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Post subject: Telecaster string buzz, but not a frett buzz...
Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 8:18 am
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Hi! I have the same issue with my Highway 1 Telecaster and my MIA Stratocaster. When i play both of them, i can hear a annoying buzz, but it does not come from the fret, but from the nut. Can someone help me with that issue? And it became worst when i changed the string.

Thanks!!!


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Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 5:51 am
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You can try adjusting the saddles or possibly replacing the nut.

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Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 2:49 am
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Had the same problem with a Strat and a Telecaster.

For The strat:
I did the following:
Changed to Graphite saddles.
I was then able to go from 9's to 10's for strings.

For The Tele:
Changed out the threaded barrel saddles for a bridge that had saddles like the Strat. It seems that using strings larger than 9's also added to buzzing in the original saddles, especially on the top two strings.

Don't know if this helps?


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Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 7:41 am
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Thanks for the advice. But i don't want to change my saddles hehe, i would like to keep the original. But yeah, i did actually changed my string from 9's to 10's. But for my telecaster, i don't have threaded barrel saddles, so i don't think that it's the problem, since the noise only comes from the nut.

Thanks again!


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Posted: Sun May 10, 2009 7:54 am
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The brass saddles wear quite quickly i find. I just lightly rub mine over with a fine file, a emery board nail file should do the trick.
If its the nut slots gone too wide or deep i drop a bit of superglue in with a sewing needle. You only need the minutest drop of glue hence the needle. I dont recommend you try it if your not confident. The slot will need smoothing out again afterwards. If you've no experience of that kind of thing its just as well to get a new nut fitted.

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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 12:14 pm
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Nuts on new guitars (all brands, not just Fenders) often need some fine-tuning by an experienced tech who has the proper tools and know-how.

Nut slots are a very critical part of the setup of a guitar and they are usually mass-produced in factories, often without the care they deserve.

Nut slots often aren't cut deep enough, which results in sharp notes at the first few frets even with the 12th fret intonation set properly.

Nut slots often aren't properly polished, so you have tiny burrs and rough spots in the slots, which can pinch the strings, cause "pinging" or buzzing, and these burrs can grab the strings and cause them not to return to the proper pitch after bending or aggressive fretting. That's one reason guitar strings tend to go sharp after playing for a while.

Nut slots can also be cut for a particular string size. You mentioned that you went from nines to tens. That, combined with your complaint of buzzing at the nut, makes me pretty certain that your nut needs a competent guitar tech who can make sure the slots are the proper depth, the proper width for your string gauges, and are free of burrs and rough spots inside the slots.

Better still - have your tech make you a brand new nut from bone.


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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 8:26 am
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Thanks alot for the help.

Well i guess i should bring both of my guitars to a technician, but good ones are really rare to find around here. I actually brought my strat to the shop that i bought it from, and they didn't find anything wrong with it, even tho i was in front of them and could cleary hear the buzzing coming from the nut. (in my options, they kinda told me that i was crazy and i was hearing buzzing sounds) but it's probably because they were super busy and didn't want to have extra work to do.

So yeah, now i guess i'll search for a good guitar technician!

Thanks again.


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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 8:31 am
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jaqueline560 wrote:
but it's probably because they were super busy and didn't want to have extra work to do.

.


Or maybe that your guitar is relatively new (under 1 year) and they think they may have to do the job as warranty work.

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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 9:02 am
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Seems Guitar Techs are like Auto Mechanics....
There's a lot of them out there but very few really good ones


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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 10:34 am
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Ask around to find a GOOD tech. There have to be some pro or semi-pro musicians around who know who to use. You might have to go to the nearest big city to find a really good tech but you don't want to trust a nut job to someone who hasn't done a LOT of them before.

Anyone can set intonation with a screwdriver, and most anyone can adjust a truss rod without too much trouble, but you don't want someone learning how to cut or fix a nut for the first time on YOUR guitar(s).

Try posting in the Musician's section of your local (or nearby big city) Craigslist. Ask who's the best at doing setup work and especially getting the nuts right on "rare and valuable guitars", even if yours aren't. Use the anonymous email address that CL provides for each ad and hopefully you'll get some good recommendations. No one will know who you are if you don't reply to their emails.

Good luck!


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Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 12:34 pm
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jaqueline560 wrote:
Thanks alot for the help.

Well i guess i should bring both of my guitars to a technician, but good ones are really rare to find around here. I actually brought my strat to the shop that i bought it from, and they didn't find anything wrong with it, even tho i was in front of them and could cleary hear the buzzing coming from the nut. (in my options, they kinda told me that i was crazy and i was hearing buzzing sounds) but it's probably because they were super busy and didn't want to have extra work to do.

So yeah, now i guess i'll search for a good guitar technician!

Thanks again.


There's lots of guitar tech shops here in California. Many of them will let you ship your guitar to them and they'll get it right and then ship it back. Check out that option!


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