After adjusting the string height, the 1st to 3rd strings are buzzing. What could be the issue?

[Dangtae75]

I bought a Music Man Majesty and took it to a shop, but the 6th string was about 2.5mm and the 1st string was about 2.2mm. (I asked them to lower it, but is this really what they meant?)

Feeling like I wasted my money, I adjusted the neck myself while watching YouTube tutorials (set the 6th string at the 1st and last frets, and measured about 0.3mm at the 12th fret).

Then I set the string height to 1.25mm for the 1st string and 1.5mm for the 6th string. However, the buzzing on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings is crazy.

The open strings for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings are somewhat okay, but from the 1st to the 7th fret, the volume drops noticeably. (On the piezo pickup, the volume is almost 40% lower compared to the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings.)

So I adjusted the 1st to 3rd strings to about 1.4mm and the 4th to 6th strings to about 1.6mm, and it got a little better, but the issue is still nearly the same.

Would it be better to just go back to the shop, have them set it up properly, and then maintain it myself after that...?

 

[Vito Porkleone]

Could be a couple of things... Where is the buzz happening? Make sure it's actually on one of the frets and not a saddle burr. Do you have enough neck relief? Maybe a slight truss rod adjustment is needed. Could be a high fret. Did you buy this used? There could be a slight twist/warp in the neck.

I'm trying to go from simple to complicated, obvious the neck thing would be worst-case scenario. Verify it's not the saddle, then check the neck relief first, which is easiest with the low strings. Simultaneously fret the string at both the first and last frets. You should see a gap between the string and the frets at the 7th fret. If no gap, loosen the truss rod an eighth or quarter turn at a time until you see a gap.

 

[beej]

This isn't an exact science ... but it's certainly worth learning as much as you can on your own.

Generally, if you're getting buzzing on the lower frets (as you are), you need more relief in the neck. So I'd suggest loosening the truss rod a 1/4 turn at at time and seeing how that affects things.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Hmm… a red flag for me would be the fact that you hear any kind of buzzing with the open strings, particularly after you took it to a shop and asked them to lower the action. I’m wondering if somebody took a nut file to those nut slots. If they did, and you now have buzzing on the open strings, they might’ve gone too far. If it were my guitar, I would take it to a well-known reliable technician to have them take a peek at it, and certainly not back to the place previously.

Try this just for giggles. On the low three strings, fret with your right pointer finger on the third fret. Now tap that string like you are barring the first fret for a note with your left pointer finger. There should be a tiny bit of space in between before you depress the string. If you press down the string on the third fret and the string is already touching the first fret’s fret wire, then the nut is cut too low. This would be the first thing I would check if you brought this guitar to me.