Fret Buzz Returns

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whyseye

whyseye

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I've got a short-scale Cort bass that I picked up a little over a year ago...it had a little bit of fret buzz when I got it, so I took it to my local shop for a restringing and a setup. This all but eliminated the buzz for a while, it had a lovely tone, and I assumed that any buzz I still had was due to my poor technique.
In the meanwhile, I got another bass - a full sized P-style bass, with incredible tone, and no buzz at all......
....and now that I've picked the short-scale back up, the buzz is worse than ever! I wanted to try adjusting the action to see if that helped, but not one of my three sets of precision wrenches fit the holes in the saddles....
....do I just have a shoddily made instrument? Bad wrenches? Is it worth continuing to try to save this bass? I still want to have a short-scale, but can't afford the vintage Mustang that I REALLY want, so I'd like to make the Cort playable again - if only to make it trade-worthy....what can I do?
 
There are other things besides string height that can cause the buzz. Most likely you need a truss rod adjustment, or maybe you have some high frets or something.
 
How do you figure out which is what?

Try a very small truss rod adjustment?
 
This is of course not the same thing as setting your action. If the strings feel too low and it effects the playability, you should be hunting down the tools to adjust your action before you fiddle with the truss rod.
But to decide if you need to adjust the truss rod, you could start by checking out your neck relief. Fret the low e string at the 1st fret and at the fret where the neck meets the body. Then look in the middle for the maximum gap between the string and the frets. That would be your neck relief. To little relief and you might get more buzz, if there is no gap, you surely need to make an adjustment. The ideal amount of neck relief differs for every player.
I'm sure there are lots of tutorials online for adjusting truss rods, I'd do some googling.
 
Which frets, which strings?

What kind of wrenches - Allen (hex)? Have you tried both metric and English/American sizes?
 
crazydoc said:
Which frets, which strings?

What kind of wrenches - Allen (hex)? Have you tried both metric and English/American sizes?
Click to expand...
I've tried metric and SAE Allen wrenches from several different precision sets, knowing that there's a lot of variation in the so-called precision stuff that's sold these days....

Initially, the buzz was mostly in the E string at all frets, and in the first few frets on the A, once in a while around the 4-6th frets on the D, never on the G....after restringing and setup, I'd get a little buzz now and again on the 1st and 2nd frets of the E, and on the 4-6th on the A, but only if I was playing sloppily.....if I was very strong and crisp in my left-hand fingering, it went away...

....when I started playing the full size P-bass, I really fell in love with the thunderous low-end growl that sounded like the bottom-end of a grand piano, although the action was much higher, and the longer neck was a challenge at first....but that sound is one reason that I started playing bass....
The Cort sounded more guitar-like to me, which was cool for some things, and the low action and super fast neck are appealing, but when I picked it up after playing the other one for a while, I find that I'm getting buzz on every string now....it also has a harder time staying in tune, I've noticed...
....it was my first bass, and if it's saveable, I'd like to keep it in the arsenal, but if it's going to be high-maintenance, maybe I should consider using it for trade-up material instead?

Is it the GAS talking? :confused:
 
I'm not experienced with guitar setup, but I'm not completely unfamiliar with making small adjustments and repairs on gear from my camera-selling days....
....if it's a simple thing that a newb like me can do with simple tools, I'm up for it.... :)

Of course, I've googled all of the how-tos online, but it's also nice to get the opinion of somebody who has been there many times, and hear it in their own words... :cool:
 
You can look down the bass by holding it eye level with the bridge end near your face and the headstock away from you. Focus on the edge of the fretboard. You'll see if it bows inward or backwards. View the pic below.

Figure out which way it's at, then I'll tell you which way to adjust it, if needed.
 

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whyseye said:
....when I started playing the full size P-bass, I really fell in love with the thunderous low-end growl that sounded like the bottom-end of a grand piano, although the action was much higher, and the longer neck was a challenge at first....but that sound is one reason that I started playing bass....
The Cort sounded more guitar-like to me, which was cool for some things, and the low action and super fast neck are appealing, but when I picked it up after playing the other one for a while, I find that I'm getting buzz on every string now....it also has a harder time staying in tune, I've noticed...
Click to expand...
Maybe part of your problem is that your technique has changed. The P-bass, with its longer scale and higher action has demanded a more agressive right hand technique, and when you play the Cort it carries over, with wider string excursions causing more buzz.

That's not to say it can't be fixed. As metalhead suggests, first, as raise the action. This should take care of much of the problem. Then check the neck relief. Fretting the 1st and 15th or 16th frets simultaneously on the E, there should be a gap at the 7th or 8th fret the thickness of a playing card or two. If there is none, then adjust the truss rod.

Here's a useful site: http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/
 
Thanks for the help, all!
I finally got my best set of tools back, and lo and behold.....the allen wrench fits, I've raised the saddles a bit, and the buzz has all but disappeared....
...I think that I'll double-check the truss rod too, on general priciples, but it's playing much more cleanly now....I also gave a little love to the pots, tuned it back up properly, and now remember what I loved about it....
....I think I'll keep her! :)

PS - love the studybass.com tip - best bass learning site ever! I found it when I first got the instrument, and any progress that I've made has been largely due to what I've learned there. Everything I wanted to know about the bass, and music theory, in bite-sized chunks..... :cool:

....still there's no substitute for hearing it first-hand from folks who've made the trip - thanks again!
 
ez_willis said:
You can look down the bass by holding it eye level with the bridge end near your face and the headstock away from you. Focus on the edge of the fretboard. You'll see if it bows inward or backwards. View the pic below.

Figure out which way it's at, then I'll tell you which way to adjust it, if needed.
Click to expand...
.....got a little bit of back-bow, still...
 
whyseye said:
.....got a little bit of back-bow, still...
Click to expand...

That's probably your problem, but you should check the neck for twist as well. From the headstock end, look down the fretboard toward the pickups. All the frets should be parallel. If they are not, then you have a larger problem.
 
whyseye said:
.....got a little bit of back-bow, still...
Click to expand...
Loosen the truss rod, SLIGHTLY. Then check it. Continue until correct.

Remember, because you're a girl :p , righty tighty lefty loosey.
 
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