Have you buzz strings when you play harder ?

[Darkho]

Hello,
As I set up totally my CE24 I have no string buzz when I play cool on my guitar, or when it's not fretted.
But if I attack, the E and D strings buzz (black sabbath, paranoid). Is it because I do it wrong or all the guitars buzz when you play harder ?
Using strings like NYXL can change something ?

nota : I don't hear the buzz in the ampli, only with volume to zéro.

 

[László]

As you hit strings harder, the string oscillates with greater amplitude; that is, the string goes both higher off the fret and lower to the fret as it vibrates back and forth.

Lots of players set their action low enough that they get some buzz against the frets when they hit too hard, though it isn't necessarily the way to get the best tone, because the string is hitting the frets, thus interfering with its oscillation. In many cases you can't hear the buzz, though you might notice that the tone changes a little.

Robben Ford once handed me his guitar, and the setup was so high off the frets that it would've hurt my fingers to play! But he feels he gets his best tone that way, and who's to argue with him?

You have four choices:

1. Don't worry about it if you can't hear it; or,

2. Raise the action; or,

3. Go to a heavier guage string so that it moves up and down less when you hit it harder; or,

4. Don't play so hard; learn to play with a lighter touch a la Billy Gibbons who can play with .008s without bottoming out against the frets. If you need more volume for certain songs, walk over to your amp and turn up the volume. Or increase the guitar volume. Or hit a boost pedal. Or use a thinner pick. Or...well...lots of things.

 

[Michael_DK]

Yeah, my strings buzz as well - I'm a fairly heavy-handed hitter. I've learned not to fret over it (sorry for the horrible pun - it wasn't intended, I swear!)

 

[bodia]

I wasvalways of the mind that if I couldn't hear it though the amp it was fine.

 

[Darkho]

Thanks for you returns men, I feel reassured.
Very surprised of the informations about Robben Ford set up ( and the fact that you can play his guitar ).
I will take your options 1, 2 and 4 LSchefman ^^
Raise the action a little little bit for the 3 big strings, try to play more zen, and the most important : I love playing my prs with this set up so I won't change it to much ^^

 

[László]

Thanks for you returns men, I feel reassured.
Very surprised of the informations about Robben Ford set up ( and the fact that you can play his guitar ).
I will take your options 1, 2 and 4 LSchefman ^^
Raise the action a little little bit for the 3 big strings, try to play more zen, and the most important : I love playing my prs with this set up so I won't change it to much ^^

What you sacrifice a little if there's fret buzz that doesn't come through the amp is sustain, because hitting the frets as the string oscillates interferes with The string's ability to vibrate freely.

 

[Michael_DK]

There's also a difference between whether the buzz stops quickly, or keeps on going while holding the note. If the latter, I'd do something about it.

 

[Darkho]

I made some tries about the height of the string (the big E) and finally I fixt it to a little bit more than 5/64 (PRS preconise 2/32 with a PRS Tremolo).
It's a good compromise : still have some little buzz when I play harder, but iIf I put the string higher it's change nothing : it's really how I play the cause

There's also a difference between whether the buzz stops quickly, or keeps on going while holding the note. If the latter, I'd do something about it.

The buzz really depand of my attack on the string, sometime stop quickly and sometime keeps on.

 

[swede71]

Take off your trussrod cover and leave it off for a few days.Play paranoid and adjust trussrod til you find the sweetspot for your playing style.

 

[Darkho]

Take off your trussrod cover and leave it off for a few days.Play paranoid and adjust trussrod til you find the sweetspot for your playing style.

I was thinking the best way was to have 0.01" (0.25mm) : http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/trussrod.html
We can adjust the trussrod to our playing style ?

 

[swede71]

Yes you can!...small turns though.0.01"/0.25 mm is a recommendation(and a good one).I think PRS setup guide is excellent as a starting point but prefer to setup by feel.