Electric Guitar Buzzing At Bridge: Things You Must Know

We all want to have a smooth tune when we play the guitar. Anything that spoils the guitar playing momentum is something the guitar enthusiast doesn’t like daily. Guitar buzz is a distraction that often occurs for many reasons. However, can an electric guitar buzz at the bridge? 

Among quite a few reasons you might face the issue of guitar buzz, issues with the guitar bridge are one of them. In most cases, if the level of the bridge saddle goes too much lower, you will experience the guitar buzz issue at the bridge. This is because the strings come close to the frets, and the buzzing noise occurs. 

The problem with the guitar buzz at the bridge is fixable, and most of the time, you can fix the problem on your own. However, a few essential tools and little knowledge about guitar components (we will cover) will help get rid of the annoying issue. 

Don’t go anywhere. 

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Is It Normal for Electric Guitars to Buzz?

It is not unfamiliar for the guitar to cause a buzzing sound for different reasons. If you have an electric guitar, you are not out of the group that experiences uneven guitar buzz sound at the buzz of the guitar.

But, a well-functioning guitar is not supposed to create a buzzing sound unless there are issues due to the uneven fret, nut, worn switch cables, loose connection wires, or collapsed bridge. So, whenever you discover your electric guitar buzz issue, you should assume something goes wrong. 

In this case, let’s know an opinion from one of the members, Jasmine Adamson of Quora. She wrote, 

“No. They shouldn’t, but fret buzz is slightly more tolerable with electric guitars as it is often not amplified, and you don’t hear it. But, when playing bright, clean tones, you will listen to it, and it sounds pretty bad.”  [Source]

Furthermore, apart from the issue with the guitar bridge, more issues also cause the electric guitar buzz issue. However, in most cases, these issues are quite similar to any other types of guitar. 

In addition, even the uneven guitar playing approach can also cause guitar buzz issues. 

So, it’s important to identify what causes the guitar buzz issue with the electric guitar. As we assured you that you could solve most of your guitar buzz issues on your own, the precondition is to find out the real cause of the problem. 

Why Does the Electrical Guitar Buzz at the Bridge?

You may often wonder how you know there’s a problem with the bridge saddle of your guitar. Fortunately, the diagnosis of this problem is easy.

A properly functioning tune-O-Matic electrical guitar bridge must have a flat surface on the top. In most cases, the top of the bridge can become lower. Moreover, the guitar strings will not be placed flat like the saddle.

In addition, they are on the radius to match the fretboard’s radius. Here, the bridge saddle creates the string radius. That’s why the two middle saddles are the highest, and other cells get progressively lower so that the guitar can generate fine-tune. 

But, when the guitar bridge collapses or is damaged, the level of the strings comes down to the same level. Due to this, the strings come in contact with the guitar fret more often, and the guitar buzz noise appears. 

How Do You Fix a Buzzing Electric Guitar?

Fixing a buzzing electrical guitar is not rocket science. However, once you know the origin of the buzzing noise issue, a few troubleshooting steps are bare enough to get rid of this. 

Fixing Fret Buzz on the Tune-O-Matic Bridge:

As the guitar can buzz at the bridge more frequently, it makes sense to solve the issue at first. Frequently, fixing the lower bridge saddle can help you to resolve the issue with guitar buzz at its bridge. 

So, follow the steps below. 

• Step 1: Remove the guitar strings and eliminate the collapsed guitar bridge.
• Step 2: Put a new guitar bridge (you can use an ABR tune o-Matic style bridge) and insert it in place of the older guitar bridge.
• Step 3: Put the strings back on the new guitar bridge.
• Step 4: Create some tension in the strings.
• Step 5: Use a fret hammer and hit on the top of the bridge saddle smoothly. This helps the bridge slots to stay in the perfect place. 
• Step 6: Use somatic files and create slots between the saddle slots. Make sure you don’t attempt to use the tune-o-Matic nut cutting files extremely.
• Step 7: Replace the older strings with new ones.
• Step 8: Set the saddle intonation using the tune-o-Matic style screws. To do so, you should use the guitar tech screwdriver. 
• Step 9: Check the guitar for further buzz. 

Note: You can download a PDF to know more about T.O.M guitar saddles slots. Here’s the link.

Fixing Electric Guitar Buzz Due Worn Out Switch Cables:

You can never imagine your electrical guitar producing a better tune and sound due to worn-out switch cables. So, the solution to this problem is very straightforward. You need first to check the switches cables.

In order to do so, play your guitar without connecting the electrical switch cables to your guitar. If you only notice a buzzing noise when you connect the switch cables, this indicates a problem with the cables. And therefore, you need to change the old switch cables.

Fixing Electric Guitar Buzz Caused by Lower Strings Action:

This is another most frequent cause of the electrical guitar buzzing noise. In order to have a smooth tune or sound from the guitar, ensure the action is at the standard level. If the guitar’s action becomes too low, the strings easily connect with the fret and cause a buzzing noise.

Solving this problem relieves the guitar strings’ tension a bit. Due to this, the strings of your guitar can keep minimal distance when you play your guitar. 

You may find this video helpful in this case:

Final words

The best thing you do to avoid any uneven issues with your electric guitar is to take proper care of it. However, if you have trouble playing your guitar, don’t worry. All guitar related issues have solutions, including buzzing noise.

However, it’s better to know exactly what guitar component is causing the buzz sound. Our previous articles showed the other possible causes and solutions to the guitar buzz issue. You can check the article as well. 

No matter what type of guitar you use, if you have any technical issues, you should fix them. And then, you should focus on repairing or replacing other guitar parts.