Fret Buzz : acceptable or not?

[Relayer71]

i’ve been playing with an occasional buzz since the 70’s

You must be tired.

 

[123Nil]

Not in my World!! Can't Stand It!!

 

[Chickenwheels]

It’s a preference. Or an accident. I think it adds life and character to the tone sometimes, but only within the context of the music. It’s not to be feared.

 

[5andFretless]

What is this "fret" thing you speak of?

 

[Lava]

I remember seeing this a while back about this subject, he talks about it around 10 mins. in:

 

[MDBass]

I am starting this post, out of a question on another thread. How many of you play a bass with fret buzz? How many of you cannot stand fret buzz? I hate fret buzz on my basses. I have friends who have it & just ignore it. It used to be expected that it should be eliminated, no matter what, because it was a defect. In music shops, it seems there are more new basses that have buzz, than there used to be. Is that ok with some of you? What’s your opinion?

It depends entirely on the style.

Fret buzz/clank is a crucial part of the sound for certain styles (Flea, for instance) and would ruin another (like Motown).

I prefer to have my basses set up so that there is no buzz/clank at all when I play with a lighter touch, and I can control the amount of it I want in my sound with my right hand.

 

[NecroticImbecil]

I like a certain amount. That said, if I get too much of a buzz I might forget the setlist.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Acceptable. Like a gravelly whiskey voice on a beautiful woman. Wabi-sabi.

Me too. It didn’t exactly hurt Chris Squire’s career much..lol. Hasn’t done as much for mine, but I still like a bit of it.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

i’ve been playing with an occasional buzz since the 70’s

far out and righteous!!

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

A very, very small amount of buzz is not just ok, but desirable to me. Not too much though; I need to be able to clean it up a little by easing off of my attack.

 

[bongostealth]

I am THAT GUY that will not put up with ANY fret buzz. Fret buzz is a buzz kill for me.

 

[MegaSwing]

I can tolerate a pinch of it on the E string at the first fret, if I lean back a little. It adds an angry edge. Anywhere else, it sounds like a fretboard that isn’t straight enough.

 

[JW56789]

Me? No. None. Nien. Nada.

I've heard some guys use it as a useful effect at times, but not me. Do everything I can to eliminate it.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

I wonder what kind of fret buzz our electric bass ancestors experienced in the early days of amplification given round wound strings were not the norm, and amps were less than clear. Any one out there play bass in the late 50s early 60s that can speak to this?

 

[Diamond_Dave]

Acceptable. Like a gravelly whiskey voice on a beautiful woman. Wabi-sabi.

That's a man.

 

[Ghastly]

I hate it and try to avoid it with higher action, but sometimes my playing gets a little 'loose' and there it is anyway.

 

[Toolmybass]

Listen to how Chris Squire made a little (sometimes a lot) of fret buzz part of his tone, sometimes what sounds like a little overdrive is just well controlled fret buzz.

Lol...was just about to post this.

 

[Claymore]

I remember seeing this a while back about this subject, he talks about it around 10 mins. in:

This is exactly what video my mind went to when I saw this post. Scott likes a raspy tone which is basically the frets buzzing a bit.

 

[RogerTheAlien]

Acceptable, I remember the first time I saw a Scott's Bass Lesson video

Scott - This is how we get a few James Jamerson licks going
Scott's bass- BZZZZ Bzzzzz Bzzzzzz Bzzzzzz BZBZBZBZBZ

Me - Wow that sounded great

 

[Altitude]

That's a man.

I am a man.