I had an obsession about my guitar setup, in addition to other obsessions I have. Everything had to be perfect on my kinda cheap guitar, which was impossible. People told me a thousand times about the "tolerable amount of fret buzz" before but it just did not made perfect sense to me. But the way you deliver things in the video were just amazing, clarifying and also calming for me. Not just for the guitar tips, but thank you for everything in this video.
Never settle for what people tell you. I am like you and my setups must be spot on. I play my electric guitars acoustically too, I feel that an electric guitar says Alot when played this way. I understand strong vibration and minimal buzz, I also don't feel that has to be tolerated. Much of this involved the frets, the nut and the saddles. When you have instruments that don't buzz, why would you settle for those that do?
Thank you for putting my mind at rest your the only dude ive herd saying about acceptable fret buzz, totally makes sense and well explained aswell🤟😎🎸 you got a sub ❤️ from Northern Ireland.
Thank you so much for the video. You are the only person that mentions the picking technique. I prefer playing with dynamics like Jimi Hendrix or John Mayer, so sometimes I get some fret buzz which drives me crazy. I guess I’m good to go with it now. And I have to say your video is top quality.
This is good advice. Before I understood this it drove me nuts striving for perfection. Now little bit of fret buzz shows me that I've got it as low as possible. (Obviously considering other factors first.)
@@TraceTaylor3 yes, this is great video for beginners to see. It will help a lot with understanding there is rarely a perfect instrument for the average person, but more like a compromise of balancing elements.
Thanks brother. I really appreciate it. But let me know what you disagree with that you put in the other comment. I love getting feedback from people on my videos.
@@TraceTaylor3 I wasn't disagreeing with your video in any way. I was responding to a comment regarding shops should do it for free. I don't think it should be a free service. Sure a standard setup back to manufacturer spec should be done, just so the guitar is as close as possible to how the manufacturer envisions it being set up, but after that, should either learn to set up your own guitar, or go to someone who sets the guitar up how you like.
I finaly discovered the optimal fret buzz for my RG5320 like yours. I have 1.8mm and 1.25mm. My floyd is perfectly leveled. I will change strings soon, so i need to intonate it again. Hope it keeps this way after tstring changing and intonation, this thing feels perfect and balanced right now. I will change pickups too. Maybe i will with a Crunch Lab and Liquifire or a more versatil set like the steve lukather Transition pickups. What do you think, have you moded yours?
I have not done any mods on mine. After I get the randy rhoads guitar finished I am going to start looking for another 1120 pbz and I am actually going to put the EVH pickups in that guitar. I love my EVH guitars because they are so controllable and being that the guitar are very similar in wood tones, I thinks they will sound amazing. I have also heard great things about the fishman fluence pickups. they are supposed to be very versatile. I also have a great balance on my Ibanez guitars. A touch of fret buzz and crazy fast action. I have used this same setup for years and very happy with it. thanks for the comment my friend.
Cool man, good info. Been obsessing in this lately. I’m an LP player and recently got a custom shop LP that was expensive and it’s buzzing a bit. The action is quite low, but I think this amount of buzz may be acceptable. I don’t hear it through the amp. I need to stop obsessing I guess
Actually I am shooting a vid today about this.....again. I am going to try to record how much fret buzz my 3 main guitars have. This seems to be the one thing I get the most questions about....and yes...people obsessing about it....as I did for a very long time. Then after I learned how to completely set up guitars, I realized there is a trade off. No buzz....high action......buzz....low action....just how much can you deal with. Hopefully this vid will be out tonight so people can hear how much I have on my guitars. Thanks bro.
I keep my action at 5 64th e-E and I still get a little fret buzz when I dig. I hear a lot of people talk about that fret buzz that you can't hear through the amp, but I've never heard any kind of fret buzz that didn't come through a clean dry fender amp
Yeah it all comes through a clean amp, especially if you dig. I have mine set to an acceptable amount of fret buzz and I use very think jazz picks so if I dig it blast though the speakers. People always complain about it but if you are a guitar player it is just something you will have to deal with.
Yeah brother. Been crazy busy. Moving this entire month and have been working on the new podcast room. Getting ready to start a run of shows but hopefully I will have some vids up this week. Thanks my friend.
Interesting topic thats not discussed enough. This is the only video on the subject i found. I just wish you did some upclose recording of your unplugged guitar to illustrate the level of fretbuzz that should be considered acceptable, just for reference.
Good idea. I did not even think about that. That probably would have helped a bit. Maybe I will do an update to that video and add that too it. Thanks bro.
Mate I've just learnt to start working on my new PRS SE McCarty. And your are exactly right. I took it to a luthier recently and he only charged me $50 but what about the next time, and the time after that.. which of course was only a week later. Anyway it seems this brand new SE needed a massive neck tightening. Dya think this is unusual, I read everywhere that they're great out of the box. It's winter here in coastal NSW Australia but it's very mild. Not cold at all. I've reached out to PRS, as I've never been a tinkerer, but it's taken a LOT of tightening over 3 occasions now. Just a little concerned with how many turns it can take. I still see the slightest relief with the naked eye. Thanks for any ideas :))
Unfortunately unless you paying 4k for a USA model the QC is just not there. I bought a EVH Striped series guitar and ended up having to send it back because it was just in too bad of shape. The weather should not cause you to have to tighten the neck that much, but you can adjust them quite a bit, however even on one that is not set up with a crap it shouldn't need that much unless it just got through without them adjusting it at all.....which does happen. I had an Ibanez that came from Indonesia and it was complete trash. And then it came from sweetwater where they obviously did nothing to the guitar either so it went back also. If you are adjusting this neck and you cannot get it completely straight....then I would send it back. You don't want to risk over tightening it and breaking the truss rod. You should be able to bow the neck in either direction with minimal amount of turns and any guitar neck. If you cannot bow it in both directions then I would replace it if you can.
@@TraceTaylor3 thank you so much. I'd been sweating on this for a while. Lost sleep. Even though it's SE, $1450Aud isn't a cheap guitar to me. So both PRS and my luthier said send it back. You are now the third to confirm this. I've put the return in motion and I don't think I'll accept anything other than a replacement with a setup, OR a full refund. Thanks again.
@@TraceTaylor3 oh PS. Lucky I also bought a cheaper ESP LTD. That was the catalyst for me realizing something was up with the MCCarty. The LTD was straight as an arrow. Really nice. At half the price. Same factory I believe.
@@matt79hz Yeah you are doing the right thing. And 1450 is a lot for a guitar....especially if it is not working correctly. If they send you a replacement let me know if it is working correctly.
@@matt79hz Yeah those aren't bad guitars for the money. I have gotten pretty lucky with a couple of indonesian Ibanez guitars. They are both amazing and almost as good as my much more expensive MIJ Ibanez counterparts.
I'm a new player just starting out and one of the things I had an obsession about having no fret buzz at all with low action on my new less paul. I did a lotta experimentation changing back and forth the truss rod, and the action height, now I use 11-48s power slinkys and I got that in the end (no buzz low action kinda) but the thing is I have to put a lot of pressure to not finger buzz if that make sense any tip for me?
Well, it your guitar is set correctly there will be some fret buzz. the only way to eliminate all of it is to set the action very high which ultimately kills the playability of the guitar. The goal is to find the balance of how much fret buzz to playability you can live with. I keep my action fairly low so there will be some buzz, but I also am a fairly light picker....and i use a very heavy pick. The harder your pick attack then the more fret buzz you will get. But if you go with a very light pick you will sacrifice speed. the entire thing is a huge balancing act. Pay attention to how hard you strike the strings. New guitarist usually hit the strings way to hard...which in turn will give you a lot of fret buzz. Set the guitar with fairly good action. I have a video on that on my channel. then closely pay attention to your pick hand. As you develop skills your technique will improve and you will notice that a lot of that fret buzz will start to disappear.
I agree, I’ve been having this problem but it’s more annoying to me because it’s only on like 2-4 frets and it’s very noticeable. I think it’s the frets because made truss rod adjustments and heighten/ lowered the action and it was on the same frets. I would rather have every fret be buzzy then certain ones if you know what I mean😂😂
Yeah. When it is just certain ones it drives me insane. Sounds like you either have a high or low fret....and that drives me more crazy....especially above the 12th fret. If it is a high fret it is pretty easy to fix. If it is a low fret that is more of an issue and best to put in a new fret. If it is worth the work of course.
I don't mind the buzz, it's only bad if the notes choke out. I don't mind a little fret buzz on acoustics either. As long as it's higher up the neck, I'd rather put up with that and have a lower action. In Flamenco guitars, fret buzz is encouraged.
Trace had a new strat which had fret buzz bad, the dealer just got a Plek machine and he plek'd it and still had minor issues. Ton of work done to it still not thrilled.
I actually have had two guitars plek'd and they both were terrible. I actually took them both to a guitar tech friend of mine who redid them by hand and they came out much better. I will never waste the money on that again.
thanks my friend. Yeah I am doing ok. Tired of getting that crap. Actually getting ready to start a run of shows. Always fun. I am moving during this entire month but hopefully will have a couple up this next week.
Awesome advice.. You really do deserve need more subscribers so I'll share 👊💥😁 I have the S-5570Q Prestige in purple and I'll say these guitars are unreal and underrated..
thanks brother. I am working on the gettin the subs. It is a lot of work but we will get there. That purple is a beautiful guitar. When I was in Alabama I found one in Nashville and by the time I had the chance to get it some one had already grabbed it. Your guitar is one of my favorite Ibanez's and yes, crazy underrated.
The Ibanez? It is still going on. I will give it away when I hit 50k subs. It is a lot and a way to go but this is a damn nice guitar and I am ready to hit the number and someone win it.
Wow, 4 time Covid - must be close to a world record? I'm just recovering from my first, and cross my fingers that I'll get my voice-register and also my full eye sight back to a big gig this weekend.
I just got your comment. Very weird. How did the gig go? Yeah I lose my voice every time I get this crap. Sadly, it damaged my eyesight and that is really not cool. Did it affect your eyes?
@@TraceTaylor3 Yes, thank God, my voice recovered just in time for the gig. It turned out to be one of our best gigs so far with everybody performing at their best! I got reduced eye sight during my illness, but it seemed to get back to more or less normal when I recovered. I am really thankfull for that, because I already have a damaged nerve on my right eye which has destroyed my sharp vision.
@@Morstad64 Well thank God you are doing well. Yeah, my eyesight never recovered after covid. Killed my close vision. I am glad you had a great show. Not many things in this world better then when the entire band is on point.
@@TraceTaylor3 Sorry about your eye sight, I know how tough it is to suddenly lose vision! Yeah, the show was great, but really hard work. 2.5 hours drive each way and about 4 hours of playing plus a couple of hours rigging. Definitely fun and worth the effort, but I need about a week to recover from exhaustion. Unfortunately, I'm not twenty anymore 🙂
@@Morstad64 2.5 each way???? Sure it was fun but hope the pay was good. We seriously charge traveling fees if we have to leave our major city. By the time you travel, set up and play....then tear down and drive home.....yes it is exhausting. We are about to go on a run of shows starting Saturday and then we end in Oct with a big Oct Fest show where we are the headliner. Should be pretty fun....but yes....had a lot more in me when I was twenty.
I WANT TO PICK HARD!! I want the string to be able to move and I use those dynamics to get more gain and more dynamics for rolling off volume. Like tell Stevie Ray he's playing too hard. Why is it everytime I try a guitar in a store or pay for adjustment, the action is REDICULOUSLY low and sounds dead AF?? Am I 12yo?
Then raise the action. But if you are a lead player then playing hard is the wrong thing to do. Lead is about finesse....not killing the string. If you are a rhythm player and want to play hard...raise the action or go with a heavier string. Hard to play hard on light strings.
After buying a leveling beam from stew mac i never had any issues at all even down to 1 mm but i prefer 1.5 it sux to buy 300 in tools but its cheaper than sending it out and trusting someone with your ax better to learn your instrument anyway 😉 😜
Very true. If you want to work on something you need the tools to do it right. It is much better to buy the tools even at 300. You should have your guitar setup every year or two. Buy the tools and do it yourself.....in the end you save a ton of money.
Fret buzz can be horrible. My issue is when the buzz chokes out sustain and output. I have an issue with my recent purchase of a high end repeatable company. I'm so glad that you recommend individuals working on their own guitars
Yeah man everyone should learn how to work on their own stuff. No one knows exactly how you like a guitar except you. So are you having an issue currently with the buzz choking our your sustain?
@@TraceTaylor3 basically yes. I'm a bit of a perfectionist in terms on time I guess. For a 3000 dollar guitar I just can't accept this. I'm currently on its third different setup including different string gauge, truss rod adjustments and saddle adjustments. I hear it mainly on frets 7 through 11. Some days are worse than others. Some people think that when high end instruments are purchased that they show up issue free.
@@nathancloud6344 Yes. I have to set up every guitar I have....even my 3k J Custom. How is the relief on the neck. Usually right there it is a truss issue. Have you tried adding a little relief then readjusting the action via the bridge or trem?
@@TraceTaylor3 The relief is solid. At to the point where I'm considering filing slot on the backside of my saddles. It's a bit out of my league but worth a try. I learned that if the saddles are im properly filed...lots of tonal issues can arrive. Basically as I understand it is that the strings should sit more on top of the saddle grooves and not so much deep in the slot itself. With this being a high end purchase the reluctance to do so is strong.
@@notronsivartI believe you brother. I was just saying that because sometimes my videos get a little long because I try to explain things the best I can. I am glad it made you feel better. I get tons of questions about fret buzz. Thanks my friend.
I play a 1993 62 avri strat and I like my action around 3/64ths on every string. If I want zero buzz I pick softer and closer to the neck. I play aggressive blues mostly and even with high action it’ll buzz. It’s unavoidable. Guitars buzz.
yes sir they do. If you seriously play electric they are gonna buzz. Especially if you are a blues player and you dig in.....as a good blues player should.
I've got a few due to how low I keep them. 1 or 2 may be because they may need a level. But I'm not playing out now and am retired/fixed income, so fret leveling is my lowest priority :). You sound better than last time. You have more life in your voice and more upper register. And are more animated. Hope you don't get #5 :). Best Regards. TIP? Maybe start putting out a quick 1 min tip eg How to do trill exercises, How to bend/play above the nut, What does "out of phase" mean? Anything that keeps your channel in the algorithm on a daily basis. Hell, tell gig war stories once a week 'ok hold on guys..listen to this..this is no s.hit.. :). Keep them short so they are easy to punch out.
Great ideas. slowly getting my voice back and starting next weekend I have 4 shows pretty close together so that should be interesting. I have got thousands of things coming up on the channel but damn.....time is always a factor. these guys that put up 4 and 5 videos a week....I don't know how they do it. Hopefully after I move and get the new studio set up things will pick up. Short gig stories is a brilliant idea. Hell, I have thousands of those. Thanks for the comment my friend. Keep rocking it out.
I hope your post covid symptoms disappear soon. I think the subscribers would like to see some band live / rehearsal footage on the channel sometime. Would take me back to when I used to play in a pub classic rock/heavy band. Regarding guitar action I tend to have a medium action on my guitars . I find even a bit of fret buzz in annoying as I play through valve amp through a mixing desk with headphones. The headphones seem to amplify any fret buzz and it affects to tone .I also have found that if the string action is too low you can lose the lower end frequency from your guitar . Also a medium lowish action I find seems a bit better to get your fingers under the strings for bending notes .
All true. I keep mine pretty low and I do have a little fret buzz on all my guitars for that reason but I am very cognizant of that when I am playing clean....to not beat up the strings and do things a little lighter. And yes....coming through your amp is a nightmare and completely trashes your sound.
@@bipn_406 if it is still buzzing on the bottom...below mid neck then you will need to adjust the nut up a very very small amount. I use aluminum foil when I adjust the nuts because it is so thin and I can do it incrementally. Its pretty easy to do.
@@bipn_406 Yeah you can keep tweaking the truss as long as it does not make you action too high. If you start to feel it is too high then back it back down a little and adjust the nut....but if it is playable as it is right now then rock the hell out of it.
I think this is half of the context. Yes, fret buzz should be put into context. But I think what's not covered enough in these discussions is the balance between tuning, string gauge and picking style. Obviously, if you play metal and have an aggressive picking style while using a 10-48 set for standard D tuning - well, I wanna see the guitar that doesn't buzz with this atrocious setup. Heavy picking style? Thicker strings. Low tuning? Thicker strings. Want low action, thin strings and no buzz? Work on gentler picking. I also think that it's not often enough discussed the fact that when you change string gauge, you need to re-setup the guitar. Expensive or not, as you said, it's wood - whether it's $300 or $3000, the principles of physics apply the same. All I'm trying to say is - hoping for a miracle guitar that has low action, no buzz, whichever tuning you're playing and however heavy... well, that's not possible. That's why some bands have multiple guitars with various setups for different songs, in possibly different tunings.
Actually, I cannot tell which video off the top of my head but I do discuss these very things, how strings put additional stress on the neck and cause it to move. And I have a couple of videos where I talk about string attack as opposed to fret buzz and such. Maybe I need to just do one on all of it instead of spreading it out. Thanks for the comment
Not necessarily. I have a guitar that is setup perfectly but a tech at 2/64ths. Plays amazing and has some slight fret buzz in it..When action is that low strings still vibrate in a circle and will hit the frets. that is unpreventable.
@@TraceTaylor3 Techs tend to adjust it to a certain extent, and many very well, but they don't sit there and make micro adjustments to neck angle, do repeated fret checks, make minor nut depth changes, etc. It takes too much time. The only exception is if your guitar has issues which can't be remedied via a setup, or you have action that is too low for the instrument. Even when doing a fret level by hand, it isn't going to be 100%, so there is almost always something a bit off. The question is if you care, and a lot of people don't. Some buzz isn't really perceptible through amp. It just depends.
@@gooberthoreau I guess I should have been a little more clear on what I was trying to say. The tech in question is a good friend of mine who owns a guitar repair shop. Hell he has been doing it for I guess 40 plus years now. He is a wiz on guitar and actually the guy who showed me how to do everything. When people come to me with a problem on their guitar they can't get fixed....this is the guy I send them to. Hell....he makes his own guitars and sells them locally. I went through the buzz thing years ago trying to keep extremely low action on one of my guitars but it always had a little fret buzz. I took it too him and he is the one that broke it down to me how it all works and so on and so on. If you run a regular action of say 3/64 to 4/64 you should be able to get it pretty damn clean, but when you get below that 3/64 space....just from string vibration you will have some buzz....but like you said....it is not perceptible through the amp if you have a really good setup on the front end.
I FEEL NONE AT ALL.....proper setup and PLEASE PEOPLE use your fuckin thumbwheel or whatever is your TRUSS ROD adjustment is.....that REALLY is there for a reason....take care Trace...OH SORRY had to edit......NO FUCKIN need to have the guitar strings touching your neck...that ISN'T LOW action....I have VERY nice action SO THERE ISN'T fret buzz....guitars are MADE to be played....
Yes the truss is there for a reason. Where I keep my action I have very light fret buzz but also very acceptable. My action is fairly low but I also have a pretty light picking technique. anyone else on my guitar with a heavier hand would probably have fret buzz like hell. And yes. guitars are made to be played and they will take a beating as long as you take care of them.
I agree but so many times I have gotten a new guitar and the seller has done their 100 point inspection and setup.....and then I have to set it up once I get it. Now granted not everyone likes a "standard" setup.....but they should ask how would you like your guitar and go from there.
I disagree. I think guitars should come standard setup, and you should learn to set the guitar up how you like. It’s a balancing act on how much buzz you find acceptable to how low you want the action. My guitar had zero fret buzz when I got it, but the action was too high for me, so I lowered the action which caused the E string to start buzzing on every fret when picking the string a little harder. As I do more cleans I am going to move the action slightly higher just so I can strike the string harder cos of how I set up my amp. Might even use lighter strings as that should stop fret buzz.
@@TraceTaylor3 oh my apologies for not making it clear. I was replying to the op. I think they have a right to charge a setup fee. I also think second hand sellers, and sellers in general should set the guitars up to the manufacturers specs, and if anyone wants to deviate from that, then they can learn, or they can use the names of guitar techs out there to set up their guitars, and that would be a service.
What is your CZcams channel? That way can all over there and see how a real pro like yourself does it. I need to see how you play a guitar with 2/64 action with no fret buzz. Oh…..you are using a guitar hero guitar. Got it.
@@Noel-jk3jy Malmsteen I am not. I have to keep my fairly low. Besides, you get the action too high something is always going to be out of tune when you press the string.
I had an obsession about my guitar setup, in addition to other obsessions I have. Everything had to be perfect on my kinda cheap guitar, which was impossible. People told me a thousand times about the "tolerable amount of fret buzz" before but it just did not made perfect sense to me. But the way you deliver things in the video were just amazing, clarifying and also calming for me. Not just for the guitar tips, but thank you for everything in this video.
Very glad it helped my friend. Now rock the hell out of that guitar.
Never settle for what people tell you. I am like you and my setups must be spot on. I play my electric guitars acoustically too, I feel that an electric guitar says Alot when played this way. I understand strong vibration and minimal buzz, I also don't feel that has to be tolerated. Much of this involved the frets, the nut and the saddles. When you have instruments that don't buzz, why would you settle for those that do?
Amazing energy and passion! Thank you so much for the video
More than welcome my friend
Thank you for putting my mind at rest your the only dude ive herd saying about acceptable fret buzz, totally makes sense and well explained aswell🤟😎🎸 you got a sub ❤️ from Northern Ireland.
Thanks brother and welcome to the channel. I am glad the video helped you out.
Thank you so much for the video. You are the only person that mentions the picking technique. I prefer playing with dynamics like Jimi Hendrix or John Mayer, so sometimes I get some fret buzz which drives me crazy. I guess I’m good to go with it now. And I have to say your video is top quality.
thanks my friend. I really appreciate it. I glad it helped.
Enjoyed the video.
Thanks my friend.
I liked and subscribed. What else do I have to do for a chance to win that Ibanez... great informative video. I'm glad I found your channel.
Absolutley nothing. As long as you are subscribed you get an entry. Actually the next video I put up is about the guitar. Thanks for the sub brother.
This is good advice. Before I understood this it drove me nuts striving for perfection. Now little bit of fret buzz shows me that I've got it as low as possible. (Obviously considering other factors first.)
Yes. a little fret buzz with good action is completely acceptable. That is just the nature of the instrument. Glad the video helped my friend.
@@TraceTaylor3 yes, this is great video for beginners to see. It will help a lot with understanding there is rarely a perfect instrument for the average person, but more like a compromise of balancing elements.
@@MaTTheWish Exactly right. Playing guitar is all about comprise and yes finding that perfect instrument is nearly impossible.
@@TraceTaylor3 thanks man!
Great video.
Thanks brother. I really appreciate it. But let me know what you disagree with that you put in the other comment. I love getting feedback from people on my videos.
@@TraceTaylor3 I wasn't disagreeing with your video in any way. I was responding to a comment regarding shops should do it for free. I don't think it should be a free service. Sure a standard setup back to manufacturer spec should be done, just so the guitar is as close as possible to how the manufacturer envisions it being set up, but after that, should either learn to set up your own guitar, or go to someone who sets the guitar up how you like.
I finaly discovered the optimal fret buzz for my RG5320 like yours. I have 1.8mm and 1.25mm. My floyd is perfectly leveled. I will change strings soon, so i need to intonate it again. Hope it keeps this way after tstring changing and intonation, this thing feels perfect and balanced right now. I will change pickups too. Maybe i will with a Crunch Lab and Liquifire or a more versatil set like the steve lukather Transition pickups. What do you think, have you moded yours?
I have not done any mods on mine. After I get the randy rhoads guitar finished I am going to start looking for another 1120 pbz and I am actually going to put the EVH pickups in that guitar. I love my EVH guitars because they are so controllable and being that the guitar are very similar in wood tones, I thinks they will sound amazing. I have also heard great things about the fishman fluence pickups. they are supposed to be very versatile. I also have a great balance on my Ibanez guitars. A touch of fret buzz and crazy fast action. I have used this same setup for years and very happy with it. thanks for the comment my friend.
Cool man, good info. Been obsessing in this lately. I’m an LP player and recently got a custom shop LP that was expensive and it’s buzzing a bit. The action is quite low, but I think this amount of buzz may be acceptable. I don’t hear it through the amp. I need to stop obsessing I guess
Actually I am shooting a vid today about this.....again. I am going to try to record how much fret buzz my 3 main guitars have. This seems to be the one thing I get the most questions about....and yes...people obsessing about it....as I did for a very long time. Then after I learned how to completely set up guitars, I realized there is a trade off. No buzz....high action......buzz....low action....just how much can you deal with. Hopefully this vid will be out tonight so people can hear how much I have on my guitars. Thanks bro.
I keep my action at 5 64th e-E and I still get a little fret buzz when I dig. I hear a lot of people talk about that fret buzz that you can't hear through the amp, but I've never heard any kind of fret buzz that didn't come through a clean dry fender amp
Yeah it all comes through a clean amp, especially if you dig. I have mine set to an acceptable amount of fret buzz and I use very think jazz picks so if I dig it blast though the speakers. People always complain about it but if you are a guitar player it is just something you will have to deal with.
H Trace not seen you on here lately . hope all is well and you have got over the covid Cheers Pete
Yeah brother. Been crazy busy. Moving this entire month and have been working on the new podcast room. Getting ready to start a run of shows but hopefully I will have some vids up this week. Thanks my friend.
Interesting topic thats not discussed enough. This is the only video on the subject i found. I just wish you did some upclose recording of your unplugged guitar to illustrate the level of fretbuzz that should be considered acceptable, just for reference.
Good idea. I did not even think about that. That probably would have helped a bit. Maybe I will do an update to that video and add that too it. Thanks bro.
Mate I've just learnt to start working on my new PRS SE McCarty.
And your are exactly right. I took it to a luthier recently and he only charged me $50 but what about the next time, and the time after that.. which of course was only a week later.
Anyway it seems this brand new SE needed a massive neck tightening.
Dya think this is unusual, I read everywhere that they're great out of the box.
It's winter here in coastal NSW Australia but it's very mild. Not cold at all.
I've reached out to PRS, as I've never been a tinkerer, but it's taken a LOT of tightening over 3 occasions now. Just a little concerned with how many turns it can take.
I still see the slightest relief with the naked eye.
Thanks for any ideas :))
Unfortunately unless you paying 4k for a USA model the QC is just not there. I bought a EVH Striped series guitar and ended up having to send it back because it was just in too bad of shape. The weather should not cause you to have to tighten the neck that much, but you can adjust them quite a bit, however even on one that is not set up with a crap it shouldn't need that much unless it just got through without them adjusting it at all.....which does happen. I had an Ibanez that came from Indonesia and it was complete trash. And then it came from sweetwater where they obviously did nothing to the guitar either so it went back also. If you are adjusting this neck and you cannot get it completely straight....then I would send it back. You don't want to risk over tightening it and breaking the truss rod. You should be able to bow the neck in either direction with minimal amount of turns and any guitar neck. If you cannot bow it in both directions then I would replace it if you can.
@@TraceTaylor3 thank you so much.
I'd been sweating on this for a while. Lost sleep. Even though it's SE, $1450Aud isn't a cheap guitar to me. So both PRS and my luthier said send it back. You are now the third to confirm this.
I've put the return in motion and I don't think I'll accept anything other than a replacement with a setup, OR a full refund.
Thanks again.
@@TraceTaylor3 oh PS. Lucky I also bought a cheaper ESP LTD. That was the catalyst for me realizing something was up with the MCCarty. The LTD was straight as an arrow. Really nice. At half the price. Same factory I believe.
@@matt79hz Yeah you are doing the right thing. And 1450 is a lot for a guitar....especially if it is not working correctly. If they send you a replacement let me know if it is working correctly.
@@matt79hz Yeah those aren't bad guitars for the money. I have gotten pretty lucky with a couple of indonesian Ibanez guitars. They are both amazing and almost as good as my much more expensive MIJ Ibanez counterparts.
Fret buzz drives me crazy. Thank you.
Dude....it is maddening. Thanks for the comments my friend.
I'm a new player just starting out and one of the things I had an obsession about having no fret buzz at all with low action on my new less paul. I did a lotta experimentation changing back and forth the truss rod, and the action height, now I use 11-48s power slinkys and I got that in the end (no buzz low action kinda) but the thing is I have to put a lot of pressure to not finger buzz if that make sense any tip for me?
Well, it your guitar is set correctly there will be some fret buzz. the only way to eliminate all of it is to set the action very high which ultimately kills the playability of the guitar. The goal is to find the balance of how much fret buzz to playability you can live with. I keep my action fairly low so there will be some buzz, but I also am a fairly light picker....and i use a very heavy pick. The harder your pick attack then the more fret buzz you will get. But if you go with a very light pick you will sacrifice speed. the entire thing is a huge balancing act. Pay attention to how hard you strike the strings. New guitarist usually hit the strings way to hard...which in turn will give you a lot of fret buzz. Set the guitar with fairly good action. I have a video on that on my channel. then closely pay attention to your pick hand. As you develop skills your technique will improve and you will notice that a lot of that fret buzz will start to disappear.
That would like real good in my hands 🍻
Gotta get more people subscribing so we can give this away. I think it would also look great in your hands.
@@TraceTaylor3 you’ve got a great channel going. Shouldn’t be a problem.
@@jmr1711 Thanks my friend. I really appreciate the compliment
I agree, I’ve been having this problem but it’s more annoying to me because it’s only on like 2-4 frets and it’s very noticeable. I think it’s the frets because made truss rod adjustments and heighten/ lowered the action and it was on the same frets. I would rather have every fret be buzzy then certain ones if you know what I mean😂😂
Yeah. When it is just certain ones it drives me insane. Sounds like you either have a high or low fret....and that drives me more crazy....especially above the 12th fret. If it is a high fret it is pretty easy to fix. If it is a low fret that is more of an issue and best to put in a new fret. If it is worth the work of course.
I don't mind the buzz, it's only bad if the notes choke out. I don't mind a little fret buzz on acoustics either. As long as it's higher up the neck, I'd rather put up with that and have a lower action. In Flamenco guitars, fret buzz is encouraged.
Yes. I would much rather have some fret buzz and low action anytime. Fret buzz is just part of playing guitar.
Trace
had a new strat which had fret buzz bad, the dealer just got a Plek machine and he plek'd it and still had minor issues.
Ton of work done to it still not thrilled.
I actually have had two guitars plek'd and they both were terrible. I actually took them both to a guitar tech friend of mine who redid them by hand and they came out much better. I will never waste the money on that again.
Hey Bud. How you doing? Hoping you are getting over the 'vid and not set back. Looking forward to your next video. Best Regards and Best Wishes!
thanks my friend. Yeah I am doing ok. Tired of getting that crap. Actually getting ready to start a run of shows. Always fun. I am moving during this entire month but hopefully will have a couple up this next week.
@@TraceTaylor3 Cool. Best Wishes!
Awesome advice..
You really do deserve need more subscribers so I'll share 👊💥😁
I have the S-5570Q Prestige in purple and I'll say these guitars are unreal and underrated..
thanks brother. I am working on the gettin the subs. It is a lot of work but we will get there. That purple is a beautiful guitar. When I was in Alabama I found one in Nashville and by the time I had the chance to get it some one had already grabbed it. Your guitar is one of my favorite Ibanez's and yes, crazy underrated.
Hi Trace, is the guitar still up for grabs, or too late 😀 ?
The Ibanez? It is still going on. I will give it away when I hit 50k subs. It is a lot and a way to go but this is a damn nice guitar and I am ready to hit the number and someone win it.
Wow, 4 time Covid - must be close to a world record? I'm just recovering from my first, and cross my fingers that I'll get my voice-register and also my full eye sight back to a big gig this weekend.
I just got your comment. Very weird. How did the gig go? Yeah I lose my voice every time I get this crap. Sadly, it damaged my eyesight and that is really not cool. Did it affect your eyes?
@@TraceTaylor3 Yes, thank God, my voice recovered just in time for the gig. It turned out to be one of our best gigs so far with everybody performing at their best!
I got reduced eye sight during my illness, but it seemed to get back to more or less normal when I recovered. I am really thankfull for that, because I already have a damaged nerve on my right eye which has destroyed my sharp vision.
@@Morstad64 Well thank God you are doing well. Yeah, my eyesight never recovered after covid. Killed my close vision. I am glad you had a great show. Not many things in this world better then when the entire band is on point.
@@TraceTaylor3 Sorry about your eye sight, I know how tough it is to suddenly lose vision!
Yeah, the show was great, but really hard work. 2.5 hours drive each way and about 4 hours of playing plus a couple of hours rigging. Definitely fun and worth the effort, but I need about a week to recover from exhaustion. Unfortunately, I'm not twenty anymore 🙂
@@Morstad64 2.5 each way???? Sure it was fun but hope the pay was good. We seriously charge traveling fees if we have to leave our major city. By the time you travel, set up and play....then tear down and drive home.....yes it is exhausting. We are about to go on a run of shows starting Saturday and then we end in Oct with a big Oct Fest show where we are the headliner. Should be pretty fun....but yes....had a lot more in me when I was twenty.
When I start hearing it through my amp, then it's a problem. Having that hairy sound on my sustained notes is intolerable.
I hear ya. Sometimes that adds some tasty harmonics that just tear :). Best Regards!
I WANT TO PICK HARD!! I want the string to be able to move and I use those dynamics to get more gain and more dynamics for rolling off volume. Like tell Stevie Ray he's playing too hard. Why is it everytime I try a guitar in a store or pay for adjustment, the action is REDICULOUSLY low and sounds dead AF?? Am I 12yo?
Then raise the action. But if you are a lead player then playing hard is the wrong thing to do. Lead is about finesse....not killing the string. If you are a rhythm player and want to play hard...raise the action or go with a heavier string. Hard to play hard on light strings.
After buying a leveling beam from stew mac i never had any issues at all even down to 1 mm but i prefer 1.5 it sux to buy 300 in tools but its cheaper than sending it out and trusting someone with your ax better to learn your instrument anyway 😉 😜
Very true. If you want to work on something you need the tools to do it right. It is much better to buy the tools even at 300. You should have your guitar setup every year or two. Buy the tools and do it yourself.....in the end you save a ton of money.
Fret buzz can be horrible. My issue is when the buzz chokes out sustain and output. I have an issue with my recent purchase of a high end repeatable company. I'm so glad that you recommend individuals working on their own guitars
Yeah man everyone should learn how to work on their own stuff. No one knows exactly how you like a guitar except you. So are you having an issue currently with the buzz choking our your sustain?
@@TraceTaylor3 basically yes. I'm a bit of a perfectionist in terms on time I guess. For a 3000 dollar guitar I just can't accept this. I'm currently on its third different setup including different string gauge, truss rod adjustments and saddle adjustments. I hear it mainly on frets 7 through 11. Some days are worse than others. Some people think that when high end instruments are purchased that they show up issue free.
The test that all guitars must pass for me is the pinch harmonica test. This instrument really suffers here
@@nathancloud6344 Yes. I have to set up every guitar I have....even my 3k J Custom. How is the relief on the neck. Usually right there it is a truss issue. Have you tried adding a little relief then readjusting the action via the bridge or trem?
@@TraceTaylor3 The relief is solid. At to the point where I'm considering filing slot on the backside of my saddles. It's a bit out of my league but worth a try. I learned that if the saddles are im properly filed...lots of tonal issues can arrive. Basically as I understand it is that the strings should sit more on top of the saddle grooves and not so much deep in the slot itself. With this being a high end purchase the reluctance to do so is strong.
2:18 just put out a video saying "that's ok" It made me feel so much better.
Fair enough. I like giving very thorough explanations.
@@TraceTaylor3 I'm being genuine man! It really did make me feel better lol. And I continued watching the whole video.
@@notronsivartI believe you brother. I was just saying that because sometimes my videos get a little long because I try to explain things the best I can. I am glad it made you feel better. I get tons of questions about fret buzz. Thanks my friend.
Can't hear the strings at all
That could be because of your murky bong water. Change the water then try it again. Let me know if that helps.
Cant hear the guitar. So have no idea what sounds normal
Yeah I had someone else say the same thing. I am going to do it again on my next guitar video.
I play a 1993 62 avri strat and I like my action around 3/64ths on every string. If I want zero buzz I pick softer and closer to the neck. I play aggressive blues mostly and even with high action it’ll buzz. It’s unavoidable. Guitars buzz.
yes sir they do. If you seriously play electric they are gonna buzz. Especially if you are a blues player and you dig in.....as a good blues player should.
catch up, 5 times and every time it gets lighter and lighter.
I've got a few due to how low I keep them. 1 or 2 may be because they may need a level. But I'm not playing out now and am retired/fixed income, so fret leveling is my lowest priority :). You sound better than last time. You have more life in your voice and more upper register. And are more animated. Hope you don't get #5 :). Best Regards. TIP? Maybe start putting out a quick 1 min tip eg How to do trill exercises, How to bend/play above the nut, What does "out of phase" mean? Anything that keeps your channel in the algorithm on a daily basis. Hell, tell gig war stories once a week 'ok hold on guys..listen to this..this is no s.hit.. :). Keep them short so they are easy to punch out.
Great ideas. slowly getting my voice back and starting next weekend I have 4 shows pretty close together so that should be interesting. I have got thousands of things coming up on the channel but damn.....time is always a factor. these guys that put up 4 and 5 videos a week....I don't know how they do it. Hopefully after I move and get the new studio set up things will pick up. Short gig stories is a brilliant idea. Hell, I have thousands of those. Thanks for the comment my friend. Keep rocking it out.
I hope your post covid symptoms disappear soon. I think the subscribers would like to see some band live / rehearsal footage on the channel sometime. Would take me back to when I used to play in a pub classic rock/heavy band. Regarding guitar action I tend to have a medium action on my guitars . I find even a bit of fret buzz in annoying as I play through valve amp through a mixing desk with headphones. The headphones seem to amplify any fret buzz and it affects to tone .I also have found that if the string action is too low you can lose the lower end frequency from your guitar . Also a medium lowish action I find seems a bit better to get your fingers under the strings for bending notes .
All true. I keep mine pretty low and I do have a little fret buzz on all my guitars for that reason but I am very cognizant of that when I am playing clean....to not beat up the strings and do things a little lighter. And yes....coming through your amp is a nightmare and completely trashes your sound.
I have fret buzz all the way up to my 22nd fret.
as most guitars do
@@TraceTaylor3 I got it down to only the 8th fret and below.
@@bipn_406 if it is still buzzing on the bottom...below mid neck then you will need to adjust the nut up a very very small amount. I use aluminum foil when I adjust the nuts because it is so thin and I can do it incrementally. Its pretty easy to do.
@@TraceTaylor3 I adjusted it and it was only up to the 2nd fret. I can deal with it. It was adjusting the action and truss rod a little.
@@bipn_406 Yeah you can keep tweaking the truss as long as it does not make you action too high. If you start to feel it is too high then back it back down a little and adjust the nut....but if it is playable as it is right now then rock the hell out of it.
Sooooo did anyone win that guitar?!?!
Nope. It will be given away sometime this year.
Lol best playing guitar I've ever owned in 40 years is a mm majesty.
Yeah those are great guitars. I have had 2 of them. MM makes wonderful instruments.
I think this is half of the context. Yes, fret buzz should be put into context. But I think what's not covered enough in these discussions is the balance between tuning, string gauge and picking style. Obviously, if you play metal and have an aggressive picking style while using a 10-48 set for standard D tuning - well, I wanna see the guitar that doesn't buzz with this atrocious setup. Heavy picking style? Thicker strings. Low tuning? Thicker strings. Want low action, thin strings and no buzz? Work on gentler picking.
I also think that it's not often enough discussed the fact that when you change string gauge, you need to re-setup the guitar. Expensive or not, as you said, it's wood - whether it's $300 or $3000, the principles of physics apply the same. All I'm trying to say is - hoping for a miracle guitar that has low action, no buzz, whichever tuning you're playing and however heavy... well, that's not possible. That's why some bands have multiple guitars with various setups for different songs, in possibly different tunings.
Actually, I cannot tell which video off the top of my head but I do discuss these very things, how strings put additional stress on the neck and cause it to move. And I have a couple of videos where I talk about string attack as opposed to fret buzz and such. Maybe I need to just do one on all of it instead of spreading it out. Thanks for the comment
Short video? It’s fucking 20 minutes
Bro, most of my videos are over an hour. That is a short video.
Easy. If set up correctly for your playing style: Zero.
Not necessarily. I have a guitar that is setup perfectly but a tech at 2/64ths. Plays amazing and has some slight fret buzz in it..When action is that low strings still vibrate in a circle and will hit the frets. that is unpreventable.
@@TraceTaylor3 Techs tend to adjust it to a certain extent, and many very well, but they don't sit there and make micro adjustments to neck angle, do repeated fret checks, make minor nut depth changes, etc. It takes too much time. The only exception is if your guitar has issues which can't be remedied via a setup, or you have action that is too low for the instrument. Even when doing a fret level by hand, it isn't going to be 100%, so there is almost always something a bit off. The question is if you care, and a lot of people don't. Some buzz isn't really perceptible through amp. It just depends.
@@gooberthoreau I guess I should have been a little more clear on what I was trying to say. The tech in question is a good friend of mine who owns a guitar repair shop. Hell he has been doing it for I guess 40 plus years now. He is a wiz on guitar and actually the guy who showed me how to do everything. When people come to me with a problem on their guitar they can't get fixed....this is the guy I send them to. Hell....he makes his own guitars and sells them locally. I went through the buzz thing years ago trying to keep extremely low action on one of my guitars but it always had a little fret buzz. I took it too him and he is the one that broke it down to me how it all works and so on and so on. If you run a regular action of say 3/64 to 4/64 you should be able to get it pretty damn clean, but when you get below that 3/64 space....just from string vibration you will have some buzz....but like you said....it is not perceptible through the amp if you have a really good setup on the front end.
𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓶 💔
I FEEL NONE AT ALL.....proper setup and PLEASE PEOPLE use your fuckin thumbwheel or whatever is your TRUSS ROD adjustment is.....that REALLY is there for a reason....take care Trace...OH SORRY had to edit......NO FUCKIN need to have the guitar strings touching your neck...that ISN'T LOW action....I have VERY nice action SO THERE ISN'T fret buzz....guitars are MADE to be played....
Yes the truss is there for a reason. Where I keep my action I have very light fret buzz but also very acceptable. My action is fairly low but I also have a pretty light picking technique. anyone else on my guitar with a heavier hand would probably have fret buzz like hell. And yes. guitars are made to be played and they will take a beating as long as you take care of them.
If guitar sellers want your money, they should setup for free. Guitars aren't cheap, so why pay for a setup?.
I agree but so many times I have gotten a new guitar and the seller has done their 100 point inspection and setup.....and then I have to set it up once I get it. Now granted not everyone likes a "standard" setup.....but they should ask how would you like your guitar and go from there.
@@TraceTaylor3 So trueTrace. Thank you.
I disagree. I think guitars should come standard setup, and you should learn to set the guitar up how you like. It’s a balancing act on how much buzz you find acceptable to how low you want the action. My guitar had zero fret buzz when I got it, but the action was too high for me, so I lowered the action which caused the E string to start buzzing on every fret when picking the string a little harder. As I do more cleans I am going to move the action slightly higher just so I can strike the string harder cos of how I set up my amp. Might even use lighter strings as that should stop fret buzz.
@@RockG.o.dSo what do you disagree with? I literally say in all my videos you should learn to set up your own guitar....and do it by feel.
@@TraceTaylor3 oh my apologies for not making it clear. I was replying to the op. I think they have a right to charge a setup fee. I also think second hand sellers, and sellers in general should set the guitars up to the manufacturers specs, and if anyone wants to deviate from that, then they can learn, or they can use the names of guitar techs out there to set up their guitars, and that would be a service.
you people just arent good or fast enough to play with a proper setup without crutches like low buzzy action
What is your CZcams channel? That way can all over there and see how a real pro like yourself does it. I need to see how you play a guitar with 2/64 action with no fret buzz. Oh…..you are using a guitar hero guitar. Got it.
@@TraceTaylor3 if only you knew
@@TraceTaylor3 my action is double that. go find a picture of how high malmsteen sets his strings, i play about the same way
@@Noel-jk3jy Malmsteen I am not. I have to keep my fairly low. Besides, you get the action too high something is always going to be out of tune when you press the string.