Why are my strings buzzing on the first fret?According to Alan Ratcliffe, the forum's tech expert, buzz at the first fret is almost always the nut cut too low — the string slots have been filed down so far that the open string sits too close to the first fret and buzzes when fretted. Buzz from fret 2 upwards is usually a truss rod issue instead 1. A quick way to confirm it's the nut: look at the string height as it approaches the nut. If the strings sit noticeably lower over the first fret than over the rest of the fretboard, the nut slots are too deep 1. What to do: If the guitar is new: take it back to the shop — a nut cut too low is a setup/warranty issue and they should sort it out 1. Fix: the nut (or the affected slots) needs to be shimmed up or replaced by a tech. Don't try to file it yourself — once the slots are too low, adding material is the only fix. If the buzz is more on frets 2–12 than fret 1, it's neck relief rather than the nut — a small truss rod tweak (1/8 to 1/4 turn anticlockwise) helps, and the improvement continues overnight 3. Also rule out old strings and heavy-handed fretting technique first — both are common culprits 1,3. If it's only one string buzzing on one fret, the slot for that particular string may be cut too low — the paper-under-the-string test can confirm it 3. From these forum threadsStrings buzzing on low frets (2015)Fret buzz (2010)
