The Complete Guide To Fixing Guitar And Bass Fret Buzz

Nothing is worse than tuning up your guitar, plugging in, and as soon as you start to play, everything sounds like a buzzy mess. Fret buzz can make even simple chords sound terrible and make you lose your inspiration. Fret buzz is caused by many factors, but they are all fixable. This guide will help you track down the cause of the buzz and how to get rid of it. While this guide will focus on guitar, these tips and techniques apply to any fretted instrument like bass, mandolin, banjo, and more.

What Is Fret Buzz?

Fret buzz is when the string makes a buzzy, rattling sound when played. The note does not ring out and sustain, but has a metallic, muffled sound.

What Causes Guitar Fret Buzz?

When a guitar has a proper setup and the frets are level with each other, each string will ring at the fretted note, and pass over the next fret with no issue. Fret buzz is caused when a string vibrates against the next fret instead of over it when played.

For example, if you are fretting a note on the 3rd fret, and the string is making contact with the 4th fret, that contact is fret buzz. In most cases the fret that is actually causing the buzzing is the fret after (closer to the bridge) rather than the fret you are playing when you are hearing the buzz. Sometimes this is because the fret causing the buzz is higher/taller than the previous fret, but that is not always the case.

Fret buzz can be caused by many factors:

String action height: string action that is too low can cause fret buzz, as the strings are closer to the frets, increasing the likelihood of contact when the string vibrates. This can be caused by the bridge saddles, or acoustic guitar saddle, being too low. If the action is too low, the strings do not have enough room to vibrate, and will buzz against the frets.
Neck relief: Improper neck relief, either too much (called concave or up bow) or too little (called bent backwards or back bow), can also cause fret buzz. A neck that is mostly straight with a light concave bow is the proper relief for buzz-free playing. A very straight or back bowed neck does not give the strings enough room to vibrate, and they will buzz against the frets.
Uneven Frets: Frets that are not level with each other will cause notes to buzz, as the higher frets will interfere with string vibration. This can cause buzzing on just one note on the fret, or in some cases, every note. This can be caused by improper fret installation where the fret was not seated (installed flush to the board) correctly. This can also be caused by the frets not being correctly leveled after they were installed at the factory.
Worn frets: similar to uneven frets, after years of playing some frets will develop spots where the metal of the fret has been dented or worn away. This wear will also cause fret buzz. Just as uneven frets, some frets will be higher than others, causing the strings to not have enough room to vibrate above the frets, causing them to buzz.

What Should I Do If I Am Hearing Fret Buzz?

If you are finding fret buzz, giving your guitar a proper setup can usually correct simple causes of fret buzz like action or neck relief. We suggest that before you start hunting for the source of the fret buzz, head to the MusicNomad Setup Hub. Follow The FLOW and the step-by-step Setup Manual. Once you’ve got your guitar setup and you’re still chasing fret buzz, this guide will help you fix it.

How Do I Tell Which Frets Are Causing Buzz?

To find the high fret you’ll need a small straightedge, like our Fret Rocker+ with String Action Gauge to zero in on the high frets or worn spots. You’ll need to span 3 frets at a time, and the straightedge will rock on the fret that is high. The fret that is high is usually the right after (closer to the bridge) the one that is buzzing. The next section will cover detailed steps to finding exactly which frets are causing the buzz.

How Do I Diagnose Guitar Fret Buzz?

If you are hearing fret buzz as you are playing, you first need to find all the spots that are buzzing to determine the cause and best solution.

Play every note on the guitar: Note every spot that you are hearing fret buzz on our Fret Buzz Tracker or on a piece of paper. This will help you determine if the string action, neck relief, or frets are causing the buzz.
If most of the frets are buzzing all over the neck: your action may be too low or you may not have enough neck relief.
If the fret buzz is happening with the frets in the middle of the neck: the neck may not have enough relief.
If the fret buzz is happening on the first fret: the nut slots may be too low.
If the fret buzz is happening on three or fewer frets: you may have a few high or uneven frets or high spots on the frets.
If the frets are buzzing on four or more frets: you may have many frets that are uneven from play wear.

Once you determine where the fret buzz is occurring and how many frets are buzzing, you can use some quick and easy fixes in the following section to get rid of the buzz. If the frets are uneven or worn, the fix will be a bit more involved, but is easy to do with the right tools.

What Tools Do I Need To Fix Fret Buzz?

To fix fret buzz, you’ll need accurate tools, since the difference between a level fret and a high fret is only a few thousandths of an inch or millimeter.

Straightedges: Accurate straightedges will help you determine which frets are high and which are level. The easiest way to do this is by evaluating 3 frets at a time with the Fret Rocker+ with String Action Gauge. It has 4 straightedges to accurately evaluate the frets anywhere on the fretboard.
Feeler gauges: Feeler gauges are essential to determine how much a fret is uneven with the others, if a fret is poorly seated, and if there is enough fret material left to level. The Precision Fret Gauge has all of the feeler gauges you need in one package, and an additional gauge to determine the width of your frets before crowning.
Leveling Files: Files will let you remove excess material from high frets to make them level with the other frets. Files are perfect for spot leveling when only a few frets (or high spots on a fret) need to be leveled. The Diamond U-File Fret Leveler is perfect for spot leveling while the Fret Leveler L-Beam with sandpaper can level the entire fretboard quickly.
Crowning Files: Crowning files restore the round shape to the leveled fret. The S-File Safe Zone Guitar Fret Crowning File is diamond coated and makes it easy to reshape the fret without ruining the leveled top.
Sandpaper/Polishing Papers: After leveling with sandpaper, frets need to be polished. Fine grits like those in the Tracers Fret Finishing Kit remove filing marks and get the frets shining and playing smooth. The Tracer system also makes the polishing much faster and easier than just polishing papers alone.

What Are Quick Fixes To Get Rid Of Guitar Fret Buzz?

In some cases you may be able to do some simple setup tweaks to get rid of the fret buzz:

1. Measure your string action at the 12th fret, the MusicNomad Precision String Action Gauge is perfect for this. If your action is below 0.05” (1.2mm) on either E string, raise it up to 0.07” (1.7mm) for both E strings.
2. On an electric guitar this is done by raising the bridge or saddles, or adding a small shim under an acoustic guitar saddle.
3. If the buzzing goes away on those strings, raise the rest of the strings to match the radius (the Precision Radius Gauge Set makes this much easier.)
4. If you have to raise the action above 0.075” (1.9mm), the guitar may be hard to play and you may have other issues that need to be evaluated with a full setup or by a qualified luthier.If most of the frets are buzzing all over the neck: raise your action.
If the fret buzz is happening with the frets in the middle of the neck: add neck relief.
1. To determine if your neck does not have enough relief, use a neck relief or truss rod gauge (like our Precision Truss Rod Gauge) to determine if your neck does not have the proper relief. If you need help, check our guide with step-by-step instructions on how to find and fix your neck relief.
2. Adjust your neck so it is mostly straight with a slight amount of relief. This will allow the strings to have the proper clearance over the frets in the middle of the neck to vibrate without buzzing on the frets.

If your nut slots are too low or your frets are uneven or worn, sometimes raising the action can be a quick, but not permanent fix. This is a good solution if you need to get through a band practice or show. But a high action can make the guitar difficult or uncomfortable to play. In these cases you need to do a proper fix to get the guitar playing and sounding great.

What Are Proper Fixes For Fret Buzz?

If the quick fixes don’t work, you need to do some simple maintenance on the frets to solve the problem. With the right tools and a little patience you can make your guitar play perfectly without heading to the guitar tech.

For most fret buzz problems that are caused by the frets, you’ll need to level the high frets to get rid of the buzz. We suggest that before you start leveling frets, make sure you do a proper setup. Head to the MusicNomad Setup Hub and follow The FLOW and the step-by-step Setup Manual. Once you’ve got your guitar setup and you’re still chasing fret buzz, you’ll know the frets are the issue.

Before you start with these proper fixes, you need to determine exactly what work you need to do and get the right tools for the job.

If the fret buzz is happening on the first fret: raise your nut slots.
1. To determine if the nut slots are too low, take a thin piece of paper and cut off a very small 1/16”x 1/16” (1.5mm/1.5mm) square.
2. Place the square of paper in the nut slot of the buzzing strings, and place the string back over it. If the fret buzz stops, you need to raise the nut slots.
3. You can replace the entire nut, or use a repair powder such as The Nut Rescue Kit from Music City Bridge.
4. For full instructions on fixing and reslotting your nut, head over to The Complete Guide To Guitar Nut Height.
If the fret buzz is happening on three or fewer frets: spot level the high frets
1. To determine if you have a few high or uneven frets or high spots, use a small straightedge like our Fret Rocker+ with String Action Gauge to zero in on the high frets or worn spots. You’ll need to span 3 frets at a time, and the straightedge will rock on the fret that is high. Remember that the fret that is high is usually the right after (closer to the bridge) the one that is buzzing.
2. When you locate the high fret, use a feeler gauge to determine if it is out of tolerance enough to cause buzz. Rest the Fret Rocker+ with String Action Gauge on the high fret and try to fit a feeler gauge between the rocker and the fret before (towards the nut). Using the feeler gauge between the correctly level fret will tell you how out of spec the high fret is.
3. Because hardware store feeler gauges are covered in machining grease, we recommend using our Precision Fret Gauge, which is clean and ready to use immediately. If the feeler gauge shows a gap of 0.0015” (0.04mm) or greater, your fret is high enough to cause a buzz and needs to be leveled.
4. Also check that the fret is properly seated to the board with a feeler gauge. If you can slip a feeler gauge between the bottom of the fret and the top of the fingerboard, the fret is not seated properly and will need to be reseated. The 0.004” (0.10mm) feeler gauge in the Precision Fret Gauge is perfect for this. Reseating the fret is a job for a luthier to examine and fix.
5. Also check that the fret is properly seated to the board with a feeler gauge. If you can slip a feeler gauge between the bottom of the fret and the top of the fingerboard, the fret is not seated properly and will need to be reseated. The 0.004” (0.10mm) feeler gauge in the Precision Fret Gauge is perfect for this. Reseating the fret is a job for a luthier to examine and fix.
6. Now that you’ve determined you need to level the frets that are out of spec, you’ll need to level the high spots or the entire high fret.
7. Follow the detailed instructions in our Fret Care Hub. Go to the video section and you’ll find step by step videos on How to Fix Isolated Fret Buzz. This will show you the steps discussed, and how to use files like the Diamond U-File Fret Leveler to level, crown, and polish the frets.
If the frets are buzzing on four or more frets: level the entire board.
When there are four or more high frets, it is better to level the entire board. Leveling one fret at a time will be very tedious and there may be more worn frets that are out of spec you will miss by only spot leveling.
1. To determine if you have many high or uneven frets or high spots, follow the same process as with 3 or less frets, using a small straightedge like our Fret Rocker+ with String Action Gauge to zero in on the high frets or worn spots.
2. Use a feeler gauge like the Precision Fret Gauge, to determine how out of spec the frets are.
3. Now that you’ve determined the trouble spots, you’ll need to level the entire board
4. Follow the detailed instructions in our Fret Care Hub and check out this video on How To Fix Fret Buzz: Perform a Full Fret Level.

What Is The Acceptable Amount My Frets Can Be Uneven?

Not all frets that are uneven cause buzzing. Generally frets that are more than 0.001” (0.2mm) to 0.015”(0.4mm) higher than the others won’t cause buzzing unless you have a heavy attack or play aggressively. Once frets are greater than 0.015”(0.4mm) higher than the others, they will cause fret buzz. Using a feeler gauge and straightedge in combination like the Fret Rocker+ with String Action Gauge and Precision Fret Gauge will let you quickly and accurately determine if your frets are uneven enough to cause buzzing.

I Set Up My Guitar And Now My Frets Buzz, Why?

Many times after you set up your guitar properly, your neck will be straighter and the action will be lower. When action is high, fret buzz is minimized, just as a concave neck with excessive relief will also hide fret buzz. After a proper guitar setup you'll take the action and neck relief out of the equation, and reveal fret issues you may not have heard before. With a proper setup and level frets, your guitar will play better all over the neck.

Is A Little Fret Buzz Acceptable If I Love My String Action Height?

Yes, if you love your action and how your guitar plays, a little buzz can be fine. Aggressive playing can always cause fret buzz, so you can try to play less aggressively or with a softer attack. You can also add some neck relief by loosening the truss rod to lessen fret buzz when you play hard. This will slightly raise the action in the middle of the fretboard but help you keep overall action you love.

Can The Way I Play Affect Fret Buzz?

Yes. If you play aggressively or with a heavy attack, you can cause the strings to vibrate so much they will hit the frets, causing fret buzz. Also if you are not fretting a note cleanly, especially when playing barre chords, you will cause fret buzz. When your guitar has the proper setup you’ll find the guitar is actually easier and more fun to play, and you can play less heavy-handed.

Does The Weather Cause Fret Buzz?

Yes. Changes in temperature and humidity can cause the fretboard to dry out, and this can cause some frets to pop up out of their slots. You can confirm this by using a feeler gauge to see if there is a gap between the fret and the fretboard wood. If there is a gap, that could be causing fret buzz. Also temperature and humidity change between the seasons, the fretboard will shrink and expand, and this can cause the frets to become uneven. That’s why caring for your fretboard is extremely important to keep your guitar playing well all year long.

Why Does My Guitar Buzz When Played Acoustically But Not When Played Through An Amp?

Because the string vibrates closer to the frets than the pickups, you may hear fret buzz acoustically, but not through your amp. This is especially true if you have lower action. Since this buzz is not happening over the pickup, it is not disrupting the magnetic field of the pickup enough to be heard through the amp. In many cases guitar players will tolerate this fret buzz as it does not affect the overall tone and sound of the instrument and amp. If you are hearing the fret buzz through the amp, then the buzz is more serious and needs to be addressed.