Help me solve this 'Mystery Buzz" - Guitar techs I need your help. - Zuwei part II

This Zuwei guitar had a lot of issues out of the box and one of them was a sitar like buzzing sound. After weeks of trying to isolate the issue I'm pretty close to giving up, but maybe you can help?
The guitar: amzn.to/3d8ipGP
The maintenance kit I use: amzn.to/32K1gSt
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[@johnbgoode3]

Send it to Phil McKnight to use in a Sharpen My Axe never ending episode. It will be a gift that keeps on giving.

[@jeremyblair3541]

Personally I would go for the Hendrix mod, its quite simple, you only need a can of lighter fluid and a box of matches🙂

[@PierceThirlen2]

Check the truss rod to see if there is any tension on it. Check the neck screws for tightness. Wrap some cloth or something between the strings above the nut to damp out any vibrations. I have had pickups physically buzz between the mounting ring and the pickup. Make sure that the controls are reasonably tight. Pay close attention to the saddles. If you have any spare saddles try replacing them.

[@geemac7267]

After watching the whole video, I have to agree with you on the truss rod.

[@howardmaryon]

The quality of “made in China” guitars has improved a huge amount in the last few years, to the extent that brands like Harley Benton are selling instruments that are sometimes better finished that some of the big brands, so there is no excuse for this trainwreck.

[@daniellarson3068]

Many of the better less expensive guitars are made in Indonesia.

[@johnsiggers1682]

Wish I had the same luck as with me I had to send back 2 HB fusion series as they had unleveled frets.

[@gringogreen4719]

I have an IYV guitar that supposedly makes Harley Benton and it is a Vietnam made guitar. Yes cheap guitar have gotten better no matter where they come from.

[@lostreb]

@@daniellarson3068 While I totally agree with you, because most of my G&L Tribute Legacy guitars are made Indonesia, there are tons more guitars made in China for Epiphone, PRS, just for starters, the list is endless. If I can find one that is definitely made in Indonesia?? That is always my first choice!!! Great Comment!!!

[@lostreb]

@@gringogreen4719 I don't own any made in Vietnam, but thank you for bringing this option back to my attention. Great comment!!!

[@danielrupert2317]

I just watched a 20 minute video of Ryan complaining that a crummy guitar has a buzz issue. And it was somehow entertaining. What is even happening? How is this life?

[@PintsofGuinness]

100% a loose truss rod rattling around inside the neck. I have a strat with this exact issue, but you can’t hear it through the amp, just acoustically.

[@middaymeds]

I think you are correct. I once owned a fake MIM strat that did the same thing. The reason it only is affected by the lower E while in tune is because their resonant frequencies are the same.

[@roryturner1013]

Thanks Guinness, you solve all problems

[@barb0za0]

bumping this up!

[@gasaddict]

I think you're right now that I hear it more and more. I thought nut at first but that makes the most sense now.

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

I got a Greco strat where the trussrod buzzed inside the neck. I removed the trussrod bolt and washer from end the neck then poured a small amount of thin machine oil and it stopped. I think it caused the wood to expand a bit around the trussrod and it hasnt buzzed since !

[@JohnDoe-qc7vn]

I am by no means an expert but I think you might be right about the truss rod being loose in the neck. You've already covered all the usual suspects; nut, string tree, bridge saddles, strings, etc. Judging from the fact that they didn't even care about how the nut slot was milled out, they probably don't care about how they install the truss rod either. Getting that repaired would cost more than the guitar itself so I don't know if it's even worth taking it to a luthier.

[@chrisbroome6423]

Employed tech here. First off, bad strings definitely happen, so that’s an easy fix if that’s the issue. First things I would do would be make sure the saddles are all parallel to the bridge plate to ensure uniform spacing and solid contact, and maybe put some insulation on the trem springs to quell any sympathetic vibrations. You can also undo the neck screws a few turns and tighten them up again (first top 2, then bottom 2) to let the string tension pull the neck into the pocket. The truss rod can definitely buzz as well, and if the rod is a 2-way, you can pull it out and inspect/clean the rod/channel. The only other thing I could think of would be if the trem block isn’t set correctly against the bridge plate. I might pull the block off and reinstall it, or even give it and the bridge plate a slight pass on a flat abrasive surface to make them true.

[@Strongholle]

Very much this, as a working tech I can say Chris is on point. If this doesn't solve it you need an exorcist, not a luthier.

[@fernalicious]

Wow, thanks for taking the time to type/share this.

[@zombie8892]

That Zuwei PR guy from the last video is probably fuming right now. I hope the next video this guitar is in, is you having your kids turn it into an art project for a wall decoration.

[@rompo420247]

And/or a backyard fire. This is total crap gear for losers.

[@howardmaryon]

What is the mindset behind sending a guitar for review by a reviewer who is well known for being honest, and not making sure it is one of the best ones off the assembly line? Or maybe it is the best?

[@rompo420247]

@@howardmaryon exactly! If this is how the brand represents themselves, they won’t last long unless they improve.

[@ExperiencingNature]

If you haven't found the cause of the buzzing yet, try placing a folded cloth under the tremolo springs in the spring cavity, to dampen all vibrations from the tremolo springs. Make sure the folded cloth is thick enough to press against the tremolo springs with a little pressure so it will fully dampen any vibrations from the springs.

[@rickyallison5353]

I am by no means a guitar tech but I had this problem on the "d" string on my G&L custom shop. I got it used. It turns out the location of buzz was coming from above the nut between the nut and tuner. I assumed it was caused by either not enough downward tension on the slot for that string or the slot was actually filed for/has worn down to result in a set of 10 gauge strings causing it to buzz. It does not buzz with 11 gauge so I just always use 11s. This was the only cause I could come up with since the truss rod and nut was not buzzing and just like you in this video, it did not seam to come from another logical place like frets. Also when using a set of 10 on my G&L, the buzzing stopped when I touched the string above the nut between the nut and tuner.

[@rickyallison5353]

disregard my comment. I commented before I watched the video further and saw that you proved it was not the nut or nut slots. Could it be a screw on one of the saddles or something within the term system?

[@thebattleraport6615]

Hey Ryan, Mr.Hum. I'm HydroMan From The Battle Raport, Ima Keep It Short Man, Just Get A New Replacement Neck, & A New Wilkinson Bridge. Bet U All The Problems Go Away On This Guitar. Hope You ShoutOut The Battle Raport On KZbin,Facebook,Caffeine & On All Social Media. Stay Safe Stay Blessed HydroMan Out.

[@MillerCustomGuitars]

The first place I would look is always the nut. You have already established that this nut is abysmal, so we know that’s an issue. But if a nut isn’t cut properly, it can cause wolf notes and sitar overtones. The nut slots should be properly sized and slightly back filed. The next thing I would look at, and the thing where I think your problem lives, is the neck relief. You haven’t mentioned whether you adjusted the truss rod, and I’m guessing that you have, but some guitars need more relief than others. Sometimes if you have a neck set with not enough relief, there isn’t room for the strings to vibrate. If your relief is ok, like where you normally set it, maybe give it more relief. Also, check the neck relief in the middle of the neck, but also on the treble side of the neck and the bass side of the neck. I usually use a notched straight edge to set my neck relief and measure in the middle of the neck. However, if the neck has a twist it might give different reading on the different spots across the width of the neck. If there’s a twist, you’re gunna have a bad time. That’s hard to fix with an adjustment

[@johnsiggers1682]

I've had twisted necks from delivery drivers that must have thrown the thing around in the back!

[@maxmustardman298]

Yeah I bet its srill the nut, floating, crooked, whatever, that thing needs to go. Or at least the slot needs to be redone.

[@SqueakyHuevos]

Based on the buzz even while fretting and going away when you raise the action, along with the crooked spring cavity route... I'd say the neck pocket is cut incorrectly causing either a twist in relation to the bridge or a neck that's angled too far back. Or even both. pull the neck and see how much paint is in the neck pocket

[@Bob-Whiting]

That's a pretty good answer. What is your opinion on the Pickups being too high and causing magnetic pull downwards on strings causing rubbing of the frets?

[@SqueakyHuevos]

@@Bob-Whiting It's possible, but unless they're REALLY strong ceramic or neodymium magnets, then I think their effect is minimal. They could be contributing to the problem, but I doubt they're the cause.

[@Bob-Whiting]

The way that thing is built, almost anything could and prob. is, cut wrong. LOL It appears to have come not from the Mod shop, but the trainee shop! LMAO!

[@Bob-Whiting]

@@SqueakyHuevos There are several good theories on here, I can hardly wait to see what "the final solution" is.

[@jakubrogacz6829]

@@Bob-Whiting I have squire I am repainting with simillar problem. I seriously wonder about buying old messed up guitars and rebuilding. I seem to have done best job on my old Defil - Polish brand,has lot of slack but played waay better then two new guitars I have from Squire and Epiphone, and I seem to have gotten a good deal with it since I never had any issue when painting while properly primed and what not Squire is driving me crazy. Or I just tried working too fast. Anyways anyone here can recommend how to make custom hardware parts for my builds. Especially with Defil one I am having problems as I lost original bridge and I would like to replace tuners but I don't want new ones. Also anyone knows where to source bone for nuts in normal way ( i.e going to meat shop ) ?

[@lucathehunter08music63]

We need a part 2 with all the tips from the comments!

[@kennybluet5527]

Hey Ryan , just got my reverb pedal and it sounds great. Thanks a bunch !

[@Mikes-tuts-rev]

Mike here. Had exact thing before on a strat. Filed the saddles and the nut to a sharper and defined break angle. Solved. But mostly the saddles.

[@bldallas]

BINGO!

[@JohnKelly2]

Have you tried changing the tone fluid? They may have filled it with "sitar" instead of "guitar".

[@charlie-obrien]

Maybe this model doesn't come with the required dipstick.

[@howardmaryon]

Good point about string trees. I have either removed them completely, or replaced with “roller” type ones. If you make sure that the string wind on the tuning peg is at the bottom of the peg you should not get any problems.

[@cameronravenhilltv7778]

Even tho it may not be fret buzz, this reminds me of the insanity fret buzz drives you to just trying to get rid of it. You become a shell of human

[@chrisfit]

Bang the heal and headstock with the neck off. If you hear or feel some rattles then could be the truss Rod. Can do it with the strings on as well.

[@djay6651]

We used to do this with antenna sections on our vehicles when I was active Army. They had hollow copper cores surrounded by fiberglass. A broken core will definitely rattle.

[@joesharpe7685]

I see a similar problem a surprising amount, though usually quite subtle. It's almost always the way the saddles are shaped, take a. 046 nut file and slightly file and back angle into the saddle, this might not be the fix but is the best place to start. A saddle that isn't cut properly can have cause gaps between the string and the saddle itself, causing buzzes at certain freq's. If that isn't it I would take a look at the springs in the back (though you would usually know right away if it were those) again they can vibrate at a certain frequency, and failing that my only though is truss rod. Though because of the raising saddles thing taking the problem away I'd assume it is thr saddles still, as the extra pressure of the string on the saddle when it's raised can remove the buzz,or change the frequency of that buzz.

[@rabbithowls71]

I would first check that there isn’t a grub screw not quite making solid contact with the bridge plate. Tighten the string and it makes better contact, loosen it and it floats. Also I would definitely move the claw over so those springs are parallel.

[@Guitars-N-Guns]

I agree with @Ricky Allison I bought a used American Standard Strat for Christmas that had this very issue. Changed the very deeply used synthetic bone nut over to GraphTech Tusq and the problem went away. I had the rattle on both low E and G...and the nut change solved it. Oh; and went from 9's that it originally came with in 2013, to 10's with the new nut.

[@elwrongo]

Bright Orange is a very buzzy colour. Gretsch's have the same issue. I went to the Zuwei site and their slogan is "Carrying a guitar around the world because you have a dream to love the guitar" !!!

[@BrentAdams]

Mmmm, I'm not exactly a Professional Guitar Tech, but I've worked in a shop and done a few repair and set-ups, along with some trouble shooting on things like this in the past. My 1st guess... a loose vibrating truss rod. 2nd guess... try damping the springs in that rear trem cavity, and/or add a spring or change them out with others. I'd also try to shim that nut to get rid of the gaps. (I'm not a fan of reverse headstocks...but that's a different story)

[@halvach1998]

re:'loose vibrating truss rod" - my first thought too, to check it give the back of the neck a slap with the palm of yr hand and see if there's a rattle

[@HammyWheeler]

I agree with guess #1. A friend of mine had an old Sigma acoustic that had a rattle - I looked at it and thought it was coming from one of the tuners. I took them off one by one and even with all of them off, when I rapped on the neck the rattle was still there. We took it to a luthier and he immediately recognized it as a problem with the truss rod. He removed a fret marker and drilled a hole though the fingerboard to the truss rod and injected some epoxy. I still can't wrap my head around this approach, but it did work. No more rattle.

[@fernalicious]

How did I miss this update?!? IMMEDIATE LIKE! 👍🎸👍

[@benford1726]

You figured it out at the end, good job Just gotta tighten the truss rod up just enough to where you start to feel resistance

[@SiggSiggers]

I had a similar problem and eventually found out that the truss rod in the neck was completely loose and creating the buzz, Hope this helps you out Ryan all the best Duncan😊

[@tyrantstomper]

Sometimes on strat style trem saddles, having the height adjustment screws uneven can cause one of them to be just close enough to the trem but not actuslly touching, and it can cause vibration against the metal.

[@ShaelynneDFuller]

There should be 3 screws holding the trem block to the base plate, check those and make sure they are all tight, the truss rod may be loose also so just turn it till it engages if it is loose. I see a lot of good suggestions in the other comments as well, good luck.

[@darrenotoole5317]

Definitely sounds like truss rod. Grasp the neck holding the strings to the neck to stop em rattling (or remove them) and shake the neck, and I bet you'll be able to feel and hear it rattling inside!

[@mateimc]

My votes go for the following possibilities: 1. The break angle of the string at the nut. 2. The nut slots or the saddle slots 3. The Tremolo springs 4. A dual action truss rod that is completely unloaded and it resonates. That one drove me also mad once for a couple of months. Just apply some load on the truss rod. 5. There might be some loose spring in the bridge or on the pickups 6. There might be some cable under that pickguard that is sympathetic. 7. The turner machines are loose or the nuts from the tuner machines are loose. ...

[@waynebake1123]

I had a similar rattle on a MiM tele, but it was much more faint and it was on the G string. I put new saddles in the bridge and it went away. I think the angle of the string coming through the body and over the original saddles it was rattling against the bridge plate.

[@Russell_Optics]

I have had this issue and went crazy figuring it out also. Changed saddles, trem springs, strings, nut, etc..etc. It ended up being the neck itself. A fret rocker will not show the level of the entire neck, only between three frets, In my case using a 24 inch straight edge I noticed that the neck actually curved slightly at the 16th fret where it attached to the guitar. The 17th to 22nd fret would just barely interfere with the strings when they vibrated causing buzzing and strange harmonics. Reducing the height of the 17th ~ 22nd frets to be just barely lower than the 1st 16 frets solved it. I rarely go higher than the 16th fret anyway so it didn't effect my playing at all and it allowed me to lower the action to a usable height at the 12th fret.

[@rainshadowband3161]

2 years later! Had the same low E buzz problem on my PRS SE 245 Singlecut. Guitar plays great, but that buzz drove me crazy! Glad I stumbled across this video. In my case, the nut slot was cut wrong. After paying a luthier $80 to replace with a new nut (he cut it himself in his shop), it plays as good as I was hoping. Definitely gig-worthy, but the difference in feel, playability, sound, finish, etc in my 1994 PRS Custom 24 is palpable. Saw the followup to this guitar review where the company made it hilariously blatantly obvious he got the Chinese factory guitar, but the American factory guitars are better. Lol reminds me of the never-ending squabble of USA-made versus made anywhere else (maybe Japan is an exception?). Yet my Made in Mexico made Fender Strat Blacktop is the highest quality you can get from a strat. 😂 Modern day budget/cheap guitars (let's say $300 or less) is completely random as to the quality/playability you get. CNC machines have changed the game, but cheap guitars are still cheap guitars 99% of the time. We all seek to find that 1% that is surprisingly great.

[@xplodingbeer]

sometimes when I get an inexpensive guitar, I have to bore out the body holes for the neck screws. If the neck screws bind on the body before pulling in the neck to the pocket it causes all sorts of weird issues. not sure how that issue would cause neck buzzing, but it's an easy thing to check, fix and cross off the list

[@rhinovandriver]

Is the ringing overtone on the E caused by the nut slot being cut too wide?

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I have had the same thin but just a tad up on the saddle and it was gone. I have also had a truss rod thing where the neck was straight and fine but the nut was not snug.

[@LouSpowells]

I had a guitar do this (stopped buzzing when detuning, and moving the saddle up and down) and it ended up being a problem with cheap saddle components. From what I gathered, cheap metal, bad threading, and uneven base of one of the set screws. (Bottom part that makes contact with the bridge) The problem went away when I replaced the saddle completely, and I narrowed it down to find that just replacing the set screws fixed the problem. On your guitar, who knows...but a saddle swap might be a good place to start. ...then again, the best place to start may just be a bonfire to finish off the neck roasting process. It's usually gratifying to find and fix a gremlin in a cheap guitar...but sometimes it's even more gratifying to take the gremlin down with the ship.

[@darkforce2803]

Yeah, truss rod would be a good guess. Often putting a quarter turn or so of tension on it helps.

[@2bikemikesguitartopics145]

I still suspect the springs. You added one which may not be the same tension as the original Three and the original Three seem to be now in parallel and the new one at an angle. You would probably need to put more tension on that side or take out the one you put in there and keep the original 32 the angles that they came in but crank the screws in the claw all the way in. You can also put something between the Springs to insulate them from each other

[@tuneatuguitarra630]

Hum... That sounds very reasonable.... 🕵🕵

[@ripley7t429]

I had a Fender Esquire Custom GT that had this issue. Truss rod and also a saddle were the culprits. Swapped the saddles out and put a couple drops of oil in the truss rod void. It really could be a totally loose rod, or broken, in which case as folks have said, junk it, or if the body is good, hold onto it and pitch the neck.

[@WilliamHaisch]

I wonder if there is a section of the wound E string was coming unwrapped from the core and causing the buzzing? It could be the nut has an inconsistent channel cut and it isn’t seating correctly with smaller gauge strings. I’ve also had the vibrato springs sympathetically vibrate (solved with a chunk of shipping foam through the middle, not too tight). It could also be the bridge saddles. My Player series Jaugar has a bridge where the tiny adjustment screws vibrate out of the saddles, causing buzzing, and digging into my hand (almost falling out!). I bought a Mustang bridge and will try that soon.

[@cameinsecond]

Ngl without seeing the guitar in person, I have two hypotheses. One is that the nut is cut poorly and there is some weird angle that the string is being held at at the tension of a low E. The other thing I could think of is a problem I have with my VM Jag, where the trem bar buzzes against the bridge at certain angles. That can be fixed, at least from tricks from Puisheen's channel, by adding an angle with a hammer to the bottom of the bar, and adding some grease in the cavity.

[@timscarrow9151]

I agree, On those, the ringing behind the bridge is not always as fun as Pusheen says. and trem springs on strat bridges ring too.

[@ryno9677]

Mr. Hum is at it again

[@jessecollier2628]

My experience does not fully line up with this guitar. But on one of my guitars a tuning peg vibrates. Thats the only I have to offer is a bad set of tuning pegs but that doesn't feel satisfying. Just hold the tuning knob as you pluck to see if that stops it.

[@birdman316]

i smell a giveaway comin up haha!! the buzz will be gone at least....errr...it will still be there but YOU wont hear it anymore lol! great video as always!

[@dogsbodyish8403]

This rings a bell with me - I'm sure I've had something similar. I think the most likely cause is something about how the string is seated at either end (i.e. the nut and bridge saddle). You could try rebuilding the nut slot by initially filling it with a mixture made from superglue (low viscosity cyanoacrylate) and sodium bicarbonate, then cutting a new slot. If this doesn't fix it, then maybe there's a problem at the bridge end - you could try some replacements here too...

[@richarddwjensen]

I have this EXACT same issue on the G string of a Taylor 214ce Deluxe. For years I've thought it was a loose transducer in their proprietary piezo system.

[@terryenglish7132]

Always a good idea to put a capo on the 1st fret and fret it on the highest fret to see where the most space is between the string and frets. If its not the middle then that might be the buzz. Its a pleasant buzz in this case so I m thinking maybe the string might be highest at 1/3 or 1/4 the way between the end points.

[@Bossa4Sol]

My guess is the nut. If you reduce the tension, the other strings can pull the nut into a fix position, if you raise the tension, it's enough for the low E to pull the nut into a fixed position. However around D-E the string tension are probably balancing the nut on a high spot either in the nut cavity or the bottom of the nut.

[@robmarmaduke]

I reckon it's a rough spot on the saddle that the string is hitting as it vibrates, try a bit of 400 grit on the saddle to smooth it out

[@jeremiahedmondson1974]

Had this same issue on my fender strat on the D and G strings, increasing tension took the buzz away while decreasing it didn't help. I tried playing with my bridge to no luck and I thought maybe it was my fender roller nut but then after seeing this video it just didn't make sense to be that, so I just loosened my neck as I've been tightening it to remove a slight bow around the 12 fret and it disappeared immediately, I know your neck adjustment from the bottom it looked but it might be worth a try

[@maomao180]

There's a loose part rattling around somewhere, could be the bridge, could be the pickups or electronics area, could be the truss rod or tuning heads.

[@alaricpaley6865]

Couldn't tell you on this one. My first thought was slop in the bridge saddles, but no. Second thought was too much slop in the nut slots. Third was "Sympathetic vibrations from the trem springs???" None feel right in this situation

[@socrates2706]

Simple solutions first. My guess it’s the bridge vibrating. Is there a way to tighten down the bridge to the FRONT of the guitar on the low E side (do I see some screws going into the body?). Easy and worth a try.

[@dakistle]

I had it happen on the high e of a homemade telecaster. Moving its string tree a little farther from the nut fixed it.

[@musicmnw1982]

The nuts under my knobs and on my tuners vibrate loose from time to time. Causes a buzz when they do. Wires under pickguards can vibrate. I had a ground wire touching my strat springs that was buzzing. A bit of paper towel solved that problem. Tighten everything and remove the string tree that you're not using. Usually a loose nut on a pot though.

[@SidBonkers51]

When you changed the strings did you check the tightness of the nuts on the machine heads? Or as Pierce Thirlen suggested maybe a loose truss rod.

[@thedanksavatron7782]

Sounds like the truss rod. Had that same buzz in a squire & when I adjust the truss rod it disappeared!

[@tomisham9900]

First, I would replace or fix the nut and next check the neck and adjust if needed. I personally would also change the string trees to Tusq or similar. I would also adjust the saddle up a little to see if that would help. I am not a pro just learning.

[@RobertNolan]

If the neck tension is perfectly straight, back off the truss rod a little bit, measure the pickup height, etc. I would also suggest that the neck has a twist in it. Minor because it's only effecting one string, but still possible.

[@akc5150]

I would agree with the truss rod being loose. Is there at least SOME tension on it? Also check the saddle and pickup springs. Haven't got as far as to see if the replaced string helps but I was also thinking of a bust winding on a string. And as has been said, check those neck screws as well as the tuner bushings AND the tuner button screws..... In fact, check EVERY screw on the darn thing!!🤣🤣

[@zachtheguitarguy8928]

try using a different gauge e string. or just setup the guitar for drop D tuning. also try tightening up every component on the guitar. (tuners, nuts, washers, screws, pickups, etc)

[@immanuelkantholz9033]

I didn't see the previous video and neither did I watch this video completely since I right now don't have much data volume to use up. Did you silence the trem springs?

[@cjscala87]

Some parts of the the guitar have resonance frequencies and only vibrate with certain notes. Could be the saddles or the way the strings come in contact with the saddles causing them to rattle when the string tension is higher

[@hapwheeler4485]

May be a sympathetic vibration of the truss rod. Try to tighten the truss rod slightly.

[@pieceworkstudios]

I agree, reverse head stocks are a pita. Had an old Washburn with one and I hated stringing it. I think the noise is the saddle slots. Maybe they aren't slotted cleanly and have burrs or something. Just a guess though. but you probably fixed it by now, or put it out of it's misery. Maybe crank the truss 5 or 6 times 🤣. still watching to see if you figure it out 👍

[@trunks828]

I’ve had this issue before in a guitar you may have a issue with the bridge try to file it a bit and see if there’s a difference. Could be the trust rod also add some tension. One last thing is check the scale length I’ve had this issue before also that was a nightmare. I’m not a professional but I’ve had enough guitars in my hands.

[@NicBurrows]

Greetings. A process of elimination perhaps like you have pointed out but just work through it. 1. Make sure there is some tension on the truss rod - a rattle along the neck makes it a good place to start 2. That nut looks shady AF - normally it has a real "sitar like" vibe when the nut is the issue but check it out 3. Make sure the tuners are secure/snug 4. Check the screws in the bridge saddles - sometimes the vibrate a lot. Just tighten them a tiny bit on that E string. If they still rattle use a bit of clear nail polish to make it stick non-permanently. This has been an issue for me on a couple of strat guitars. 5. Sometimes the groove in the saddle itself can be an issue for vibrations. If it is not seated properly or the groove aint right you can get a buzz. 6. Lastly, oh wow that back route is amazing. Put a bit of sponge under the trem springs to ensure they are deadened.

[@raceface_m2579]

It’s your saddles. The pot metal used aren’t molded evenly. Try sanding the sides of each saddle so that they sit flushed. I had the same issue with an old Korean Squier. I tried leveling the frets, made truss rod adjustments, tried different strings, checked the springs, under the hood for any loose wires or metals, etc, to no avail. It wasn’t until I checked each saddle.

[@randypariseau2373]

I'd lean toward a break angle issue or at the saddle because of the change when tension is relaxed or increased...

[@Jakeman90210]

Did this happen before you released your strings from the trees? The break angle over the nut could be to little and the string may be jumping around in the the nut slot, I’ve had this happen with a jazz bass, and then the string shot out and I had to put it back in the string tree. I would also check all the hardware in the headstock it tight and not rattling.

[@picksalot1]

I've had a truss rod rattle in certain positions. Try 3 tremolo springs, with gaps between them and padded to prevent anh possibility of rattling. Switch the low E and D saddles (since the A was also buzzing). Tighten the tuners. Test what happens when using a capo. Take out the Tremolo arm. Good luck. 😵

[@henrysmith187]

Now I got it for sure: Grasp the neck of the guitar firmly at the nut end of the neck and rear strap button end of the body. Gingerly lay the guitar flat on a hard, flat surface like a piece of concrete or an anvil Grasp a large rock or hammer firmly with both hands over the guitar, pickups facing up Force the object directly into the center of where the neck joint is using as much power as you can muster over and over until you are good and tired Start a fire Film part 2 of your yule log guitar video using the remains of the kuwei

[@Stikbomz]

Since the nut is in a slot that a too big and it's sat at an angle, are the slots in the nut straight? If they dropped a pre slotted nut in there then the string slots will be at an angle pinching the strings. Is the nut loose? I would remove the nut, glue it back in straight and pack the gap so the pocket is tight. If not the nut then is there any burring or tightness over the saddles.

[@evanwilliams8908]

It could be the string saddle sometimes the height adjustment screws are loose and they buzz or the intonation spring might not have enough tension on it and it will rattle.

[@nashmanzl]

I've got a truss rod that rattles audibly. But I don't know sir! I think it's worth an effort to try leveling the frets after all. But I can't narrow it down. It also might not take much to say, carve a new bone nut, and improve the string path a little that way.

[@Strongholle]

That's a string seating issue, most likely in the saddles. Cheapo saddles don't seat the strings too well and it's easy for weird noises to appear, if you have nut slots just smooth the notches out on the saddles and it should go away.

[@davessparetime83]

Shim the neck just the two end screws and new neck angle will have you raising the Bridge action. This will cause the Bridge saddles to have a steeper angle with the stings.

[@davemayhem8052]

Hi, I had a problem with one of my guitars that were doing the exact same noise. I located that sitar sound to a small notch/not smooth saddle slot and nut slot. //Mr Mayhem

[@gringogreen4719]

Two recommendations. First, just get a new custom nut. Preferably bone. Second, get some locking tuners. Amazon has a nice import set for under $40. I think these two fixes would probably fix the sitar sound. Also have them do a set up. I think that this is a great looking guitar and I would LIKE to LIKE THIS GUITAR! I think that the body and neck are cool enough to completely gut this guitar. New pickups, new bridge, new hardware, new electronics. It looks good. It has potential and I think to be a great guitar but just completely gut it. Just did that on a $120 guitar and it came out great! About $275ish all said and done. It came out better than expected and I had high hopes for it!😎👍✨

[@geoffandkatefaro2716]

My guess; Truss Rod. Had it on my first guitar when it was basically floating within the neck. Tightening / loosening the low E is stopping it as the rod is then reacting on the neck. Quarter turn and see if its still doing it

[@davidwalpole1002]

Have you tried to dothe opposite and take a spring off doesn't make sense but what do you have to loose.

[@Nauha89]

Have you checked the back springs? Since the cavity is crooked, maybe the spring hits the edge of the cavity when the low e vibrates? I assume, that when the bridge was floating, the angle was not as low so that the spring could hit the edge, but now as you have cranked the plate all the way to the end, maybe that is causing a buzz? The truss rod could be buzzing too, as other have suggested. I would tighten it a bit, check again and see if it fixes the issue. If the truss rod channel inside the neck is too loose (as in it can move around sideways, there's not much to be done without taking the whole fretboard off.

[@ianstu7]

Ryan stirring the pot! Great vid.

[@billnelson9413]

It’s the bridge. The over adjustments made to improve tuning stability were counter productive.

[@marghtellam7440]

I'm going to say its the truss rod. It might not be loose as such, but a component of it might be ill fitted. Changing the string gauge would have altered how it vibrates, hence the sound change. You could try tweeking it a little to see if it holds itself together properly. Other options are more extreme: injecting epoxy resin into the truss rod channel to hold it stilll, or cut open the neck and have a look. At the end of the day, this guitar is a dud that slipped through QA

[@TwistedIdentity]

If it's not anything up at the headstock, like the nut, the truss rod might be rattling. Tighten it to see if it goes away

[@jfiery]

Can't wait to see the response from the "wolf warrior" guitar rep.

[@nesicus]

Sounds like the trem springs to me. You don't need 4-5 trem springs to deck the bridge either. Try 3 strings parallel to one another instead of the "triangle" shape. Edit: Also, yes, reverse headstocks are obnoxious. I mean as far as stringing goes. You are 100% correct.

[@hughbarton5743]

I am leaning toward a twisted neck....surprisingly hard to detect with straight edge or fret rocker/ string height measuring gadget. It does sound like a physical interference with string and fretboard. Also: all comments re saddle issues/ lousy nut/ Trek springs are excellent suggestions. One more thought: when you have been working on a weird problem for a long time, it's easy to fall down into the rabbit hole, which might cause you to miss the real cause.... Suggestion: let a fresh set of eyes look at this thing. Describe the symptom, don't discuss what you have done, then walk away and go have a beer. Works more often then you might think. Good luck.

[@gasaddict]

If you can't figure out where the buzz is it's almost always the nut cut like it's binding up. If you can't find a dead or raised fret going up and down the board has to be the nut binding.

[@velutumbra]

Trem strings resonance in those frequencies? I had the same issue with an Ibanez RX170d Eiter that or a poorly finished saddle~ By the way, instead of teflon tape, cut a pen spring in half and insert it in the tremolo arm cavity. It will help to hold it in place without tightenig too much. (This is a "as I watch" commentary)

[@logicvstheworld6827]

Bridge saddles, most likely. Try lubricating those. Check the saddle slots. Deburr and lubricate 'em.

[@javierespana2807]

i believe there is a high fret, the last one next to the humbucker

[@cahvisoil]

I'm pretty sure it is related to the neck angle, try to raise the action and see if it still happens

[@srfrodoxd]

4:50 I'm pretty sure they did a horrible job cutting the nut and that's why it buzzes all over the place, i'm not a luthier by any means but what i learned from luthiers is that the more tension you have in the strings the less buzz you have and by swapping to 11s you got rid of some of that buzz because the strings itself vibrate less because it's bigger and has more tension applied to it than lower gauge strings

[@yellowtruckproductions7502]

At 0.51 it looks like the nut slot for the G string is cut at an angle. Am I seeing that correctly?