Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on May 26, 2011 at 2:45am

Did you try the finger nail fretting technique?

 

Matt

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on May 26, 2011 at 3:01am

Michael,

 

Glad to see that my suggestion/technique has proven helpful.  One of the best parts of a "community" like this is the sharing of hard won experience so that everyone doesn't have to "reinvent the wheel"....

 

the best,

 

Wichita Sam

MichaelS Country Boy Guitars said:

I only build frettless and have also had this problem. Wichita Sam and a few others are right, its the fret board/neck. It has to be FLAT!!! I had a few that buzzed up near the nut  but not so bad down the neck and some even worse. I now level them all the way Sam describes and have had no problem since, I even fixed the bad ones.  You can check the flatness with a good straight edge but you still may miss a slight dip or rise. Try leveling one of your necks and re-string it you will be happy with the results. 

To level it take a long strip of sand paper, or cut a belt sander belt into a strip. Tape or glue it to a perfectly flat surface and run your neck back and forth till its flat. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bluesdog on May 26, 2011 at 3:32am

I think your fretboard is too flat, that sounds funny but guitar fretboards are not exactly flat. There should be a 0.5mm bow inwards at about fret 6-12 so i think that's your problem. Or of the bow/recess is there it might be in the wrong place.

 

Perfectly flat fretboards tend to buzz a whole lot.

molinee said:

Thanks to All for all of your great ideas and suggestions.  I applied every idea with no success.  Here is what I now know:

 

The fretboard is flat.

The buzz does not clear anywhere on the fretboard going all the way up and down. 

When checking for nut and bridge break angle and pressing down above them the buzzing continues.  Only the pitch changes. 

For the nut and bridge I have tried smooth bolts, threaded bolts, nails.... All different sizes and diameters.  The buzzing does not differ with any of them. 

Any more suggestions are certainly welcome... Kind of hate to pitch these two but I may have to if my patience wears out.  Then I will try one out of a real wood cigar box and run the fretboard onto the top of the body...... but still holding out for a miracle.

 

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on May 26, 2011 at 4:02am

Sam, thanks again for the advise. I use your technique on all my necks now and have not had the problem of buzzing since.  I'm positive it will cure Molinee's problems.  

Bluesdog, I try to put in a tiny bit of the backbow when "flatening" my neck, this does help. On the frettless it really needs to be consistant down the neck. 

You could just play it with a slide and the buzz will be gone. ; )

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mungo Park on May 26, 2011 at 7:16am

So this has got me thinking about the whole thing, and I will throw this out to see what you think.

Squinting  at the diagram posted here above.

 Should the bridge be a hair higher than the nut, so when you fret a string it does not touch the next fret?

 So with a fretless this should be the same just that it does not touch the fretboard. So maybe try and put the ruler someplace on the fret board like fretting a string and run the ruler down so it rests on the bridge and see if it touches somewhere in between.

 Sheesh  that is a lot of sentences that start with S, maybe they should have started with B for Buzzz.                   Cheers Ron

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bluesdog on May 26, 2011 at 7:40am

Hehehe i do that too but onley to my fretboards, they bend easier than whole neck's ;) don't know about fretless though :S only fretless i ever built where lapsteels and slide-only guitars with very high action.
MichaelS Country Boy Guitars said:

Sam, thanks again for the advise. I use your technique on all my necks now and have not had the problem of buzzing since.  I'm positive it will cure Molinee's problems.  

Bluesdog, I try to put in a tiny bit of the backbow when "flatening" my neck, this does help. On the frettless it really needs to be consistant down the neck. 

You could just play it with a slide and the buzz will be gone. ; )

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on May 26, 2011 at 8:13am

I did suggest you put them down for a bit, but one other thing that I may have missed if already mentioned.  How loud are you playing them.  Is the buzz at any volume (accoustically).  Can you hear the buzz picking gently or with your finger tip instead of the nail?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by molinee on May 26, 2011 at 10:38am

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN....... WE HAVE A WINNER....... PLEASE HOLD ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS UNTIL IT HAS BEEN VERIFIED!

It appears that the problem has been solved.  ANSWER: The bridge height was too low in relation to the nut height.  From looking at the strings from the sides it looked like all the strings were way above the fretboard and when strumming I could not see any touching of the strings to the fretboard yet it buzzed.  I tried many nut and bridge combinations.  Finally when I put in a much HIGHER bridge than I would have expected (still playable of course) the buzzing completely stopped.... YAHOOOOOOOOOOO!

I think many of you may have eluded to this relationship in one form or another over the course of this thread, and I thank all of you guys.  The two special STARS that finally got thru to me about this potential problem area were MUNGO PARK and aka MATT.  Special thanks to you guys.  My only regret in all of this is that I am somewhat sorry that I had to drag this thread out because I probably should have figured it out myself.  Oh well, maybe I can help someone out down the road.

              TO ONE AND ALL I THANK YOU SO MUCH...... AND FREE BEER COMPLIMENTS OF MUNGO PARK AND MATT! 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on May 26, 2011 at 10:56am

No applause please.

lol

Matt - glad i could help

 

molinee said:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN....... WE HAVE A WINNER....... PLEASE HOLD ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS UNTIL IT HAS BEEN VERIFIED!

  The two special STARS that finally got thru to me about this potential problem area were MUNGO PARK and aka MATT.  Special thanks to you guys. 

              TO ONE AND ALL I THANK YOU SO MUCH...... AND FREE BEER COMPLIMENTS OF MUNGO PARK AND MATT! 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mungo Park on May 26, 2011 at 2:19pm

Thanks man,  and I will go have that beer now, always good to use the grey matter, with out you, it would have just jelled.

    Cheers Ron.                                                                               

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Uncle John on May 27, 2011 at 1:09am

HOLY CRAP!!!!  That is exactly my problem with the Roi Tan box I made recently.  I have it set aside to try and change to a flatter angle and if that fails, junk it out.  Thanks!


Artist Formerly Known as Matt said:

 

Here's what I mean. See how the neck is slanted below the box? It shouldn't be. It should be even or slanted up slightly.

You can see where the red string is closer to the fretboard at the box /neck junction. Guaranteed to buzz IF this is the problem.

 

AFKAM

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Uncle John on May 27, 2011 at 1:23am

I found this post after you had fixed your problem.  Good for you.  Super interesting and some really good questions and suggestions.  I have to say Artist/Matt's impressed me most.  Very cool how the nation tried to help.  

 

ED and Erics recommendations to set it aside for a while was also good.  I have to to this some times.

 

I have 2 problem guitars set aside right now.  One is a  neck angle (flatting out) problem that Matt helped make clear to me. And the other one I just don't know.  It has great volume, but a light buzz and a tone that just annoys me.  Pretty little git.  I will fix or junk #1 and set the other aside a while longer. 

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• Next ›
• Page