Guys, I badly need your help. We don't have a guitar tech in our locality. The nearest I would go is going to Cebu. But maybe you have idea that I can do it here myself until maybe give up on the guitar.
I have a guitar that has some fret buzz on the 3 high strings. Fretbuzz usually on the lower fret.
The saddles were on standard height. Neck was dead straight.
Let's note that first. Dead straight neck + good saddle height.
First was, I've tried to raise the nut by shimming it, gave me quite a solution but the buzz is still there. Quite stiff when doing chords on the lower fret.
Would be good only if the nut slots were already low. So how's the assessment of the nut slots?
Second, I tried shimming the neck pocket at the heel, neck angle changed, but my worry was that the saddles should be raised that really high and I simply lessen the thickness of the shim, but to no luck, still the buzzes are still there.
Not such a good choice unless the neck angle is slightly leaning forward. You did say that the neck was dead straight to begin with, so shimming the neck pocket won't do so much rather than to create an angle at the neck and raise your saddles to compensate.
Third, after removing the shim at the heel, I placed it at farther from the bridge (quite the made the best solution for now). Lessen the fretbuzz but the action on the 12 fret onward was high.
Now you just made your neck lean forward...stuff that should be avoided, imo.. I think it's better that the neck is either parallel to the body or angled towards the back.
With that kind of shim, you did make the middle frets go 'lower'.. Pero dirediretso na yun hanggang dulo ng neck kaya pataas na ng pataas ang action mo.
What do you think should I do. Anyway, the fretlife of the neck is at 85-90%. Would refretting be a solution to it?
Your ideas a very much of a help.
Two things I can think of at the moment.
Case 1
a. Fretwires on the lower frets may be too worn (85%?) and the strings tend to catch up on the succeeding frets while vibrating. Thus, your fretbuzz.
b. With that said, you may try fret leveling (if applicable). Hahabulin mo yung height nung pinakaworn na part ng frets. However, case to case basis siya. Depende sa condition ng fretwire na iyon at kung ano yung magiging height ng fretwires after leveling. Baka naman sobrang baba na tapos pangit na icrown. Kung hindi na kaya ilevel, refret na maayos ang pagkakagawa ang solution.
Case 2
a. Temporary fix, try to adjust your truss rod for a little neck relief. Lagyan mo ng konting underbow yung dead straight neck. Para yung mga frets sa bandang middle area ay "bumaba" ang pwesto, thus, pwedeng hindi sumabit yung string pag nagvvibrate pag nagffret ka sa first few frets. But do consider you nut as well. This would be effective kung maayos ang depth ng nut slots mo, kung masyado nang mababa, baka sumabit pa rin even after the process..