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Posted by: Praetorian Feb 18 2010, 03:13 AM

I play through a Toneport GX and Sennheiser headphones. Nothing great, I think the headphones were only around $50 new. (They sound fine to me so I never upgraded!) Here is my dilemma...I have been having a bad fret buzzing on my G string on my Jackson SLSMG. From the 12th fret and higher it is pretty annoying. So, I try to dial it out...no luck. I brought it to my local music shop, and he played it acoustically. He couldn't hear any buzzing. He plugged it into an amp - a tiny bit of buzzing, but nothing like I have been hearing. Does fret buzz show up more in headphones? Or maybe it is the Toneport? What do you think?

Posted by: jafomatic Feb 18 2010, 03:33 AM

Yes.

Edit: sorry, I read the topic and not the extra questions at the very end of the post. The answer to the topic is yes.

As for the rest: If you're using digital modelers, turn your drive down. Most of us use WAY more than we need. Get the distortion you like and slooooowly turn down the drive, and the gain if you're using a stomp box model as well, you'll find you STILL have that same distortion with a lot less gain than you originally dialed in.

Posted by: skennington Feb 18 2010, 03:37 AM

Just the opposite for me. I can hear some slight buzz when playing "open" but don't notice it at all when playing plugged in. Btw, using Toneport and fairly inexpensive Samson phones. Maybe others that have heard my recordings beg to differ..

Posted by: JamesT Feb 18 2010, 04:35 AM

Same here. The action on my strat is set so low that the frets seem to buzz way too much. (got to get that fixed I guess). But when I plug in and put the headphones on, I can't hear the buzzing. I think it effects the tone though especially when I'm playing/picking hard. My luthier said that "all guitars buzz" when not plugged in. I'm not sure I agree with him as my PRS doesn't buzz at all. But still, even this buzzy strat doesn't seem to buzz through the amp, or through headphones.

Posted by: kahall Feb 18 2010, 06:29 AM

I don't have a problem with fret buzz but tone problems with head phones. I can dial in a tone that sounds great coming out of the monitors, then when for whatever reason I have to use the head phone it sounds like a duck quacking in my ear.
My head phones are not that great (probably $50 jobbers from Yamaha) and I have them hooked up funny to my GuitarPort with an adapter that is probably not helping the sound either.

I'm getting old and redundant like a weird uncle. I think I have posted this before..oh well. Quack quack.

Posted by: Ruzz Feb 18 2010, 08:59 AM

It is also only a problem for me when played acoustic..
I have never heard of a case like yours..

Posted by: Gitarrero Feb 18 2010, 11:37 AM

I had the buzzing problem on two guitars now, but when I set the action higher, the buzzing disappeared. I get more buzzing when the strings are brand new. I also think that you can hear it more when using headphones, at least that's my experience.

Posted by: Praetorian Feb 18 2010, 03:43 PM

So some say yes...and some say no! Hmmm...wonder what makes this happen for some of us but not others. Maybe jafomatic is on to something with the drive settings?

Posted by: Fran Feb 18 2010, 04:08 PM

If you can't hear the buzzing unplugged there's no reason to hear it when plugged to an amp/toneport.
It might be something else you are hearing, not fret buzz!

It could also be that you strum/pick much harder when plugged than when you try it unplugged.

All guitars buzz a bit when the action is very low, but you only notice it if you pay attntion when playing unplugged, not the other way around. At least that's true with all my guitars.

Posted by: jafomatic Feb 18 2010, 06:09 PM

I think so, yeah. What I'm suggesting is that the buzz you are hearing in your headphones is likely drive crackle. The buzz everyone else hears is really fret buzz. I think I've heard that in your recordings, but it's possible I was mistaking you for someone else. Either way: lowering your gain doesn't cost anything to try

Posted by: Sensible Jones Feb 18 2010, 06:30 PM

I'm with Jafo on this one Ben!

Posted by: Staffy Feb 18 2010, 07:00 PM

What is fret buzz??? *having pain in my left arm/hand after trying to play my strat with 0.11 strings and heightened action*

Posted by: Fran Feb 18 2010, 07:17 PM

This reminds me of your "Damaged fingers" competition hehe.

Posted by: Staffy Feb 18 2010, 07:48 PM

Yeps, my fingers been on vactaion for some months now and played only the .009 and .010 strings guitars. But now its time to mistreat the hands again!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Feb 19 2010, 01:39 AM

Here are some possible solutions:

1. try another guitar tech
2. put heavier gauge strings
3. raise the action a bit
4. try to find better Toneport preset
5. you may be needing fret leveling (lower frets are worn out, thus being smaller then the higher ones)

Posted by: Praetorian Feb 19 2010, 02:10 AM

Ivan,

Wouldn't heavier strings make the buzz worse...since they are larger in diameter wouldn't they make contact with the frets sooner?

Posted by: jdriver Feb 20 2010, 01:05 AM

It could also be that you're hearing actual breakup of the headphone diaphragm. You said they were cheap... tried any others? Or just as a test turn the volume down and see if you can still hear it.

Posted by: Praetorian Feb 20 2010, 02:27 AM

I don't think that is it...don't forget guys...this is only happening on the G string - not all the strings.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Feb 20 2010, 02:51 PM

The lower side of the string (closer to the frets) actually remains the same in terms of action, and since the mass of the string is bigger, it has more stable oscillations. It may be needed to raise the action a bit and tighten up the truss rod, but even without that, the sound will be better.

Posted by: Daniel Realpe Feb 27 2010, 04:05 PM

My headphones have a buzz now but I think it's due to their mistreatment

I think they broke down so I'll replace them. Have you checked that out? maybe it happened to you as well

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Feb 27 2010, 04:55 PM

this could be easily the reason, a damaged internal speaker of the headphone vibrating
and just in case, all my guitars got a bad fret buzz, cause i use XL frets and low action, but, i like it, gives the guitar a kind of percussive sound

Posted by: Praetorian Feb 27 2010, 05:19 PM

This is only happening on the G string...the G string only. If it was headphones or amp settings it would be happening on all strings right?

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Feb 28 2010, 07:04 PM

Doesn't have to be the case. perhaps the speaker from the headphones is sensitive to particular vibration from the G string, and this is why it is causing problems. Without hearing what the buzz sounds like, I'm afraid there is little we can do tho..

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Feb 28 2010, 07:40 PM

that's right ivan, try to plug other headphones there and see if it's buzzing, even small cheap headphones can do the job here.