Getting a tone problem - not sure what to do

I am a beginner and have just started about a week before Thankgiving 2007 to learn to play. I have a Gibson electric and I am having a really annoying issue that I cannot figure out on my own.

I have focused very hard on clean tones and fretting in the correct spot to not get the "ringing" or "buzzing" sound if you are not quite on. Problem in on the high E string 3rd fret, no matter what I do I get a buzz with my note. Close to the fret, far away, does not matter. The 2nd and 4th fret ring clear, but the 3rd has this annoying buzz accmpanying every note I play. Since the beginners lessons such as Jingle Bells and My Country Tis of Thee use this note a lot that's how I found my "problem". I have just played around strumming just that note for what seems like hours and I cannot shake the issue. What am I doing wrong?

You may have to raise the strings slightly. One of your frets may be a little too high. Once you raise the strings you'll have to set the intonation again too.
If that doesn't work, you might have to take your guitar in to have the raised fret repaired.

If your strings are low and you don't have a professional set it up, fret buzz is what you'll get. :(

Like Kevin said, try raising the string from the bridge, shouldn't take much, maybe half a turn then try it again etc.. And like he said if you end up raising it too much (3+ more full turns) you might end up just having to get your frets repaired.

Originally Posted by: caracarnI am a beginner and have just started about a week before Thankgiving 2007 to learn to play. I have a Gibson electric and I am having a really annoying issue that I cannot figure out on my own.

I have focused very hard on clean tones and fretting in the correct spot to not get the "ringing" or "buzzing" sound if you are not quite on. Problem in on the high E string 3rd fret, no matter what I do I get a buzz with my note. Close to the fret, far away, does not matter. The 2nd and 4th fret ring clear, but the 3rd has this annoying buzz accmpanying every note I play. Since the beginners lessons such as Jingle Bells and My Country Tis of Thee use this note a lot that's how I found my "problem". I have just played around strumming just that note for what seems like hours and I cannot shake the issue. What am I doing wrong?

well, what happens a lot is the fretboard warps, due to humidity or lack thereof, which means it bends, so your string hits other frets slightly when you depres it.

OR your fret could be indented, that happened to me once.

go to a guitar shop and see if they can fix it. (not guitar center though, cuz they have so many repairs it can take a while)

Originally Posted by: Kevin TaylorYou may have to raise the strings slightly. One of your frets may be a little too high. Once you raise the strings you'll have to set the intonation again too.
If that doesn't work, you might have to take your guitar in to have the raised fret repaired.

OK, again, I'm a total beginner. How do I "raise the strings"? I have a Gibson electric.

Hi !

Just raise the post supporting your bridge slightly ( turn counter-clock wise ). You might want to loosen up you strings first to make it a little easier. You only need to do this on the high strings side. Let us know how it works out.