# Can't remove a low E String buzz



## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

Hi group;

I am experiencing the following with my last build, a doubleneck mandolin/guitar.

It has a bad buzz on the guitar low E string. I first found a few frets needed to be filed down, which I did. The guitar played better but the buzz was still there.

I removed the strings and carried out a complete fret levelling & crowning job that was near perfect. Still buzzing. Did it again, checked all my frets and they are dead on. Restrung again and ...no change.

There must be another source than the frets for that buzz. I touched everywhere, all pickups, bridges, tuners, virtually every part of the doubleneck instrument. I filed the metal saddle, which changed nothing.

Just for a test, I removed the nut and replaced it by a huge "dummy" fret 0 for the strings to sit much higher than normal, raised the saddle and nothing changed, no matter how far the string is from the fretboard. 

The buzz must come from somewhere else. Puzzling, quite puzzling, even buzzling! 

Any similar experience out there?

kqoct

Gilles


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Loose truss rod vibrating maybe...


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## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

gtrguy said:


> Loose truss rod vibrating maybe...


It is certainly a possibility but I forgot to mention above that it only buzzes when played open. A capo on the first fret and it's gone. I will give it a quarter of a turn and see...


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2013)

check the tuner, maybe a loose shaft.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Rudder Bug said:


> It is certainly a possibility but I forgot to mention above that it only buzzes when played open. A capo on the first fret and it's gone. I will give it a quarter of a turn and see...


sounds like a low cut nut to me.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

I have occasionaly run into a bad string that simply doesn't vibrate properly... maybe that's the issue. Loose tuner was a good suggestion too...


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Bam..low cut nut...refill the E slot, and redo higher.


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## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

Blam; I think I can now rule out the low nut cut. I tried many shims and different nuts. 

Laristotle; My tuners are Fender's but will try to replace the "suspect" with a Wilkinson, oh yes, and the string as well. 

From a pilot's point of view, it is just like a multi-engine airplane losing one: you can't determine which one by the sound only!

Wherever I listen to the buzz, it seems to be all over the guitar.

Does anyone has a suggestion for some kind of stuff I could inject into the truss rod channel and how to do it? Carpenter glue with a seringe? The access is on the headstock.

Going back to the shop...


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## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

al3d said:


> Bam..low cut nut...refill the E slot, and redo higher.



I will try that too Al. Thanks.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

Try dropping and raising the tuning to see if the buzz is sympathetic to the low E frequency... If it is a sympathetic buzz then it will narrow your search.


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## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

I just tried everything that was suggested above. Troubleshot one item at a time and combinations of 2-3 items together and guess what? The damned buzz is now history! largetongue

All your suggestions made sense and I tried them all. The culprit was actually what Al3D's thought. I refilled the E string nut slot, filed it again and it worked!

There is someone contemplating buying it and I was hoping he wouldn't call me, but now, he can!

Thanks to you all for such a happy ending, this was a great learning experience and I owe you a beer!


:food-smiley-004:

Gilles


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

so what you're saying is you cut the nut too low.....?

glad you got it fixed....


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## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

blam said:


> so what you're saying is you cut the nut too low.....?
> 
> glad you got it fixed....


Sorry about that, I overlooked your comment and you deserve the credit...before Al!


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Odd... the nut slot seemed like the obvious issue but in your first post you mentioned replacing the nut with a higher one... ah well, good you got it solved.


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## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

gtrguy said:


> Odd... the nut slot seemed like the obvious issue but in your first post you mentioned replacing the nut with a higher one... ah well, good you got it solved.


I was suspecting all but the nut for some reasons. There have been so many nuts on that instrument and in the end I got confused. As a matter of fact, I screwed up while routing the truss rod channel. Had to fill it with scrap wood, etc. in order to secure the rod.

This one is my seventh build so far. I am just beginning to do some things half right.

The more that kind of stuff arises, the more exciting guitar building gets. Precision and challenge wise, this must be the nicest hobby in the world, no doubt.

I can't imagine having built all that in two years without internet!


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Blam was right...most of the time..the nut is the first thing to check.


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## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

gtrguy said:


> Odd... the nut slot seemed like the obvious issue but in your first post you mentioned replacing the nut with a higher one... ah well, good you got it solved.


The nut slot height can be the cause of buzzing, but only on an open string. A badly, unevenly cut slot can cause odd buzzing sounds. 

Glad to hear you worked it out!


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## Rudder Bug (Nov 21, 2011)

Thanks guys!

I busted nuts before but many other things went wrong with that prototype and it made me overlook that little piece of bone. 

From that, I got much better at fret levelling and some other tasks.

What a great forum!


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