Free Shipping with no minimum purchase. Learn more »

Cart (800) 222-4700 Español (800) 222-4701


May is Mic Month at Sweetwater!

Expert Center Sweetcare

«Back to Tech Tip Menu

Search:

Tech Tip of the Day Archives
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012

Openly Buzzing Strings
03/18/2009

Q: My guitar is buzzing, but only on the open strings. How can I fix this?

A: Open strings buzz because the nut slots are cut too deep. There are two solutions, both of which are best handled by a qualified technician:

  • Replace the nut with a new one that has its slots cut to the appropriate depth.

  • Shim the existing nut to raise it, and the string height, up very slightly.

In either case, the guitar should then have a complete setup to ensure that it is playing as well as possible and that the action, intonation, etc., is optimized for your playing style.



Other Techtips from March 2009:
March 31 - G5 RAM Installation
March 27 - Amp Aiming
March 26 - PT Playback Cursor
March 25 - Mic Measurements
March 24 - Plug-in Dilemma
March 23 - Coil Splitting Versus Coil Tapping
March 20 - Nut Slot Depth
March 19 - Long Guitar Cables
March 18 - Openly Buzzing Strings
March 17 - Combining MIDI Signals
March 16 - Guitar Control Knob Removal
March 13 - Measuring Neck Relief
March 12 - RAM Performance in Nehalem Macs
March 11 - Kickin' Ribbons
March 10 - FireWire and Macs
March 09 - Guitarists: Midrange is Your Friend
March 06 - Data Storage
March 05 - BR600 Transfer to Computer
March 04 - Levels When Tracking Audio
March 03 - MP3 and PT
March 02 - Buffers and Latency
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012
     
Home | Gear Reviews | Videos | Buying Guides | Glossary | Tech Tips | Show Reports | Publications | Featured Articles

Our Customers Say...

“One thing I really admire about Sweetwater is that every customer is treated well, whether they're purchasing something for $10 or $10,000. You don't find that at other places. We consider Sweetwater a partner.”
Joel Kass, Chicago, IL

Sweetwater Sound Inc.
5501 U.S. Hwy 30 W
Fort Wayne, IN 46818
Get Directions »

Toll Free (800) 222–4700
Español (800) 222–4701
Local (260) 432–8176
Fax (260) 432–1758
E-mail us

Phone & Retail Store Hours:
9–9 Monday–Thursday
9–8 Friday
9–7 Saturday
(All hours listed are
Eastern Standard Time.)

© 2012 Sweetwater Sound Inc. All rights reserved. Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Links | Press Releases