Fret buzz and tone

Antney

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I've been thinking a lot about acoustic tone, particularly when strumming chords with a pick. I've always loved the sound of the Beatles acoustics...there always seemed to be just a schmidgen or 1/2 a schmidgen of fret buzz that made their acoustic sound so "beatlesque". Maybe it's just what i found appealing growing up, but I like to adjust my relief to give me ever so little buzz when playing. Does anyone else find this appealing, or is it just me?
 

CosmicArkie

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As an inveterate tinkerer and sander down of nuts & saddles in order to get the lowest possible action, I can say without a doubt, fret buzz drives me crazy. I don't know how many bits I've tossed for being just -- that much too low.

But, hey, if it works for _you_....
 

adorshki

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Buzz no bueno
Nope. Buzz is almost always bad.

Buzzed driving is drunk driving, but buzzed playing is more fun!!
:glee:
Having cleared that up, I do recollect being quite fond of the slight buzzing that seemed to be an element of the "sitar drone" sound in '60's popular music, a prime example being the opening solo in BJ Thomas's "Hooked On A Feeling":


However, I think it's probable that actually IS a Danelectro-built Coral electric sitar:
images

as opposed to a guitar with its strings slacked off to give plenty of fret buzz on the bends.

Neat discussion of the "Sitar sound" in general, here:
https://allmanbrothersband.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=19591
 
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Neal

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I personally like just a tiny hint of buzz if playing very, very aggressively. But then and only then.

Neil Young used occasional fret buzz to his advantage.
 
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