What causes fret buzz on an electric guitar?
As a guitar tech, I’m often asked about fret buzz and if there’s anything you can do to avoid it, particularly on an electric guitar.
Fret buzz occurs when the strings vibrate in an elliptical pattern and rattle on frets further up the fretboard. In the worst-case scenario, this chokes out the intended note completely.
If this happens on an electric guitar when you’re playing the guitar acoustically but you can’t hear it through the amplifier, it’s perfectly normal. However, if you can hear fret buzz through the amp, attention to the setup is probably required.
The main causes of fret buzz that I’ve found on new electric guitars are as follows:
- Players’ technique. Fret buzz can be caused, in some cases, by the technique of the guitarist! Fretting too far down the intended fret can cause buzzing, as can a failure to depress the string sufficiently. Sorry, had to be said.
- If the guitar’s neck is too straight or has a back bow, i.e. the truss rod is too tight, you can quite often get fret buzz. This is probably best left to a professional to check and adjust, but is a relatively quick job and in nine out of ten cases eliminates the problem.
- The action (string height) is set too low. Easily solved with an electric guitar. With an acoustic, the saddle will need to be shimmed to slightly raise it. Alternatively, you could have a new saddle fitted.
- The top nut is badly cut (too deeply filed), causing strings to buzz when played open, however there is no buzz when the strings are played further up the neck or when a capo is used. Either a new nut can be fitted and slotted to the correct depth for each string or the nut can be repaired and re-slotted.
- The odd high fret may cause fret buzz in unusual places on the guitar fretboard. This is overcome by fret dressing, levelling and contouring but also needs professional help – ‘going at it’ with a file could cause hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
- Warped neck. This will probably require major surgery so let’s hope that’s not your electric guitar.
- If the bridge is a Floyd Rose system and the springs and strings (at tension) are badly out of balance, fret buzz is fairly common.
- Sometimes taking your electric guitar new from the shop’s atmosphere to your home will slightly affect the neck’s setup. Tolerances for perfect setup are very slight in some cases.
In some cases, fret buzz is a combination of the above.
It could be said that if an electric guitar doesn’t have a degree of fret buzz when it’s played acoustically, it probably isn’t setup as well as it could be, but that’s just my opinion.
I think it’s important to really stress the point that most electric guitars will buzz when played acoustically and the shorter the scale length (Gibson 24 ¾” scale versus Fender 25 ½” scale), the more prevalent it is, particularly if the guitar is set up correctly with a low/medium action.
This is especially the case with higher gauge strings, as most guitars are set up for .009-.042 or .010 – .046 gauge strings. The reason the difference in scale length (distance from the nut to the bridge) is a factor is because the shorter the scale length the slacker the tension needed to get the string to pitch. If you de-tune to drop D or even drop C, you will definitely be experiencing fret buzz, but then again you’re probably going to have the gain on your amplifier up so the buzz will be lost in overdrive anyway.
But why would you get fret buzz on an old electric guitar?
This is difficult to answer definitively, but here are a few possible reasons you might develop fret buzz on an electric guitar you’ve had for some time:
- If heavier gauge strings were fitted to the guitar when the truss rod was set up and lighter ones are fitted now, this can create fret buzz on a previously buzz-free guitar. The solution is either revert to the previous string gauge or have the guitar setup to cope with the new and different tension on the neck.
- All the strings were taken off the guitar at the same time and the truss rod has flexed. You should always allow the neck to acclimatise overnight, with strings at pitch, before this is done. This is quite rare and more likely to happen if your electric guitar is left without strings for a number of months.
- The nut has worn down. In the old days, you’d need to replace the nut but today, there are quicker and less expensive solutions such as, repairing and re-slotting the nut that’s there.
- The strings have eaten into the saddle(s). If this has happened, you will need to replace the saddle(s) that have been affected.
- The guitar has been exposed to heat (or cold), beyond its tolerances; leaning it against a radiator, leaving it in the back of a car overnight in sub-zero temperatures or in direct sunlight can all cause big problems, not least fret buzz. Once you regulate the temperature of the guitar again, it will probably need some adjustment and a setup to get rid of the fret buzz.
- The frets have dented from an excessive grip on the fretting hand; this will also happen with normal use over time (many years).
- Someone has made adjustments, in error. I regularly see this and it does make setting up the guitar a more difficult job. If this is you, take it to a guitar tech, tell them what you’ve done and get the instrument back to playability before it drives you crazy.
You can’t avoid fret buzz in all situations but here are some things, that will definitely help:
- Don’t leave your electric guitar in the car overnight. Especially in winter or the middle of summer.
- Don’t lean your guitar in front of or against a heat source.
- Don’t leave your guitar uncovered near an air conditioning outlet.
- Keep your electric guitar out of direct sunlight. Probably best in a case or a gig bag but if you want to keep it out make sure it doesn’t get ANY sun on it.
- Have your guitar inspected and perhaps have a string change service twice a year. (changes of the seasons would be the best time October/November and April/May)
- Maintain the same gauge of strings on your electric guitar. Or if you change have it adjusted immediately to compensate.
- Clean your guitar especially the strings and frets before and after every time you play it. A wipe down with a micro-fibre cloth is all it takes. Under the strings up and down the fret board. Look at the nut and the saddles regularly for wear and tear while you are cleaning.
- Wash and dry your hands before you start playing the guitar.
- Before you make any changes, such as the height of the strings, relief of the neck or any other change, measure where the guitar was before you started so at least you can put it back to the same place if you have to.
- Finally, as difficult as it is – back off hammering the guitar too hard with your strumming hand and don’t grip too hard with your fretting hand.
And if all else fails
If you suspect you have a problem that’s not caused by technique and you can’t fix it yourself, take your electric guitar to a guitar specialist and get it correctly diagnosed and fixed. Fixing the issues, as I indicated earlier, can take varying amounts of time, but a full set up will usually come in at between £45 – £60 (that’s what I charge at BBZ Guitars in Buckinghamshire), depending on parts required and time.
Click here for more information on BBZ guitar repair and setup services near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.
For more questions and answers on electric guitars and basses, apply to join the BBZ Guitar Fix Group on Facebook – new members welcome. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
