The A string buzzes... no matter what I do

[Sparky6string]

... and only the A. Any ideas?

[Shocker]

Originally posted by Sparky6string ... and only the A. Any ideas?

Switch it with your E string and see if it's still doing that. If so, you've got a bum string. (kidding)

It could possibly be that the saddle for the A string is screwy somehow. Though you said you've tried everything, you didn't indicate which guitar it was. Let's have some more info.

//S

[Sparky6string]

My Agile 2200jr. Could be the bridge? Obviously I haven't tried everything, but I've loosened and tightened the truss rod (not at the same time) with little effect. I was thinking maybe the frets need leveling?

[Shocker]

Well, does it rattle when you play open? While fretting? On every fret? What if you hold the tuning peg and play an open string? What if you hold down the saddle and play an open string?

//S

[Sparky6string]

It buzzes when fretted pretty much anywhere. It did rattle when played open but I raised the string a little with tiny piece of plastic. I've held the peg and saddle to no effect.

[Shocker]

It'd be really odd for that to be happening on just the one string. I could understand if you had a high fret or two, but it would be affecting all the strings. What if you raise the action (which you'd have to do on all the strings)? Failing all that, is the buzzing so bad that it's choking the note or coming through the amp?

Has it always done that, BTW or did you recently restring with a different guage/brand?

//S

[Sparky6string]

I restrung with 9s, but I think that what affected it most was it fell over at band practice on a hardwood stage.

[Shocker]

Hmm, did it happen to fall over onto a hardwood stage at band practice, per chance?

EDIT: Oh, wait...

//S

[Sparky6string]

...er, yeah. Could neck angle do this?

[Shocker]

I hope it isn't that you've cracked the neck (and some subsequent truss rod rattle or something). I suppose it's possible you may have loosened a fret, though. That's all I got. Good luck...

//S

[Jkater]

This is a little odd.

The only thing I can think of is if you have individual saddles on your bridge, the A string is a little lower than it should. I've never heard of only one string being wacko and it having to do with the frets unless that one string is flawed or something.

Edit : you said it fell? did you check if the fall made dents from the string unto the fret? (heaven forbids...). This could actually create "high frets" problems on an individual string if the dent is located there. I hope this guitar was not your #1...

[Sparky6string]

Originally posted by Jkater This is a little odd. The only thing I can think of is if you have individual saddles on your bridge, the A string is a little lower than it should. I've never heard of only one string being wacko and it having to do with the frets unless that one string is flawed or something.

 

 

Thanks guys. I will change the string because I have had bad strings before.

 

I'll keep tinkering too, consult my ouija, get a Geiger reading on it and call Mulder and Scully. If that doesn't work I guess to the tech it goes.

[Sparky6string]

Originally posted by Jkater Edit : you said it fell? did you check if the fall made dents from the string unto the fret? (heaven forbids...). This could actually create "high frets" problems on an individual string if the dent is located there. I hope this guitar was not your #1...

No I didn't. Should that be easy to see?

Edit: No it's not my #1 but I've been playing it a lot lately.

[Jkater]

Originally posted by Sparky6string Should that be easy to see?

 

 

If the dent is significant, yes. Just bend the string towards the side and you'll see if damage was done there.

 

Edit: I reread the posts and you said it buzzes pretty much everywhere on that string. Now that I think of it, it's unlikely that it is because of a dent because that would create a buzz on a particular area but not everywhere.

[Sparky6string]

Now that I think about it though the string had a small bend to it when I put it on. I had hoped the tension would have fixed it.

[Sparky6string]

A string change fixed almost all of it! I think truss rod adjustment will do the rest. Thanks for the idea Jkater!

[seven7]

if it's just that one string and it's buzzing everywhere then the string is too low at the saddle more than likely.

[Jkater]

The saddles at the bridge should look gently curved following the boards radius (but typically slightly higher on the bass side) if you look from the peg head down the neck. If there's a zigzag kind of shape to it then it's clearly in need of adjustment.

[Sparky6string]

The buzz is still there after truss rod adjustment. I was thinking about changing the bridge and stopbar to an alumnum one anyway, but I think I'll have my tech go over it anyway.

[satannica]

How high are your pickups? Try lowering them a touch, see if that relieves any. That's the only short term fix I can think of.

Where is it buzzing now?

This whole thing is symptomatic of a poor cut of the nut. Just get a new nut installed and that should sort you out.

Jon

[Shocker]

Can't be the nut. Fret buzz occurs at the contact point of the fret and the string (or the string hitting frets in its way, but the vibrating portion of the string. Guitar strings don't vibrate at the nut when fretting.

//S

[nuke_diver]

I see if I can tack on to this one and get an answer...

I have a similar problem, A string buzz only. However I didn't drop my guitar . It seems to be related to the volume knob...if I hold my finger on the knob and pluck the string no buzz.

Yet it seems to be on tight (the volume knob that is).

Any ideas of what might be wrong or how to fix it?

Thanks in advance