I wonder what the warranty covers.If there is a problem with an incurable buzz that is cured only if you have to abnormally raise the strings or sand down a fret then Fender ought to fix it under it's warranty.I also don't know why each guitar has so much of a difference although it is not hand made.Mine was purchased online & it feels so different from what I've seen at the stores.Thank God I've set it up to where it's okay now,but I wish I can lower the strings a little more without the frets buzzing above the 12th fret.Folks say that too much relief causes fret buzz above the 12th fret but my neck is almost as straight as a straight edge!Tightening the springs helped a lot with the fret buzz.Even some strings are more likely to cause buzz so try changing them.Also the winter weather makes guitars go crazy.

Neck relief does not affect fretbuzz problems anywhere near the 12th fret. Your lucky if affects around the 9th fret. Traditional trussrods only operate around the 1st 5 frets.

Ask yourselves some questions.

What are you trying to acheive, what do you call acceptable string height?
Would you be happier to take the guitar to a repair person and pay £200 to get it properly set up?


Its entirely probable that buzz is due to no more than bad technique. Its the first place to look as its the easiest and hardest fix.
Perhaps the neck shape doesnt feel comfortable, leading you to believe that the strings are in some way set badly.
That £200 is a very outlandish figure but when you tally up the time you have put into it, it may be the cheaper option.

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Here's what I got off the internet.See if it helps:

When the truss rod is too tight it causes the neck to be too straight or even convex. The headstock can be forced downwards. Usually this will cause fret buzz in frets 1-5.

When the truss rod is too loose it causes the neck to bow concave. The headstock comes up. This will usually cause buzz at frets 5-10.

I have heard the too concave neck explained like this. Imagine a guitar string suspended above a bowl. Press the string down in the center of the bowl. Eventually the string will touch the edge of the bowl. So this is what a too concave neck does. When you fret at say the 5th fret, the string will touch higher up the neck at maybe the 12th.
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So the truss rod adjustment really does not affect the higher frets above the 12th fret? Thanks for the info.

:twisted::evil::twisted::evil::twisted:

No thats just not the way of it. If the neck is too convex frets 1-5 will buzz. If its to concave it wont necessarily buzz but will raise action and make a usable action very hard to attain.

A truss rod adjustment will in no way angle a neck. It will alter the pitch of the headstock end of the neck though. It doesnt put a dip or hump into the middle of the neck. It alters the headstock pitch to give that perception. It cant alter the fixed point surrounding the heel of the neck and its plane in relation to the bridge. The microtilt can do that, which is why adjusting them should be avoided at all costs. From looking at the one on my deluxe its a inferior system to just putting a shim in the pocket. It doesnt have any measure to stop the neck sitting off axis along the highE to lowE plane.

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I was working on the intonation of my fender last night ,when I noticed that some strings specially the 6th sounds sharp on the 12th fret compared to the open string.So I pulled back the saddle almost to the tip pf the bridge until there was no more room.But the note is still sharp on the 12th fret.It seems intonation is a bigger problem to handle now than fret buzz.Any ideas on how to fix this issue?

changing string gauge is a good fix, Ive found lower and higher guage low E strings work well. A .056" lowE on my deluxe seems to do the trick. Though intonation shouldnt be checked too much on anything aside from a freshly strung guitar.

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I waded thru this whole thread, and it is very interesting. I do spend a lot of time with Fender guitars, and have learned a thing or two about them(I hope!!)
One problem that I have not heard mentioned is a hump in the neck that can occur around the spot where the neck joins the body. I found this problem on one Strat I have, and this is how I figured it out.
I had some fret buzz above the 12th fret, sounded a little dead, not ringing true. I made sure the neck was straight by using the old method of pressing the string down at the first and last frets, using it as a straight edge. I found the neck to be just shy of straight, with a tiny bit of space between the string and the 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th frets. What I did not do was notice the hump at the neck joint, a very small one. The string just laid on the higher frets. Checked nut height, which was good(.020"). I continued on with my set up. Adjusted the bridge to 7.25'' radius to match the neck radius, and set string height to Fender specs(4/64" at 17th fret) and intonation. The guitar played beautifully below the 12th fret, but above it, still buzzed and sounded a little dampened. I raised the bridge height to give a little more space for the string to vibrate, but it still buzzed above fret 12. I took a metal straight edge, and a bright light to the neck, and finally discovered that the fretboard did indeed have a slight hump at the neck joint. No matter how much I tweaked the truss rod, or bridge saddles, it wasn't going to get rid of that hump. I did some research, and found that some fretwork will be needed to level the whole thing. Or I can have all the frets pulled, have the fretboard leveled, and re-fretted. Both, not what I wanted to hear!!!
When the micro tilt adjuster won't do it, the truss rod won't do it, the bridge saddles won't do it, check to see if the buzz is caused by a neck hump at the body joint. Sorry about the long winded response.

Thanks paisley for the revelation.Definitely what nobody would want to hear about their strat.Now considering warranties,wont fender just send a replacement neck? A friend of mine got his Les Paul neck replaced without a dime.Does anybody know about fender warranties? Would sure like to know more on this.
The issue about buzzing above the 12th fret started only recently ,after the weather change I guess.Before that the strings on the neck just felt tight without much room for bends

This is the only way to check fretboard line.


Checking fret-tops will only give you the line of the fret-tops, whether you use a straightedge or the fretted string method. This cost about £3.50 to make. If it shows a hump in the fretboard (particularly at higher frets where the trussrod doesnt affect) then the guitar has a manufacturing defect. The neck was never carved properly. Something I've never seen in 23 years on guitars from £80 to £3000.

If you make a straightedge like that (it cost about £3.50). Once you have the timber flat, then check the fret tops, using the other side of the rule.


That will give you a accurate representation of your fret work. Which is what matters in this instance. The fretboard isnt really a play surface, the fret-tops are.

Now with the neck set perfectly straight, lie the guitar on a flat surface. Shim the rear edge of the guitar so the gap under the body is equal from neckplate to the rear end of the body. Now measure from the top of the flat surface to the underside of the neck, where it flattens out to form the heel. Then measure up from the top of the flat surface to the rear of the headstock. Both measurements should be identical with a perfectly straight neck (around 1,5/8s"-1,3/4s"). This gives you the plane of the neck. so when you slacken your truss rod to give relief the headstock end will raise, lift your strings from the fretboard and give a clean playing line along the fret-tops. If there is a significant difference between the two measurements, or if the surface to headstock measurement is less than the surface to heel measurement. You need the neck pocket adjusted. A return if ever I saw one. If the surface to headstock measurement is greater than the surface to heel measurement. Then you need to shim, or use the microtilt. Fender necks are carved from one straight piece of maple each. The rear line of the neck is always straight. Timber is only taken from the curved area at the back of the neck, once its had its final planning.

All of that is pointless unless you make a fretboard straightedge. Dont try it just by setting straight from fret tops, its not accurate enough.

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im struggling to the point of throwing the guitar out the window. mine buzzes from the 12th fret up tried high action and lots if neck relief but still buzzing its an mim strat 60s reverse headstock ive also heard that to much neck relief can cause buzz is this tru? I use 10 gauge strings with the bridge flush to the body with 5 springs and i have a medium pick attack. ide say the action at the min is maybe 2.2mm at the 17th fret with no capo on the 1st. i really dont no were to turn anymore. it took me ages to get the guitar and im so dissapointed. i could get it set up professionally but the nearist decent place is miles away.please please help any ideas i would be so gratefull
p.s i just registered to this forum and didnt know were else to post

Well I know how it feels.You will have go the extra mile to take care of it.Cos when you are driven to the point of frustration chances are you may do more damage than good.I met a pro guitarist who makes a trip to CA flying 1000s of miles just to get a set up on his 3000$ guitar.I took his guitar & played on it soon after the set up.You know what? It buzzed here & there & more at 12th fret up.This guy told me that those buzzes are ok & don't show up when amplified.My ears are v sensitive to buzzes but I think many pro's out there have buzzes big time that don't 'sound when amplified'.They are just too busy shredding & dont take notice of the buzz.I even changed strings for a rock'n'roll player who played with elvis.He had a v low action that buzzed quite well!
So let's do all that we can & then take it easy.Using a distortion helps a lot to mask the buzz.

The biggest improvement you can make to the neck geometry of any newer strat is to throw away the garbage micro tilt crap and use sanding screen for a shim if one is needed. Rather than a pinpoint spot of lift, you get wide dispersion of the bolt pressure and way better contact of the two peices of wood, leading to greatly improved resonance. Try it and see for yourself.

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60th Anniversary AD Strat, Deluxe Nashville Tele, Player's P Bass. Mesa/Boogie Mk IV combo, Marshall JCM800, 1960A cab, Genz Benz El Diablo 60, Genz 2x12" cab, too many neat little practice amps and kit projects!

No buzzing is normal. I have one guitar that does this and it was sent in for repair/estimate. They said the neck needs to be replaned and refretted. That guitar is about 45 years old so I will think on this one for a while.

NBG

So a bit ov buzz is normal? I can here it through the amp slightly tho. I have people saying that the fender setup tips and measurements are terrible iv so what is a good setup guide? I'm struggling with neck relief measurements. It's a 7.25 radius. Any tips?? Also I might float the bridge to improve tone