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Guitar Discussions -> Setup Problem
There are 8 messages in this thread.
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Setup Problem - Seventhson - 18:34 29-11-05
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I have a problem with my strat, every time you try and bend a note on the B
string anywhere past the 11th fret, it just cuts off instantly as though
you've muted the string. I've tried changing the strings but this doesn't
seem to make any difference. Any suggestions?
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Re: Setup Problem - west - 18:50 29-11-05
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Seventhson wrote:
> I have a problem with my strat, every time you try and bend a note on the B
> string anywhere past the 11th fret, it just cuts off instantly as though
> you've muted the string. I've tried changing the strings but this doesn't
> seem to make any difference. Any suggestions?
>
>
Your B saddle is too low.
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Re: Setup Problem - Lon Smith - 19:08 29-11-05
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Neck tilt, or string height, or a raised fret. Is your Strat an older
model? The old ones have a 7" radius neck which is a more round fret than
the newer ones. In order to get a full 1 and 1/2 steps of bend on my E
string I must raise the action higher than the minimum required for string
buzz. You surely should be able to bend the last (21st) fret up right?
Then start checking backward, if it is on every fret back and you are going
to work on your own guitar, I would start with setting the trem to about
5/16" above the body. This is my preference not the "right" one though.
And then tilt the neck forward some and redo the entire action. It will
take some work.
"Seventhson" <powerslave@pieceofmind.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dmiok0$jg7$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
>I have a problem with my strat, every time you try and bend a note on the B
>string anywhere past the 11th fret, it just cuts off instantly as though
>you've muted the string. I've tried changing the strings but this doesn't
>seem to make any difference. Any suggestions?
>
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Re: Setup Problem - Sasquatch - 00:02 30-11-05
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"Lon Smith" <swamped@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:G36jf.7327$wf.2592@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> Neck tilt, or string height, or a raised fret. Is your Strat an older
> model? The old ones have a 7" radius neck which is a more round fret than
> the newer ones. In order to get a full 1 and 1/2 steps of bend on my E
> string I must raise the action higher than the minimum required for string
> buzz. You surely should be able to bend the last (21st) fret up right?
> Then start checking backward, if it is on every fret back and you are
> going to work on your own guitar, I would start with setting the trem to
> about 5/16" above the body. This is my preference not the "right" one
> though. And then tilt the neck forward some and redo the entire action.
> It will take some work.
>
>
> "Seventhson"
Well, I was going to reply but the reply above nailed it so I'll just say
"Ditto" to that. There is one check you can do, and that is to take a 24"
steel ruler and lay it on the frets to make sure they are all level. Keep in
mind you might have about .003 relief in the middle (around the 9th fret)
but that's normal and won't cause the problem you are looking at. You are
mostly looking for wear and/or a raised fret somewhere after your 11th fret.
Sasquatch
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Re: Setup Problem - Patrick Keenan - 00:10 30-11-05
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"Seventhson" <powerslave@pieceofmind.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:dmiok0$jg7$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
>I have a problem with my strat, every time you try and bend a note on the B
>string anywhere past the 11th fret, it just cuts off instantly as though
>you've muted the string. I've tried changing the strings but this doesn't
>seem to make any difference. Any suggestions?
I just fixed this on one of my own guitars today.
This is often called 'choking' - does the E do the same thing in the same
frets if you bend to the same area?
What basically happens, and you should be able to actually see this if you
have sufficient lighting, is that the string runs into the next fret.
This can be because the succeeding frets have popped (have become loose and
are out of level) or that they weren't level in the first place, or that the
saddle is too low.
With highly curved boards, such as strats, this can be an 'bending past the
horizon' effect as well. Here, the main solution is somewhat higher
action - or reducing the curvature of the board, which is not a casual
adjustment.
Normally an actual defect with the saddle would appear on all notes for that
string. It can also be that the string is damaged but if you've changed
strings you've pretty much removed that possibility.
If you tap on the frets with a metallic object, say a 6" steel machinists
rule, you will clearly hear the difference between solid and loose frets.
Loose frets *must* be dealt with before anything else can be seriously done.
The usual cure for this is called a fret dress. Here is a description of
the process for informational purposes; you may well wish to have an
experienced person do this.
Strings are removed, the guitar top masked or taped up, the fingerboard
between the frets masked, and the trussrod adjusted so that the neck is as
straight as it can be. Then a flat stone or file is run along the frets
until they are level. Normally the file or stone will be also used on a
diagonal path as well, representing the path the string takes when bent.
It's common to run a bit of black marker on the fret tops to make the stone
or file action clear - you want to take off only what's necessary and no
more.
The fret dress proper is followed by a re-crown and polish. Since the fret
dress leaves the tops of the frets flat, a prepared file is used to
re-create the rounded profile (or "crown") of the fret.
I personally use a 6" flat smooth file, prepared by grinding the teeth off
the sides and corners, finishing on a belt-sander and then polishing on a
hard wheel. This preparation allows the file to be used against the fret
yet not mark the fingerboard.
The re-crown file is run along the length of each side of the fret,
re-rounding it and shaping the flat to a narrow strip roughly corresponding
to the size and location of the fret tang (the part that is actually IN the
fingerboard slot).
Once the recrown is done, sandpaper is used to finish rounding and polish;
use 220, 400, 600 and 1200 grit papers followed by 0000-grade steel wool.
You'll gently take a couple of passes along the length of the board but for
the rest you will individually sand each fret. At the end, the frets will
be have a gloss finish. Remove the tape from the board, take another pass
with the 0000-grade steel wool to remove the tape gunk, and clean the board.
Vaccuum up debris (particularly steel wool lint) and clean the guitar.
Restring and re-set up the guitar.
This is basically what is done but again is not complete and is presented
for informational purposes.
The tools are not exotic but not everyone has them and they can require
preparation (for example, the stone I used also required grinding on a piece
of glass to be flat). It may cost less to have a qualified person with the
tools do the work, than to collect and prepare the tools and learn their
use.
In the meantime, try raising the B saddle. It may simply be too low.
HTH
-pk
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In order of severity (and effort to repair) try:
- Raising the Action at the saddle(s)
- Identifying if the Nut is binding the B string, and fixing the nut
slot (if needed)
- Identifying if the neck angle is causing the problem or if truss
rod adjustment (and subsequently changing saddle height) will
compensate for the issue
I have seen a lot of fender squires recently that have needed the neck
angle re-adjusted. Even for a $200 guitar, this minor repair ($40 or
so, when done properly, by an honest and qualified tech) can often
yeild a very good and playable guitar. Of course, if you spend $1,000
on a new fender, you will find this quality check and adjustment has
already been done at the factory, nearly 100% of the time.
Alternatively, when you are in the market for another guitar (new or
used / ebay), pick up a Yamaha Pacifica Tele. Even the entry level
models seem to always have been factory adjusted to eliminate these
types of problems.
Many other entry level strat copies (especially fender squires) seem to
have several different kinds of factory defects .... there's no excuse,
at any selling price, to find guitars built with quality control
problems.
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Re: Setup Problem - Jim Anable - 13:54 30-11-05
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Lon Smith wrote:
> Neck tilt, or string height, or a raised fret. Is your Strat an older
> model? The old ones have a 7" radius neck which is a more round fret than
> the newer ones. In order to get a full 1 and 1/2 steps of bend on my E
> string I must raise the action higher than the minimum required for string
> buzz.
This is why I had Mike Lull do a compound radius, when he did the refret
on my vintage Strat. Starts out at standard vintage radius, ends up
flatter at the heel.
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Re: Setup Problem - ok - 12:09 03-12-05
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"Seventhson" <powerslave@pieceofmind.freeserve.co.uk> ¦b¶l¥ó
news:dmiok0$jg7$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk ¤¤¼¶¼g...
> I have a problem with my strat, every time you try and bend a note on the
B
> string anywhere past the 11th fret, it just cuts off instantly as though
> you've muted the string. I've tried changing the strings but this doesn't
> seem to make any difference. Any suggestions?
>
>
There are 6 no. of magnetic rods in a pick up which 'output' magnetic field
to sense the lateral movement (vibration) of the strings. While you are
bending the string, it is moving away from one rod to another. As the string
move from the rod, the rod sense less signal and hence produce less output
to the amp. If the next rod is not functioning properly then the pickup will
lose its output. I wonder would this be the cause of your problem.
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