Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

[SAVAGE DISTORTION]

I was wondering other than flatwounds ,would pure nickle wound strings be the best for having the least fret buzz?
I know all strings and guitars have buzz but i am looking for strings that will reduce it more than normal?
my jacksons all have excellent fret work and when i use d'addario or GHS there still is some annoying fret buzz.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

Fret buzz has little to nothing to do with the strings.

If you are getting fret buzz you need to have the guitar set up and/or the frets leveled.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

Or raise the action. And I think Christian meant the "strings" have little to do with fret buzz. In my experience most "buzz" comes from action being set to low. It's amazing how much more sustain you will get when you raise the action and allow the string to vibrate properly. I'm nt saying you have to play with really high action but a bit higher can make a big difference in the way the guitar plays and sounds. You also have to find the sweet spot on each guitar on how they like to be setup to play well. Some play well low and others play better higher. This can be related to frets ut in general a guitar has a personality and you need to spend some time with it to find it

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

Good catch! Dunno what happened there...

Anyway, I agree.

You can have a low action if you want or need that but the lower you go the better the fret level and set up have to be...

 

[51501984]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

I was wondering other than flatwounds ,would pure nickle wound strings be the best for having the least fret buzz?
I know all strings and guitars have buzz but i am looking for strings that will reduce it more than normal?
my jacksons all have excellent fret work and when i use d'addario or GHS there still is some annoying fret buzz.

A little sizzle buzz as I call it is normal , I play unplugged a lot laying around the house and i get the occasional sizzle especially if I hit the strings hard. Are you getting so much buzz that you can hear it thru the amp

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

Yeah, I just recently noticed that GHS Boomers in particular, give me terrible buzz especially on the 3rd fret (low E string) and the lower frets in general. I believe it's due to them perhaps having wraps around a round core (and having alot of tone as a result) that is enhancing the buzz created by having low string action. I switched to GHS Sub-Zero Boomers thinking that because the density has been changed by cryogenic treatments, it could somehow reduce fret buzz. And the results are more favorable: less fret buzz. YMMV

When I saw the title of this thread I knew that GHS Boomers had to be mentioned. lol

All the other string brands I've tried haven't increased the sound of buzzing either - even D'Addario's.

 

[ajeffcote]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

The only way a string can decrease fret buzz is by being stiffer and vibrating less. So, heavier gauge strings have a tighter vibrating pattern than strings of lighter gauge, so in that respect I guess you could say that different strings help out. But the fact remains there is a fret or frets that are being touched by the string or strings while the strings are vibrating. Introducing a different brand or type of string will have no effect on the problem. The strings are just signaling that there is a problem.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

my jacksons all have excellent fret work and when i use d'addario or GHS there still is some annoying fret buzz.

Although its most likely due to your guitar having its action set to low or a bowed neck, its also possible your Jackson's don't have excellent fret work and some uneven frets are adding to the problem. Different brands won't solve your problem, but a good setup will. Good luck!

 

[constant mesh]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

You haven't said anything about your setting. Should we assume it's standard, 1.8mm string action, .020'' nut action, .010'' relief? Well if so then there's a major problem with the fretwork.

Check your pup height too. Pups close to the strings and low action usually calls for fret buzz.

 

[Psykel]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

If you've changed from a heavier gauge to a lighter gauge, the trussrod might need some adjusting. Lighter gauges got less of a pull than heavier gauges, thus the neck goes straighter.
I had the problem when having to do an emergency string swap on my SG and I only had a set of EB Super slinkies at home (09), when I use EB Slinkies (10) otherwise. Had a slight buzz on first fret on the G-string after that (and no Gibson trussrod wrench, so had to live with it - wasn't too bad of a buzz tho).

 

[kramer.geetar]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

I've noticed that Dunlop strings give me the cleanest sound, least amount of buzz. Yes, I know it is 99% to do with setup, action height, truss rod adjustment etc but I dunno I find the Dunlop's to be the best for me anyways.

 

[tonello]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

I've noticed that Dunlop strings give me the cleanest sound, least amount of buzz. Yes, I know it is 99% to do with setup, action height, truss rod adjustment etc but I dunno I find the Dunlop's to be the best for me anyways.

Yeah, those are the only strings I use (venture out sometimes and will pick up a pack of EB's or D'Addarios). Jim Dunlop has some killer prodcts.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

Dunlop...just about the only thing I string up on all of my guitars (about 30 of them).

 

[SAVAGE DISTORTION]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

I've noticed that Dunlop strings give me the cleanest sound, least amount of buzz. Yes, I know it is 99% to do with setup, action height, truss rod adjustment etc but I dunno I find the Dunlop's to be the best for me anyways.

thanks this is what i was looking for.
Different brands do have a effect of the amount of buzz despite the 99% other variables.
I bought three different brands since posting this thread and each sounded different as too how much string/fret buzz there is
the dunlops and ernie ball "rock and roll" pure nickles have the least when first put on and are my favorites now and the GHS that i was using and d'addarios have the most. (all were set to the same action on the same guitar).
I knew strings mattered when it came to fret buzz. the EB rock and rolls have very little fret buzz after played in for a few hours and the dunlops lose most of what little buzz they have after about two days of playing a lot. Both of those brands are great!

 

[kramer.geetar]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

You're welcome.

 

[Yukatan40]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

thanks this is what i was looking for.
Different brands do have a effect of the amount of buzz despite the 99% other variables.
I bought three different brands since posting this thread and each sounded different as too how much string/fret buzz there is
the dunlops and ernie ball "rock and roll" pure nickles have the least when first put on and are my favorites now and the GHS that i was using and d'addarios have the most. (all were set to the same action on the same guitar).
I knew strings mattered when it came to fret buzz. the EB rock and rolls have very little fret buzz after played in for a few hours and the dunlops lose most of what little buzz they have after about two days of playing a lot. Both of those brands are great!

Stumbled accross this thread while looking for a solution to a chronic fret buzz problem with my PRS. After sending it back to the factory itself to be professionally set up after purchase, it still buzzes more than I would like. I've tried everything else I have been advised to and am finally resigned to accept that this guitar is just going to have some buzz (BTW, I'm no newbie to playing guitar and have several others that don't have this issue when I play them). So, my hope is to find a string that will at least help minimize the buzzing. I'm wondering, after so much time has gone by since you last posted, how have the Dunlop and EB Rock and Rolls continued to perform? Have you found any other, maybe better options? Also, were the Dunlops the pure nickel or normal nickel plated? Finally, have you tried coated strings, such as Elixers? I wonder if those would make any difference. I appreciate any insights you might have.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

What is your action set at?

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

If you are getting fret buzz you need to have the guitar set up and/or the frets leveled.

this

 

[Yukatan40]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

What is your action set at?

It's at the factory spec 2/32" trebble side and 5/64" bass side, at the last fret, with relief set at .01 at the 8th fret. The guitar is a brand new S2 model. It buzzed quite a bit out of the box, and I tried raising the action quite a bit and increasing relief a bit before ultimately sending it back to PRS, as that didn't solve the problem. They checked the fret leveling, replaced the nut, and did a new setup, re-setting the action and relief back to original specs. When I got it back it was improved, but still buzzes a little, the two lowest strings the length of the neck. It's not so much I can't live with it now, but I'd love to reduce it as much as I can, and I'd rather not mess with the action after their setup, as it feels perfect to me now.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Electric strings with the least fret buzz?

You have to get a fret level.