Open String Buzz

How much does this bother people - I am mildly fixated on trying to eliminate it and I'd be interested to see if I can get some other perspectives. I dont even think I mean the awful nut cut too low open string buzz, but any buzzy sound from an aggressively twanged open string. Take, for example, any Gibson I have ever had - if I individually play for example the g, low e or a string hard enough and its going to buzz a bit, just for a milisecond maybe, but the note rings out fine. Is it wrong for me to want to replace the nut in this instance? Is it perhaps evidence of some kind of personality disorder? Does it even occur to other people, am I getting hung up for no reason? Any thoughts anyone? 
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Comments

  • If it sounds too harsh through an overdriven/distorted sound compared to the fretted notes, when played normally, then yes that would annoy me too.  On all my guitars if I really dig in there will be some amount of fret slap (if that's the right term) at some point but it's about finding a balance where the guitar is nice to play and still sounds good (too low can be too choked sounding IMO).

    Depends on how hard you're picking with how stiff a plectrum, neck relief, and the string tension too... there is such a thing as a nut that's too high and that will mess with the intonation, likewise strings too low tension or picking too hard/too stiff a pick etc.
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  • You cant hear a thing through an amp, especially not distorted - its just the sound of it barely toucning the strings - for some reason I hate it even though I know its normal!
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  • If it can't be heard through an amp then it is fine.  Solution would be playing the amp loud enough you can't hear the guitar itself :)
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14036
    edited February 2017 tFB Trader
    One man's slight 'buzz' is another man's volcanic reaction - how hard you attack/pick the strings also comes into play - There is a tendency when playing unplugged to pick harder to make the guitar louder as no amp involved, hence you are more likely to notice any slight 'rattle' - If it is clean and okay when played through the amp then I don't see the need to worry - Also with a good set-up and a lowish action there is almost zero room for tolerance regarding a hint of rattle with a heavy attack and a slick action - again string gauge comes into play - I think comments above from other FB guys are all valid
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  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3300
    edited February 2017
    your not alone it annoys the sh*t out of me too. The only time i'll tolerate it a bit is if i've just dropped the Eb down to a C#, otherwise i set my guitars up so I cant hear it at all. I do play and pick quite hard with a stiff plectrum and as a result i have my action just a tad higher than i would like but what price sanity eh?

    Neck relief, string gauge and action all require looking at to find that set up that works.
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  • gusman2xgusman2x Frets: 919
    It's one of these things. If you start fixating on it, then you're in trouble. I think I've probably only owned one guitar that hasn't had any fret buzz (with reasonable action). Best to try to forget about it. But it is one of those "can't un-hear" type situations.
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  • fandangofandango Frets: 2204
    The dreaded buzz indeed. Just happened to one of my axes this week. So bad, I had to put it back in it's case, and grab another. I'll give it a few days, and return.

    I have my bunkum theories as to what causes it, but I'm not daft enough to voice them here. Anyway, what with the Guitar Show coming up this weekend, I'll be interrogating folks .... 
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  • BloodEagleBloodEagle Frets: 5320
    edited February 2017
    Seems to have little or no correlation too how the nut is cut, some nuts will be extremely low with no buzz, some fairly high but with a lot. Neck relief seems to have little or no impact, its just odd, and its odd that I fixate on it so much. Take as an example,an Gibson V I have, which has a neck relief set very small and a nut cut extremely low with very little space between the strings and frets when fretted at the 3rd fret. No open string buzz at all, regardless of how hard I hit the strings or how much I downtune them.  By contrast, I have a Strat which has quite high nut slots, a normal amount of neck relief and fairly big strings - buzzes on open strings all the time if plucked aggressively. How can this be??

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  • Break angle could matter in these cases. IMO increased string break angle seems to require more effort to bend strings therefore it should impact on how much flex/give there is when you hit a string hard. I shim my Fenders and set my LP tailpieces as low as they can go and that seems to make some difference with feel making them feel tighter to play..
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