Fret Buzz ESP 350 FR

[riteshsv]

Hi guys,
I have got this new ESP 350 FR guitar. the specs are
EMG 81/85
Floyd Rose Tremello with locking nut

I changed the strings from default .9 to .10. I made all adjustments in spring tension and the guitar tuned well. When i lowered to action to 2.5 mm on Low E and 1.5 mm on High E (This is ESP standard as given in manual) i got fret buzz on frets 12 to 24. I tried to adjust the truss rod and retuned many times but with no result.
I want to keep the low action as i play heavy metal lead guitar and low action suits my style.
Please advise me on how to get rid of the fret buzz.

Thanks,
Ritesh

[soundguruman]

You have to take it to a guitar tech, and have the frets leveled, and crowned.
Typically, if this is done correctly, it costs abut $160.00. But of course, it's worth it.
STEWMAC.COM : Guitar Fretwire, Fretting Tools, Files, Saws at
Here is several videos, showing how. BUT I do not recommend you try this without the specialized tools...

[olddawg]

Is this a new guitar under warranty? If so bitch like hell. Changing one string gauge should not be a huge deal. You may have a warped neck or a neck set issue. At least have it evaluated.

[Jazz P Bass]

Yeah, it sure sounds like 12 & 24 are too high.
Take it back & have it looked at.
Sh#t happens.
The neck is a hunk of wood.
It absorbs moisture.
It dries out.
Frets move.

[Steve A.]

Yeah, it sure sounds like 12 & 24 are too high.

It sounds like the fret buzz goes from fret 12 through 24 (the whole upper octave.) FWIW I've just bought 4 new ESP LTD guitars and basses over the past few months and the fretboards and action are much better than those on the Fender and Gibson guitars I bought in the 70's, 80's and 90's, with really nice jumbo frets. There was a problem with the 20th fret on one of them being a little too high on one of them causing a buzz at the 18th and 19th frets. After going back and forth with truss rod and bridge height adjustments I decided it was that one fret that was the problem.
The first thing I tried to do was tap on the fret with the wooden handle of a hammer just to make sure that the fret was set deeply enough. So I then used a Dremel tool to take just a little bit off the top of the fret under the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings and then polished it with very fine emery paper (1200 and 1500.) I figured that any roughness left would be worn down with me bending those notes. (I kept the crown nice and rounded.) Speaking of bending notes that was when I'd notice the problem the most- with the too high fret causing the buzz and even muting the string if I bent it far enough.

If the guitar is used the fret buzz might be one of the reasons it was being sold. Another point: without that $150 fret leveling job many guitars can't achieve the low action many guitarists want.

Steve Ahola

P.S. As for those Gibsons and Fenders from the old days they did not come from the factory with a top-notch setup- the idea being that the pros would take their new guitars to a guitar tech and have them set up to their own requirements, while the kids at home didn't know what they were missing. Many of the guitars made in the past 10 years have been coming out of the cartons set up very well- I first noticed the PRS SE guitars but now even the Epiphones are set up really nicely (you probably need to adjust the bridge height for your own preference but the fretboards and frets are very even.) The ESP LTD's made in Vietnam (and supposedly inspected in the USA) have incredible action for the price.

[Steve A.]

) i got fret buzz on frets 12 to 24. I tried to adjust the truss rod and retuned many times but with no result.

I just ran across this while adjusting the action/truss rod on an Ibanez bass (I think it is easier to picture this with a 34" scale.) If the truss rod is too loose you will have more clearance from string to neck at the lower frets. In my own experience it can take up to 3 days for a neck to completely adjust to a truss rod adjustment. In addition to tightening the truss rod you would probably also need to raise the bridge or saddles.

If you bought it new you might want to return it or have it repaired under warranty if you can't get it adjusted properly. I like dealing with GC because they have a store locally and you have 30 days to return most things for a full cash refund. If it needs fret leveling you probably want to throw that one back and pick out another one which can be set for very low action.

Steve Ahola

EDIT The way I check the truss rod setting is to fret the 1st and the highest fret and pluck the string between them. If the note sounds very clearly I think that there is too much bow in the neck so I tighten the truss rod. If the note is completely muffled I think that the neck needs more bow so I loosen the truss rod. I usually like a little more bow than most guitarists since my primary concern is be able to bend 4 or 5 frets with 010's and not have them choke out.

[David Schwab]

It sounds like the neck is a little back bowed. Try loosening the truss rod a little.

[frus]

If it were back bowed, it would buzz on lower frets first. I think he should tighten the truss rod and raise the bridge a bit. But we all know the standard test for truss rod, he should check that first.

[soundguruman]

It sounds like the fret buzz goes from fret 12 through 24 (the whole upper octave.) FWIW I've just bought 4 new ESP LTD guitars and basses over the past few months and the fretboards and action are much better than those on the Fender and Gibson guitars I bought in the 70's, 80's and 90's, with really nice jumbo frets. There was a problem with the 20th fret on one of them being a little too high on one of them causing a buzz at the 18th and 19th frets. After going back and forth with truss rod and bridge height adjustments I decided it was that one fret that was the problem.
The first thing I tried to do was tap on the fret with the wooden handle of a hammer just to make sure that the fret was set deeply enough. So I then used a Dremel tool to take just a little bit off the top of the fret under the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings and then polished it with very fine emery paper (1200 and 1500.) I figured that any roughness left would be worn down with me bending those notes. (I kept the crown nice and rounded.) Speaking of bending notes that was when I'd notice the problem the most- with the too high fret causing the buzz and even muting the string if I bent it far enough.

If the guitar is used the fret buzz might be one of the reasons it was being sold. Another point: without that $150 fret leveling job many guitars can't achieve the low action many guitarists want.

Steve Ahola

P.S. As for those Gibsons and Fenders from the old days they did not come from the factory with a top-notch setup- the idea being that the pros would take their new guitars to a guitar tech and have them set up to their own requirements, while the kids at home didn't know what they were missing. Many of the guitars made in the past 10 years have been coming out of the cartons set up very well- I first noticed the PRS SE guitars but now even the Epiphones are set up really nicely (you probably need to adjust the bridge height for your own preference but the fretboards and frets are very even.) The ESP LTD's made in Vietnam (and supposedly inspected in the USA) have incredible action for the price.

If the buzz is 12-24, the frets have not been leveled correctly.
Very important, the frets must be graduated in height.
The highest fret is at the nut, the lowest fret is at the end of the fingerboard.
Each fret is lower, by thousandths of an inch (secret formula)
If the frets do not graduate, you can raise the action, and play it, sure...
But it will never have the action you really want. It will never sound perfectly in tune, up and down the fingerboard.

And yes, the neck must have a slight inward bow (thousandths of an inch), to play correctly. Just because the string vibrates and travels more in the center than at the ends. That is correct.

This is typical for almost all production guitars, (except the really nice mondo- expensive ones).
A luthier must finish what the factory started. Or you can do it yourself.
The guitar needs set up, including fretwork. You need special tools to do it...
But, we accept this, and we know it must be done. There is no surprise when you buy a new guitar.
What you pay in money equates to a more "finished" set up...

I just received a new Jackson from India (gift). There is a lot of nice things about it, and it is very well made.
It has binding, and inlays, Passive EMGs, you get a lot for $300! I can see that it's a strict replica of USA Jackson.
But the frets need to be finished / graduated, the truss rod adjusted, the harmonics and the nut height, bridge etc...etc...
I never imagined, even for a minute, that I would not have to do all that when I received it. I never expected it to be set up from the factory.

[David Schwab]

Very important, the frets must be graduated in height.
The highest fret is at the nut, the lowest fret is at the end of the fingerboard.

Absolutely wrong. All the frets must be the same height. Because the strings are closer to the first fret, than the last fret, that takes care of the fret height. The strings are not parallel to the fingerboard. So the distance between the frets and strings increases as you go up the neck. Therefore there is no need to make the frets lower. You wont find a single guitar made that way.

Some bolt-on necks require some "fall away" to be built into the very end of the fingerboard because they get a hump over the body. But that's about the last 6 frets or so. That's a good practice to do for set necks as well.

If all your frets are level, and your neck is straight, you wont have any buzzing. Some people like a little relief, so there's more distance under the strings at the middle of the neck. That makes it tricky to get low action, but might be needed if you pick very hard. I keep all my necks straight.

The problem with factory guitars is not enough time was spent on the fretwork. That would need more labor time, and therefore increase the price of the guitar. Also I've seen brand new made in the US guitars with uneven fingerboards. Factory guitars are made fairly quickly, so the fingerboard probably started out level, but after gluing etc., didn't stay that way, and the frets went into an unleveled board.