles are sitting slightly apart & when you pick hard (especially wound strings) the buzz is audible. this is player rectifyable of course.

like you stated originally, buzzing isn't an issue if it's not amplified. however, some people just can't live with it, so the wise thing to do is, don't buy a buzzing guitar. 8)

 

[Phil]

Yes, true, when performing it's not an issue.
But sometimes when practising at home, you can't really raise the volume too much unless you use the headphones.
And that's when it's exasperating.

 

[subversion]

understand. guess some of us have a higher buzz threshold than others...

 

[DarknessFury]

Hijacking this thread for a moment, sorry.

After plugging in my guitar into the amp, there's always this buzzing sound. But when I place my hand on the guitar strings, the buzzing sound gets a little softer. Is it normal?

 

[edder]

that my friend is electronic humming. not biggie. happens the the best of us.

 

[DarknessFury]

Thank goodness...I thought something was spoilt.

 

[ShredCow]

But if the buzz is not an issue, then what is all the fuss about buzzing that so many are entwined in?

I gotta say this.

Too many ppl confuse fret rattle with fret buzz. Rattle is normal, metal strings on metal frets, you WILL get rattle the moment the strings contact the frets, no 2 ways abt it. Buzz is rattle (very bad rattle) that you hear thru the amp.

There's always this hoo ha abt buzzing/rattling because, when you play at home, at room volumes, you will still hear rattling from YOUR guitar NOT the amp! Then ppl will think its coming from the amp when like what you said, its not.

A good setup will result in:
Low action, arrow-straight neck = fret rattle but no fret buzz
Medium action, medium neck relief = fret rattle on some frets if you dig in, but no fret buzz
High action, lots of relief = you need a setup unless you play acousticly on your electric.

How to check? If you have a friend, have him put his ear to the amp, you face away, and play clean.... if you are alone, pump up the volume.

 

[Phil]

I got my sister to play in a separate room, and stuck my ear to the amp in my room.

 

[ShredCow]

And?

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

Hijacking this thread for a moment, sorry.

After plugging in my guitar into the amp, there's always this buzzing sound. But when I place my hand on the guitar strings, the buzzing sound gets a little softer. Is it normal?

earth ur amp by chaing ur amp's plug from 2 pin to 3 pin... make sure the earth is connect to the 3rd pin.. that should solve it...

do note that fret buzz may affect the length of ur sustain... if its really terrible... esp on the thinner strings on high registers, ur note will diee out quick and will not sustain... so if its taht bad then u need adjustments.. if its not then dun need ba... haha

 

[bin4christ]

so bottomline is:GET A TREM OR FIXED BRIDGE!!!
hahaha...j.k.2...

but seriously,i hardly hear the F.R. trems being used by pros tho their axes r FR equipped...

 

[MrE]

I got my sister to play in a separate room, and stuck my ear to the amp in my room.

earbleed :lol:

 

[fgl]

the hand on the bridge no humming thingy sound like a grounding issue... check out the ground wire etc & also think about shielding the guitar electronic cavity with foil or paint.

One of the best pups I had ever used were the emg series - totally silent & no noise - great for studio work or live stage stuff except sum ppl mite not like the active tone. More recently I'm going for the fender noiseless pups (I just ordered the fender HOT Noiseless PUP - SRV Tone but dead quiet) for my custom strats...

Fret rattle - hate em...but I play with a naturally semi high action wt Jumbo frets anyway so not much of an issue...

What I really hate is fret outs (i.e 3 step bendings strings and they fret out or the note dies off bcoz of the centre rad of the frets). My best found solution: Warmoth compund radius necks....SUPERB I tell you...

anywayz...my 2 cents woth 4ya..

8)