New C string buzzing

Beadslele · Oct 26, 2016

Hi,

I have Pono mahogany deluxe tenor and recently put Worth brown low-g. I did not have any buzzing with stock strings but now C string is buzzing especially when I strum hard. I waited for 3 weeks but buzz does not go away.
Is there a reason for this?

Thank you.

UkeStuff · Oct 26, 2016

There can be many reasons for buzzing...hard to say what the problem could be. The easiest solution is to try another set of strings, as that was the last constant that you changed before the problem started.

There are other questions and things to consider...but buzzing can be hard to diagnose and maddening because the problem isn't always what you would think it was.

Beadslele · Oct 26, 2016

Thank you!
I should try different strings before take it to the music store.
That litttle buzz just bothers me so much...lol

jollyboy · Oct 26, 2016

One possible cause (although, as mentioned above, it could be any number of things) is that maybe the tension is lower on the new string set (the Worth browns). If the action on the uke is pretty low then less tension could cause the C string to buzz - basically it would be oscillating more and potentially getting too close to the frets. You could try tuning up a half-step to see if that gets rid of the problem - at least that way you would know that string tension was the issue.

Also... it occurs to me that Pono tenors have a truss rod. Seems like that would be a way to fix the problem too.

Barrytone · Oct 26, 2016

Try slipping a folded piece of paper under the string at the nut.

Beadslele · Oct 26, 2016

Hi Jollyboy,

Thank you for your advice. I tuned it up a half-step and the buzz is gone!
Does it mean that I cannot use the Worth brown on my uke? That's too bad because I like the sound and the feel of the strings.
I am glad I joined UU yesterday to ask this question. Thanks for your help!

Mivo · Oct 27, 2016

The buzz might also go away if you use a wound low-G string (Fermont Soloist and Thomastik-Infeld CF30 are popular choices) instead. It could be caused by the plain Brown low-G string being too thick for your ukulele's setup.

Dan Gleibitz · Oct 27, 2016

Beadslele said:
Hi Jollyboy,
Does it mean that I cannot use the Worth brown on my uke? That's too bad because I like the sound and the feel of the strings.

Not at all. It means you need to level the buzzing fret/s if they exist, raise the action if they don't, and/or strum more gently if you want to keep using those strings.

jollyboy · Oct 27, 2016

Beadslele said:
Hi Jollyboy,

Thank you for your advice. I tuned it up a half-step and the buzz is gone!
Does it mean that I cannot use the Worth brown on my uke? That's too bad because I like the sound and the feel of the strings.
I am glad I joined UU yesterday to ask this question. Thanks for your help!

Hi Beadslele,

As I mentioned before something to consider is a slight truss rod adjustment. Your uke would have come optimally set up for use with the stock strings (Ko'olau Alohis or Mahanas presumably - known to be higher tension). A very slight adjustment of the neck curvature may be required to compensate for the different tension of the Worth strings. I would recommend getting a guitar tech/luthier to make the adjustment.

It's also worth considering what Mivo said - the nut on your uke could maybe require some work if you are switching to an unwound low-G.

Here's a link to a video about Pono truss rod adjustment.

New C string buzzing

Beadslele

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UkeStuff

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Beadslele

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jollyboy

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Barrytone

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Beadslele

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Mivo

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Dan Gleibitz

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jollyboy

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