Fret Buzz

Icarian

ive had a mexican strat for about 2 years, in the last few months the d string at the 10th fret is buzzing like hell (its a bit better if you really fret it hard, but you still get buzz when you release

anyone know how to fix the problem?

if i need the get it re-fretted how much should it cost?

Voodu Child

First do a basic setup on the guitar, specifically the height of the strings (action) and the curve of the neck (relief). There are millions of guides on the internet, if you are smart enough to read you'll be well able to tackle it yourself.

Next job (if a setup doesnt work to your satisfaction) is a fret-level. This just involves filing the frets so they are all at an even height again. Any good luthier will do it, check the resources for contact details.

Only after several fret-levels would you need a complete refret.

Eoin Madsen

Personally, I'd just take it somewhere to get it diagnosed and set up professionally.

Going through the motions of a setup is pretty simple but I think it's something that actually takes a lot of work to do really well. I have pretty unforgiving standards. I think I'm quite good at lots of things musical, but setting up guitars is not one of them, and is not something you can just do without practice and experience. I've done it a dozen or so times on different guitars and basses, and for feck-all money, someone like Derrick Nelson can do a far better job in about five minutes. It's worth it.

Rigsby

Eoin Madsen wrote:

I've done it a dozen or so times on different guitars and basses, and for feck-all money, someone like Derrick Nelson can do a far better job in about five minutes.

........ for A LOT more money.

Voodu Child

Eoin Madsen wrote:

Personally, I'd just take it somewhere to get it diagnosed and set up professionally.

Going through the motions of a setup is pretty simple but I think it's something that actually takes a lot of work to do really well. I have pretty unforgiving standards. I think I'm quite good at lots of things musical, but setting up guitars is not one of them, and is not something you can just do without practice and experience. I've done it a dozen or so times on different guitars and basses, and for feck-all money, someone like Derrick Nelson can do a far better job in about five minutes. It's worth it.

The whole 'go to a pro to do your setup, and never learn yourself' has been done to death on this forum, several times in the last few months, so i won't even go there.

Suffice to say, I disagree.

Dord

Eoin Madsen wrote:

Personally, I'd just take it somewhere to get it diagnosed and set up professionally.

Going through the motions of a setup is pretty simple but I think it's something that actually takes a lot of work to do really well. I have pretty unforgiving standards. I think I'm quite good at lots of things musical, but setting up guitars is not one of them, and is not something you can just do without practice and experience. I've done it a dozen or so times on different guitars and basses, and for feck-all money, someone like Derrick Nelson can do a far better job in about five minutes. It's worth it.

Have you ever gone to Derrick?

*curls up in a ball and cries at price of setup*


nah i'm only messing, he is on the higher side of things but he's damn good!!

Dord

voodoo_child wrote:

The whole 'go to a pro to do your setup, and never learn yourself' has been done to death on this forum, several times in the last few months, so i won't even go there.

Suffice to say, I disagree.

+1 I agree, this guy could easily set up the guitar. It might take a bit longer but he'll eventually get it.

Do a google search on guitar setup and you'll find what you need. OP, I dont think you'll need to get the guitar refretted at this stage unless you've been playing it non-stop for the last 2 years.

Icarian

ok, thanks for the replies, i have a feeling it may be the action... ive raised it alittle but it didnt help, and i dont want really high action, im getting a seymour duncan hotrail installed soon so ill ask the guys in the shop if they can check it out while theyre at it

Johnny Storm

It could also be a raised fret. Can you get a fingernail in under the edge of that 10th fret? (Or more probably the 11th fret is raised causing the problem when you play the 10th fret.)
If so then its off to Derrick or similar to have your frets "stabilized" ie superglued into place.

Eoin Madsen

joe robot wrote:

Have you ever gone to Derrick?

Yeah. It was not expensive.

joe robot wrote:

+1 I agree, this guy could easily set up the guitar. It might take a bit longer but he'll eventually get it.

I disagree. It's not like tuning a guitar string where it can only be adjusted over and back. You could play with combinations of truss tension and intonation and bridge height for a very very long time, and all the while your problem could be a slightly swelled fingerboard or a raised fret anyway.

Eoin Madsen

voodoo_child wrote:

The whole 'go to a pro to do your setup, and never learn yourself' has been done to death on this forum, several times in the last few months, so i won't even go there.

That's ridiculous. Using a professional does not mean you can't be learning yourself. But when you're a learner you don't do it in a professional context, just like anything else. You can practice setting up your older guitars at home, but when you need the guitar you play to be set up correctly, it just makes more sense to go to someone who does that for a living. You can't practice playing or do gigs or recordings with a guitar that's had a half-assed setup.

Voodu Child

Eoin Madsen wrote:

That's ridiculous. Using a professional does not mean you can't be learning yourself. But when you're a learner you don't do it in a professional context, just like anything else. You can practice setting up your older guitars at home, but when you need the guitar you play to be set up correctly, it just makes more sense to go to someone who does that for a living. You can't practice playing or do gigs or recordings with a guitar that's had a half-assed setup.

My opinion is ridiculous? Thats nice :rolleyes:

Having only done a dozen setups doesnt really qualify you to make an opinion so arrogantly tbh. That's a couple of months worth for the average guitarist.

Dord

Eoin, you just contradicted yourself...numerous times.:rolleyes: