If you’re a guitar geek like all of us at Acoustic Life, you look forward to that moment in the day when you can kick back and have some fun playing your acoustic guitar.
But nothing spoils that fun like a fret buzz emanating from your guitar, especially when you’re trying to nail perfect guitar notes and chords.
Today, I’m going to help you identify where your acoustic guitar buzz is coming from.
There are a plethora of possible reasons why your acoustic guitar is buzzing. We’re going to break down the different types of buzzes on guitars, as well as possible fixes for the buzzing.
If you’re looking for more lessons or maintenance guides, be sure to check out Tony’s Acoustic Challenge. This awesome, curated, online guitar course will help you live your best acoustic life.
Originally published on February 12, 2018, this article was republished on August 8, 2022.
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Yes, I Want the FREE Download!Types of Acoustic Guitar Buzzing
Before you fix your acoustic guitar buzzing, it’s important to understand the different reasons why your acoustic guitar could be buzzing or rattling.
There are two distinctly different types of buzzes: technical fret buzzes and mechanical fret buzzes.
Technical Fret Buzzes
Technical buzzes are typically caused by improper technique or how you approach the fret. If you are fretting your guitar behind the intended fret, this can cause some buzzing.
To remedy this, place your fretting finger behind the fret — not on top, and not in the space between two frets — but just behind the intended fret. This will create cleaner chords.
If you are having issues with fretting on barre chords, check out our guide for clean, buzz-free chords.
How to Reduce Fret Buzz With Better Technique
Another way to remedy technical buzzes is by making sure you’re fretting the string with your fingertips. When people learn the guitar, oftentimes they use the pads of their fingers. Using the pads gets unnecessary skin buzzing on other strings. Introducing some arch in your fingers and playing with the tips of your fingers can alleviate technical buzzing, especially when executing techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs.
In addition, you want to make sure you are applying the right amount of pressure to the frets.
White-knuckling and pressing down too hard can fatigue you while also bending notes sharp. Too little pressure can cause the string to rattle against the fret.
Finding the sweet spot of pressure will no doubt help any technical buzzes.
Mechanical Buzzes (Looking Beyond Fret Buzz)
Mechanical buzzes might be caused by the truss rod, frets, and other metallic parts on your guitar. It may seem intimidating to work on a guitar to fix the mechanical buzzes, but many solutions are surprisingly easy.
A quick fix that many guitar players may not even realize is that a button on their shirt, a belt, or a zipper is buzzing against the body of the guitar.
As a general rule, try to keep any metallic or hard objects on your clothes away from the guitar.
How to Fix Mechanical Buzzes
If your mechanical buzz isn’t the result of a button or zipper, try these solutions:
Tuners
The first place to check is on the headstock. The tuners and the bushings on the tuners can wiggle loose over time.
One quick fix is to apply a dab of wood glue to the area between the headstock and the bushing. This will help ensure they aren’t rattling or buzzing.
The Nut
The next place to look is behind the guitar’s nut. Sometimes, if the nut slot is cut too shallow, the nut may buzz.
One quick solution to the nut buzzing is to place a thin leather shoelace in the area where there is extra room.
Truss Rod Issues
Another possible reason why your guitar is rattling or buzzing may be due to the truss rod.
We aren’t suggesting you tighten the truss rod, but rather take your truss rod wrench and tighten the truss rod nut. Making sure the truss rod nut is snug with the truss rod channel can alleviate some buzzing.
String Buzzing
If you are using ball end strings, one place to check for rattling or buzzing is the ball end. Sometimes, the ball end won’t sit flush with the saddle or bridge. If the ball end isn’t flush, it may create buzzing noises.
To fix this buzzing, loosen your strings until you can adjust the ball ends so that they are flush with the bridge and saddle.
Strings also tend to wear out over time. The windings on the bass strings might start to deteriorate, which can cause buzzing. Be sure to change your strings frequently.
Other Reasons Why the Guitar is Buzzing
Some more serious issues that might cause buzzing include loose braces, cracks, or separations. These issues, while serious, can be fixed by your local luthier or a repair shop. Oftentimes, they will be able to solve the issue by installing a cleat to limit the cracking or adding more glue.
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Fortunately, you access hundreds of lessons taught and curated by Tony. That’s right, requesting an invite to Tony’s Acoustic Challenge will give you the opportunity to learn from some of the best online guitar lessons.
Tony’s Acoustic Challenge is a daily acoustic guitar practice method. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced flatpicker, Tony helps you have WAY more fun with your acoustic guitar while getting better in the process.
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Tony,
I have an older guitar on which the strings seem to be set farther from the fret board that the average for today’s models. The result is, I have to push down harder on the strings to make them come into contact with the fret board. But, in any case, eliminating all buzz with this sort of arrangement is difficult Any suggestions (other than buying a newer instrument) for those of us stuck in the past?
Hi Michael
I am relatively new to this site, but maybe able to help you as I consider myself as a part time Luthier as I like to build and repair guitars.
you need to lower the action on the guitar by removing the stings and you should be able to then remove the bridge saddle, this is the strip in the bridge usually either plastic or bone (depending on the quality of the guitar), I recommend if it is plastic to replace it with a bone saddle as this will usually give a better tone.
Once you have the saddle out, you can then sand it down, using a light grade sand paper. Note, only sand down the bottom of the saddle, as the top is curved. Also make sure you sand the saddle evenly. This will lower the action/strings of the guitar. It will be a bit of trial and error to get the height that you want. Beware that if you sand the saddle down too much, the strings may start to buzz against the frets.
Hope that helps
Mark
I get a buzz or a squeak when I release a D chord. It seems to be coming from the first and second strings, basically the unwound strings. It happens when I release the chord but don’t moved to another chord. I can basically sit on the chord and continually fret and release, fret and release, etc and hear the buzz. I may try the shoelace trice behind the nut. I may also try using some pencil dust in the nut. Have you ever heard of this particular issue before.
Avoid playing D chords. There so many other wonderful cords you can play :-????
Thanks Tony! Good information!! Great tips!!
Great tips Tony, What pickup is in your Martin?
Great tips Tony. Always a good reminder to have a set up performed on your instrument. For a few bucks you get a lot of great results!
Catching a Nice Buzz.
I work as a voice actor. After a recording session several years ago—before I had my own voice booth and recording setup—I was recording voice-overs in a fabulous studio in a small Southern town. While the engineer edited and tweaked the track we’d just recorded, I pulled a beautiful, Dean Exotica Bubinga acoustic from the studio owner’s guitar rack and began playing it. I loved the sound of the guitar and especially liked the action of the fingerboard.
Each time I’d visit the studio for a voice session, I’d pick up that Dean and play it, complimenting its sound and action. One day, the studio owned said, “Why don’t you take it home with you?” I was delighted and replied, “I’d love to take it home and play it. I’ll bring it back to you the next time we record.”
He said, “No, man. Keep it. It’s yours. There’s a split in the soundboard from where some drunk musician stepped on it, and every time anyone really gets down on it in a recording session, I can hear a buzz. I can’t use it for recording and since I don’t play, you can have it.” I was blown away!
Later, I took the guitar to a luthier who filled the slits in the soundboard and added two small cleats in the back to stabilize them. Voila! No more buzz… not that I ever heard the buzz anyway because I’m mostly a finger-picker and never get down on it.
The Dean isn’t an expensive guitar, but it has a lovely tone and is easy to play. Best of all, my total investment—other than regular restringing—has been $45.
Hi Tony,
There’s another easily fixed buzz source that can happen on certain chords. I have a ’68 Gibson J200 with a really narrow nut. Every time I played a 3 fingered “A” chord I noticed a slightly muted buzz. Yup, it was the 5th string just barely hitting my index finger callous. I couldn’t even feel it until I focused on it. Moving to a 2 finger configuration for the “A” fixed the problem. Since then I’ve found the same problem on other chords, especially the funky ones like an Em9, or an Esus4. Can’t get sloppy and sound good!
How do you adjust the truss rod?
I have a Martin DRS 2 I purchased new 5-6 years ago. About 2 years of playing I started getting a buzz when I fretted the b string first fret, making a C note. I checked it out and could not find The issue. I removed the strings and took a closer look at the frets. In a few places ( mostly the mostly the first 3 frets ) where the strings came in contact with the fret it was tarnished.like a greenish color on copper, ever so small but it was there. I ran my finger over all the frets and right at that first fret b string spot I could feel a deviation or bump on the fret. I could not see it but I felt it. I took a emery board and went over that fret twice. Cleaned the other frets,restrung it and problem solved. I own 5 guitars and I use mostly Exlier strings this is the only time I experienced this problem. Why it happen I haven’t a clue. Just happy it was an easy fix.
Love your tips and show. Thanks for what you do.
Jim Young. Fort Myers Fa.
Hi Tony, your tips are awesome and I’ve been watching your lessons for several months now and find them to be a great source of information about the guitar but also how you bring the player to the “wooden box strung with silver strings… ” as Harry Chapin cleverly lyricized in his song “Remember When the Music” in that your teaching is similar in its “modernized” version of the “player meets the guitar” and likens it to his escape into a whirlpool of his potential ability and how to pull the most of his “current” ability and how growth with proper guidance is paramount and should be in sync with the learning curve!
Caring for the instrument health is so very critical to the need to learn what the guitar can provide one with the desire to create with it’s beauty and built in melodic qualities! I’ve learned a lot of the intricacies of maintaining the instruments health as well as learning how to embody the music it will produce due in part to watching your feeds on my cell ph. and lap top! THANKS,! Thanks for you lessons and sharing your knowledge and expertise!
“In Nashville, ” Lee Jones
Tony, I enjoy your information videos. There is one more buzz that I experience.
It has nothing to do with the guitar.
When my finger nails get too long and my fingering pushes over near the next string
above almost touching the open string above my finger, I get a buzz from the finger nail
vibrating on the open string.
Hi, what model martin are you playing in 82 ?
Thanks
Lloyd
Dear Tony,
I enjoyed this program but I lost my password and every time I enter to have the login send me a new one, it never arrives in my inbox. I’m frustrated. Please help as I’ve been missing out for a while now. I can not find any way on the site to contact TAC about this issue other then this forum. Sorry.
Odd, brief buzz on 1997 Martin 00-40 when played fingerstyle: open G string; G on the 5th fret of the D string, G on the 10th fret of the A string. Don’t know if “buzz” is right description, as it is only noticeable immediately after striking the string. However, it is note specific, centering on G, plus or minus 1-2 frets. Thoughts??
I have a Sigma 12 fret guitar on which the truss-rod has tightened and will not move ,how can I free it ?