fret buzz

Bstatic

Just bought a gibson les paul studio last week and have been playing round with it, lowered the action yesterday, not too low just right, and now I've got serious fret buzz on the 3rd fret when I hit the e string. Its really bad you can't even hear the note, its just a buzz. I'm using tens currently, if I switch to nine gauge strings do you think this will eliminate the problem? I don't mind a small amount of fret buzz, its normal with low action but this is pretty bad.

Johnny Storm

May need a slight adjustment to the truss rod

Doctor J

If it's just one fret at one string then your frets aren't level and you need to bring it to a luthier to get them levelled. Changing strings or truss rod isn't going to do it, it's an unevenness between the height of the 3rd fret and the height of the 4th.

Bstatic

Doctor J you were spot on. After I wrote the thread I took it to a guitar shop down in carlow, the guy behind the counter thought it was fine said that buzz on a guitar is normal, its only that if it comes through the amp and you can still hear the buzz that its a problem. Well my guitar buzzed pretty badly so I took it home and my friend actually spotted the problem, the 4th fret is uneven, its sticking out at the top but its set fine at the bottom, you can just fit your fingernail into where it sticks out, its causing major buzzing! So seeing as I only bought the guitar about two weeks ago, I think I'll try get a refund or replacement from the shop because this isn't acceptable. I bought it in musician and I'm going in there tomorrow to see what happens.

Eoin Madsen

Bstatic wrote:

the 4th fret is uneven, its sticking out at the top but its set fine at the bottom, you can just fit your fingernail into where it sticks out, its causing major buzzing!

Elaborate on that... you can stick your fingernail between the fingerboard and the fret? Is the fret lifting off the fingerboard or is it just abnormally high? If it's the latter, it's not really the shop's problem.

Doctor J

The fret is lifting out, there's a gap between the fret and the fretboard.

Definitely entitled to a warranty repair/replacement.

david

They should repair it for you in the shop for free if you bring it in

Eoin Madsen

Doctor J wrote:

The fret is lifting out, there's a gap between the fret and the fretboard.

Definitely entitled to a warranty repair/replacement.

Well, not even. Warranty is irrelevent if the goods are not as described, you're entitled to repair/replacement/refund either way.