Fret buzz on low E only?

ken2esq

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Mar 2, 2014
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Got this used PRS McCarty of craigslist, first PRS I played, and I feel very god-like with all this powerful tone coming out compared to my prior guitar. Really, a big step up for me. I also love the solid feel of it, and the perfect intonation. Is it just me, or do cheaper guitars -- like $200 range -- tend to start getting off a few cents on the tuning as you work your way up the fretboard? I've only played a few guitars, but the PRS is the first guitar where I'm perfectly on pitch at every fret all over the fretboard, which I love.

Now, the one negative is that the low E string is buzzing quite a bit, regardless how it's being fretted (or if it's open). I notice the action quite low, might make it more prone to this.

So, since the guitar is new-to-me, and has this fret buzz, I thought I might take it in for a professional set up. I guess since everything else is so tight, I sort of feel this is largely a waste...I wonder if there's a DIY fix I might try for this... I'm not experienced working on guitars, though.

Ken
 
There's two solutions....Easy would be to increase neck relief, but that will affect the action all across! How straight does the neck look? The other option is to raise that side of the bridge! And note to you and/or your tech, that guitar probably still has the tonepros locking studs on it! Be sure to slacken the strings before you make an adjustment as to not scar the posts with the little allen screws that set the intonation! Hopefully someone didn't cut that E slot on your nut too low, is it fretting out on the 1st fret when depressing the string at the 3rd or 5th fret?
 
My test for E and A strings up at 12 th fret is to play Paranoid by Black Sabbath.If it sounds like music action is ok,if it sounds mostly like frets action is too low.2 mm at 12th fret measured from top of the fret to bottom of the string is minimum for me on all wound strings.Most players will benefit having some relief in the neck so check that too.Relief,action and nut.Nut you can take out of the equation having a capo at first fret.If you have buzz on E string after adjusting relief and action check with both capo on and off.If it still buzzes with capo on its probably a high fret or something loose.
 
Good advice above. Also check the height of the pickups to make sure the string's not hitting it (or so close that magnetic pull is affecting it).
 
Thanks, I may make audio recording of playing up the whole 6th string from open to 22nd fret. I think the buzzing is pretty consistent. I really would prefer to find a fix that did not mess up how the other strings are playing; however, so long as intonation stays perfect, and no new fret buzz is added, I could live with higher action across the board, do not really need or care about super low action myself (though I don't like it TOO high, that's a pain).

In a way if the E nut was cut too low, that would almost seem to be the easiest fix, in the sense a new nut cut the exact same but higher for 6ths string would solve the 6th string buzz while making zero changes to other strings. Of course, it would also cost a bit and need a luthier...

Ken
 
The easiest fix then would be to adjust the truss rod! In your case, looking down the guitar from the headstock, you would give the truss bolt a slight turn left (loosen)!
 
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