1st string has a buzz on 1st fret only

[kimbob]

I have a Yamaha RGX 1212S. I t's the only one I've ever seen. Anyway the 1st string (high E) has a buzz at the first fret only. The neck looks straight and I've tried raising the bridge but by the time I get the buzz to go away I could shoot arrows with it the action is so high. Do you think it could be a high fret somewhere? Or do I need to adjust the truss rod a little? If so what can I do?
Thanks Kimbob

[Lordathestrings]

Your problem is 1 string at 1 fret. Get a luthier or at least a good tech to look at it. I think some fret-leveling and/or nut adjustment is needed.

[Bardsley]

Lord is right (that's a suprise). Problems with action usually make temselves apparent at the twelfht fret, or around the seventh. Because of the distance from the nut, the action, as you saw, needs to be very high to affect the first couple of frets. The nut seems a much more likely candidate, it might have been cut a bit too deep for the first string, or the first fret has just been badly done.

[kimbob]

Thanks for the quick reply Lord and Bardsley.
I shimmed up the 1st string at the nut(with a piece of foil) just to see if that would make a difference. It did. I can also lower the action a little. My new question is should I replace the nut(it's a Floyd Rose lock down type and can be removed with an allen wrench) or should I just take it to my guitar guy and have him give it the once over. I usually do most of the mantainence myself(anything that can be fixed or peplaced with a screw driver), but I don't mess around with frets and the finer things.
Thanks again KIMBOB

[pstring]

Kimbob, you might want to try this, loosen the mounting screws on the nut, cut a small piece of foil that will fit in the nut slot from the edge to the first treble side mounting screw, snug the screws back up and see how it works, it's easily reversible and if it works you saved yourself some cash and a car ride

[Bardsley]

Is foil going to be a very good permanent solution? I would advise that you send it to a guitar guy for a once over. I'm surprised that adding somethig to the first fret would make it better, I was expecting that the first fret would be too big, rather than too small. Send it to a guitar guy. Get it fixed.

Oh, no, of course, the first fret would be too small so that the string is also touching the second fret. Possibly it's the second fret that's been set badly, can you see any fret obviously higher or lower than the ones around them?

[Edited by Bardsley on 04-13-2002 at 12:51 AM]

[magicninja]

I fixed the same problem by adjusting the things (I don't know what they are called) the strings are attached to at the bottom of the guitar. I raised the string off the fretboard by turning the little screws in them and retuned the string and it sounded perfect if that don;t work good luck.

[pstring]

Is the foil a good permanent solution? Yes, Locking nuts get shimmed all the time, outside of a bad fret problem, their are two possibilities here, defective locking nut, or nut slot cut too deep, you can replace a bad nut easily, but "uncutting" and recutting the nut slot is going to cost a "FEW" dollars more, so shimming the nut up a few thousandths is just a quick easy fix, not perfect, but it is a fix. I have a question for anyone who has taken a guitar or two to the repair shop, Has the friendly repair guy ever invited you to watch him fix your guitar?
Another case for nut shimming, you buy super cool locking nut guitar with super cool low action, play it 5 years day and night, wear out the frets, get a fret job, and have those new super Mammoth Magnum Ultra high jumbo frets installed, the locking nut is getting shimmed or fret 1 just became the zero fret.


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Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, He's only fixing your guitar.............

[Bardsley]

Sorry, you know what I was thinking? That you meant putting a bit of foil in the groove where the strings went, and I thought "hmmm". Yeah, shimming sounds good to me then. I don't know why I get involved in these tech discussions, I really don't have much of a clue about these sorts of things. I just need to feel like I'm wanted.... *sigh* *sniffle*

[pstring]

I still love you, in a manly way of course.......

[Bardsley]

Hee hee. *lots of gruff patting of backs, and firm handshakes* lol.