Scrybe's Little Mods of Horrors!

I haven't read the whole thread carefully, but if the buzzing string gets better when fretted at the first fret, then I suppose either heavier strings (which buzz less than lights anyway in all cases) or a new zero fret would or the temporary match might help. For a temp fix, I'm thinking folded foil instead of a match applied under the string at ground zero. But then again, maybe I'd try a snippet of wound E (#6) or A between the nut and zero fret in an emergency. Dunno. Have to play with that concept.

I bet Scrybe would be up for replacing a zero fret on this if needed. It's only one, teensie, lil fret! And those Bullets? They gotta go. :wink:

I bet Scrybe would be up for replacing a zero fret on this if needed. It's only one, teensie, lil fret! And those Bullets? They gotta go. :wink:

awww, am I reallythat easy to read? :wink:

I'll try the thicker strings first, then the quick fixes and see how that works. But I'm tempted. Sorely tempted. :lol:

IMO - Your acoustic OOOOOOZES MOJO!

Mojo, character- call it what you will, I reckon it'd be bad (guitar) karma to pretty it all up. Hell, that guitar's EARNED those scars of battle!

Hmm, that's the first time I've ever seen a "zero fret" as you all call it - and possibly I'm dense, but I absolutely can NOT see the point of a zero fret. Wouldn't it mean - if it's in the correct place - that when a string's played open, it'd be slightly out of tune? And if it's not in the right place, then why is it there at all? It's not as if there's room to fret behind it between the nut and the fret.....I'm baffled!

Someone please explain?

:D :D :D

Vic

Hey Vic :D

The actual 'zero fret' itself is higher than the rest of the frets....
The strings actually rest on it, and it (not the nut) determines the string height.

Which is why I asked Greg if the quick fix of sticking something beneath the nut to raise the string,
would actually have to be stuck between the zero fret and the string (in this case).

Hope that helps,

Ken

Ah, in the pic it didn't actually look as if the strings were touching the zero fret - that would make more sense, but why not just put the nut where the zero fret is?

Can't you just see the instructions in some tab book - capo at zero fret! (THIN capo, at that!)

It's late..............I'm losing A - the plot B - sleep and C - the will to live.

:D :D :D

Vic

why not just put the nut where the zero fret is?

Because they would have to reset the saw to cut that much off the overhang on the other end of the
fretboard/neck :o

J/K :wink:

They would have to spend more time on a finely cut nut.
On zero fret setups, the nut is nothing more than a guide.... Pretty loose.

Ken

As I recall, the zero fret is used to make it so that when you finger an open chord, all of the strings are touching a metal fret. This should mean that there is no tone or sustain variation between an open and a fretted string. Technically, a non-metal nut should sound sound different than a metal fret. Not that most of us could hear it.

Technically, a non-metal nut should sound sound different than a metal fret. Not that most of us could hear it.
Oh, I can! There's a HUGE difference in tone, volume, and sustain between a fretted note and an open string on every guitar I have. Acoustic, electric, or resonator. None of mine have zero frets, though.

I ought to have said this earlier.........

yup, buzzing on the low E stops when fret the first fret. and the buzzing only happens when I play hard, not when I'm playing lightly, if that's any help in diagnosing the problem. Now, I just gotta fine some cardboard matches......

I found that coming down hard on the large E string usually results in buzzing. so your guitar is somewhat normal.

I found that coming down hard on the large E string usually results in buzzing. so your guitar is somewhat normal.
Same with my guitars they all do that if you hit the low E with a lot of force

A fun thing to do with that low E string (don't overdo it) is to pull it up and let it go for a big POP and buzz.

On el cheapo it happens too easily, though. Way too easily. Gonna try some thicker strings and see if that helps.

Okay, so there are clear clues and solutions. Given that fretting on the first helps reduce buzz, then there is some nut or zero fret issue -- whether it be skinny string in wide nut guide or overly wide nut guide or worn zero fret. You know what to look for by now.

Wailing on the low E and buzzing: Heavier strings mitigate this problem for very basic reasons. First of all, for the same "pickin' force" and same resulting acoustic loudness, a heavier string has less vibrational amplitude - that's back and forth wiggle distance because <insert potenial and kinetic energy physics explanation here>. Secondly, a heavier string is under higher tension for the same tuning, resulting in more "ideal" vibrational behavior =>lower levels of harmonics that produce complex vibrational patterns along the string. All of this together means less potential for fret slapping and therefore, less buzzing.

The heavier, tighter string also doesn't exhibit as much of the phenomenon where the pitch goes up right after the attack, going back down as the vibration dies down. (All strings do this, always, it's just a lot more noticeable with slack strings.)