getting a lot of fret buzz between frets 3-6

[drewphishes]

Changed strings from the TI flats a new epic I got had on them.

put on ghs pressurerounds.

getting a lot of buzz even after raising the bridge.

I havent adjusted truss rod yet bc I need the right wrench which I will get tomm. (snow storm in the northeast)

Hoping that will fix so I can lower the bridge a bit more get a bit better action

[StephenR]

I haven't played on TI flats but the other strings of theirs I have tried all had very low tension. While you are waiting out the storm the new strings should start to pull the neck up a bit if the string tension is higher. That will have all settled in by the time you get the wrench and then you can adjust from there.

[drewphishes]

Should I start by tightening the truss or loosening it

[lbpesq]

One at a time, press each outer string down at the first fret and near where the frets leave the body.  Then check the clearance in the middle.  There should be a little clearance, about the thickness of a pick, or less.   If there is more clearance, the truss rod(s) need to be tightend.  If not enough clearance, the rod(s) need to be loosened.  Or, better yet, read "Joey's Post on setting Up Your Bass" in the "Must Reads" section.

Bill, tgo

[drewphishes]

thats the thing, from what I can see it looks like theres plenty of clearance, a medium pick fits in and moves the string up a little bit, prob just needs a bit more tho

[elwoodblue]

Is there an adjustable nut on your Epic?


Curious...does the first or second fret have the buzz, or does it start at the third?

[drewphishes]

yes theres an adjustable nut

im getting frustrated no matter what I do I get a ton of buzz at fret 5 if I dig in anywhere near hard

i followed the steps and it seems just like fret 5

may need to take it to a pro

I do setups on all my gear so this is frustrating

[Twocan]

Alembics have single action truss rods, unlike most basses on the market. That means that you can loosen the truss rods but you cannot use them to give the neck forward bow unless the environment will allow it. In the NE, that can sometimes be a problem in the winter months when it’s so dry. The areas where I usually see buzzing are the 4th and 5th frets, due to back bow at frets 1-5. I’ve found that it’s difficult to use light gauge strings on my Alembics in the winter months - I usually use Elixirs or other heavier strings, which put enough pressure on the neck to give it some forward bow, when I loosen the truss rods.


Make sure you’re storing the bass in an area with a high-enough humidity. You may want to invest in a humidifier to use where you store your guitar(s).

[lbpesq]

Drew, have you tried following Joey's instructions?  I'm a guitar player, but I've been hanging out on this forum for 14 years and have read time after time how people raved about his post.  I also build bolt-on guitars.  Recently I built my first bass.  Having never set up a bass before, I followed Joey's post and it came out spectacularly well.  Try it, you'll like it!

Bill, tgo

[drewphishes]

ahhh that explains why when i loosened the rod I did not get any forward bow.

Its just the 5th fret on e string and only if I dig in hard.  I should be able to live with it for now

[keith_h]

It could just be a high fret. Sometimes the change in humidity can cause a fret to shift in its slot. If you have small hammer and some leather to put over the fret you might try giving the fret a gentle tap to seat it.