fret buzz

[mlacommare]

Just got my brand new axis. It's perfect except for that it's fretting out when the high E string is played open. It doesn't fret out anywhere else. Would that be a truss rod adjustment.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[jazzbo jim]

nut slot is low.
Cure:
Shim and adjust existing nut or (better still) cut a new nut.
Is it under warranty?

 

[mlacommare]

Thank you and please let me respond directly. It is a brand new axis with a floyd so I don't believe that cutting a new nut is an option. Yes it is under warranty. The thing is is that it did not buzz the first day I had it. The buzzing started on the second day. It seems like resorting to shimming the nut is kind of extreme. But then again maybe it is a lot more common to have to do that on an instrument of this caliber than I would expect. If that is what would be done if I sent it back then I would just as soon do it myself. It just doesn't SEEM right to me. IS this kind of thing common and normal?

Mark

 

[GHWelles]

Call customer service

 

[Raz]

First of all, try and figure out what could be causing this, before jumping to conclusions, and we can (the forumites) help you. First off check to see if the Floyd bridge is level. Check in both directions, from low E to high E and from the body towards the neck.

Then check the profile of the neck (bow or hump) To do this, simply fret the first and last fret and check to see if there is a gap between the fretted low E string and the 12th fret.
From here we can see if there are any adjustments to be made to your guitar before jumping to any shimming conclusions.

 

[thindave]

Also, since it played right when you first got it, it could just be the neck acclimating to the climate where you are. Check the faq, you may just need a simple truss rod tweak...

 

[mlacommare]

The Floyd doen not look perfectly level to me. Looking at the top from the bridge toward the neck it appears slightly lower to the body on the high e string side. It also appears to be slightly closer to the body on the high e side at the front where the string leaves the bridge than it does toward the back where the whammy bar is connected. Also there is a gap at 12 when fretting the first and last frets of the low e string but you would need a microscope to see it. You can only tell by touching that string at 12 and then you can feel it fret with seemingly no pressure at all.

Mark

 

[mlacommare]

Thanks for your help guys. I read the FAQ and a lot of other posts before posting and it seemed like what I needed to do was loosen the truss rod. I gave it a 1/4 counter clockwise turn and let it sit over night - no difference...then did another 1/4 turn and after 4 or 5 hours - still no difference. I didn't want to go any farther is case it might be something else.

Mark

 

[Raz]

The Floyd doen not look perfectly level to me. Looking at the top from the bridge toward the neck it appears slightly lower to the body on the high e string side. It also appears to be slightly closer to the body on the high e side at the front where the string leaves the bridge than it does toward the back where the whammy bar is connected. Also there is a gap at 12 when fretting the first and last frets of the low e string but you would need a microscope to see it. You can only tell by touching that string at 12 and then you can feel it fret with seemingly no pressure at all.

Mark

OK so if I understand this correctly, it appears as though your Floyd bridge is slopping down towards your high E (where the problem is). Get an Allan key that fits the Trem Post and loosen 1/4 turn at a time until the trem plate is level. This will raise your action slightly on the high E side, helping with the problem. I would try this first before tackling the truss rod, because this may be all that you need.
We can worry about levelling the trem plate from back to front later. Let's get that buzzing fixed firts. I'll be waiting!

 

[mlacommare]

OK. It's level looking from the back now. Still buzzing.

Mark

 

[jazzbo jim]

sorry, I thought it was a SS.
If the string ONLY buzzes in the open position it is most likely a nut issue.
Since it can't be re-cut, the thing to do is shim it.
However, if it is brand new and under warranty, you really should give CS a call-they're very helpful.
Good luck

 

[Raz]

OK. It's level looking from the back now. Still buzzing.

Mark

Now take a ruler (and make sure the zero end is flush with the end of the ruler) and measure the distance from the 12th fret to the high E string.

 

[mlacommare]

Without fretting it anywhere it's about 1/16 of an inch. If I fret it at 1 and 22 there is basically no gap at all.

 

[Raz]

Without fretting it anywhere it's about 1/16 of an inch. If I fret it at 1 and 22 there is basically no gap at all.

1/16th on the high E...okay so now that you have levelled the bridge and you know that the trem plate isn't too low, you can see that your problem may be fixed by adjusting your truss rod, since you just mentioned that you have no gap.

To raise your action(or increase the gap if you will), 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.

 

[jazzbo jim]

According to the original post, the guitar is "perfect everywhere else" except on the open E.
How will adjusting the truss rod address this problem? Adding more relief seems pointless to me since there is "no buzzing anywhere" except on the open E.
This would indicate that the string is sitting too close to fret #1 but, once fretted, the issue is resolved. Either the nut is too low on the E side or some other funky neck issue is at play.
Again, you should contact customer service-they will set you up (pardon the pun )

 

[Raz]

According to the original post, the guitar is "perfect everywhere else" except on the open E.
How will adjusting the truss rod address this problem? Adding more relief seems pointless to me since there is "no buzzing anywhere" except on the open E.
This would indicate that the string is sitting too close to fret #1 but, once fretted, the issue is resolved. Either the nut is too low on the E side or some other funky neck issue is at play.
Again, you should contact customer service-they will set you up (pardon the pun )

Well if you follow the thread, you'll see that the trem wasn't level, then after levelling, he commented that his neck was virtually straight , so I offered him some advice on eliminating any errors before shimming the nut or calling customer service

 

[jazzbo jim]

True Raz, you did offer some thoughtful advice (and I AM following the thread, BTW)

My point is simply that if it were a relief or trem issue, the neck wouldn't play "perfectly everywhere else". The fact that it's happenining only in the open position indicates a nut pronblem-it's happened to me before and was easily and economically corrected with a simple shim.

I wasn't commenting on the quality of your advice, nor was I jumping to conclusions-I was merely offering advice based on my experience with the identical, simple problem.

BTW, what's up with those Sens? Can't they let our boys win a game or two!!?

 

[tommyindelaware]

According to the original post, the guitar is "perfect everywhere else" except on the open E.
How will adjusting the truss rod address this problem? Adding more relief seems pointless to me since there is "no buzzing anywhere" except on the open E.
This would indicate that the string is sitting too close to fret #1 but, once fretted, the issue is resolved. Either the nut is too low on the E side or some other funky neck issue is at play.
Again, you should contact customer service-they will set you up (pardon the pun )

+1

 

[Raz]

True Raz, you did offer some thoughtful advice (and I AM following the thread, BTW)

My point is simply that if it were a relief or trem issue, the neck wouldn't play "perfectly everywhere else". The fact that it's happenining only in the open position indicates a nut pronblem-it's happened to me before and was easily and economically corrected with a simple shim.

I wasn't commenting on the quality of your advice, nor was I jumping to conclusions-I was merely offering advice based on my experience with the identical, simple problem.

BTW, what's up with those Sens? Can't they let our boys win a game or two!!?

Well I think the NEW NHL favors teams like Ottawa, and I believe their new coach is much touher, something they really needed. Where are you from?

 

[jazzbo jim]

Ummm....Toronto
I guess finesse hockey isn't our forte (yet!)

Tommyindeleware...
thanks..I was beginning to feel abandoned.

mlacommare...what's the status?