Guitar buzzing can be a pesky issue that many new guitar buyers and experienced players face. My first few guitars never had the issue but my most recent guitar did. Because of this I sought to find out; why does my guitar buzz?
Guitar buzzing occurs when a fretted string vibrates against the frets in front of it creating a rattling sound. This can happen because of bad fret work, too low of an action, nut slots too deep, truss rod / neck relief, and a twisted guitar neck.
Continue reading to learn more about the causes of guitar buzz, how much string buzz is normal, and how you can stop your guitar from buzzing.
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What is Guitar Buzz?
Guitar buzz, also known as fret buzz, is when a rattling sound occurs after striking a fretted string. In it’s simplest definition, the cause of guitar buzz is the string rattling / vibrating against the frets in front of it.
This is different when there is a rattling sound after striking an open string. If there is rattling from an open string then this is most often caused by the nut. An issue that a guitar tech would need to fix.
Is Guitar Buzz Bad?
Guitar buzz is not bad as all guitars have it to some extent acoustically. Guitar buzzing is bad when the rattling sound is identifiable through an amp output. If the buzzing occurs through the amp output then this is bad because the notes will not be able to sustain for a prolonged period of time.
The sustain from notes with extreme guitar buzzing is greatly diminished with guitar buzzing. Furthermore, bending notes with a guitar at this state will last only a short period instead of being able to hold a bended note to a new key.
Why Does My Guitar Buzz?
Guitar buzzing can be caused by the following five factors:
- Bad Fret Work
- Nut Slots Too Deep
- Truss Rod / Neck Relief
- Action is Too Low
- Twisted Neck
Let’s dive into each of these causes to see which one you may be experiencing.
1. Bad Fret Work: Uneven Frets
Guitar buzz caused by bad fret work is unfortunately pretty common.
This issue is caused by the manufacturer or a guitar tech if getting a guitar re-fretted. More often than not, it is the manufacturer because guitar techs are often pretty diligent and hands on with their work.
When a neck is built, it is radiused giving it the slight curve and then leveled so it is flat. The neck needs to be perfectly flat before frets are put in. Afterwards, the frets are installed and leveled down to get them perfectly level with one another.
Bad fret work occurs when all of the frets are not the exact same height. You will have what is called a high fret. A high fret can occur in multiple places. So how do you identify if this is the issue? You will know it when there is excessive buzzing on a certain fret but not on one further up/down the neck. This is by fretting a string on those individual frets.
As an example, if you fret the low E on the 9th fret and it frets out or you hear excessive buzzing. But you fret the same low E on the 10th fret and it sounds perfect. Then it is almost certain that the 9th fret is high and is causing the guitar buzzing.
This issue is easy to fix by a guitar tech. Please do not attempt to fix yourself unless you have a throwaway guitar to practice on first before trying on your main guitar.
2. Nut Slots Too Deep
Another cause of guitar buzz is having the nut slots too deep. If the nut slots are too deep then you will have fret buzz when playing open strings. For those that like to play blues, this can be an annoying issue because of the heavy use of open strings in open E.
You can determine if this is the issue by striking an open string. If there is a buzz then fret the string and see if there is still a buzz. If not, then the nut is causing the buzz. Luckily this is also an easy fix. All you need to do is fill up the nut or replace the nut. They are inexpensive so I recommend simply replacing the nut.
Your guitar’s manufacturer will also likely send you a replacement for free if you reach out to them explaining the issue.
3. Truss Rod: Neck Relief
Insufficient or excessive neck relief is a relatively uncommon issue, especially for new guitars. Although, it can still happen and cause guitar buzzing and damage to your guitar neck if prolonged.
If you have guitar buzz / fret buzz at the lower frets, the neck is likely too straight. The neck will have a slight arch in the middle causing the strings to not have enough clearance to ring out properly.
If you have guitar buzz / fret buzz on the very low frets, like the 9th fret and above, the neck is probably too loose. This makes the neck hang in the middle, similar to a elongated letter U.
You can do a quick check by looking down the neck along the edges of the fretboard. Although, I recommend using a thickness feeler gauge and capo for a more accurate check (linked below).
4. Action is Too Low
The fourth reason why your guitar is buzzing is because your action is too low. Most guitar players prefer a low action as it is easier to play and more fun, especially for electric guitar. Although, this is often the most common reason for fret buzz, especially for those adjusting action themselves for the first time.
I spoke with the local guitar tech in my city of Denver and he mentioned how the most common request is “get the action as low as you can without any buzzing”.
When the action is too low, chocked fret buzz will occur across the entire fretboard. In this case, you simply need to find an acceptable balance between fret buzz and a comfortable string height.
5. Twisted Neck
A costly cause of guitar buzz can be a twisted neck. If you only have fret buzz on the low strings but not on the high strings then a twisted neck is likely the cause of your guitar buzzing.
To check for this, check the neck relief by looking down the neck from the nut or body on each side. You should see the same curve on each side, if not then your guitar has a twisted neck.
If the twist is not too bad, a guitar tech can compensate for the twist by leveling the fret. If that does not work, then they will need to remove the frets, level out the fretboard with a radius block, and then re-fret the guitar. This can be an expensive repair.
How Do I Stop My Guitar From Buzzing?
Stopping your guitar from buzzing starts with identifying where the issue is occurring. The quickest way to stop your guitar from buzzing is to bring it to a guitar shop and have a guitar tech fix it. Guitar techs will be able to identify where the issue is fast and resolve it fast.
Although, you may be able to fix the issue yourself. Given there is an issue with the guitar. Often times, my friends voice their concerns about their fret buzz and how their new guitar is trash because of it. Although, it is not always the guitar nor is the buzzing an issue.
Technique was the issue with my friends. They were new guitarists and simply were not pressing down on the strings hard enough, producing a buzzing sound. That is a technique issue and not a guitar one. Others tried to adjust the action themselves and made it too low.
Adjusting the action of a guitar is an easy fix to fret buzzing and does not always require a professional. If you want the action to be as low as possible without buzzing, then I would ask a guitar tech to do it. Otherwise, this can be done yourself with some patience.
Let’s dive into more of the above issues and how you can fix them after identifying them.
Truss Rod
If your guitar has a truss rod issue, causing the fret buzz, then let’s see how we can fix it. An important note is to not be extreme when adjusting the truss rod. A lot of people are concerned when adjusting this, your neck will be just fine as long as you do it in small increments.
When you are adjusting in small increments, use the feeler gauge (linked below) to measure after each adjustment. With this you are checking the curvature of the neck to ensure the bow is gone. After each adjustment and measurement, play some open chords and fretted notes to see if the buzzing has gone away. If you are using an electric guitar, be sure to plug it into an amplifier through the clean setting.
Fret Dressing
Fixing uneven frets, either from heavy use or bad fret work should always be done by a guitar tech unless you already have experience doing so. If you wanted to do it yourself, you would purchase a fret leveling beam and put sand paper on it to level your frets. After that you will do a fret crowning, filing the frets so that they are even all the way across. I highly recommend not doing this yourself and hiring a professional to do it.
Replacing the Nut
The nut slots being too deep is another common cause of guitar buzz. For this issue I would also advise seeking a professional to replace the nut.
Tools to Fix Guitar Buzzing Yourself
The below are tools that you can buy to fix any buzzing issues that may come across yourself: All Amazon Links
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| String Action Ruler | Used to measure action and adjust string height accurately |
| Guitar Capo | Allows you to see a straight line when adjusting neck relief. Will show you the curvature of the neck |
| Thickness Feeler Gauge | Used to measure the curvature of the neck while the capo is placed on. Will need to go down to small increments |
How Much String Buzz is Normal?
Determining how much string buzz is normal is important when deciding how much buzz is acceptable and when you have an actual problem. So how much string buzz is normal? A low to moderate amount of string buzz is normal since all guitars do have string buzz. The severity of string buzz is determined by the sound quality plugged through an amp.
All electric guitars will have string buzz when not plugged in. The actions on electric guitars are simply lower than acoustics and buzzing is likely to occur without an amp. More often than not when the guitar is plugged in, you will not notice it. If you plug the guitar into an amp and the buzzing is overpowering the sound. Then yes you have an issue.
Determining how much string buzz is normal also factors into a guitarists playing style. If a guitarist only plays fingerpicking melodies or soft rhythmic chord patterns then the chances of notable string buzzing is low. If a guitarist plays like SRV, hard striking the notes, then string buzz is more likely to occur. Although if you are playing at the volume level of SRV then you will not notice it.
How much is too much is up to you, the player.
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