You really don't have to accept any fret buzz though. If you have like one or two frets that buzz, then yeah.. I can see why people will probably just ignore it. But it _doesn't mean_ you couldn't fix it completely. And yes, using a thicker string will also help. The usual problem is _not_ the bridge action. And it sounds miles better without any buzz plugged in too. I do play more clean stuff always and I like using delays, so this type of stuff always ends up noticeable.
Every new guitar player should watch this, to prevent them from complete insanity over even the slightest amount of buzz. I may or may not know this from personal experience...
Man I've been here. Got obsessed with fret buzz on one of my electrics. Spent ages trying to fix it, without ever once remembering it sounds great plugged in.
Bought my first ever electric guitar today and i still got no amp.. So was it completely normal for it to buzz unplugged? I think the string is touching the fret a bit
@@uzumaki6759is it a sqiure by any chance they need to be set up to suit you and the thing will rock everything on them is just screwrd together fast you have to adjust everything once you get it right you will love it fret buzz can be the truss rod to
Drives me crazy. Even the slightest buzz!!! I play Crystal-Clean 80% of the time. I've learned to do my own Maintenance & Set-Ups because I could not live with dead-notes & fret buzz. Ben is awesome. Very thorough & knowledgable. A guitar luthier once told me: " An electric . . . must Sound Good acoustically " - Stay Safe.
Yes I Totally Agree with That Statment too Say all Guitars Have frett buz unplugged Is just Not True My Guitar Proves that , But I suppose its Just a general Knolage video
Action height? 3mm? At that point, you're better using it for fingerstyle as a classical guitar. Have you tried on Max volume or with noise cancelling headphones?
I’ve always been been obsessed with the fact I can hear fret buzz on both my guitars, as I play them unplugged a lot... and I thought there was something wrong as I couldn’t adjust it out. So while watching this I plugged them both in and played every note up and done the necks and lo and behold they both play and sound great. Thanks Rhett, now I can stop OCD’Ing over this lol.
I have found tho, the more i play a particular guitar I own, it tends to like stretch a bit and the strings hardly buzz at all,... but playing when its cold has a lot of buzz.....
@@JMac. yes, but occasionally doing certain scales, like the D string will buzz around the 5th fret, but not always.....and the guitar i got in September, a Road Worn Strat, seems to be breaking in and not buzzing as much.....
Every player should be taught how to set up a guitar. (Action, intonation, truss rod). Invest in a good straight edge. It's not difficult or complicated yet a lot of players are intimidated about setup for some reason.
I guess i'm one of them , because like an idiot i lowered the bridge on my brand new ESP guitar because the action was way to high. I changed the strings like i normally do when i get a new guitar and so lowered when the strings were off and now i'm getting buzz on 3 strings , ugh!!!!!
It might not be difficult or complicated, but there's a chance of you screwing it up, and then you're either left without a guitar, or left with having to take it to a luthier. I've had my bass for almost 2 years now, I'd happily set it up myself if there was a need to do that. On the other hand I got a 5 string 2 weeks ago, I have fretbuzz on the first 3 frets of every string. I don't want to fuck up a brand new instrument, you get me? Edit : I also don't have tools as they are expensive as fuck, I'll get a full setup for less
@@itsye Fortunately I figured it out after watching many of vids here from luthiers , was able to correctly set up a few of my guitars. I don't live anywhere close to a guitar shop or luthiers , so pretty much on my own. I've always been mechanically inclined , so once I get the hang of something I'm good. But agree taking it to a pro is the way to go if you can...
Of all the videos about proper setups on UA-cam, this one has the most accurate and pertinent information, so many people seem to think that you can get super low action ANd zero buzz, it’s just not realistic. Also a lot of people leave out proper truss rod adjustments from their info.
i wish we all had a Ben Calhoun. he’s a fucking king amongst men. i’ve lived in montreal and toronto and have never met a Ben Calhoun. i think my (mainly negative)experiences also left a lasting affect on me, making me scared of music/guitar shops. he sets the standard of what a “shop guy/gal/non-binary pal” should always be.
the twelfth fret on the danforth in toronto is very reputable ....so id disagree ive seen cleberitys such as kim mitchell from max webster ed robertson from the bare naked ladies there in person and ive had refrets done there my self...but im nobody....but if you do live in toronto.....just go take a look there....they deal in collings martins laravee gibson and fender ....as well as an amazing vintage consignment as well.....good luck tho.....just thought id mention it grant mcneil is the owner......and most of the repair guys have been there for decades......... maybe you had sum issue there but i never known someone to......just tryin to help
@@imannonymous7707 I agree most places are hacks. I brought my 1989 Strat to cosmo for a tune up. Wasn’t playing bad at all just hadn’t had one in, well, decades. It came back unplayable.
Having a junk guitar to practice on is such underrated advice. Reminds me of an EVH quote talking about he got to his infamous Frankenstrat, "a lot of what I do is trial and error but I know where I want to get and sometimes I ruin a lot of stuff getting there".
THANK YOU FOR THIS ! I've lost so many hours worrying what was wrong with my beautiful stratocaster. No matter how much I increased the action at the 12th fret there was always buzz. No thanks to you I went the other way and I was able to lower my string action height knowing its inevitable and OK to have fret buzz.
I was obsessed with fret buzz for way too long and it undoubtedly cost me valuable practicing time. I used to read so many people talking about low action with no buzz on their guitars then one day I realised they likely have a tonne of gain and a loud amp. All my guitars have some level of buzz, even the high end ones.
I wish I had a guitar store like that near me. That place looks like absolute heaven. The guy you’re interviewing is super knowledgeable on guitars and definitely knows his stuff! I love how he says “it’s up to you” in regards to fret buzz and how he says, most guitars have it while unplugged. Definitely true. Also when adjusting the truss rod, I’ll only adjust it a quarter turn at a time and give it some time to set. I’ll check it after a few hours and if it’s within tolerance without any buzzing, then it’s good to go. A good set of feeler gauges is key to checking proper neck tension, you can get a good set for around $20-$30. never use a business card or anything similar, you’ll never know exactly what your neck is set at
I legit just got a new guitar and I'm BRAND new to guitar my knowledge extends to multiple UA-cam videos that I've watched. After trying to tune my guitar I noticed the buzz and thought there was something wrong. Thank God I looked it up before freaking out (more than I was) I need to hear that it was okay.
I’m a used-to-be acoustic-only player (back in my late teens/early 20’s) that wants to get back into playing (now 60), hopefully with an electric too (probably a Telecaster). So watching Rick Beato, Chris Buck and especially Rhett has been very interesting and informative to me. One of the things that always bugged me was when I played my guitar with an open lower ‘E’ string it buzzed whenever playing anything but very quietly. It really bugged me and I thought all the frets were bad and needed to be fixed on that side. Watching this video it seems that it is only the nut that needs some attention. Although after 40 years I’m sure I ought to take it to a luthier to have it checked out.
I bought my first guitar at this store, I spend months looking for the perfect guitar, and there sales associate showed me the perfect guitar with all the features I wanted in moments. I had never heard of this model. I now have 6 guitars and play for hours almost everyday. These guys are amazing, and my wife still talks about how no guitar store we visit is as nice as Righteous Guitars.
Just bought my first ever electric guitar today and its a tele too.. So it is normal for it to buzz unplugged? I got no amp right now, cant even tune unplugged due to the buzzing
@@uzumaki6759 maybe check the nut and the bridge. If its buzzing while playing it open strings, it's not okay. I had mine buzzed all string from 15th fret and up plugged and unplugged. With proper setup and tons of youtube videos i manage to remove some of it somehow and have it setup to my preferrence. I bought me guitar for 90 dollars (Philippine peso) it's a bit expensive for me so I've gotta work on what I can have.
@@sonicobsessions947 i think maybe i need to plug an amp to the guitar and tune it up.. I dont think i can tune it unplug, it got too low and buzzing like hell
@@sonicobsessions947 nevermind.. I did a neck relief by releasing the truss rod. Now everything is in tune even unplug, no fret buzz anywhere. I hope it stays like this until my practice amp arrive tho 😂.. Starting to worried i just throwaway my money there for a sec
This is the first video I've come across that talks about this in such honest detail. I do my own setups and it took some time to figure out what I like and also what is acceptable. And during that process it was not helpful at all that most other videos say things along the lines of 'WOW SUCH LOW ACTION AND NO BUZZ"
Thank you. This is genuinely one of the most helpful tutorials I have ever learnt from. I've been playing guitar since the 1970s and became hopelessly OCD about setting low action, trying to eliminate fret buzz. Sometimes I've wasted hours getting frustrated and obsessive about it. This is exactly the kick up the arse I've needed to just relax and tolerate a realistically inevitable level of buzz. Cheers.. So now all I'll need is a pragmatic lesson on the limits of reasonable intonation achievable with Danelectro/Gotoh electric sitar bridges...!!!???
Honestly this is one of the best videos out there regarding fret buzz and the misinformation which swamps guitar internet forums. Frett buzz isn't bad. Who would have thought it? If the guitar sounds good in an amp that's what matters.
I've heard of setting a Bass up with a bit of growl from a low action but never thought about it with a guitar. . Makes sense to set it up to a playing style as long as you can't hear it through an amp. You learn something everyday , many thanks
Guitar tech here! I have a Squier tele Thinline I fell in love with And literally spent 15 hours (not in a row) adjusting the guitar because I was freaking out over fret buzz. This video helped me!
This is an excellent video. I like listening to this guy. Things so well explained and understood, covered everything and also realistic/honest. I will watch this video multiple times just take it all in. Great choice from the uploader to have this chat, with this guy. Thanks.
Dude. This video is released just in time. Thank you so much. I just finished restoring and modifying my first ever guitar. A humble Yamaha Pacifica. After 15 years of playing and taking guitars to a tech for a setup, I tried to completely set this one up myself. And I was very unsure about the whole low action vs buzz thing because well, I'm not a professional. But yeah, true, if it's not audible in the amp, it's a non issue. Compared it to my other more expensive guitars...surprise, they buzz too. I was just so used to it that I didn't even notice it, and on the one I was just setting up on the other hand, I was over-sensitive about the buzz at first. Refined the setup now, it plays and sounds killer! Got a used but rarely played neck for cheap, to replace the old one which had very, very worn down frets, installed a better trem, made a red pickguard which turned out great, installed some dimarzio SC sized humbuckers and some true single coils next to them. Couldn't be happier. Make things, make noise!
I was very stressed out about my guitar setup before this video, but I think it's made some really useful points. The truss rod hint was especially useful. I think I might restring my guitar and do a new setup with this advice in mind. Wish me luck!
First, and I mean first, explanation that makes sense to me. Im getting the Allen wrenches out! My tele will have no recourse. UPDATE. Took me ten minutes to adjust relief. I was trying for no buzz with no amp. Duh. Thanks a zillion. My tele is back. All my other set up held, so neck was excessively bowed.
Nice overlook on the subject and good job explaining this. Quick straight forward, no mysterious secrets about the best luthier in cave from the hymmalayia mountains who has the fretbuzz free recipe. Something important missing here though and not covered is the neck/body alignment. A slight sawdust or dried paint drop in the neck pocket can have an impact on fretbuzz. A bit of blocksanding or shimming in the neck pocket can rid alot of buzzing issues that can't be totally fix with a setup. Adjusting a guitar is essential as tuning it almost, and should be learned as the string tension, aging of wood, temperature and humidity are constant changing factors, so an occasional adjustment may be needed every now and then. A new guitar with a professional luthier adjustment the day of purchase doesn't mean you're getting the best out of it 5 years later.
Great video! My father is a machinist and a Luthier....he hand made several violins in the 90's. Six in total, such a long venture with little reward other than making good friends. He repaired many local instruments in my hometown, he is my greatest influence!
Thank Jimi I saw this video again! Otherwise I'd be playing with high action and fret buz. I'd forgotten that 1. truss rod tightness is fundamental and 2. buzz can be caused by it being too loose (as well as too tight).Thanks Rhett and Ben.
From what I hear, Ben is one of the few people who really knows how guitars work. Even if I do another job, I've been working on my guitars since I was an adolescent and now my setups are so fine my friends take their guitars to me to fix some bad setups even made by real luthiers. The concepts of correct nut filing (angles, height and smoothness of both bottom and lateral surfaces), buzz dependance on picking force, correct relief are paramount to a perfectly working guitar. But we'll continue to see people shopping for new hyper-locking tuners to fix their tuning problems, forever...
I wanted super low action on my guitars and made my local seller adjust them. After a while, I finaly understood super low action was not for me and did the reverse. It has to be set from the way you play. I have to press more the strings but my tone is better :)
For years I was afraid to do anything with the truss rod. The reason for this is that I did some work on my first electric guitar. The result was that I had a fret pop up (which I attributed to my messing with the truss rod without knowing what I was doing). More recently, I finally broke down an bought a set of gauges, straight edge etc (I think from Stewmac) and have been setting up my own guitars with no issues. Luckily, I also have a fantastic luthier in my area that not only does great work, but is also just an all around great guy who will give advice, or even tell you how to fix something yourself against his own interest.
I was experiencing severe fret buzz, as well as fretting out, in my pre-war Kalamzoo KG-21 archtop. I brought it to a luthier and he had a three-word solution: "Use heavier strings". Accustomed to lighter gauge strings on my electrics, I had installed those on the KG-21. *BUT* the KG-21 does not have an adjustable truss rod. Hell, I'm not even sure it has ANY truss rod. The neck is built to provide the sort of relief that anticipates the typical string gauge used in the 1930s. So when the strings being used do not provide enough tension to pull the headstock forward *enough* to compete with the built-in relief, the neck relief wins, and bows the neck backward, making the middle frets (6th to 12th) higher than they should be, compared to the nut. I switched to a more appropriate gauge for the guitar, and the neck gradually self-righted over the course of several weeks. It has remained ever true for the last 25 years. Backbow is certainly not the cause of ALL fret buzz, but it was in this particular case.
Thank you for making this video, Rhett! I feel I have been getting fairly good at setting up my guitars but the little bit of fret buzz always makes me want to make another 1/32nd of a turn to the truss rod. It's always in the back of my head and it drives me crazy!
I spent 3 days fixing up my old V-50 ESP LTD and it still has frettbuzz but it's barely noticable and only occurs at fret 12 and higher with fretted notes. THis video tells me to stop chasing perfection. IT was all to fix my fret buzz. I can't make the rod any more perfect or the tonation bridge adjustments or the hieght of the bridge. Great video.
I've read guitar forum posts saying that there should be zero buzz at all and it's nice to hear an actual professional debunk that. If it sounds great through the amp who cares, even more so when performing live on stage when the amps are on blast.
I worked at a custom shop in the north county San Diego region, and let me say everyone at the shop thought very highly of suhr. Fretwork, setups, neck shape, and tone all wrapped into one masterpiece of a guitar. One day I will own one!
What frustrates me is when open strings, particularly the high E and B strings, buzz in spite of seemingly having sufficient clearance off the fretboard.
Sounds like a nut problem for those two particular strings, cut too deep into the nut. You could consider replacing the nut, but would have to setup all strings again obviously.
Put a capo at the first fret ... do you still get the buzz? If not then the nut is the problem. If still buzzing (and the string height is at specification) then look at relief and consequent truss rod adjustments.
I have OCD and just bought a $300 Mitchell MS450 (Black Cherry. Absolutely beautiful guitar) and my thick E string buzzes on the 7th fret unplugged but yeah, didn't notice it at all when playing through the Orange Micro Dark and 1x8 Orange cab I bought with it. So this video REALLY helped calm my OCD and for that, I THANK YOU SO MUCH! Lol
I needed this video a month ago! All good tho, took it into the shop and now my strat sings like a little birdy, heavier strings and some adjustments did the trick
I'm a Luthier and guitar tech from the U.K and I hope you don't mind, but i've sent this out on my page because, I'm sick to the teeth of having this conversation on EVERY single setup with "get rid of the buzz" Cheers man!
@@DarkSideofSynth or else play a tambourine...i got an issue with my tele, it is a ringing, like a sitar ringin' that seems to come from the saddles...it is drivin' me mad and bringin' me down
GREAT video, thanks! Ben answered questions I've had for years, even after reading a pro setup book. And I feel better now that he said a little buzz is ok.
Darrell did you notice that every other comment found below, without exception has received a "Flawless" Harley Benton guitar. They are so mind blowing for the money (not the one they sent you) I have 8 of them. They are rated in the shootout of cheap guitars as #1 out of a gazillion other models. I'm not knocking your review. It is as usual spot on. I almost threw up when I saw what they sent you. Harley Benton sells out of their models all of the time, and sometimes has to wait 7 or 8 weeks for a restock, and sometimes 10 to 13 weeks. So they are playing to a sold out audience. Nowhere have I found something of this level of quality for this kind of money. Is the real PRS as good, of course it is, it's even better, but what do you want for 10 cents on the dollar? It has all of the important things nailed, without all of the finessing like flame maple border etc. My fret ends are even a lot nicer. My fret ends are nice too. I do hear a little scraping when bending strings even though they look smooth to the naked eye. I plan on doing some super polishing of them.
Thank you so much for making a sensible video on fret buzz. I feel like I'm screaming into the void so much when I say plug it in and play how you would normally not like you're trying to make it buzz.
I’ve noticed a big difference between dry summer and wet winters. Humidity on the neck - get the truss rod adjustment and sting level out. Great channel 👍
Did Ben say "plugged out"?😅 That's funny AF! Hey Rhett, you should seriously think about having Righteous Guitars start their own channel, begining with you and Ben doing a few small series videos to help it get off the ground. I bet it would really help a lot with them competing against sweetwater and other online merchants. Just an idea. One that I hope gets me a discount on in-store purchases if it does well😅😅
One thing you have to deal with using light gauged strings because they require less tension to tune to pitch than a heavier string is more fret buzz, unless you have a very light touch.
This is so timely for me. I ordered a replacement neck for my Strat (which previously had zero fret buzz) and after paying to have it set up it was buzzing and I asked myself this exact question "Is there a such thing as an acceptable amount of fret buzz or do I need to take this back?" Thanks for the video! Tbh though nothing feels better than playing a guitar that has the perfect amount of action and doesn't buzz at all.
My Les Paul does the low action no buzz thing. The only issue I have is when I palm mute the strings hit the bridge pickup. I raised my action about a half a 64th I guess that would be a 132nd? I don't know, I'm not going to attempt the fraction math lol.
Seems also a bit of a subjective thing since (when recorded) most of the times only the player knows exactly where the buzz is. I find it absolutely annoying on my guitars and I have expensive ones, cheap ones, old ones...! Sooner or later every perfect setup starts buzzing. Mostly it starts in the first frets and high gain won't save you. The frets get dented. There are amps that pronounce fret buzz more than others. I hear it in my recordings, especially when I play near the headstock and dampen the chords. It appears like a digital distortion and can be noticed during a progression of chords played all over the neck. In higher frets the recording sounds clearer, other instruments shine through better. And although it annoys me like hell, I recently got a very positive comment on my guitar sound. So, the buzz was not noticed and I it's more or less a thing in my mind because I know my fretboards/guitars too well!
Ben is right about most things, but I have to disagree with the advice to "beware of the guy who doesn't measure with tools". I know two guys in my city who set up guitars better than anyone, and they never measure things with tools. They "measure" by playing and touching the instrument. My current guy is so quick, too! He'll fix the relief on an old style Fender neck in a couple of minutes. It took many years to find the guys who really know their stuff. There are so many who offer to work on your guitar, very few who are really good at it. In my experience it is more of an art than a science, and the best guys build, fix and work on guitars and nothing else. If someone has been able to make a living doing just that - as opposed to (ahem) - fitting the job in between others working in a music store, there's a better chance the have that artists' touch. (Just my experience, as I say.)
I am kind of nerdy about fret buzz....I kind of like my strats with a certain kind of fret buzz. The one that comes in secondary and is just "licking" the fret, making it a buzz/fuzz sound :)
This may sound stupid, but I think I needed a professional to tell me it's okay to have a little fret buzz. This is free therapy.
Same lol
You really don't have to accept any fret buzz though. If you have like one or two frets that buzz, then yeah.. I can see why people will probably just ignore it. But it _doesn't mean_ you couldn't fix it completely. And yes, using a thicker string will also help. The usual problem is _not_ the bridge action. And it sounds miles better without any buzz plugged in too. I do play more clean stuff always and I like using delays, so this type of stuff always ends up noticeable.
I just bought fret leveling tools. Im here for free therapy too.
A little fret buzz is ok, & inevitable w/low action, as long as it's not heard amplified.
I just bought a new guitar and can notice it on my low E and A string, is this normal?
Please tell Dave to start a channel. He is so saturated with knowledge. The world needs a subject matter expert like him.
Facts!
I would totally sub w notification bell on.
Does he have a channel yet?
Plus man can shred
Do you mean Ben?
Every new guitar player should watch this, to prevent them from complete insanity over even the slightest amount of buzz. I may or may not know this from personal experience...
Too late I already bought another guitar 😭
Lol @ me next time🥴
@@imhalfbakedddSAME and there’s still buzz and it’s driving me crazy
@@siren._lvr Because it's normal. Does the guitar NOT choke out? Does the guitar sustain well?
True. My beginnings are about 20 years back, but I still remember going crazy thinking I still wasn't playing right.
Man I've been here. Got obsessed with fret buzz on one of my electrics. Spent ages trying to fix it, without ever once remembering it sounds great plugged in.
Feel you ! 😂🎸
Bought my first ever electric guitar today and i still got no amp.. So was it completely normal for it to buzz unplugged? I think the string is touching the fret a bit
@@uzumaki6759is it a sqiure by any chance they need to be set up to suit you and the thing will rock everything on them is just screwrd together fast you have to adjust everything once you get it right you will love it fret buzz can be the truss rod to
Man i was literally googling the "How much is acceptable" yesterday so hard and couldn't find any references. TY for this video fr
Same here
The beauty of google trends…! :)
Yep that's why I'm here too
I bought a guitar recently and it has fret buzz. I was furious. I needed to see this video.
Me too
Phew, I can sleep now
Drives me crazy. Even the slightest buzz!!! I play Crystal-Clean 80% of the time. I've learned to do my own Maintenance & Set-Ups because I could not live with dead-notes & fret buzz. Ben is awesome. Very thorough & knowledgable. A guitar luthier once told me: " An electric . . . must Sound Good acoustically " - Stay Safe.
Yes I Totally Agree with That Statment too Say all Guitars Have frett buz unplugged Is just Not True
My Guitar Proves that , But I suppose its Just a general Knolage video
Fret buzz is an organic part of guitar sound.
Yeah I bet it's high as a cello
Action height? 3mm? At that point, you're better using it for fingerstyle as a classical guitar.
Have you tried on Max volume or with noise cancelling headphones?
Amen to that quote
I’ve always been been obsessed with the fact I can hear fret buzz on both my guitars, as I play them unplugged a lot... and I thought there was something wrong as I couldn’t adjust it out. So while watching this I plugged them both in and played every note up and done the necks and lo and behold they both play and sound great. Thanks Rhett, now I can stop OCD’Ing over this lol.
I have found tho, the more i play a particular guitar I own, it tends to like stretch a bit and the strings hardly buzz at all,... but playing when its cold has a lot of buzz.....
@@truckercowboyed2638 I could see that happening, especially if the wood is changing from the cold/heat. Does it buzz noticeably plugged in?
@@JMac. yes, but occasionally doing certain scales, like the D string will buzz around the 5th fret, but not always.....and the guitar i got in September, a Road Worn Strat, seems to be breaking in and not buzzing as much.....
@@truckercowboyed2638 hmmm that is a bit interesting eh? Glad to hear you’re new axe is breaking in nicely.
That was my issue too, adjusting the action according to the acoustic sound of my electric. I may be able to get another mm or two lower.
He sounds so calm and humble...
Every player should be taught how to set up a guitar. (Action, intonation, truss rod).
Invest in a good straight edge.
It's not difficult or complicated yet a lot of players are intimidated about setup for some reason.
never mind there should be a test before you look the tabs for enter sandman, could save many guitars that way. Start em young
T.R.A.I.N. Tune, relief, action, intonation, noodle
I guess i'm one of them , because like an idiot i lowered the bridge on my brand new ESP guitar because the action was way to high. I changed the strings like i normally do when i get a new guitar and so lowered when the strings were off and now i'm getting buzz on 3 strings , ugh!!!!!
It might not be difficult or complicated, but there's a chance of you screwing it up, and then you're either left without a guitar, or left with having to take it to a luthier.
I've had my bass for almost 2 years now, I'd happily set it up myself if there was a need to do that.
On the other hand I got a 5 string 2 weeks ago, I have fretbuzz on the first 3 frets of every string. I don't want to fuck up a brand new instrument, you get me?
Edit : I also don't have tools as they are expensive as fuck, I'll get a full setup for less
@@itsye Fortunately I figured it out after watching many of vids here from luthiers , was able to correctly set up a few of my guitars. I don't live anywhere close to a guitar shop or luthiers , so pretty much on my own. I've always been mechanically inclined , so once I get the hang of something I'm good. But agree taking it to a pro is the way to go if you can...
Of all the videos about proper setups on UA-cam, this one has the most accurate and pertinent information, so many people seem to think that you can get super low action ANd zero buzz, it’s just not realistic. Also a lot of people leave out proper truss rod adjustments from their info.
i wish we all had a Ben Calhoun. he’s a fucking king amongst men. i’ve lived in montreal and toronto and have never met a Ben Calhoun. i think my (mainly negative)experiences also left a lasting affect on me, making me scared of music/guitar shops. he sets the standard of what a “shop guy/gal/non-binary pal” should always be.
the twelfth fret on the danforth in toronto is very reputable ....so id disagree ive seen cleberitys such as kim mitchell from max webster ed robertson from the bare naked ladies there in person and ive had refrets done there my self...but im nobody....but if you do live in toronto.....just go take a look there....they deal in collings martins laravee gibson and fender ....as well as an amazing vintage consignment as well.....good luck tho.....just thought id mention it grant mcneil is the owner......and most of the repair guys have been there for decades......... maybe you had sum issue there but i never known someone to......just tryin to help
im annonymous good looking out. thank you for the recommendation.
@@whoisdin yw man i hope i didnt offend ya it wasnt my intention....peace n love
@@imannonymous7707 I agree most places are hacks. I brought my 1989 Strat to cosmo for a tune up. Wasn’t playing bad at all just hadn’t had one in, well, decades. It came back unplayable.
Totally agree he’s awesome. I wish I had someone like him in kingston
Having a junk guitar to practice on is such underrated advice. Reminds me of an EVH quote talking about he got to his infamous Frankenstrat, "a lot of what I do is trial and error but I know where I want to get and sometimes I ruin a lot of stuff getting there".
THANK YOU FOR THIS ! I've lost so many hours worrying what was wrong with my beautiful stratocaster. No matter how much I increased the action at the 12th fret there was always buzz.
No thanks to you I went the other way and I was able to lower my string action height knowing its inevitable and OK to have fret buzz.
I was obsessed with fret buzz for way too long and it undoubtedly cost me valuable practicing time. I used to read so many people talking about low action with no buzz on their guitars then one day I realised they likely have a tonne of gain and a loud amp. All my guitars have some level of buzz, even the high end ones.
Ha! I have to say, it's very cool to hear someone say the name of my podcast over and over, Fret Buzz The Podcast. Another great vid Rhett. Thanks!
I wish I had a guitar store like that near me. That place looks like absolute heaven. The guy you’re interviewing is super knowledgeable on guitars and definitely knows his stuff! I love how he says “it’s up to you” in regards to fret buzz and how he says, most guitars have it while unplugged. Definitely true. Also when adjusting the truss rod, I’ll only adjust it a quarter turn at a time and give it some time to set. I’ll check it after a few hours and if it’s within tolerance without any buzzing, then it’s good to go. A good set of feeler gauges is key to checking proper neck tension, you can get a good set for around $20-$30. never use a business card or anything similar, you’ll never know exactly what your neck is set at
I legit just got a new guitar and I'm BRAND new to guitar my knowledge extends to multiple UA-cam videos that I've watched. After trying to tune my guitar I noticed the buzz and thought there was something wrong. Thank God I looked it up before freaking out (more than I was) I need to hear that it was okay.
I’m a used-to-be acoustic-only player (back in my late teens/early 20’s) that wants to get back into playing (now 60), hopefully with an electric too (probably a Telecaster). So watching Rick Beato, Chris Buck and especially Rhett has been very interesting and informative to me. One of the things that always bugged me was when I played my guitar with an open lower ‘E’ string it buzzed whenever playing anything but very quietly. It really bugged me and I thought all the frets were bad and needed to be fixed on that side. Watching this video it seems that it is only the nut that needs some attention. Although after 40 years I’m sure I ought to take it to a luthier to have it checked out.
This is the most valuable video for electric guitarists on the internet. Just saved me from hours and hours (more) of going insane.
I bought my first guitar at this store, I spend months looking for the perfect guitar, and there sales associate showed me the perfect guitar with all the features I wanted in moments. I had never heard of this model. I now have 6 guitars and play for hours almost everyday. These guys are amazing, and my wife still talks about how no guitar store we visit is as nice as Righteous Guitars.
What was the guitar, if you don't mind sharing?
I see a video with Ben dropping knowledge, I leave a like
I spend 6 years trying to figure out how to remove buzz on my cheap tele. Turns out it's fine to have a buzz acoustically
Just bought my first ever electric guitar today and its a tele too.. So it is normal for it to buzz unplugged? I got no amp right now, cant even tune unplugged due to the buzzing
@@uzumaki6759 maybe check the nut and the bridge. If its buzzing while playing it open strings, it's not okay. I had mine buzzed all string from 15th fret and up plugged and unplugged. With proper setup and tons of youtube videos i manage to remove some of it somehow and have it setup to my preferrence. I bought me guitar for 90 dollars (Philippine peso) it's a bit expensive for me so I've gotta work on what I can have.
@@sonicobsessions947 i think maybe i need to plug an amp to the guitar and tune it up.. I dont think i can tune it unplug, it got too low and buzzing like hell
@@sonicobsessions947 nevermind.. I did a neck relief by releasing the truss rod. Now everything is in tune even unplug, no fret buzz anywhere. I hope it stays like this until my practice amp arrive tho 😂.. Starting to worried i just throwaway my money there for a sec
As someone who has experienced it, as I know we may all have, it's definitely a great video to learn from.
I have to reset my idea on fret buzz, I'd say that every guitar you showed was buzzing too much
It pretty much was.
I thought every guitar was just a piece of crap
-_- ..... as long as it sounds clear through an amp its good enough
Even the Gibson
I think he's making them buzz a little for the video
This is the first video I've come across that talks about this in such honest detail. I do my own setups and it took some time to figure out what I like and also what is acceptable. And during that process it was not helpful at all that most other videos say things along the lines of 'WOW SUCH LOW ACTION AND NO BUZZ"
Thank you. This is genuinely one of the most helpful tutorials I have ever learnt from.
I've been playing guitar since the 1970s and became hopelessly OCD about setting low action, trying to eliminate fret buzz.
Sometimes I've wasted hours getting frustrated and obsessive about it.
This is exactly the kick up the arse I've needed to just relax and tolerate a realistically inevitable level of buzz.
Cheers..
So now all I'll need is a pragmatic lesson on the limits of reasonable intonation
achievable with Danelectro/Gotoh electric sitar bridges...!!!???
Honestly this is one of the best videos out there regarding fret buzz and the misinformation which swamps guitar internet forums. Frett buzz isn't bad. Who would have thought it? If the guitar sounds good in an amp that's what matters.
I've heard of setting a Bass up with a bit of growl from a low action but never thought about it with a guitar. . Makes sense to set it up to a playing style as long as you can't hear it through an amp. You learn something everyday , many thanks
You can hear bass rattle in the break on "Fortunate Son"
This was strangely the best video on knowing how to address fret buzz
This popped up the morning after "finishing" my blackout Nashville telecaster build. It's a sign, here's a sub.
Guitar tech here!
I have a Squier tele Thinline I fell in love with And literally spent 15 hours (not in a row) adjusting the guitar because I was freaking out over fret buzz. This video helped me!
This is an excellent video. I like listening to this guy. Things so well explained and understood, covered everything and also realistic/honest. I will watch this video multiple times just take it all in. Great choice from the uploader to have this chat, with this guy. Thanks.
😊
Too much relief causing fret buzz was a revelation to me. Its counter intuitive but straighter neck helps a lot. Very informative video.
Thanks
Dude. This video is released just in time. Thank you so much. I just finished restoring and modifying my first ever guitar. A humble Yamaha Pacifica. After 15 years of playing and taking guitars to a tech for a setup, I tried to completely set this one up myself. And I was very unsure about the whole low action vs buzz thing because well, I'm not a professional. But yeah, true, if it's not audible in the amp, it's a non issue. Compared it to my other more expensive guitars...surprise, they buzz too. I was just so used to it that I didn't even notice it, and on the one I was just setting up on the other hand, I was over-sensitive about the buzz at first. Refined the setup now, it plays and sounds killer! Got a used but rarely played neck for cheap, to replace the old one which had very, very worn down frets, installed a better trem, made a red pickguard which turned out great, installed some dimarzio SC sized humbuckers and some true single coils next to them. Couldn't be happier. Make things, make noise!
No joke, thank you for not starting this video with someone playing like all these other channels
I watch this video once a day, and I feel much better now
Best setup video I’ve seen in a while. Ben’s channel would be amazing.
I'm brand new to Georgia. Looks like I just found my new local guitar shop!
me too!
@Jose Soto Thanks for the advice! Can't wait to check it out.
It’s a nice place.
Welcome to GA.
@@Steve_ATL Thanks!
I never knew. What is this feeling? Thank you for fixing my life.
I was very stressed out about my guitar setup before this video, but I think it's made some really useful points. The truss rod hint was especially useful. I think I might restring my guitar and do a new setup with this advice in mind. Wish me luck!
Yeah, I am lazy and don't change strings often. But when they start to buzz, I know it's finally time. 😅
so much wisdom and expertise.. not just fixing buzz but he knows how much is too much.. great 👍🏻
First, and I mean first, explanation that makes sense to me. Im getting the Allen wrenches out! My tele will have no recourse. UPDATE. Took me ten minutes to adjust relief. I was trying for no buzz with no amp. Duh.
Thanks a zillion. My tele is back. All my other set up held, so neck was excessively bowed.
Nice overlook on the subject and good job explaining this. Quick straight forward, no mysterious secrets about the best luthier in cave from the hymmalayia mountains who has the fretbuzz free recipe.
Something important missing here though and not covered is the
neck/body alignment.
A slight sawdust or dried paint drop in the neck pocket can have an impact on fretbuzz. A bit of blocksanding or shimming in the neck pocket can rid alot of buzzing issues that can't be totally fix with a setup.
Adjusting a guitar is essential as tuning it almost, and should be learned as the string tension, aging of wood, temperature and humidity are constant changing factors, so an occasional adjustment may be needed every now and then. A new guitar with a professional luthier adjustment the day of purchase doesn't mean you're getting the best out of it 5 years later.
Great video! My father is a machinist and a Luthier....he hand made several violins in the 90's. Six in total, such a long venture with little reward other than making good friends. He repaired many local instruments in my hometown, he is my greatest influence!
Thank Jimi I saw this video again! Otherwise I'd be playing with high action and fret buz. I'd forgotten that 1. truss rod tightness is fundamental and 2. buzz can be caused by it being too loose (as well as too tight).Thanks Rhett and Ben.
From what I hear, Ben is one of the few people who really knows how guitars work. Even if I do another job, I've been working on my guitars since I was an adolescent and now my setups are so fine my friends take their guitars to me to fix some bad setups even made by real luthiers. The concepts of correct nut filing (angles, height and smoothness of both bottom and lateral surfaces), buzz dependance on picking force, correct relief are paramount to a perfectly working guitar. But we'll continue to see people shopping for new hyper-locking tuners to fix their tuning problems, forever...
Honestly, I'm gonna sleep good tonight
Same
I wanted super low action on my guitars and made my local seller adjust them. After a while, I finaly understood super low action was not for me and did the reverse. It has to be set from the way you play. I have to press more the strings but my tone is better :)
For years I was afraid to do anything with the truss rod. The reason for this is that I did some work on my first electric guitar. The result was that I had a fret pop up (which I attributed to my messing with the truss rod without knowing what I was doing). More recently, I finally broke down an bought a set of gauges, straight edge etc (I think from Stewmac) and have been setting up my own guitars with no issues. Luckily, I also have a fantastic luthier in my area that not only does great work, but is also just an all around great guy who will give advice, or even tell you how to fix something yourself against his own interest.
I was experiencing severe fret buzz, as well as fretting out, in my pre-war Kalamzoo KG-21 archtop. I brought it to a luthier and he had a three-word solution: "Use heavier strings". Accustomed to lighter gauge strings on my electrics, I had installed those on the KG-21. *BUT* the KG-21 does not have an adjustable truss rod. Hell, I'm not even sure it has ANY truss rod. The neck is built to provide the sort of relief that anticipates the typical string gauge used in the 1930s. So when the strings being used do not provide enough tension to pull the headstock forward *enough* to compete with the built-in relief, the neck relief wins, and bows the neck backward, making the middle frets (6th to 12th) higher than they should be, compared to the nut. I switched to a more appropriate gauge for the guitar, and the neck gradually self-righted over the course of several weeks. It has remained ever true for the last 25 years.
Backbow is certainly not the cause of ALL fret buzz, but it was in this particular case.
Jeff is the man to go to! Took all my electrics to him and he fixed them right up!
Thanks bro! Just got a new honeyburst performer strat. It has slight fret buzz but I am now realizing that is really normal.
A greater feeling of relief i've rarely felt.
Enjoy the way you explain the process of the adjustments.
Perfect. Calmed me down about the buzzing and taught me how to fix the little buzz I had
When adjusting the truss rod, it's best to let it sit overnight to adjust to the relief you set. Always do 1/8th turns at a time.
That's just another myth. You have just watched how a professional went totally crazy with the truss rod in a $3k guitar.
@@cinnamongirl8158 totally crazy? it was like a half turn.
This is the best explanation of this. Fantastic reference, without having to go to multiple sources. Thankyou!
Thank you for making this video, Rhett! I feel I have been getting fairly good at setting up my guitars but the little bit of fret buzz always makes me want to make another 1/32nd of a turn to the truss rod. It's always in the back of my head and it drives me crazy!
This video helped me more than anything else or anyone else I have talked to about guitar work. Thought my tele was junk, now I know it's normal
Some eye opening facts from a real pro, exactly what i needed to fix my sisters guitar. Thanks for a great video Rhett!🎸🤘
I spent 3 days fixing up my old V-50 ESP LTD and it still has frettbuzz but it's barely noticable
and only occurs at fret 12 and higher with fretted notes.
THis video tells me to stop chasing perfection. IT was all to fix my fret buzz.
I can't make the rod any more perfect or the tonation bridge adjustments or the hieght of the bridge.
Great video.
I've read guitar forum posts saying that there should be zero buzz at all and it's nice to hear an actual professional debunk that. If it sounds great through the amp who cares, even more so when performing live on stage when the amps are on blast.
Well you may be raise the action and if your attack is gentle, you will have no buzz most of the time.
I worked at a custom shop in the north county San Diego region, and let me say everyone at the shop thought very highly of suhr. Fretwork, setups, neck shape, and tone all wrapped into one masterpiece of a guitar. One day I will own one!
Content has been top notch lately, Rhett. Really great stuff - thank you
This was really helpful. I put 9's on my Schecter for the first time and there was so much buzz I was worried I needed to raise the action.
What frustrates me is when open strings, particularly the high E and B strings, buzz in spite of seemingly having sufficient clearance off the fretboard.
Sounds like a nut problem for those two particular strings, cut too deep into the nut. You could consider replacing the nut, but would have to setup all strings again obviously.
That's sounds like a problem with the nut. If open strings are buzzing, that might be the culprit.
Put a capo at the first fret ... do you still get the buzz? If not then the nut is the problem. If still buzzing (and the string height is at specification) then look at relief and consequent truss rod adjustments.
I have OCD and just bought a $300 Mitchell MS450 (Black Cherry. Absolutely beautiful guitar) and my thick E string buzzes on the 7th fret unplugged but yeah, didn't notice it at all when playing through the Orange Micro Dark and 1x8 Orange cab I bought with it. So this video REALLY helped calm my OCD and for that, I THANK YOU SO MUCH! Lol
I thought you meant the ocd pedal oh god im sorry
I needed this video a month ago! All good tho, took it into the shop and now my strat sings like a little birdy, heavier strings and some adjustments did the trick
I'm a Luthier and guitar tech from the U.K and I hope you don't mind, but i've sent this out on my page because, I'm sick to the teeth of having this conversation on EVERY single setup with "get rid of the buzz" Cheers man!
That little thing Ben did with the red double cut at 1:48 was funky af
This video just cured my paranoia. Thank you so much Ben!
How to fix fret buzz. Step 1: just play slide, bro.
I've heard with slide playing it's better to have slightly higher action?
That’s fair 🤣
Or remove the strings altogether... or go fretless! ;)
@@davejohnsonmusic Totally true , iv'e got an old cheap Gibson with high action. I use it specifically for slide!
@@DarkSideofSynth or else play a tambourine...i got an issue with my tele, it is a ringing, like a sitar ringin' that seems to come from the saddles...it is drivin' me mad and bringin' me down
Glad he demonstrated the Jag. As an owner, I've often wondered if the heavy buzz was an intentional characteristic or caused by poor setup.
Thanks, it always threw me off that my frets were buzzing as soon as I tried to get lower action and so I always play with my action way too high.
lol same here, and that is damn difficult if u have skinny fingers:P
GREAT video, thanks! Ben answered questions I've had for years, even after reading a pro setup book. And I feel better now that he said a little buzz is ok.
Fret buzz is the REAL “transparent” hard clipping overdrive.
I needed this video in my life. For someone who does my own setups on my guitars this makes me happy.
2:44 as someone who uses metric system, i really dont understandn why imperial users say "2/64th" instead of 1/32
Darrell did you notice that every other comment found below, without exception has received a "Flawless" Harley Benton guitar. They are so mind blowing for the money (not the one they sent you) I have 8 of them. They are rated in the shootout of cheap guitars as #1 out of a gazillion other models. I'm not knocking your review. It is as usual spot on. I almost threw up when I saw what they sent you. Harley Benton sells out of their models all of the time, and sometimes has to wait 7 or 8 weeks for a restock, and sometimes 10 to 13 weeks. So they are playing to a sold out audience. Nowhere have I found something of this level of quality for this kind of money. Is the real PRS as good, of course it is, it's even better, but what do you want for 10 cents on the dollar? It has all of the important things nailed, without all of the finessing like flame maple border etc. My fret ends are even a lot nicer. My fret ends are nice too. I do hear a little scraping when bending strings even though they look smooth to the naked eye. I plan on doing some super polishing of them.
How to fix fret buzz? Set the amp volume to five o'clock.
7 o clock you mean
I think you missed the joke.
@@harrysachs2274 no 7 o'clock is usually off volume wise....on my Amps anyway...5 is maximum...
Thank you so much for making a sensible video on fret buzz. I feel like I'm screaming into the void so much when I say plug it in and play how you would normally not like you're trying to make it buzz.
Fret buzz? More like fRHETT buzz amiright?...
okay, I'll see myself out now
I was going to make this exact comment lol.
You win the internet
Get out.
The door ➡️🚪
Thanks Rhett, I come back to this video with every new setup to ease my mind.
Isnt the most common issue, that the frets need additional attention, in leveling?
Eventually yes, after playing for so long, the frets start to worn out.
I’ve noticed a big difference between dry summer and wet winters. Humidity on the neck - get the truss rod adjustment and sting level out.
Great channel 👍
Did Ben say "plugged out"?😅 That's funny AF! Hey Rhett, you should seriously think about having Righteous Guitars start their own channel, begining with you and Ben doing a few small series videos to help it get off the ground. I bet it would really help a lot with them competing against sweetwater and other online merchants. Just an idea. One that I hope gets me a discount on in-store purchases if it does well😅😅
Dude I just adjusted my neck and it's fixed!! Thank you gentlemen.
One thing you have to deal with using light gauged strings because they require less tension to tune to pitch than a heavier string is more fret buzz, unless you have a very light touch.
Easily the best video on this topic. I will stop being a weenie about the tiny, barely noticeable amount of fret buzz on my Stratocaster.
OCD stress relief.thankyou
This is so timely for me. I ordered a replacement neck for my Strat (which previously had zero fret buzz) and after paying to have it set up it was buzzing and I asked myself this exact question "Is there a such thing as an acceptable amount of fret buzz or do I need to take this back?" Thanks for the video! Tbh though nothing feels better than playing a guitar that has the perfect amount of action and doesn't buzz at all.
My Les Paul does the low action no buzz thing. The only issue I have is when I palm mute the strings hit the bridge pickup. I raised my action about a half a 64th I guess that would be a 132nd? I don't know, I'm not going to attempt the fraction math lol.
I didn’t see the link to Ben’s blog post regarding this. Or what is Jeff’s? Either way, I didn’t notice a link in the description.
Seconded, I can't see the link either.
Sitting in the TV room after midnight, surrounded by tools and my player strat...e and a drive me nuts..needed to see this! Off to get some sleep
Seems also a bit of a subjective thing since (when recorded) most of the times only the player knows exactly where the buzz is. I find it absolutely annoying on my guitars and I have expensive ones, cheap ones, old ones...! Sooner or later every perfect setup starts buzzing. Mostly it starts in the first frets and high gain won't save you. The frets get dented. There are amps that pronounce fret buzz more than others. I hear it in my recordings, especially when I play near the headstock and dampen the chords. It appears like a digital distortion and can be noticed during a progression of chords played all over the neck. In higher frets the recording sounds clearer, other instruments shine through better. And although it annoys me like hell, I recently got a very positive comment on my guitar sound. So, the buzz was not noticed and I it's more or less a thing in my mind because I know my fretboards/guitars too well!
Man I wish Righteous was my local store! Ben is the best! He sold me my AMW39. Genuinely nice guy with the best customer service.
Ben is right about most things, but I have to disagree with the advice to "beware of the guy who doesn't measure with tools". I know two guys in my city who set up guitars better than anyone, and they never measure things with tools. They "measure" by playing and touching the instrument. My current guy is so quick, too! He'll fix the relief on an old style Fender neck in a couple of minutes. It took many years to find the guys who really know their stuff. There are so many who offer to work on your guitar, very few who are really good at it. In my experience it is more of an art than a science, and the best guys build, fix and work on guitars and nothing else. If someone has been able to make a living doing just that - as opposed to (ahem) - fitting the job in between others working in a music store, there's a better chance the have that artists' touch. (Just my experience, as I say.)
I do like where this channel is headed to. If ever there was a plan. A plan A? Great line. Glad you came back to it.
I am kind of nerdy about fret buzz....I kind of like my strats with a certain kind of fret buzz. The one that comes in secondary and is just "licking" the fret, making it a buzz/fuzz sound :)
This is amazing. As someone who is trying to fix a guitar it's a lifeline.