Acoustic guitars are a classic instrument choice for many musicians, favored for their smooth tone and bold sound. However, it is not uncommon for guitar players to experience fret buzz. So why do your acoustic guitar’s strings buzz?
Here are 6 reasons why your acoustic guitar strings buzz:
- Humidity is too low.
- Your guitar strings are not the right thickness.
- Your guitar frets have worn down.
- You’re strumming too hard.
- You aren’t being firm enough while pressing down on strings.
- You’ve switched to a different guitar string brand.
The rest of this article will explain everything you need to know about acoustic guitar strings buzzing (You may want to consider: how much does fret leveling cost?), so you can identify the root cause behind this issue and fix it accordingly. Read on for the ins and outs of guitar strings buzz.
Related: new to this topic? Start with our complete guitar maintenance and cleaning guide.
Note: Check out my blog post on the Best Acoustic Guitar Strings 2026 for the best overall.
👇😀👇NOTE👇😀👇
If you want to find out what my recommended guitar gear is, then here is what I recommend on Amazon:
- Fender Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Bundle (MY FAVORITE GUITAR)
- Snark SN-8 Super Tight All Instrument Tuner (Easiest Tuner I’ve Used😏)
- 6 String Acoustic Guitar Capo (Best CAPO for quick changes)
- Dunlop Max Grip 1.0mm Nylon Picks (Thick Guitar Pick So You Don’t Lose Grip!)
- Universal Guitar Stand (Cheap & Minimalist Guitar Stand I Recommend)
- Levy’s 2″ Wide Quick Adjust Guitar Strap (Best Guitar Strap For Any Level)
1. Humidity Is Too Low
One of the most common causes of fret buzz in acoustic guitars is unfavorable humidity conditions.
When the humidity of your environment is too low, the sound quality of your guitar might be affected regardless of how good you strum.
This is because low humidity levels make your environment dry, which in turn can dry out the wood of your acoustic guitar (Curious how to turn a right handed acoustic guitar left handed). When your guitar dries out, there will be a slight change in the shape of your instrument, which, more often than not, affects each individual part differently.
The slight change in shape can cause the neck to bend in a way that makes the frets stick out, effectively increasing the chances of buzzing.
So if you find your acoustic guitar strings buzzing more than usual, try checking your humidity levels. While there are multiple ways to do this, the most convenient and accurate way to measure a room’s humidity is by using a hygrometer.
A hygrometer reads your environment and displays the temperature and humidity of your space. The device is an excellent tool for any musician because these conditions can heavily affect the sound your instrument will produce. This is especially true for acoustic guitars because they are made of wood, which is easily affected by temperature and humidity changes.
If you’re considering making an investment in a hygrometer for your music studio or playing space, I highly recommend the Govee Hygrometer Thermometer (available on Amazon.com).
This hygrometer is BlueTooth compatible, so it can send advanced reports to your cellular device. It’s also affordable, small, and has a sleek design.
If your hygrometer tells you that your environment is dry, addressing humidity might make the buzzing decrease in intensity or disappear altogether.
Invest in a Humidifier To Avoid Dry Environments
As we previously discussed, an uncharacteristically dry environment can create unfavorable guitar playing conditions, which can lead to guitar strings buzz.
This is why buzzing is often more common during the winter months when temperatures and humidity levels are both low.
However, if you live in a region that is constantly dry, it might be a good idea to invest in a humidifier to balance out your environment. You can also use a humidifier exclusively during winter if the humidity in your area changes seasonally.
Investing in a humidifier is an excellent idea for players of any instrument, more specifically guitars. This is the quickest fix to most humidity problems, and humidifiers are easy to come by.
If you’re on the market for a humidifier, I highly recommend the LEVOIT Humidifier (available on Amazon.com) for its affordability, high functionality, and sleek design.
The humidifier is also small enough to fit on a shelf or a nightstand, which is super important if your music studio or playing area doesn’t have a lot of space to spare.
However, if you’re in a bigger space, you can always get a standing humidifier instead. The options really are endless, and I recommend exploring them if you think that humidity is the issue behind your acoustic guitar string buzz.
2. Your Guitar Strings Are Not the Right Thickness
Another common reason behind acoustic guitar string buzzing is using strings that are not the correct size.
No two guitars are the same, which is why acoustic guitars are set up with different string gauges. The thickness of your guitar strings can determine how much tension is put on the neck, which in turn affects how the neck bends.
Your guitar neck should be as close to straight as possible. If too much or too little tension is present, it can make your neck curve, which can change how your strings move and what they hit against while you’re playing.