How much fret buzz is too much?

[King IzzO)))]

I've always used heavy strings and low tunings, always setup my guitars with low action, with usually quite a bit of fret buzz, but no fret outs on bends. I've never really considered it a bad thing, but you know how the interwebs can infect your mind with BS.

I'm wondering what your opinions are of how much is too much.

 

[Ironbird666]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

If it sounds good amplified it is good. Don't get too caught up on what people say on the internet. I've found myself doing that only to find myself cranking the action back down to the level it was before. If you setup is making you happy, your bandmates dig your tone, and the people at your shows digs the tone then you must be doing something right. :friday:

 

[Diego]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

For me, any fret buzz on the lead strings is inmediate fail.
I can tolerate a hint of buzz on the lower strings.

I usually set my strings pretty high, but I'm wondering if I'm not losing a bit of bite because of using them so high, for modern Rock rhythms particularly.

I remember a sound engineer I worked with, when he worked with 'Heavy' bands he'd prefer it if the bass had a hint of fret buzz because it helped the attack cut through better.

 

[lex666]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

A long time ago, a guitar tech told me that some fret buzz on the thicker strings is normal.

I don't know how much of that is true, but I will say that some of my guitars do have some fret buzz on the thicker strings, yet I do not feel that it affects the tone or playability.

 

[Inkstained]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

Don't get too caught up on what people say on the internet. :friday:

Quick, someone make this a sticky.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

A long time ago, a guitar tech told me that some fret buzz on the thicker strings is normal.

I don't know how much of that is true, but I will say that some of my guitars do have some fret buzz on the thicker strings, yet I do not feel that it affects the tone or playability.

+1

 

[dano8180]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

As long as I don't hear fret buzz through the amp, I'm happy. There is a little if I'm unamplified, but that doesn't bother me at all.

 

[voggin]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

I'm okay if there's none when played gently, but some when you're more aggressive. THe gentle/no buzz thing says to me that the frets are the right height. But if you like low action (which I do) and you hit really hard you'll have to live with a little buzz, but it generally won't come through the amp. Unless your action is sky high, I think the physics of the thing will always leave some potential for buzz.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

To me, too much is when it negatively affects my tone or feel.

Most people approach it as, "Set up the strings as low as you can without getting excessive buzz." I approach it as, "Set up the strings as high as you can comfortably play them."

My strings are not super high, but most people's string height is too low for me. I cannot play hard or cleanly on their guitars, and it just kills the tonal potential. Then I hear that they use thin/medium picks too, and 9's, and I wonder how they can even play the thing! I guess you just get used to it.

I usually set my strings pretty high, but I'm wondering if I'm not losing a bit of bite because of using them so high, for modern Rock rhythms particularly.

No; you are gaining bite and clarity and solidity and sustain, especially if you are a hard picker.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

I set mine up so as to basically never hear any on the low E and I have to pick pretty hard to get buzz out of the treble strings. Usually I can achieve that with "factory spec" action, so I dunno does that mean I have a lighter touch than I thought?

 

[uOpt]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

I recommend recording a lick with higher and lower action. Then you listen to them blind. If you can't tell them apart there is your answer.

The possible sound difference between higher and lower action is more than just the buss, though. The higher angle on the bridge might also make a difference. You can change that on a bolt-on neck with some shims and then you can change the height of the bridge without changing "action".

When it comes to string gauge, the recording trick mostly convinced me not to bother with the heavier strings anymore in most cases. However, there is a noticeable difference from heavier strings if you want to play vintage style Fender single coils with an overdriven sound. PAF humbucker and heavier I don't bother.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

For me, any fret buzz on the lead strings is immediate fail.
I can tolerate a hint of buzz on the lower strings.

Pretty much this, for me.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

LOL, thanks guys. This is one of those things I never really thought much about until I started seeing people talking all kinds of ****, then I'm realizing, eh, I do have a lot of buzzing going on... meh. Sometimes I hate the internet.

 

[Rich_T]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

Like you, I'm tuned low with heavy strings, I get a bit of buzz on the wound strings, but almost nothing on the plains. It doesn't seem to adversely affect what I play.

 

[DankStar]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

If I hear it with a good amount of gain going on, it's too much. Some buzz disappears with gain, then it's ok.

Maybe you can create a new metal subgenre where the distortion comes from buzzing strings, not overdrive.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

If I play really hard, and it only buzzes then, it's good enough for me.

however, if even the slightlest strumming makes it buzz, no good.

action really does affect your tone!!!!!!

the higher the better, to a point.

 

[Varg]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

If I play really hard, and it only buzzes then, it's good enough for me.

however, if even the slightlest strumming makes it buzz, no good.

action really does affect your tone!!!!!!

the higher the better, to a point.

Well, see this is why I wouldn't be calling yourself a tech man.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

In a guitar with Flat style radius, jumbo frets , and set up perfectly,and with Super Low Action and moving up top ten gauge, youve really got to hit the Low E with some force to get some Buzz.
Unfortunately,not many regular guitars are like this everything else is going to get some considerable buzz on the Low strings especially if you jam hard on them.
string buzz is a defect, you'll get more tone from thicker strings higher off the fretboard, but that just ain't the way I roll.
I have several guitars set up with very very low action that the fret buzz is minimal. Not like the ideal guitar I mentioned above, but the key to that is to havwe the frets well leveled, and string trees on the 4 lower strings.You'll have to have a decent radius of at least 9.5( although I'm not certain about the radius affecting buzz)

 

[Lux84]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

For me, even the buzz on low strings kind of suck.. i'd rather have no buzz at all, but it seems hard to get the buzz totaly out of lower strings. the higher strings are ok, without any buzz, but when i play cleans, some chord progressions for example i'd rather hear no buzz, but it seems it's not repairable, guitar tech set me guitars to low action.. all of that guitars i later set to higher action, on some with actually good results. annoying thing, i'd rather have no fret buzz on any guitar i have right now. but it's only on low strings, and i play on medium - hi distortion most of the time, so it's not the big deal, but i'll be searching how to avoid buzzing and i believe someday we'll find a perfect solution.

 

[CTN]

Re: How much fret buzz is too much?

Whenever I set up my own guitars (and I like really low action), the low strings buzz a bit around the 3rd-5th frets when I play hard, especially with brand new strings (when the strings are broken in after a few days of playing, then they tighten up and don't buzz much anymore). But I never let it get so bad that the buzzing actually has a noticeably detrimental effect on the ability of the string to vibrate freely and sustain well.

When I set up guitars for other people, I set it up so there's no fretbuzz at all, unless they specify otherwise.