Fender Jaguar Buzzing - uneven frets, neck, shim? help!

Hydra19
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Fender Jaguar Buzzing - uneven frets, neck, shim? help!

Postby Hydra19 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:12 am

I've been having an issue with my Jaguar for a while - it buzzes around the 9th - 15th fret, on the low E string, the A a little bit and maybe the D as well, but mostly really noticable on the E, if I play from the 1str fret, it will start buzzing on the 9th or 10th. It is also on the high e on the 14th fret, but not on the 9th, just the 14th or so.

What could be the cause? Action? Well, I do like it low, but when raise it so there is no buzzing, it is way to high for the other strings, so I lower it to where I like it, and all the strings play pretty good, except the E's.

I've had the neck off, shimmed it, took it out, put it back in, now it's got a slight shim, business card. This is a 2008 MIJ Jaguar. Does it have an angled pocket? Does it need a shim? I'll probably take it out to get the bridge lower

I've had 10s up to flat 12s on it, and never changed the relief. it buzzed the least with the 12 flats, I've checked the relief and it's got slight relief. I can just fit a business card in between the top of the 7th fret and the E string, but a credit card moves it. So I read I should straigthen to neck to lower the action but it seems like that is already pretty good relief. What would you suggest? I have 10s on it now, which I never had before. But I always had the buzzing.

So the frets? Well, i thought about it and checked it, and it seems to me that there was slight rocking in the 11th fret, so it was too high, it didn't look like it, but would this explain the problem? I sanded it down until it didn't rock on the side of a credit card, but the buzzing is still there.

So what is my problem? Warped neck, doesn't seem like it, and it plays great all up until the 10th or 11th fret. I'm willing to give the truss rod a go, anything to get this guitar playing great everywhere. I like it, it's just when I'm doing some soloing it bothers me the deadness on the E strings when I'm playing an E pentatonic.

What would you suggest or do in my place? Thank you

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Re: Fender Jaguar Buzzing - uneven frets, neck, shim? help!

Postby Mr. Bill » Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:11 am

Fret buzzes are almost always caused by too low action, bowed necks or bad fretwork. Occasionally a bad string will cause it, especially wound strings.

Unless the fret is loose and popping out of the neck, sanding or filing one fret will usually not fix the problem. In fact it could cause even more problems as the fret tops are no longer even and level. Neck shims will help adjust the overall action of the guitar, but will not fix buzzes.

It sounds to me that there may not be enough relief in the neck. When you changed the string gauges did you adjust the truss rod?

If after adjusting neck and string height the buzzing remains, you may need to look into fret dressing or what is often referred to as level and crowning of the frets. The high tech solution is to find a shop that has a Plek machine, which is a computer controlled fret dressing system.

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Re: Fender Jaguar Buzzing - uneven frets, neck, shim? help!

Postby dubtrub » Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:08 am

Also, on a Jaguar or Jazzmaster type bridge and vibrato you don't want to lower the bridge. It's better to shim the neck and raise the bridge to give the string more of an angle 'breaking' over the bridge saddles. If there is not enough angle (meaning too flat) the strings have a tendency to pop out of the saddle.
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Hydra19
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Re: Fender Jaguar Buzzing - uneven frets, neck, shim? help!

Postby Hydra19 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:24 am

thanks for the reply
to be honest, i did nudge the truss rod ever so slightly to the right to tighten the neck a few months back but i did notice much of a difference, I guess I can try turning it a bit back. I've had 10s to 12s on it so maybe I needed to adjust the truss rod, but since I was only switching a gauge up at a time I thought it would get accustomed

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olrocknroller
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Re: Fender Jaguar Buzzing - uneven frets, neck, shim? help!

Postby olrocknroller » Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:47 pm

Hydra19 wrote:thanks for the reply
to be honest, i did nudge the truss rod ever so slightly to the right to tighten the neck a few months back but i did notice much of a difference, I guess I can try turning it a bit back. I've had 10s to 12s on it so maybe I needed to adjust the truss rod, but since I was only switching a gauge up at a time I thought it would get accustomed


Changing string sizes can have a significant effect on relief when you set the action low... Get a straight (ideally a millwright's) ruler and lay it on the frets as far as it reaches (best to use a 24" ruler). If you can rock the ruler, you have some form of "back-bow" (which I suspect you may have) in the neck. This can be adjusted out by relaxing the truss -rod if you like the strings you have, or alleviated by going to heavier gauge strings, followed by fine-tuning the truss-rod to get good relief, which for us close-action guys is usually around .004 to .006 inch at the 9th fret.

If you do adjust the truss-rod, no more than 1/4 turn at a time, then give the guitar a day or two to settle in. Play it lots to see how it's moving.

You may also want to check for a twist in the neck... Look from the bridge to the nut; if they are not on the same plane, you have a twist... take it to a luthier for repair, Fender fretboards are usually too thin for much adjustment by planing/sanding.

Hope that helps.
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Re: Fender Jaguar Buzzing - uneven frets, neck, shim? help!

Postby ludobag » Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:17 pm

before doing something bad take advise from a luther near you
advise normally is free the guy normally will tell you fast what is needed and how much it will cost cause if you haven't made before a planification it could be really dangerous the risk to have a bad planification is really more important than to have a good one moreover this operation not cost really hight rather really less than a a refretting ;)

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Re: Fender Jaguar Buzzing - uneven frets, neck, shim? help!

Postby oipunkguy » Sun Jul 15, 2012 1:55 am

generally you should try not to switch out different gauges if you can help it, it tends to throw an instrument out of wack. i would probably lossen the truss rod slightly to cause a little more back bow. also even the change in the seasons will affect your guitar setup. i have to adjust some of guitars twice a year (summer and winter) even if i barely play them, but personally i find this to be more true on basses.
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