Fret buzz on lower e string 3rd fret, D40-R

[TonyC99]

Hi,

I bought a new D40-R about two years ago and it has a fret buzz at the 3rd fret high (thin) e string. It has been like this from new.

What can be done to fix this? I played with medium strings for a while which helped, but going back to light gauge strings has brought the buzz back. The buzz is even worse with extra light gauge strings. Everything else about the guitar is good.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Tony

[Queequeg]

Many different issues will result in a buzz.
Tuners (machines) loose & rattling, individual frets, nut, saddle.
Have you had a professional setup?
If not, you really might want to consider, since I'm guessing you don't do your own work on your guitars.
If anyone suggests adjusting the truss rod as a remedy, run as fast as you can.

[TonyC99]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I brought it back to the store I bought it from soon after I bought it, to see if they could lower the action to make it easier to play. They said it was set up to Larivee specifications and didn't want to make the action any lower. It was after that that I realized there was fret buzz only at the 3rd fret, thin e string. There is no fret buzz anywhere else. Going to medium strings helped.

Cheers,
Tony

Many different issues will result in a buzz.
Tuners (machines) loose & rattling, individual frets, nut, saddle.
Have you had a professional setup?
If not, you really might want to consider, since I'm guessing you don't do your own work on your guitars.
If anyone suggests adjusting the truss rod as a remedy, run as fast as you can.

[B0WIE]

It's possible for the fret to have lifted at the end. Try getting the corner of a piece of paper in there. If it's lifted, it's a relatively easy fix. But, first I'd check the relief. If the neck has too much relief then you'll often get buzzes between the 3rd and 7th frets. You correct this by straightening the neck slightly via the truss rod. This is normal maintenence. You can read more about neck relief online.

If the truss rod adjustment doesn't cure the buzz, a tech can either glue down a lifted fret or file down a high fret. Both take less than 5min. The recommendation for getting a set up is spot on. Factories can only take a guess at how the woods are going to settle in your climate so factory setups are rarely ideal. A good setup can make playing your guitar even more pleasant.

[B0WIE]

The response you received about "Larrivee specifications" is somewhat concerning and doesn't make a lot of sense. I'd take it to an actual tech.

[Koamon]

When I got my 000-40mt the D string would buzz only on the first three frets with the first being the worse offender. I adjusted the neck to give it enough relief until it no longer buzzed and then brought down the saddle by sanding down the bottom with a belt sander a bit at a time until I had the optimum set-up for my playing style across the fretboard. Just be patient and do small increments at a time. Gotta say that the hardest part was seating the truss rod tool multiple times throughout the process.

[TonyC99]

Many thanks for all of the good ideas and advice.


I had a fried of mine at a Bluegrass jam take a look at it and he said that the fourth fret is slightly raised, thus making the 3rd fret buzz. He said that it will need to have the fret checked to make sure it is set in to the fretboard correctly or have a little bit of the fret trimmed.

I will be taking it to where I bought it from and have them fix it.

Many thanks :)
Anthony