Seasonal Fret Buzzing? <Winter>

My Luna Concert's A string buzzed on the third fret. Only that string, only that fret.
Otherwise, it feels very well setup. Action is comfortable, neck is comfortable etc.

So I took it to an instrument repairer. Just got the uke back from them, and they told me that they could actually find nothing wrong with the uke. They suspected that it was probably because of the cold weather (Winter), and that it would fix itself up when the weather warms up. They said they could shave the fret a bit if I wanted, but they didn't think it was a great idea. It would probably resolve itself, they said.

What do you think of their diagnosis. As a result, they didn't charge me anything.

hmmm

whilst changes in weather can affect instruments (but mainly their tuning) I think the shop were pretty poor - and perhaps they couldnt be bothered.

There is no reason why any instrument cannot be set up properly and for them to suggest shaving a fret seems ludicrous!

whilst a change in temp may help you out, what happens next winter - back to a buzzing uke? ridiculous.

If your uke is fine aside from one string, I would say it is the following (in ascending order of difficulty to fix)

1. Duff string - change them, or if you dont have spares, take the buzzing one off and restring it the other way around. You may find a higher tension string will also help you - try aquilas if they are not already on it.

2. too low an action at the saddle - though this may more likely affect all strings - - if you take the saddle out, check that it doesnt have a notch or chip in the area where your buzzing string sits. You could put a very thin shim under the saddle (thin card thickness) and this might raise all your strings so slightly but to the point that your buzzing string stops buzzing

3. too low action at the nut slot for the buzzing string. - this is tougher to fix but I have done it myself when i deepened a nut slot too deeply - i put a tiny drop of superglue on the tip of a pin and applied it into the offending slot. Then breathe on it to set it. when dry, re cut the nut down a little.

4. there is a problem with a warped neck or dodgy fret

Are the shop suggesting they went through all of 1-3 above. If I were you, i'd go through 1-3 yourself.

As I say, unless the uke is just plain made wrong, there is no reason why you should have to put up with a buzz.

Sounds like folks used to working mostly on electric guitars where the buzz is OK if it ain't coming through the amp...have heard this thing before regarding Strats by at least one tech...maybe you could do the old baking soda/super glue cure...just a little bit. Contact Rev Will who used that method on his uke.

When an instrument goes "dry" the strings get lower...so they're saying just live with it?

Aloha Kissing,
As Paul suggested, test the easy soulations first..change the A string to a lighter guage and or shim a piece of paper to test
under the string in the nut...maybe the person in the shop had no experience in this area or could'nt be bothered....
and hope it's not a high fret or saddle issue...Good Luck!!! MM Stan....

Thanks guys
I think the store that inspected it is more into electric guitars than ukuleles. I can't imagine him having seen many ukes.

Nevertheless, it's only a few weeks old. The fret buzzed from day 1, but I was in denial about it thinking to myself that it could just be me getting used to the nuances of a new instrument.
I've tried changing the A-string to a different one; still buzzed.
I've tried shimming the saddle to lift action; still buzzed.

I'm beginning to suspect that the nut slot for that string is a bit too low.

Nevertheless, I have warranty on the instrument and have contacted the seller.
The problem is that there is no Luna instrument dealer in Australia, so warranty may mean shipping it back to USA.
Nevertheless, the manufacturer (Yvonne deVilliers herself actually) has confirmed that the seller is a legitimate Luna dealer. I have yet to hear back from the seller.

Other than that, it's a lovely uke. If only that fret didn't buzz, it's a superbly setup, comfortable and pretty instrument.

Shame - if you have tried what you have tried it does sound like a deep nut slot or a dodgy fret (though that may affect more than just one string).

The superglue job in the nut slot and recut is not that difficult if you get no joy from the dealer.

kissing said:

Thanks guys
I think the store that inspected it is more into electric guitars than ukuleles. I can't imagine him having seen many ukes.

Nevertheless, it's only a few weeks old. The fret buzzed from day 1, but I was in denial about it thinking to myself that it could just be me getting used to the nuances of a new instrument.
I've tried changing the A-string to a different one; still buzzed.
I've tried shimming the saddle to lift action; still buzzed.

I'm beginning to suspect that the nut slot for that string is a bit too low.

Nevertheless, I have warranty on the instrument and have contacted the seller.
The problem is that there is no Luna instrument dealer in Australia, so warranty may mean shipping it back to USA.
Nevertheless, the manufacturer (Yvonne deVilliers herself actually) has confirmed that the seller is a legitimate Luna dealer. I have yet to hear back from the seller.

Other than that, it's a lovely uke. If only that fret didn't buzz, it's a superbly setup, comfortable and pretty instrument.

Click to expand...

try shimming a piece if paper under the string in the nut if you think the nut is low...

kissing said:

My Luna Concert's A string buzzed on the third fret. Only that string, only that fret.
Otherwise, it feels very well setup. Action is comfortable, neck is comfortable etc.

So I took it to an instrument repairer. Just got the uke back from them, and they told me that they could actually find nothing wrong with the uke. They suspected that it was probably because of the cold weather (Winter), and that it would fix itself up when the weather warms up. They said they could shave the fret a bit if I wanted, but they didn't think it was a great idea. It would probably resolve itself, they said.

What do you think of their diagnosis. As a result, they didn't charge me anything.

Click to expand...

Are you storing the instrument in a humidified case? I had a LoPrinzi tenor that always buzzed a bit on on the first few frets of the C-string. I sent the instrument back to be refretted and to have a minor warp planed out out of the fretboard. The instrument STILL buzzed on the same frets after being completely re set-up. I decided to install a case humidifier in all my instrument cases, and that appears to have solved the buzzing.
You might also try a higher tension set of strings. High tension strings buzz less.
Mika