![makeshift capo makeshift capo](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6b/d6/b5/6bd6b5c271e09d9aadd780ecc0bdef45.jpg)
Over time, your frets will begin to wear away as the metal from your strings erodes the metal of the fret to create small dips, called pitting.Īlso, bending strings can scrape the fret flat, which causes a similar problem. Uneven frets are mostly caused by either standard wear-and-tear or poor construction. Each fret should be either level or lower than the one before it. If the frets on your guitar are uneven, then there’s a high chance that it’s causing buzz. So, the challenge is to achieve a low string action without getting buzz. This is because you don’t have to push as hard on the strings to make contact with the fret, and it also makes bending much easier. There is a challenge, however: people (myself included!) prefer a low string action on a guitar because it’s easier to play. Raising the saddles on an electric guitar is a very straightforward fix. Low string action may also cause open string buzz, where the string buzzes without being fretted. This is doubly true if you’re strumming heavily, or drop tuning your strings (if they’re not the correct gauge! See “Playing Style” below!) If the string action is too low, then the strings will come into contact with unintended frets, which will cause buzz.
![makeshift capo makeshift capo](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-2_ptLtmvP4/maxresdefault.jpg)
Other causes of fret buzz include damaged or dirty strings, or playing style. The causes of fret buzz are usually related to the set-up of a guitar such as incorrect neck relief, uneven frets, low saddle height, or nut erosion. In fact, every guitar that I’ve owned has had some kind of excessive fret buzz at one time or another, and I’ve managed to fix them all so far! It’s a very common occurrence with guitars and is (in most cases) quite easy to fix. I played both guitars with the same amount of pressure but you can hear that the second guitar has a really bad buzz.Īll guitar’s will have some level fret buzz, it’s just the nature of how they’re made, but it becomes a problem when it’s noticeably loud. Listen to the “ringing” at the end of the notes Here’s some audio comparing a guitar without noticeable fret buzz with obvious fret buzz: A guitar without noticeable fret buzz A guitar with noticeable fret buzz. The noise you’re hearing is the string loosely vibrating against the higher fret. Fret buzz is caused when your guitar’s string comes slightly into contact with an unintended fret (or frets) higher up the neck.