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you could try putting a little shim under the E string nut slot
do you hear it through an amp or just acoustically?
do you hear it through an amp or just acoustically?
I'm not sure if your aware of this but you should finger at the middle of the fret space and not near the fret on the Kala. That helps eliminate the buzz. Check if you have any backbow also. If anything you want a bit of forward bow. Also use a straight edge that will span the 1st 3 frets and check for a high fret.
I misread your first post. If it's buzzing when you fret the 1st fret you'd need to try shimming the bridge, not the nut
Doesn't matter where I fret. Every other note on the fretboard is clean.
Try checking for backbow. I had problems like that with a fretted Goldtone Microbass. It was on the higher frets only and discovered a high fret. Filed it down a bit and it helped some. I play a fretless ubass which eliminates buzzing problems and the intonation is usually better also. No longer have the Goldtone. You may try shimming the nut a few thousandths.
I tried this, but it only stopped buzzing after I set it so high that the E string was well above the others.
I tried this, but it only stopped buzzing after I set it so high that the E string was well above the others.
Are you sure it's fret buzz, then? It could be loose E tuner. Have you fretted the F and used the straight edge to see if the string is contacting any other frets down the fretboard?
Not to be critical, but I just learned when I brought in my Gold Tone GT MicroBass to fix an unbalanced amplified volume problem, that is was actually my technique, or lack of technique. I was not holding my fingers in the proper position. You might want to look at that too.
A simple thing you should check for is to be sure your string as it is wound on the tuning peg is winding down the peg, not up. If it's winding down the peg, it may be that it isn't winding down far enough. If the string comes off the peg too high, there will not be enough tension going over the nut to keep it from buzzing on that first fret.
I found this out while trouble shooting a buzz on my A string after putting new strings on. Turns out I had trimmed the string a bit shorter than normal and it wasn't wound down far enough on the peg to give it a good angle over the nut. I loosened it up, made sure I had a good crimp going into the peg hole and wound it just slightly lower on the peg. No more buzz.
It's a very "inexpensive fix" if that's the problem. And, it beats putting a paper shim in the nut.
I found this out while trouble shooting a buzz on my A string after putting new strings on. Turns out I had trimmed the string a bit shorter than normal and it wasn't wound down far enough on the peg to give it a good angle over the nut. I loosened it up, made sure I had a good crimp going into the peg hole and wound it just slightly lower on the peg. No more buzz.
It's a very "inexpensive fix" if that's the problem. And, it beats putting a paper shim in the nut.
Have you tried cleaning/ polishing the frets?? A bit of lacquer or crud on a fret could easily cause this. (Make sure you tape the fretboard if using steel wool).
If that doesn't help:-
Nut shim not helping but a
very high action fixing it would indicate the problem in the first few frets. Could be a low (depressed) 1st fret or raised (proud) other fret. A few gentle taps with the butt of a screwdriver can quickly fix the higher fret if its just started lifting.
Other than that & what you've tried already....
If it's new & returnable, just take it back & swap for one that's made better/ already set up well.
Unfortunately, the dreaded fret buzz is the curse of the fretted UBass. If you don't fret precisely under the fret, it will buzz, which is why many players prefer the fretless version. The good news is it will improve as you become more conscious of your technique.
It's funny that for once, the fretted is more "punishing" in terms of improper fingering technique than the fretless!
I don't think the bridges are really adjustable, are they? If the fretted note is sharp compared to the harmonic, then the saddle needs to move back, away from the nut. If flat, forward, close to the nut. If not adjustable, ummm......
Just got mine...you can't play the UBass like you do your regular bass, placing your finger up near the fret....must move the finger placement back especially on the E string in F.
Rereading this, I'm guessing OP just has a high 2nd fret and the E string catches it more because it vibrates more widely. A short straightedge can be used as a "rocker" to find high frets. (There shouldn't be any rock crossing 3 frets, if there is, the one in the middle is high, obviously.)