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OK, this has happened to me on 3 of the 4 guitars I've built. I will fret the 6th string,say at the 8th fret, and I hear a buzz that I can eliminate by damping the string behind,between the nut and the fret,with my hand. I usually set the 6th string at 0.008 at the first fret when fretting at the third. I've checked other guitars and I don't think that I'm too low. I also checked high frets. It's almost like it's a smyphathy vibration caused by stiking the fretted string. Any ideas? Clinton

Crich,

I've had this a few times and it's usually because there is a slightly high fret behind the fretted note. Using one of Rick Turner's brilliant angle-aluminium fret levelling tools would find it and sort it if this is the culprit.

What neck relief do you have on your set ups? If the neck is too straight you kight get this effect. Does it go away if ypu back off the truss rod slightly?

_________________
Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

.008" is certainly much higher than I would set a nut, (unless we're talking
nylon strings here??) so you've got plenty of clearance there. That leaves
high frets or backbow as the likely culprits. Normally I'd just say the neck is
too straight, but if the nut height is really .008" above the plane of the frets I
would really think it would have to be in backbow to get back buzz.

Then again, that's a difficult measurement to accurately get, so what you're
measuring as .008" could very well be much less, which could leave the low
nut slot as a possible explanation.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Backbow! Actually I have been setting up with hardly any relief on the neck. To tell the truth, this might sound stupid, but I really never understood why it was needed. Never thought the string was vibrating on both sides of the fretted string? I do use feeler gauges to get as close as I can,.008 is the measurement above the first fret when fretting the third fret. But the idea the string was vibrating on both sides never dawned on me. Thanks, Clinton

Did you check the angle of the string in the nut? The string may be sitting just right to create a buzz. It is not uncommon for a string to vibrate in the nut if the break angle is off or if the string isn't seated correctly.
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

My guess is a not quite level frets or frets but with that it is kind of strange to have a fret bus behind the fretted position as the sine-wave created by playing the sting should be terminated ant the fretted position. Only sympathetic energy could cause the string to oscillate behind the fretted position.

Scratching my head and thinking about this one

Are you sure the buzz you are hearing is not really a rattle in the nut?

Poorly back filed/slotted nuts will rattle and can drive a person insane...

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Yep, I'm sure. I can pick the string,and stop the buzzing by muting behind the fretted note. By the way, only happpens on the 7th fret. I'm going to look through the archives and see if there are any tutorials on fret leveling. I struggle with that one.
I have learned to detect and repair poorly angled nuts.
UPDATE:I just put a little backbow and it quit buzzing!
I'm just not quite sure what is the purpose of the backbow. Or maybe I do now? Thanks Clinton

If your frets are leveled properly you should never have backbow in the instrument.

Sometimes it is the amount of tension from the angle of headstock in relation to the string (usually not enough) at the nut. I have never had this on an acoustic but on several Strats/electrics when the string 't"s were removed there was some chatter. I am curious to see if it would continue if you put a capo on the first fret and again behind the nut. You should be able to isolate the problem fret pretty quickly this way.

I guess you found the culprit, a high fret, but backbow isn't the solution

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Crich,

Do you mean "backbow"? Did you tighten or slacken off the truss rod to cure your problem?

_________________
Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Clinton, "back bow" is the opposite of "relief". You do not want back bow.

Fret leveling is essential. But you already know that.

_________________
Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

(Posted simultaneously with Dave and Dave.)

_________________
Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/