Buzzzz

[vinylbeater]

Ok.. so I got my new stingray.. and it's setup how it came out of the factory.

At first there seemed to be quite a bit of fret buzz on each fret, of each string. So I did a minor adjustment to the truss rod. This seems to have helped a fair bit.. but it still buzzes a bit.. The action is nice and low.. actually the Low E string is probably only 3mm from the pickup and the factory settings say 4..

anyways.. I've read up on most of the topics on this forum about frett buzz and bass setup etc..

but just a few questions..

Do you guys allow much fret buzz?
Do you prefer low action or no buzz?
When everyone says to turn the flywheel 1/4 of a turn.. what does this mean?? is it a quater of the visible part of the wheel.. or does it mean .. if i pictured the wheel as a full circle.. a quater of that?
Do music man basses tend to have a bit more fretbuzz than other basses?.

hmm i think thats about it.. any info at all about this stuff would be much appreciated..

thanks

 

[Rayan]

Hit The 'Don'tPanic' Button & Wait 4 Instruxions

... At first there seemed to be quite a bit of fret buzz on each fret, of each string. So I did a minor adjustment to the truss rod. This seems to have helped a fair bit ... anyways ... I've read up on most of the topics on this forum about frett buzz ...

When everyone says to turn the flywheel 1/4 of a turn ...
what does this mean?? ...
Do music man basses tend to have a bit more fretbuzz than other basses? ...

~
There should be a forum moderator in your area momentarily,
and he's put some real good instruxions together
and can guide you all the way ...

Meanwhile, relax with a bucket of JB while you
refine your personal 'fretbuzz' technique
~

And congrats on the new SR !!
/R

 

[Jazzbassman23]

I hate to state the obvious, but if the factory suggests 4mm and you've got yours at 3mm, well, you can go too low. On the other hand, with any bass, the lower the action, the lighter your touch must become to eliminate fret buzz. Personally, I like my action low, and I can live with a little fret buzz. Good luck with your Ray, and welcome to the forum. So, what Music Man bass are you getting next?

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

>>>When everyone says to turn the flywheel 1/4 of a turn.. what does this mean?? is it a quater of the visible part of the wheel.. or does it mean .. if i pictured the wheel as a full circle.. a quater of that?

IMO, the truss wheel sould never be turned 1/4 rotation for adjustment. That would be enough to take the neck from forward bow to a back bow. The wheel has holes where you can insert a baby screw driver. Adjust one hole at a time...adjust one hole up (or down) to where the hole was originally.

Rule of thumb. If you have buzz allover the neck, your strings are too low. Raise the saddles. If the buzz is from ther first fret up to the 6th, the neck is too straight. Add a bit off relief...anti-clockwise..one hole at a time. If it's not right after a day or so, then another hole adjustment.

I'm no luthier, but Ray necks are the best thing since canned beer

 

[Dr Stankface]

I'm no luthier, but Ray necks are the best thing since canned beer

Oh c'mon. I think their necks deserve more credit than that!

Andrew

 

[phatduckk]

i almost always accept some buzz for better action. there's always some happy medium... its all preference

 

[AnthonyD]

The Anti-buzz...

...but just a few questions..

Do you guys allow much fret buzz?
Do you prefer low action or no buzz?
When everyone says to turn the flywheel 1/4 of a turn.. what does this mean?? is it a quater of the visible part of the wheel.. or does it mean .. if i pictured the wheel as a full circle.. a quater of that?
Do music man basses tend to have a bit more fretbuzz than other basses?....

How much "Buzz" is a personal choice. For any given set-up the amount of buzz can be further modified by choice of string gauge and tension.

Personally, I prefer very low action with no buzz (I am a buzz-a-phobic, but that's just me!). I do deal with a bit of fret "clack" (click?), but that's more the result of my style than the set-up.

Re: the wheel and the ¼ turn... I agree with Rod's previous statement, and personally practice rotating the wheel one "hole" at a time. I also let the neck settle a bit (20 minutes or so) before making an aditional adjustment.

I don't believe that EBMM basses "have a bit more fretbuzz than other basses" - it's all relative to the set-up.

Welcome & good luck with the new bass!

 

[shamus63]

Re: the wheel and the ¼ turn... I agree with Rod's previous statement, and personally practice rotating the wheel one "hole" at a time. I also let the neck settle a bit (20 minutes or so) before making an additional adjustment.

That sounds right in line with what I read some time ago on the Gary Willis site.

 

[Tom F]

Does the buzzing come through the amp or is it something you can only hear acoustically? My 'Ray is currently set up where there is a tiny bit of buzzing acoustically if really dig in, but through an amp you can't tell it's there. I only make an adjustment if it is audible through the amp.

Otherwise, the advice given in this thread has all been good. It is normal for a neck to need adjustment after being shipped from the factory or a retailer. It took my Bongo a little over a week and a half (and a couple of adjustments) to completely settle in, but once it did, it hasn't moved since.

 

[vinylbeater]

Thanks for all the replies guys, very helpful.

The buzz is only acoustic, it doesn't come through the amp.

After 2 slight adjustments of the truss rod, the D,G strings now don't buzz at all.. the A buzzes a bit.. and the E buzzes like crazy on every fret.. do you think I shoud just adjust the E string via the saddle.. I'm always wary about doing these kind of adjustments.. so thought i should ask first

cheers

 

[AnthonyD]

Sounds like you may have some varying heights in your strings... There is lots of good set-up information right here...

 

[Randracula]

I also find that while really low action makes it a little easier to play that the more you raise it up(or the more relief you add to the neck) the better the tone seems to be. Anyone else agree with this ?

 

[shamus63]

I also find that while really low action makes it a little easier to play that the more you raise it up(or the more relief you add to the neck) the better the tone seems to be. Anyone else agree with this ?

Something about the way the strings 'breathe' when the action is higher, if I remember correctly.

 

[strummer]

I also find that while really low action makes it a little easier to play that the more you raise it up(or the more relief you add to the neck) the better the tone seems to be. Anyone else agree with this ?

yes, imho a bit higher action than factory gives a better tone. But then it gets harder to play, so I pretty much stick with factory specs (except on D & G strings, I have those a bit lower)

 

[Dr Stankface]

You could be like Travis and be able to stuff a small rodent under your strings.

Andrew

 

[MingusBASS]

You could be like Travis and be able to stuff a small rodent under your strings.

Andrew

I've found that a gerbil acts as a great string mute. Although it got a little expensive when four of them died in the first set. I KIDD I KIDDDDDD!

Andrew

 

[strummer]

I've found that a gerbil acts as a great string mute. Although it got a little expensive when four of them died in the first set. I KIDD I KIDDDDDD!

Andrew

Aren't gerbils sex toys for really out-there people? Seem to remember Mike patton talking about that...

 

[Aussie Mark]

Aren't gerbils sex toys for really out-there people? Seem to remember Mike patton talking about that...

Google +"richard gere" +gerbil

 

[strummer]

Google +"richard gere" +gerbil

Oh man, just to come up with something like that

 

[radiotrib]

My old (1980) Stingray hasn'r t got a "wheel" it has an allen key thingy up at the headstock end.Am I right in assuming that the "wheel" is down at the heel end of the neck ?? if so, I am supposing that "turning the wheel clockwise" equates to tightening, and hence turning the old arrangement anti-clockwise does the same thing. Does anyone have an understandable description of the neck/rod arangement in an old Fender SR4 Fretless ?

I also have the problem that my guitar has travelled back and forth by plane between Central Europe and the tropics several times, and stayed tropical for long peroids, and the chromy bits are losing their chrome, so there must have been some corrosion in its life, and now the rod adjustment seems to have become extremely stiff. Can anyone recommend some form of easing fluid to free it. I guess II need to remove the neck to do it .. yes? Has anyone done it and can help ??

With it as tight as I dare to go, there's still a slight bow to the neck, and if I drop the strings to accommodate a light touch, they buzz around the 6th to the 10th "fret" (its fretless butyou know what I mean). I can adjust out the buzz with the bridge, but I would like to try a flat fingerboard as described in Rod's description.

Do I have a major problem? if not, can I ease the neck and rod myself? should it really be flat or is a little bow acceptable ? Any advice is welcome advice.

Kevin

Afterthought ...

Google +"richard gere" +gerbil

Have you ever seen the teeth on a gerbil ?? .. which end are people supposed to stick in first??????????????? Ya either lose a finger or ... whooo .. not nice to think about !!