rattling string

[JoeT]

From the sounds of it sounds like fret buzz, What does the neck relief look like? do you have a fret rocking tool, it will tell you if those frets are higher than the rest, they may have raised off of the fingerboard due to humidity issues or lack of or too much fretboard conditioning.

[HowardM]

I agree with JoeT and my suggestion would be to have your guitar setup, I lack the skillset to set up and guitar, at a guitar shop.

[ChuckS]

If this just started happening out of the blue, my guess is too much or too little humidity is the culprit. Make sure you guitar room is between 40% and 50% relative humidity or of you keep it in a case check that as well. Once humidity is stabilized, it might take a day or 2 or 3 for the guitar to settle in.

[Dirk_R]

thanks all, it quit doing it today, weather has warmed up above freezing

[Dirk_R]

open D string is buzzing today

[Dirk_R]

guitar is still buzzing on the g and d strings around the 5th fret

[Kitman]

Hi @Dirk_R , do you have a humidity monitor to check to see what the humidity is in the area or case where you keep your guitars. You can pick one up that runs on batteries and is inexpensive.

Once you see if the humidity is ok (b/w 40 and 50 as stated above) I would also support the comment on getting your guitar set up.

Good luck!

[Dirk_R]

I have had the guitar for a year now and this just started happening. What do you mean by getting the guitar set up?

[Kitman]

@Dirk_R here is a link that describes a guitar set up:

https://www.ensembleschools.com/the-music-room/guitar-notes/how-to/#:~:text=A%20%E2%80%9Csetup%E2%80%9D%20is%20regular%20maintenance,or%20lowering%20the%20string%20height.

I recently had a setup done on a guitar I’ve owned since 1997. Since I purchased the guitar I played it just as it came out of the case and was happy with it. Recently a problem developed on the second fret called “overhang”. The fret end was sticking out beyond the neck causing cuts and scraps to my fretting hand. I did research on luthiers near me, chose one and asked them to fix that problem as well as do a complete set up with new strings. I also asked them to lower the action (distance between the string and the fret board) if possible. The difference it made in the playability and sound is remarkable. The cost was around $140. My advice is to find a luthier with a solid reputation and that you feel good about working on your guitar.

[JoeT]

You should make a very small investment in a fret rocking tool, which is basically just a straight edge that covers three frets at a time to see if your frets are level. If your instrument has been subject to a dry environment then the fretboard has shrunk a little (and we’re only talking about a few thousandths) and what will happen is the fret wire will raise out of their groove, since they are only pressed in. As far as the “set-up” link, I would stay away from lemon oil to lubricate your fretboard, it contains acids. Check with your guitar manufacture to see what they recommend to clean and lubricate your fingerboard. The good news is, whatever the issue is, it can be repaired. Like others have said, find yourself a good luthier in your area and have he or she get to the bottom of it…..good luck!