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Floyd Rose Buzzing


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Hello folks.

I recently finished a JEM replica and the result was terrific. This guitar was my first ever project guitar and the most noticeable different between this guitar and my other manufactured guitars is how resonant the JEM is. It can sustain a note for days. However, this appears to have created a complicated problem..

When I play the low E string, the bridge (or something on it) appears to vibrate causing an awful and annoying buzz. It is NOT fret buzz, this buzz is 100% coming from someone in or around the bridge, and only when I pluck the open E string. Thankfully, the buzz doesn't get captured by the pickups but, it's driving me insane because I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where the heck it is coming from.

Has anyone else experienced this?

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Hello folks.

I recently finished a JEM replica and the result was terrific. This guitar was my first ever project guitar and the most noticeable different between this guitar and my other manufactured guitars is how resonant the JEM is. It can sustain a note for days. However, this appears to have created a complicated problem..

When I play the low E string, the bridge (or something on it) appears to vibrate causing an awful and annoying buzz. It is NOT fret buzz, this buzz is 100% coming from someone in or around the bridge, and only when I pluck the open E string. Thankfully, the buzz doesn't get captured by the pickups but, it's driving me insane because I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where the heck it is coming from.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Is there any chance it's coming from the spring claw area? I remember reading that on some guitars Vai taped pieces of tissue paper into the spring cavity to reduce different vibrations. Not sure if this helps.

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Is there any chance it's coming from the spring claw area? I remember reading that on some guitars Vai taped pieces of tissue paper into the spring cavity to reduce different vibrations. Not sure if this helps.

That is very much a possibility! If I put my ear near the bridge on the top of the guitar, I can clearly hear the buzzing. However if I put my ear on the bottom of the guitar near the spring cavity, it is much more resonant. However, I just figured it was the springs capturing the vibrations of the bridge and transferring them into the buzzing noise; I didn't think of the springs being the cause of the problem. I'll experiment with that and update if I find anything.

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Yea. Vai has a load of tissues in his trem cavity, taped to the back panel.

But I have had the problem you describe with floyds if they are set a little wrong. if you push the trem back/down, does the bizz go away ? if so then your bridge is sitting incorrectly. you may need to make it sit more level with the body of your guitar.

also, just do a quick check on all the screws in the trem. make sure they are all tight. slacken the strings to check them.

A few piks of how it is sitting now would help determine any issues.

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Got it fixed! To answer a question: it's most likely a cheapo floyd rose knock off. I buy guitars at pawn shops, refinish them and sell them and this particular guitar is a rather cheap model.. It appears to have been cause by the studs which the bridge rest up against not fitting correctly. The holes drilled into the body for these studs were not drilled at the same depths, so the low E side of the bridge stuck up quite a bit higher than the high E. I took the bridge off, shimmed the stud holes, wrapped some masking tape around the bottom of the studs so they fit in the holes better, and put it back together. Voila, the buzzing was gone.

Thanks guys!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well now,that depends on the type of masking tape,doesn't it?There is more than one type.I once used blue 3m masking tape around a loose trem bar,because nylon tape has no adhesive to keep it in place on something like a trem bar,and it kept it from rattling during heavy use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masking_tape

Not that I would use masking tape on the threads of most screws,but if it worked,then fine..the drying up thing is a huge stretch,since nylon tape dries up just as much.

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Well now,that depends on the type of masking tape,doesn't it?There is more than one type.I once used blue 3m masking tape around a loose trem bar,because nylon tape has no adhesive to keep it in place on something like a trem bar,and it kept it from rattling during heavy use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masking_tape

Not that I would use masking tape on the threads of most screws,but if it worked,then fine..the drying up thing is a huge stretch,since nylon tape dries up just as much.

I was not referring to nylon tape. I was referring to thread seal tape ( I don't think I even used the word "Nylon"):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_seal_tape

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  • 2 weeks later...

Greetings seniors!

I am a newbie here,,and would like to ask,,

Every time I pull up my Floyd, I got fret buzz. So I have to set up my action real high. Is there anything I can do to lower the action and get rid the buzz?. The buzz only comes when I pull up the whammy while fretting notes. I suspect this buzz came from the fret near the neck pick up. But I am not sure..

Thank you so much,,

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