Fretbuzz on my new JM MIJ with Graphtech saddles - I'm considering changes

[Franz the Stampede]

Hello!

TL;DR
I bought my second JM, which is a Japanese '66 reissue with BB. The guitar is in a good state overall, with Graphtec saddles and a buzz stop.
However, changes in room temperature that should be ordinary seem to introduce fret buzz issues on a handful of frets for the top strings (not the same frets for every string). Gotta say, the action feels low for a JM. Strings are .10, the ones I'm used and that were used for the set-up. I'm not a heavy-handed player.

Here's a 1-minute video of it happening (excuse the dressdown, it was Sunday morning )
https://youtu.be/n53eshQbYZg

The video also shows something that bugs me: the saddles don't seem to be wide enough to be touching each other at the sides, so it's actually possible to move them sideways, especially the top e and B strings. See the last 10 secs of the video.
If I really go far out with the top e, the issue improves (unsurprisingly, I guess) but of course intonation goes wrong.

My questions:
1) will a better set up solve this issue?
2) should I ditch these Graphtec saddles and go for something else (Mustang? Tune-o-matic with Rollers?)?
3) could the guitar be flawed or defective, somehow?

FULL STORY
I have recently acquired my second JM (my first was one of the Dave's Guitar/Wildwood "thin skin" ones), as I managed to find a very reasonably priced MIJ B&B model from that production series that came out towards the very end of the 2000s.

The guitar was at a tech/luthier for a setup and I was able to try it one day to then come back and buy it. Nothing came to my attention that could be very off.

As I had it home, surely in an environment with a warmer temperature, I started to notice some buzzing on the higher strings, which got worse as I played. This issues seemed to settle as I moved the guitar to a cooler room (my bedroom).

But now I'm in a new place, warmer, and it's back, although not as bad. I've made a video this morning, see the initial part of the post, which also contains my questions.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[alexpigment]

The sound in the video isn't fret buzz. It's sympathetic vibration occurring somewhere either in the tremolo or bridge. Further investigation is necessary.

1) Possibly, but not for the reasons you were initially suspecting.
2) I would personally get another style of bridge with the appropriate radius and spacing for your guitar. You ideally want the saddles touching each other tightly.
3) I doubt there's anything here that can't be fixed. Even if it means a new tremolo and/or bridge, it's fixable.

To be clear, this problem is not uncommon if you work on enough offsets. I can't say for certain I've ever figured out *exactly* where that sound comes from though.

P.S. This seems to occur when playing A# or B anywhere on the neck, correct?

[Franz the Stampede]

Hi Alex

Wow thanks for your reply. I see the "sympathetic vibration"...

Yes, the issue is on
e string: frets 6, 7
B string: open string, frets 10, 11, 12
G string: fret 3

So it seems to be an issue with frequencies around A# and B?

Just now I have pushed all the saddles together, in slight frustration, and the problem seems to be pretty much gone...but some of them are very diagonal now... Could these saddles be meant for a Jaguar? Smaller scale, less wide fretboard and therefore bridge/saddles? The case it came in had a "Jag- E-standard" sticker...

What other saddles would you suggest? I'm not crazy about the look of the Mustang ones, they are these right?

[alexpigment]

I think the Graphtech saddles are narrow spacing (~52mm E-E) but your bridge is designed for ~55mm E-E spacing. I suggest either the American Pro bridge (9.5” radius) or the Johnny Marr bridge (7.25” radius). You’ll need to figure out the radius of your guitar neck first.

[Franz the Stampede]

Thanks! The neck feels very much like that of my Am Std Teles from the 90s, so I'd assume 9.5...

BUT, by all accounts I have found, the JM '66B MIJ are 7.25...



Although this one is a U serial number, mine is T... I wonder if that makes a difference...

[alexpigment]

Well, you could print out a radius gauge online (making sure that it's printed at 1:1 scale) and cut it out precisely and see if 7.25" or 9.5" is closer.

https://pickguardian.com/wp-content/upl ... Gauges.pdf

If it is indeed 9.5", you'll have more options on the cheaper end. The Squier Classic Vibe JM/Jag bridge can be found for fairly cheap, at least here in the US. Other vendors sell it as well, but really you just want to make sure it's a 9.5" Mustang style bridge with 52mm spacing. I personally think it's pretty good, though others complain about it 'sinking' over time, which can be fixed pretty cheaply/easily with a very light amount of blue Loctite on the bridge height threads.

If it's 7.25", then one cheaper option is a vintage reissue Mustang bridge:

https://www.fender.com/en-US/parts/brid ... 55000.html

The downside is that it's 55mm E-E spacing, which *might* run the risk of strings being too close to the edge of the fretboard. Still playable, but less than ideal in my opinion. The current Johnny Marr Jaguar bridge is quite pricey for a Fender part, but is 7.25" and 52mm spacing.

There are other options like Staytrem, Descendant Companion bridge, Mastery, Halon, Tuffset, etc, so it may be worth looking at those if price is not a huge concern.

[Franz the Stampede]

I've ordered a gauge from Amazon, we'll know soon enough.

Thanks for every keystroke, I mean it.

[B.T.]

In that photo your high E string is not seated in the saddle groove, move it back over into the saddle groove. If that was just a fluke in the photo...

Also check your bridge to make sure it's perfectly parallel to the body and move it center from the neck and from the trem. It shouldn't be bumping against the thimble holes if it is push it a hair forward or a hair back depending on where it's at.

Check those two spots then.... I would find it hard to believe a reputable store would sell you a guitar that is way out of wack but it happens.

It's possible the bridge strew on the treble side has come down from a lot of trem wangin'? Check the string height at the 12th fret between the fret and the bottom of the high E with a machinist rule. Start with 2mm there and do the same with the low E side also at 2mm and see if that makes a difference.

If it's a little bit better but still buzzing you might have a neck back bow especially if you changed to a lighter gauge of string. You'll want to add a slight amount of neck relief but if you haven't done that procedure before you might want to just take it back to the guy and have him set it up proper?

[alexpigment]

In that photo your high E string is not seated in the saddle groove, move it back over into the saddle groove. If that was just a fluke in the photo...

Also check your bridge to make sure it's perfectly parallel to the body and move it center from the neck and from the trem. It shouldn't be bumping against the thimble holes if it is push it a hair forward or a hair back depending on where it's at.

Check those two spots then.... I would find it hard to believe a reputable store would sell you a guitar that is way out of wack but it happens.

It's possible the bridge strew on the treble side has come down from a lot of trem wangin'? Check the string height at the 12th fret between the fret and the bottom of the high E with a machinist rule. Start with 2mm there and do the same with the low E side also at 2mm and see if that makes a difference.

If it's a little bit better but still buzzing you might have a neck back bow especially if you changed to a lighter gauge of string. You'll want to add a slight amount of neck relief but if you haven't done that procedure before you might want to just take it back to the guy and have him set it up proper?

The photo you're referencing is not the guitar in question. If you watch his video in the first post, you'll see that it's nothing to do with fret buzz or a poor setup. Notes near A#/B are causing a harsh vibration sound somewhere around the bridge (or tremolo spring possibly). I've definitely run into this before myself. Lastly, his guitar isn't stock from a store; it's a 55mm bridge but the saddles were replaced with Graphtech saddles designed for a 52mm bridge.

[B.T.]

In that photo your high E string is not seated in the saddle groove, move it back over into the saddle groove. If that was just a fluke in the photo...

Also check your bridge to make sure it's perfectly parallel to the body and move it center from the neck and from the trem. It shouldn't be bumping against the thimble holes if it is push it a hair forward or a hair back depending on where it's at.

Check those two spots then.... I would find it hard to believe a reputable store would sell you a guitar that is way out of wack but it happens.

It's possible the bridge strew on the treble side has come down from a lot of trem wangin'? Check the string height at the 12th fret between the fret and the bottom of the high E with a machinist rule. Start with 2mm there and do the same with the low E side also at 2mm and see if that makes a difference.

If it's a little bit better but still buzzing you might have a neck back bow especially if you changed to a lighter gauge of string. You'll want to add a slight amount of neck relief but if you haven't done that procedure before you might want to just take it back to the guy and have him set it up proper?

The photo you're referencing is not the guitar in question. If you watch his video in the first post, you'll see that it's nothing to do with fret buzz or a poor setup. Notes near A#/B are causing a harsh vibration sound somewhere around the bridge (or tremolo spring possibly). I've definitely run into this before myself. Lastly, his guitar isn't stock from a store; it's a 55mm bridge but the saddles were replaced with Graphtech saddles designed for a 52mm bridge.

Good catch with the photo. I watched the video earlier then came back later to post and saw that pic. Watched the video again and stand by my setup recommendations. Why? Start with the KISS stuff. Rule out the basics and move on to what could be a more expensive proposition.

[JSett]

My main Jazzmaster is a 2008 MIJ BB and they are 100% 7.25" radius (unless it's weirdly been re-radiused and refretted, which is unlikely).

Mine also had a sympathetic buzz, much like a lot of JM's do. I put a Mastery on in 2009 and it's still there, no buzz, no issues. Action is LOW with 11-56 and it's the easiest playing guitar I own. There is a tiny bit of fret buzz when digging in (I'm also a heavy player) but it has been levelled and crowned several times and due a refret next time.

[Franz the Stampede]

My main Jazzmaster is a 2008 MIJ BB and they are 100% 7.25" radius (unless it's weirdly been re-radiused and refretted, which is unlikely).

Thanks for all the suggestions. Your 2008 MIJ BB must have a serial number starting with T, not with U, right? If so, it should be as close as possible to mine. The radius gauge is coming today in any case.

[JM Convert]

I had this issue with a Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster I bought years ago.

It was the bridge. After playing it awhile I noticed some of the screws in the bridge were vibrating/working their way out.

Blue loctite was the cure in my case.

[B.T.]

I had this issue with a Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster I bought years ago.

It was the bridge. After playing it awhile I noticed some of the screws in the bridge were vibrating/working their way out.

Blue loctite was the cure in my case.

+1, would be a good place to start.

[alexpigment]

It might cure the main sound-related issue here, but it's not the only problem I see. If your saddles are free to move left and right on the bridge, you're likely going to be dealing with constant issues with tuning and intonation. I personally think a new bridge will address both issues.