buzzing on 1st(E) string

[six_strings]

Hello,

first post here

I've been meaning to join this forum before, but you know...married life with two kids...not easy.

neways, I play MM Axis and my first question, and HELP needed, is that i am getting a strange buzzing on my E string(1st string). Seems that It's coming from the first fret since if bar code F or higher, the buzz goes away. but sometimes, you gotta have the open string sound of the e string.

I tried raising the bridge, but after raising it more than 1/8 inch,(that's more than 3 mm's) the buzzing is still there. The thing is that i used to play the super slinky(09), and recently changed to the heavy bottom and skinny top(10), and that's when this problem started. but i can't think of any reason why that'd be the causing problem.

Any advice on fixing this problem?

Thanks, and happy playing to you all.

 

[Dizzy]

Hello,

first post here

I've been meaning to join this forum before, but you know...married life with two kids...not easy.

neways, I play MM Axis and my first question, and HELP needed, is that i am getting a strange buzzing on my E string(1st string). Seems that It's coming from the first fret since if bar code F or higher, the buzz goes away. but sometimes, you gotta have the open string sound of the e string.

I tried raising the bridge, but after raising it more than 1/8 inch,(that's more than 3 mm's) the buzzing is still there. The thing is that i used to play the super slinky(09), and recently changed to the heavy bottom and skinny top(10), and that's when this problem started. but i can't think of any reason why that'd be the causing problem.

Any advice on fixing this problem?

Thanks, and happy playing to you all.

Hi and welcome !

Adjust the bridge back to where it was.
Raising the bridge will have minimal effect on string height near the nut / 1st fret.
And if you weren't having probs with the heavier wound strings, it shouldn't be the issue.
Adjusting over 3mm would have given a mighty high action too right ?

Tried adjusting the truss rod to get some neck relief ?
Again, string height change at the nut will be less, so this may not help either - but would give more result than adjusting the bridge height.
Oh, and the EBMM's have THE BEST truss rod adjustment there is.
Check out FAQ on www.ernieball.com for further instructions.

Strange that it's gone this way by using heavier strings, as the extra tension would generally give you more relief than you already had ?

You said AXIS, right ? - so locking nut shouldn't be an issue.

If its an AXIS Sport or Super Sport, maybe your nut needs looking at ?

 

[Lefty_SS]

Hey man

i would try adjusting the level of the just the first string. use the smallest, or damn closest to smallest allen key there is and right where the string comes out over the bridge there are 2 tiny adjustment screws either side of the string. twist them till the string is pretty high off the board, and make sure there is no more buzzing. now just bring it back down slowly and try to aim to get it to the point where the action is low enough and the buzz has been eliminated.

that depends on if u have a floyd or not. if you just have a tremelo bridge then then follow what i said up there. if u have a floyd then the 2 screws are infront of the fine tunners, right behind the string.

i hope that makes sense and you get it firgured out though. if not then bring it to your local guitar shop.

good luck

 

[SteveB]

I can't help but wonder if the nut slot for that string wore down and is now a little too deep?

 

[jongitarz]

It does sound like the nut slot might be too low, but I would first try and add some relief to the neck.

And as Dizzy said the FAQ section can be a big help in setting up your instrument.

 

[Astrofreq]

No pics, no problem

 

[six_strings]

Thanks for the help guys,

So, If it IS the problem with the nut slot, how can/should i fix it? Is ti replaceable?

I like my music man a lot, but because of this problem, I'm even thinking of trading it in for some fender strat. ..like...Jimmy Vaughn, which has the neck closest to my Axis.

Thanks again,

 

[jazzbo jim]

So, If it IS the problem with the nut slot, how can/should i fix it? Is ti replaceable?


If it is a Floyd: You need to shim it.

If it is a conventional nut: cutting a new nut is my personal method of choice. Some folks concoct a crazy glue/nut powder mix and refill/reslot the problem slot. (I don't like that-I find you eventually get the same problem again eventually.)

Good luck and be careful-a well cut nut is CRITICAL to both feel and intonation. It takes experience to get ot right.

 

[grumpyoldman]

Some folks concoct a crazy glue/nut powder mix and refill/reslot the problem slot. (I don't like that-I find you eventually get the same problem again eventually.)

I used to use baking powder and crazy glue to repair worn slots in bone or corian nuts with great success. The trick was to make sure the crazy glue was the "runny" or "watery" type, and not the heavier, 'goopy' consistency variety. Also, just a small bit of baking powder laid in the slot first, then a minute drop of the glue would work.

I certainly wouldn't try it with an intonation compensated nut though, as the precision of the original nut slotting would be compromised....

BTW - jazzbo jim - I love that avatar of yours!

 

[nas]

Dyzzy wrote: Check out FAQ on www.ernieball.com for further instructions.


...but where, i can find htis !

 

[Dizzy]

Dyzzy wrote: Check out FAQ on www.ernieball.com for further instructions.


...but where, i can find htis !

FAQ base Page (all products) : http://www.ernieball.com/faq/

FAQ's for MM Guitars : http://www.ernieball.com/faq_content.php?subjectcode=mm_guitars

(Scroll down)

 

[Norrin Radd]

S

If it is a conventional nut: cutting a new nut is my personal method of choice. Some folks concoct a crazy glue/nut powder mix and refill/reslot the problem slot. (I don't like that-I find you eventually get the same problem again eventually.)

Good luck and be careful-a well cut nut is CRITICAL to both feel and intonation. It takes experience to get it right.

I recently had this done on a guitar. The nut cost me $6 and the install & cutting was $45. Well worth the end result. Well worth it.

 

[six_strings]

Thanks for your tips guys, but mine has floyed rose bridge and the nut is the ...don't know what they call, but the metal locking one... don't think this is $6 dollar nut...

And since it's metal, i doubt that the nut has been damaged to cause this( i don't see any mark or scratch where the string touches the nut). I think it has something to do with the bridge side. Somebody mentioned about the twisting the screws around the bridge, but i don't see the ones you're describing....

Again, my guitar is a regular Axis with Floyed Rose bridge.

I went through the FAQ, and it really doesn't say about much about the buzzing in detail other than saying ...'professional set up'.

I went to Guitar center today, and tried almost 15 different guitars for 2 hours, and at the end, came back to music man(Silhouette 20th ann.). BUt if i can get the buzzing off my Axis, i'd rather keep mine.

PLEASE~~~~HELP

 

[Dizzy]

Thanks for your tips guys, but mine has floyed rose bridge and the nut is the ...don't know what they call, but the metal locking one... don't think this is $6 dollar nut...

And since it's metal, i doubt that the nut has been damaged to cause this( i don't see any mark or scratch where the string touches the nut). I think it has something to do with the bridge side. Somebody mentioned about the twisting the screws around the bridge, but i don't see the ones you're describing....

Again, my guitar is a regular Axis with Floyed Rose bridge.

I went through the FAQ, and it really doesn't say about much about the buzzing in detail other than saying ...'professional set up'.

I went to Guitar center today, and tried almost 15 different guitars for 2 hours, and at the end, came back to music man(Silhouette 20th ann.). BUt if i can get the buzzing off my Axis, i'd rather keep mine.

PLEASE~~~~HELP

Read more carefully !

I've copied this bit directly from FAQ.

Q: What is the best way to adjust the action on my Music Man guitar?

A: The best and easiest way to adjust your action is to use the truss rod. To lower your action, turn the wheel clockwise. To raise your action, particularly if you have fret buzz, turn the wheel counter clockwise. It is always a good idea to make just one or two turns at a time, then play it and see if it needs more adjustment. It normally doesn't take many turns of the wheel to notice a difference.

A "turn" as defined here is inserting an adjustment tool and moving a spoke of the wheel from one side of the neck to the other side.

Counter clockwise depend on what end you're looking, but in this case applies when looking from the bridge.

i.e. to gain some relief, turn the wheel from bottom to top in the direction EBGDAE.

To check the existing state of the neck
(This is NOT from FAQ):

Checking Neck Bow

Correct truss rod adjustment is determined by the amount of bow or relief that is in the neck. To check neck bow, hold your guitar in playing position and check the low E and high E strings using the following method. With your fretting hand, hold down the string at the first fret. Now with your picking hand thumb, fret the same string at the area where the neck joins the body (around 16th fret). While holding both sections of the string in place, stretch your index finger of your picking hand as far as possible into the middle area of the neck (frets 7-9) and tap the string down to the frets. The amount of distance that the string is travelling to reach the frets is the amount of bow that is in the neck (you may also use feeler gauges to measure this distance, but it’s not necessary). It may desirable to have a slight amount of bow, but not too much. About .3 mm - .5 mm (.010” - .020”) is usually plenty of bow. Having too much bow will cause excessive buzzing in the center area of the neck and will cause the strings to be farther away from the frets in that area making it harder to play. Having too little bow or backbow to the neck will cause excessive buzzing on open notes and fretted notes near the nut area, and will bring the action down too low across the entire fretboard.

Once you have determined the amount of bow that is in the neck, then adjust the truss rod accordingly . Loosen the truss rod (counter-clockwise) if your neck is backbowed. Tighten the truss rod (clockwise) if your neck is underbowed (too much bow). Note: Loosen no more than 1/4 turn, then tune and recheck neck bow until your neck is properly adjusted.

Try and achieve this and see if it has any effect.
The good thing with this test is that it checks the neck alone, and bridge height isn't an issue because your fretting position 16 You can then fine tune everything else.
Make sure when you're doing the clearance test that you're not accidentally applying any force to the neck by pulling etc... you'll corrupt the test.

All of this is of course assuming that the nut is NOT the issue.
Shimming the nut may be an option once you're sure the neck is decent.