Uke with Smitty
Well-known member
1.) The C string on my Twisted Wood tenor ukulele was buzzing and annoying the heck out of me for the last week or so. I tried all the usual suspects first. So I tightened all the hardware screws and made sure the strap button wasn’t the cause.
It still buzzed.
2.) Then, I took out the string and reinstalled it at a slightly different spot (meaning I changed the spot on the end tie a bit so that it would go around the tuning peg post at a slightly different spot on the string). I’ve had success with this one before…
It still buzzed. Okay, I’m starting to get annoyed!
3.) Next, I decide to take the saddle out and add in a little extra height with a piece of a thinly sliced credit card. It seemed like the buzzing was definitely coming from the nut, so I thought the action was a little too low. I have never messed with an instrument nut, so the low hanging fruit idea I have is to alter the action at the saddle. I usually play my action as low as humanly possible without buzzing, so I thought maybe that was finally biting me. The string only buzzed when played open, so thankfully I could rule out any issues with the frets.
I thought this would’ve definitely solved it, but…It still buzzed!
4.) Finally, I took the string out again and decided to inspect the nut slot. It looked the slightest bit jagged and not perfectly smooth so (something I would only notice if going insane poring over everything with a fine-toothed comb to try to get rid of some buzzing). I got a little fine grit sandpaper and went over one or two times ever so slightly.
Reinstalled the string, and VOILA, no more buzzing!
In retrospect, I probably should have assumed that the issue was at the nut and tried that fix earlier, since that’s where the buzzing was coming from. Anyways, now it doesn’t buzz and all is right with the world again.
It still buzzed.
2.) Then, I took out the string and reinstalled it at a slightly different spot (meaning I changed the spot on the end tie a bit so that it would go around the tuning peg post at a slightly different spot on the string). I’ve had success with this one before…
It still buzzed. Okay, I’m starting to get annoyed!
3.) Next, I decide to take the saddle out and add in a little extra height with a piece of a thinly sliced credit card. It seemed like the buzzing was definitely coming from the nut, so I thought the action was a little too low. I have never messed with an instrument nut, so the low hanging fruit idea I have is to alter the action at the saddle. I usually play my action as low as humanly possible without buzzing, so I thought maybe that was finally biting me. The string only buzzed when played open, so thankfully I could rule out any issues with the frets.
I thought this would’ve definitely solved it, but…It still buzzed!
4.) Finally, I took the string out again and decided to inspect the nut slot. It looked the slightest bit jagged and not perfectly smooth so (something I would only notice if going insane poring over everything with a fine-toothed comb to try to get rid of some buzzing). I got a little fine grit sandpaper and went over one or two times ever so slightly.
Reinstalled the string, and VOILA, no more buzzing!
In retrospect, I probably should have assumed that the issue was at the nut and tried that fix earlier, since that’s where the buzzing was coming from. Anyways, now it doesn’t buzz and all is right with the world again.
Last edited:
