Fret Buzz

[Pete Academy]

I have loads on my low B, but you can't hear it in a live situation. I find it bothers beginners, but that seems to be down to technique.

Does it bother you?

[bassbloke]

lower frets no. Higher frets yes.

[stingrayPete1977]

Not really

[Bassassin]

Not at all. I like a low-ish action & tend to dig in, so it's become an inevitable component of my sound!

There's a big difference though between an enthusiastic clattering-off-frets sound and the choking & buzzing you get from a poor setup or if frets need dressing.

Jon.

[thisnameistaken]

I've set up my basses to get rid of it. I never use enough treble to hear it anyway but my effects track better without fret noise so I don't make fret noise.

[Blademan_98]

It's why I went fretless

[paul_5]

No. I teach on music production courses at degree level, and the students are taught to eliminate any noise of this kind, which is fine as that's what the University stipulates. On a personal level I think that 'modern' music is overproduced, and the finished product should be faithful to the performance captured during track-laying - if that includes fret buzz then so be it. [/rant]

[4000]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1226804' date='May 10 2011, 10:08 PM']Not at all. I like a low-ish action & tend to dig in, so it's become an inevitable component of my sound!

There's a big difference though between an enthusiastic clattering-off-frets sound and the choking & buzzing you get from a poor setup or if frets need dressing.

Jon.[/quote]

Ditto. Except for the digging in bit, which is only occasionally.

Edited May 10, 2011 by 4000

[JTUK]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1226772' date='May 10 2011, 09:47 PM']I have loads on my low B, but you can't hear it in a live situation. I find it bothers beginners, but that seems to be down to technique.

Does it bother you?[/quote]


A lot is technique, but then there is no point if it doesn't work.

My basses are quite low and someone who digs in could make it sound wretched but loud..but then I couldn't/wouldn't even play their bass.

I've always tended to be clean after hearing muself tracked solo in the studio for the first time when I was young.
I was horrified and worked on it. I didn't realise that some players got away with this in the mix.

[Clarky]

For family reasons, I practice bass at home acoustically (ie, unamplified) so fret buzz does p*ss me off (incidentally I am convinced I play better amplified as a result of practising acoustically as you have to work harder to sound acceptable when unamplified). I try for a pretty low action generally (2.5mm at the 13th) but with some bass and string combinations (eg Tru Bass on my Precision) its just not possible - although there is a separate thread about action and tone which might argue that I shouldn't be trying for such a low action.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1226772' date='May 10 2011, 09:47 PM']I have loads on my low B, but you can't hear it in a live situation. I find it bothers beginners, but that seems to be down to technique.

Does it bother you?[/quote]
I don't like fret buzz at all. It's nothing to do with being a beginner because the longer I have played the less I like it. As far as I'm concerned, high action equals better tone. A string can't vibrate properly if it's rattling against the frets.

[Doctor J]

I quite like it. I usually set my basses up to play clean when playing moderately but have a bit of buzz and grind on tap for when I dig in. As mentioned, there's a big difference in sound between intentional fret buzz and the sound of a string choking on a poorly set up or maintained instrument.

[neepheid]

I try to set up my basses as low as I can WITHOUT fret buzz. I think it sounds horrible acoustically and really irritates me, regardless of how little of it transfers into amplified sound. Yes, I'm a relative beginner, but I don't see how that's relevant to what is simply a personal preference? I just like my strings to ring clear and true.

[geoffbyrne]

I've sat within 5 feet of Guy Pratt at the Edinburgh Fringe when he was doing his entertaining thing with his '67(?) Fender, and being that close found it rattled quite alarmingly, but I bet you couldn't hear it from the amplified sound a few rows back.

Didn't bother him a jot.

G.

[Ross]

I embrace it and use it as a tonal device in my playing.

[BottomEndian]

Personally, I like it on some of my basses and can't stand it on others. It's just a case of how it fits in with the general sound of the instrument. I've always encouraged a fair bit on StingRays (and their kin); it just seems to work.

I've been listening to a lot of Prefab Sprout recently, and I've noticed that there's a shedload of buzz, clack and rattle from the bass on a lot of the tracks on [i]Steve McQueen[/i] (guessing by ear, I'd say there's a mixture of Precision and Ray on that album). Sounds frigging class, too.

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1226772' date='May 10 2011, 09:47 PM']I have loads on my low B, but you can't hear it in a live situation. I find it bothers beginners, but that seems to be down to technique.

Does it bother you?[/quote]

Are you getting the buzz on sustained notes or just when you stop the note? I've noticed I seem to help out muting the B and E strings with my right hand, the extra weight and momentum of the lowest strings makes them buzz a little when I only lift off and mute at the fingerboard.

Generally I try and play as cleanly as possible but sometimes a bit of buzz here and there sounds good, depends on the tune.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Fret buzz? I think I remember that, but these days I do my own setups and get ultra low action with no buzz. Could be something to do with the TI flats I use

[Low End Bee]

Doesn't bother me unless it's excessive.

[bubinga5]

i dont mind a tadpole of fret buzz.. its got to be minimal though.. adds to the growl a little.

[Doddy]

I don't think it's a big deal unless it's coming through the amp.

[garymilitia]

I have problems with my P bass, I need to learn how to set it up myself, last time I took it to the shop to be set up he said I had a twist on the neck, so I have to have quite a high action at the moment...

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1227717' date='May 11 2011, 04:20 PM']I don't think it's a big deal unless it's coming through the amp.[/quote]
I think we have probably done a duet of clattery noises Doddy? I tend to hear through it at low volumes as I know it won't be in the real mix and if it was it would only be like hundreds of records where it is intentional.