buzzing/fretting on my acoustic

[trice]

I recently purchased an acoustic for a friend. It's a pretty decent Jasmine except for the fact that it buzzes (or frets out) at the second fret on the high e string. I've never had the problem with any of my guitars, and I've done some maintenance on electrics. Is there any way to give it a quick fix before I hand it over to my friend?

[katopp]

High fret.

Get a fret- rocker and check.

[gitnoob]

I'd also check the nut slots, especially the treble-E. If it's cut too low, you can get back buzz.

 

Check neck relief as well.

[Freeman Keller]

All good suggestions. Most likely if it only buzzes at one fret that one is high. But low action combined with very low relief can also cause buzzes in the first few frets.

 

I would start by rocking a short straightedge on the second fret - if it does rock then level and dress it. Once you are satisfied that they are level take a wood pencil and sand it in half - put it on the frets and draw a line on the nut (basically you are extending the fret line to the nut. You want the slots to approach that line, but not be below it.

 

Then string it up and check the relief - I consider 0.004 or so to be low but good. If you are lower than that slacken the truss rod just a hair to put a little more in.

[Grant Harding]

If it's used - this is likely to be coming from a dent in the second fret caused by heavy-handed D chords over time. The buzz is the string not quite clearing the 3rd fret due to the valley on the 2nd (if that's the case here).