New CE24 Fret Buzz-is it a me thing?

[Jad5622]

I recently purchased a new PRS CE 24. Very pleased with my purchase.

That said, I've noticed it's got a sting buzz on E A and D I can't shake

This is the first guitar I have purchased or really played on other than my 06 MIM Strat, so it's entirely possible I'm just very used to the way that guitar plays. Also, I'm not the best player so maybe I'm just hitting the stings too hard at times?

Anyway, I bought it new, so it's not an issue a previous owner caused. I've checked all the measurements I know and they appear to be in spec. I will list them out

Relief @8th : .010"
Action @ 12 low E: ~5/64" (maybe a smidge less)
Action @ 12 hight e: 4/64"
Bridge: floating and level. Height 1/16"
Frets: appear flawless. Checked with fret rocker and no high frets found. New so no worn spots.
Strings: factory 10's
Pickup Height: 3/32" Bass side 5/64" treble side

The buzz is on the strings in general not a specific spot. No buzz on open string but when fretting I get it. It buzzed like this out of the box. I have tried to to raise the action and add relief and buzz is still there and have gone back to manufacture specs

As I said I'm not the best player; however, I did verify it's not my finger position or pressure.

If I pluck softly there is no buzz.

Buzzing accoustically doest bother me too much, but this buzz is coming through the Amp; you can hear the rattle of the string on the frets. Unwound strings are ok. Just the EAD buzz.

Any recommendations? Is this just normal and I'm just so use to how 1 guitar plays? Any thoughts would be appreciated

(I can upload photos or video/ audio if you think that would help)

Thanks



TL;DR: I got some buzz. Trying to see if it's me or the guitar.

 

[Turkeyhead]

Electrics aren’t as problematic as acoustics but it could be a humidity issue. Especially this time of year. I didn’t look for your location but if you’re in a cold wintery place like me, your guitar could be dry. That happens on some of my guitars

 

[Jad5622]

Thanks a lot for the feedback. Do you think I should try a humidifier to help the solution? My house is ~33% humidity now can try to bump it to 45%or so. I bought the guitar to play, so I don't really want to have to get a case an only leave it in there and take it out to play...that said if that's what it takes that's what I'll do.

 

[Turkeyhead]

My house is around 35 in the winter. Approximately 45 is where you would want it. You could try to bump up the humidifier in the house but sometimes there’s just too much air volume for the humidifier to handle. I have a house humidifier and a room humidifier (where my guitars are) but it goes through water so fast that I quit using it because it was too much trouble. Now, my guitar that handles the humidity is the one that sits out and the other goes in the case with a humidipak. I get not wanting to keep it in the case all the time. You might get a humidifier and put it in the case for a couple weeks to confirm that the buzz is related to humidity too.

 

[Turkeyhead]

I have confirmed that humidity does have an effect on some of my electric guitars though.

 

[Userdww]

Hi. I just purchased a 2024 SE CE 24 and it has a buzz on low E also. Specs seem to match yours above aside from the trem which is slightly tilted back (away from the neck). It appears to me that when open, it buzzes on fret 1. If I fret 1 then it buzzes on fret 2 etc until I get up to around 8 then it there is no buzz. So what was the resolution for your guitar?

 

[MaxPow]

I recently purchased a new PRS CE 24. Very pleased with my purchase.

That said, I've noticed it's got a sting buzz on E A and D I can't shake

This is the first guitar I have purchased or really played on other than my 06 MIM Strat, so it's entirely possible I'm just very used to the way that guitar plays. Also, I'm not the best player so maybe I'm just hitting the stings too hard at times?

Anyway, I bought it new, so it's not an issue a previous owner caused. I've checked all the measurements I know and they appear to be in spec. I will list them out

Relief @8th : .010"
Action @ 12 low E: ~5/64" (maybe a smidge less)
Action @ 12 hight e: 4/64"
Bridge: floating and level. Height 1/16"
Frets: appear flawless. Checked with fret rocker and no high frets found. New so no worn spots.
Strings: factory 10's
Pickup Height: 3/32" Bass side 5/64" treble side

The buzz is on the strings in general not a specific spot. No buzz on open string but when fretting I get it. It buzzed like this out of the box. I have tried to to raise the action and add relief and buzz is still there and have gone back to manufacture specs

As I said I'm not the best player; however, I did verify it's not my finger position or pressure.

If I pluck softly there is no buzz.

Buzzing accoustically doest bother me too much, but this buzz is coming through the Amp; you can hear the rattle of the string on the frets. Unwound strings are ok. Just the EAD buzz.

Any recommendations? Is this just normal and I'm just so use to how 1 guitar plays? Any thoughts would be appreciated

(I can upload photos or video/ audio if you think that would help)

Thanks



TL;DR: I got some buzz. Trying to see if it's me or the guitar.

Hi. I’ve just “re-built” my CE-24, and I’ve been dialing in the best relief and action I can. These are my observations. They aren’t like other guitars.Ive been restoring guitars for 40+ years, and I bought a couple of unused and abused PRS guitars which needed work. It’s been an experience, installing a Gen II Trem bridge and getting it working perfectly, but these guitars are fantastic. You might be able to find a setting where it doesn’t have a bit of buzz, but does that matter? I’m no expert, but when you have the neck reasonably straight, it seems like you will have some buzz. I took my CE24 apart, replaced the pickups, bridge and saddles, but it’s back together, and I’ve spent my evenings for a month tweaking the setup to get it perfect…Getting it spot-on and thinking that I can get it better. Your bridge sounds a bit low, and that will give you some buzz, but if it sounds right, it’s staying in tune properly, and the intonation is good, I wouldn’t worry about a bit of buzz, unless it’s excessive, or unless you can hear it through your amp. Because of the CE24’s design, and 2-way trussrod, bridge height is crucial, and you can change the sound and tuning stability radically by tweaking the trussrod, so be careful. Bridge height and trussrod work together to keep the action as low as possible. But, like you, I prefer my action a bit higher, so I’m still experimenting with setup tweaks to get it as good as it can be. I’ve learned that the chap at the PTC is very good at what he does, so check out his setup videos on YouTube. As you make setup tweaks, check the neck relief and see if the trussrod needs to be adjusted. If you haven’t worked with a 2-way trussrod before, learn about them before you touch it. A tiny adjustment can have a huge result…Sometimes, but not always, bridge height adjustments have a huge effect on tuning, sound and playability, so be careful. Turning the Trem claw can cause big changes to string and trem tension, sound, and buzzing, so be careful. Tweak the setup, but make sure you know how before you touch anything, especially if you’ve mostly worked with classic electric guitars. Please contact me if you have questions.

I recently purchased a new PRS CE 24. Very pleased with my purchase.

That said, I've noticed it's got a sting buzz on E A and D I can't shake

This is the first guitar I have purchased or really played on other than my 06 MIM Strat, so it's entirely possible I'm just very used to the way that guitar plays. Also, I'm not the best player so maybe I'm just hitting the stings too hard at times?

Anyway, I bought it new, so it's not an issue a previous owner caused. I've checked all the measurements I know and they appear to be in spec. I will list them out

Relief @8th : .010"
Action @ 12 low E: ~5/64" (maybe a smidge less)
Action @ 12 hight e: 4/64"
Bridge: floating and level. Height 1/16"
Frets: appear flawless. Checked with fret rocker and no high frets found. New so no worn spots.
Strings: factory 10's
Pickup Height: 3/32" Bass side 5/64" treble side

The buzz is on the strings in general not a specific spot. No buzz on open string but when fretting I get it. It buzzed like this out of the box. I have tried to to raise the action and add relief and buzz is still there and have gone back to manufacture specs

As I said I'm not the best player; however, I did verify it's not my finger position or pressure.

If I pluck softly there is no buzz.

Buzzing accoustically doest bother me too much, but this buzz is coming through the Amp; you can hear the rattle of the string on the frets. Unwound strings are ok. Just the EAD buzz.

Any recommendations? Is this just normal and I'm just so use to how 1 guitar plays? Any thoughts would be appreciated

(I can upload photos or video/ audio if you think that would help)

Thanks



TL;DR: I got some buzz. Trying to see if it's me or the guitar.

 

[Bogner]

How Are Your Frets? Are They All Level? You Could Have A High Fret That Is The Cause. If Your Neck Relief And Action Are Correct (Theoretically Speaking) Then I Would Go Back To The Fret Issue.

 

[DISTORT6]

@MaxPow , are you okay?

 

[MaxPow]

How Are Your Frets? Are They All Level? You Could Have A High Fret That Is The Cause. If Your Neck Relief And Action Are Correct (Theoretically Speaking) Then I Would Go Back To The Fret Issue.

I suspect he means the unpleasant, grinding noise, which could be caused by a string angle problem, or a high fret. I’m inarticulate today.

 

[Userdww]

The frets on my SE CE 24 are as level as a short straight edge can reveal. I've done more work on it to see if I can eliminate the buzz. Adjusted relief to be greater than the recommended .01". Probably at .015 but didn't gauge it. Set action at lowE12 to be a tad more than 2mm and highE12 1.5mm (tad = <.25mm). Adjusted saddles to 10" neck radius. Replaced factory 9s with EB10s. Tightened trem claw to level the bridge at about 3/32" (didn't measure it but I am a builder and use a ruler everyday). Corrected intonation as required. Having done this (took me a few hrs of playing around), the fret buzz is quite a bit less but not completely gone. I'll get a very short initial buzz on lowE open to 6. Formerly it was a buzz that occurred during a sustain and grew for a second or two. So in that regard, I feel that this setup is quite a bit better but not perfect. Especially because the action is more than I would choose. I'm used to using 10s but I've only been playing for a few years and was interested in trying 9s. I do think that changing the strings to 10s was the single biggest impact on my quest to remove the fret buzz. In terms of quantifying how hard I pick the lowE, I use a 1.14 pick, hold it on typical angle on the string between the pickups and snap it to rest on the A string. Doing so, I can reproduce the initial-but-short-buzz. I like a buzz but not on my frets.

 

[Mentalo87]

on first sigh your set up specs seem to be fine. Your action is not super low, neck relief also middle of the road. But it’s still guitar specific anyway. It could be the trem springs instead of the strings rattling, maybe try to cushion them with some foam. If it’s not the springs next would be to nail down on which frets the noise will happen: Open String, then spider down to the 24th fret. Did you change the strings for a fresh set?

 

[MaxPow]

The frets on my SE CE 24 are as level as a short straight edge can reveal. I've done more work on it to see if I can eliminate the buzz. Adjusted relief to be greater than the recommended .01". Probably at .015 but didn't gauge it. Set action at lowE12 to be a tad more than 2mm and highE12 1.5mm (tad = <.25mm). Adjusted saddles to 10" neck radius. Replaced factory 9s with EB10s. Tightened trem claw to level the bridge at about 3/32" (didn't measure it but I am a builder and use a ruler everyday). Corrected intonation as required. Having done this (took me a few hrs of playing around), the fret buzz is quite a bit less but not completely gone. I'll get a very short initial buzz on lowE open to 6. Formerly it was a buzz that occurred during a sustain and grew for a second or two. So in that regard, I feel that this setup is quite a bit better but not perfect. Especially because the action is more than I would choose. I'm used to using 10s but I've only been playing for a few years and was interested in trying 9s. I do think that changing the strings to 10s was the single biggest impact on my quest to remove the fret buzz. In terms of quantifying how hard I pick the lowE, I use a 1.14 pick, hold it on typical angle on the string between the pickups and snap it to rest on the A string. Doing so, I can reproduce the initial-but-short-buzz. I like a buzz but not on my frets.

Hi.
Firstly, get an 18” steel rule.

The frets on my SE CE 24 are as level as a short straight edge can reveal. I've done more work on it to see if I can eliminate the buzz. Adjusted relief to be greater than the recommended .01". Probably at .015 but didn't gauge it. Set action at lowE12 to be a tad more than 2mm and highE12 1.5mm (tad = <.25mm). Adjusted saddles to 10" neck radius. Replaced factory 9s with EB10s. Tightened trem claw to level the bridge at about 3/32" (didn't measure it but I am a builder and use a ruler everyday). Corrected intonation as required. Having done this (took me a few hrs of playing around), the fret buzz is quite a bit less but not completely gone. I'll get a very short initial buzz on lowE open to 6. Formerly it was a buzz that occurred during a sustain and grew for a second or two. So in that regard, I feel that this setup is quite a bit better but not perfect. Especially because the action is more than I would choose. I'm used to using 10s but I've only been playing for a few years and was interested in trying 9s. I do think that changing the strings to 10s was the single biggest impact on my quest to remove the fret buzz. In terms of quantifying how hard I pick the lowE, I use a 1.14 pick, hold it on typical angle on the string between the pickups and snap it to rest on the A string. Doing so, I can reproduce the initial-but-short-buzz. I like a buzz but not on my frets.

 

[MaxPow]

Firstly, buy an 18” steel rule. I buy mine in cheapie shops/ $2 shops. A notched straightedge would be a handy tool. You can get them for a good price on eBay Stewmac and Amazon are too expensive.

Your bridge is sitting a bit too low. With a PRS tremolo, the bridge needs to be extremely close to 1/8”, otherwise you get symptoms which are exactly the same as uneven frets. The worst part of this is that you will have to adjust the horrid notched screws. But there are a couple of great videos on YouTube which will show you how to do it. I think you said that you’re a builder, so you would be expert at measuring. Get a set of dedicated feeler gauges for trussrod work. Notched radius gauges which suit your guitars, and some under-string radius gauges. PRS guitars are wonderful, but everything has to be set just right, otherwise you’ll be in guitar hell. Be careful with tweaking the trussrod, as the 2-way rod only requires about 1/4 the size of turning as other guitars. A small tweak can make huge changes. Make sure that you also have a 12” and a 6” steel rule, then you’ll have most of the things you’ll need to keep your PRS in top shape.

Cheers,
Max

 

[MaxPow]

I recently purchased a new PRS CE 24. Very pleased with my purchase.

That said, I've noticed it's got a sting buzz on E A and D I can't shake

This is the first guitar I have purchased or really played on other than my 06 MIM Strat, so it's entirely possible I'm just very used to the way that guitar plays. Also, I'm not the best player so maybe I'm just hitting the stings too hard at times?

Anyway, I bought it new, so it's not an issue a previous owner caused. I've checked all the measurements I know and they appear to be in spec. I will list them out

Relief @8th : .010"
Action @ 12 low E: ~5/64" (maybe a smidge less)
Action @ 12 hight e: 4/64"
Bridge: floating and level. Height 1/16"
Frets: appear flawless. Checked with fret rocker and no high frets found. New so no worn spots.
Strings: factory 10's
Pickup Height: 3/32" Bass side 5/64" treble side

The buzz is on the strings in general not a specific spot. No buzz on open string but when fretting I get it. It buzzed like this out of the box. I have tried to to raise the action and add relief and buzz is still there and have gone back to manufacture specs

As I said I'm not the best player; however, I did verify it's not my finger position or pressure.

If I pluck softly there is no buzz.

Buzzing accoustically doest bother me too much, but this buzz is coming through the Amp; you can hear the rattle of the string on the frets. Unwound strings are ok. Just the EAD buzz.

Any recommendations? Is this just normal and I'm just so use to how 1 guitar plays? Any thoughts would be appreciated

(I can upload photos or video/ audio if you think that would help)

Thanks



TL;DR: I got some buzz. Trying to see if it's me or the guitar.

I hope you got my reply as it should answer all questions and enable you to fix your problems.

It appears that the CE24 is prone to buzz. I bought my CE24 because I wanted a guitar which was different from my Gibson Les Paul and ES-335. I bought a PRS Core Mira, which the former owner had stripped and damaged, so I got it for 1/5 of the price in Australia. I was very impressed so much by that guitar that I bought a CE24. It’s a lot different from a Gibson, but similar enough to get a humbucker sound which I like. I put in a Gen II tremolo bridge and PAF pickups.i also changed the coil splits to resistive splits and, for me, the single coil sound is now beefier to me and more useable.

 

[MaxPow]

The frets on my SE CE 24 are as level as a short straight edge can reveal. I've done more work on it to see if I can eliminate the buzz. Adjusted relief to be greater than the recommended .01". Probably at .015 but didn't gauge it. Set action at lowE12 to be a tad more than 2mm and highE12 1.5mm (tad = <.25mm). Adjusted saddles to 10" neck radius. Replaced factory 9s with EB10s. Tightened trem claw to level the bridge at about 3/32" (didn't measure it but I am a builder and use a ruler everyday). Corrected intonation as required. Having done this (took me a few hrs of playing around), the fret buzz is quite a bit less but not completely gone. I'll get a very short initial buzz on lowE open to 6. Formerly it was a buzz that occurred during a sustain and grew for a second or two. So in that regard, I feel that this setup is quite a bit better but not perfect. Especially because the action is more than I would choose. I'm used to using 10s but I've only been playing for a few years and was interested in trying 9s. I do think that changing the strings to 10s was the single biggest impact on my quest to remove the fret buzz. In terms of quantifying how hard I pick the lowE, I use a 1.14 pick, hold it on typical angle on the string between the pickups and snap it to rest on the A string. Doing so, I can reproduce the initial-but-short-buzz. I like a buzz but not on my frets.

The frets on my SE CE 24 are as level as a short straight edge can reveal. I've done more work on it to see if I can eliminate the buzz. Adjusted relief to be greater than the recommended .01". Probably at .015 but didn't gauge it. Set action at lowE12 to be a tad more than 2mm and highE12 1.5mm (tad = <.25mm). Adjusted saddles to 10" neck radius. Replaced factory 9s with EB10s. Tightened trem claw to level the bridge at about 3/32" (didn't measure it but I am a builder and use a ruler everyday). Corrected intonation as required. Having done this (took me a few hrs of playing around), the fret buzz is quite a bit less but not completely gone. I'll get a very short initial buzz on lowE open to 6. Formerly it was a buzz that occurred during a sustain and grew for a second or two. So in that regard, I feel that this setup is quite a bit better but not perfect. Especially because the action is more than I would choose. I'm used to using 10s but I've only been playing for a few years and was interested in trying 9s. I do think that changing the strings to 10s was the single biggest impact on my quest to remove the fret buzz. In terms of quantifying how hard I pick the lowE, I use a 1.14 pick, hold it on typical angle on the string between the pickups and snap it to rest on the A string. Doing so, I can reproduce the initial-but-short-buzz. I like a buzz but not on my frets.

I read your post again and it sounds like the bridge might be at the wrong height. I’ve been in the position of tweaking the trussrod on a PRS to get rid of buzz, or fret grind, but it made little difference. When I put in a new tremolo bridge, I found that bridge height made a huge difference to these things. Run the bridge height theory past PTC. Adjusting the bridge height can be daunting, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be to you. TBH, I could be totally wrong, but in my experience, it was the case. PRS guitars aren’t common where I live, and most repairers aren’t good with them. People don’t like repairing them.

 

[MaxPow]

The frets on my SE CE 24 are as level as a short straight edge can reveal. I've done more work on it to see if I can eliminate the buzz. Adjusted relief to be greater than the recommended .01". Probably at .015 but didn't gauge it. Set action at lowE12 to be a tad more than 2mm and highE12 1.5mm (tad = <.25mm). Adjusted saddles to 10" neck radius. Replaced factory 9s with EB10s. Tightened trem claw to level the bridge at about 3/32" (didn't measure it but I am a builder and use a ruler everyday). Corrected intonation as required. Having done this (took me a few hrs of playing around), the fret buzz is quite a bit less but not completely gone. I'll get a very short initial buzz on lowE open to 6. Formerly it was a buzz that occurred during a sustain and grew for a second or two. So in that regard, I feel that this setup is quite a bit better but not perfect. Especially because the action is more than I would choose. I'm used to using 10s but I've only been playing for a few years and was interested in trying 9s. I do think that changing the strings to 10s was the single biggest impact on my quest to remove the fret buzz. In terms of quantifying how hard I pick the lowE, I use a 1.14 pick, hold it on typical angle on the string between the pickups and snap it to rest on the A string. Doing so, I can reproduce the initial-but-short-buzz. I like a buzz but not on my frets.

When you set the saddles, make sure that their tops are flat and not angles, like on other guitars. Put your gauge in the stings just in front of the saddles. It might make a difference to your buzz, but probably won’t. Electric guitars usually have some buzz when played acoustically. You should examine the fulcrum screws to see if the bridge is slotting into the notch. PRS recommends that we not touch the screw, or at least take guitar to a repairer. If you want to reset the screws, follow these steps. You need a 6”/15cm steel rule and a 2.5mm Allen key/wrench:

-Take strings and springs off
-Lower bridge and screws down to body
-Unscrew to raise screws to 2.5mm above plate while plate is flat on body
-Use a 2.5mm Allen key to measure gap between base plate of Trem and underside of screw height
-Put Allen key/wrench into gap and screw down until screw touches Allen wrench
-Make sure that the slots are even height between all screws
-Rye-attach strings and springs
-Tune to pitch
-Underside of bridge must be parallel with strings
-Bridge height should be prescribed height. I think it’s 1/16”

Sometimes the screw are mismatched. I had 3 different types of slotted screws on my PRS. But the slots were all correct.

Strings will make awful noises and tones if the fulcrum screws are not at correct height, or not placed correctly.