I've had my strat for a few years and I have noticed that it buzzes at almost every fretting, except close to the nut. I have had a luthier inspect and intonate the guitar twice(same luthier) and according to him everything is exactly to Fender specs and is set as well as can be. But we can't pinpoint why it still buzzes. It does it unplugged and through an amp as well so it has to be the guitar. I don't want to keep paying this guy to not know how to fix it, but there aren't really any other luthiers around other than some tech's at guitar center and a few other music shops. Recommendations?? I was thinking giving it one more shot with guitar center and if not then I'm tapped out other than thinking to try a different neck. Thanks for the advice everyone.

Heighten the bridge

Hi sbatten: sometimes this sort of thread makes the heart sink, because the likelihood of coming up with the right solution across the internet is blind chance at best. For starters, we can't hear this buzz of yours, and with electric guitars one guy's "unbearable buzz" can be another's "low, buttery action". I remember one thread where people spent pages offering suggestions about how to fix fret buzz - and then it eventually turned out that the OP's pickguard wasn't screwed down properly and that was where the buzz was coming from; not from the frets at all. Hard to diagnose without the instrument in our hands.

...Still. Is it buzzing on all the strings or just one or two? Does it happen only when you strum, or when you pick individual notes as well? Would you describe yourself as a quite a hard player, or not? Does it happen when the tech plays the guitar or just for you? Does the tech agree that there's a problem, or is there a difference of opinion between you? Who is this tech - what's his experience?

If it's not happening on the low frets then at least we can rule out a wrongly cut nut. Ultimately, if strings are buzzing up and down the neck then it means the strings are too low and they need raising. But whether that is done by raising the saddles or the whole bridge (as keano666666 says) or by slackening the trussrod or... well, that's where the difficulty begins.

Anyway. Give us some more information, such as answers to my questions above, and maybe we'll come up with something. Maybe.

Cheers - C

_________________

Of course, happy to supply more info. The buzzing happens consistently on the more inward strings so the middle 4, and it happens on strumming as well as individual notes. I'm not a super hard player, but I do usually use a thicker pick. Even on very gentle strumming the buzzing is very present. The buzzing did happen when the luthier played as well. He agrees that it buzzes, but attributed it to the instrument possibly being that way as strats were kinda known to be more prone to that. I didn't really agree with that, but just kept the peace and left. I have tried raising the saddles significantly to where they really can't be raised much more, and they still buzz the same as before. The luthier said that he adjusted the truss rod, but I don't think very much... I'm really nervous about doing that since I haven't done it before so I would be very careful and give it some time to adjust. I will try to raise the saddles/bridge a little to see if it helps this evening. I'll keep you guys posted and more advice is always welcome!

+ 1

I own three Strats and can assure you from personal experience that Strats are NOT prone to buzzing provided they are properly set up and adjusted.

At Ceri says, it can be many things and also a combination of several things, but one thing that raises a flag is what you report about the buzzing almost everywhere "except close to the nut" where typically the strings would be the closest to the frets. This suggests that a truss rod adjustment may be required.

Cheers!
BM

_________________
This is the Blues. Are you listening?

No, I don't really agree with that either, so that makes us both have our doubts about this tech. (Edit: and Bluer Monkey too! )

One more question. Do you have a six-screw or a two-point bridge?

Now then. What I'd do if this guitar was in front of me is go through a full setup from start to finish. That's all of 20 or 30 minutes' work, so not a massive effort. Since I can't do it for you, you have to do it yourself, or find someone in whom you have confidence. If you want to tackle it yourself, here's Fender's setup guide for Strats, which is as good as anything:

http://www.fender.com/en-GB/support/art ... etup-guide

The golden rule is: do it in the sequence described, complete each step perfectly and then go on to the next. Don't go back and forth through the process - that's where people so often run into confusions. This is the sequence:

Relief (trussrod)
Action (saddle height)
Intonation (back screw of the saddles)

Don't begin one step till you've finished the previous one.

In your case I'd be paying particular attention to the relief, and I'd stick to Fender's spec of 0.010" / 0.25mm, which is an excellent amount of relief to be dialing in. One thing you can do to make relief measurements easier is instead of using a capo'd bottom E string like they suggest, lay a two foot steel ruler edge on along the fingerboard instead and measure your relief beneath that. It just makes things firmer and more reliable. Feeler gauges, as they suggest, are the best thing for this: you can buy them from a car parts store or online or on Ebay for next to nothing. For more on feeler gauges (in case you don't already know this stuff), see my recent post on this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=76244&start=15

Follow Fender's guide for action too. Though I have more suggestions about that if you still have problems after finishing the setup. But see how you go with it first.

Good luck - C

_________________

+1 ceri

A good set up first

I have a two screw bridge. I need to get a few tools though for the saddles and to gauge fret height :/ I did a few saddles last night by hand, and I loosened the two bridge screws a little and it seems to have alleviated the buzzing a little, but I'm worried it might not be a lasting remedy. After all the luthier did this all twice and got nothing haha.

First start with checking neck bow , if not ok you have to adjust truss rod.

Now you want to play with action , it is too early for that. Neck bow first.

Action adjustment screws don't change by itself , if action was ok before ; bridge or sadles screw don't move.
Neck curve move by itself and change action.

I'd avoid adjusting the bridge screws. They're providing a pivot point for the floating bridge, raising them will raise the whole bridge off the body, best to adjust the saddles first off.

Sadlles adjustment if need AFTER neck bow check and truss rod adjustment .

^^^Good posts by stratele52 and Honeythief.

sbatten, if you started by adjusting the saddles then you've begun at the wrong end of the setup and have most probably bypassed the true source of the problem.

I shouldn't say this, because it would be better for your measurements to identify the issue for themselves. However, what I think most of us are quietly suspecting here is that there are two possible causes of your problem, the first more likely than the second.

Most probable is that your neck has developed a little backbow - meaning that the trussrod is overtightened and is causing a slight hump in the front of the fingerboard. The way to find this is by doing the relief measurements, as described in Fender's setup guide (I linked to it, above). IF this is the case, then the solution is simple, you just slacken the trussrod (anticlockwise turns), a very little at a time. Quarter turns or even eighth turns are quite enough with trussrods. Retune, leave for a while and then remeasure and see if things have improved.

But you can only do this in conjunction with proper measurements, so you know what's happening. Idle tinkering is not smart.

The other much less likely source of the buzzing is that your microtilt adjuster in the back of the neck plate (it's a MIA Strat, right?) has somehow been engaged, almost certainly for no good reason. This will push the nut end of the fingerboard backwards in relation to the bridge causing the strings to run at the wrong angle to the frets, and if it's extreme enough will not be remedied by raising the saddles. So check that the microtilt is fully disengaged (anticlockwise turns).

I often wonder why that microtilt even exists. I have never once found a modern Strat that requires its use.

BUT. We can't diagnose any of this with certainty over the internet. You have to find out which of these problems it might be by running through the setup in the correct order and letting the measurements be your guide.

If you are not confident about these adjustments there is no shame at all in letting a tech do them for you: many top players do the same. Probably not the guy you went to last time, though...

Good luck - C

_________________

+1 ceri

In the correct order

+1 everyone!

Let me just say in general---If you bring a guitar to a luthier/tech, and it buzzes, and they can't tell you why......then you need a new tech.

If still in doubt.....find an Authorized tech: http://www.fender.com/dealers/service_centers.php

Since everything on a guitar works in synchronicity it could be a number of things including simply not being setup to someone's playing style.

Cheers,
rob

_________________
______________
rob Schwarz
Director,Fender Customer Service
Proudly serving Fender Customers
for over 30 years

Bring it to a trusted luthier. For under $75 they should be able to set it up properly so there is no buzzing.

AFTER set up, make sure your home has a humidifier if it is a dry climate, or dehumidifier if the opposite.

When standing the guitar up, if you don't have a stand, just don't prop it up using the neck as this can cause it to bow and cause the strings to either raise (if propped up with the back) or lower (if propped up with the string side).