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Post subject: New member and unsure
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:43 pm
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Hello, this is the first forum I have joined and I hate to start with a question but I'm running out of time. I recently purchased a 2014 American Deluxe, in a way I swore I would never do, online. Brand new and no problem with the company I ordered from and essentially no problem with the guitar, BUT, always a but, I am a Gibson man from way back and am used to very low and tight action that suits my sometimes aggressive playing, leads, scale runs etc...The action on the Strat is low and comfortable but has more buzz than I care for, it also feels loose or spongey compared to what I'm used to with my Les Paul and SG. Let me say that yes I have played Strats, even owned an early '70s but never really fell in love with one.

I know Strats have a slew of adjustments that can be made, but I am unsure if it is possible to have a low and somewhat tighter action.I don't want to start messing with this and find out that I'm chasing a dream and determine that I should send it back, get the LP with coil split and buy a Squire for the tones out of the single coils.

Like to say I really like this guitar, Sunset metallic HSS with rosewood, hell I may keep it anyway, this would be the first new electric guitar in 30+ years of playing I have bought that's name brand.
Sorry about the long post but don't know anybody down here to ask, thanks.

So....is a low and tighter action without substantial string buzz possible?


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 8:00 pm
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You can get a tighter feel by increasing the string guages, but being an aggressive player some times like you say, you're not gonna get a low action without a lot of string buzz.

RGM


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 8:06 pm
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Thanks, kind of what I thought.


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 9:59 pm
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I would keep it and get used to it. If you blocked the tremolo it wouldn't feel so spongy and it would probably help with the action. If you don't like that guitar, you need to give up on Strats. :D


ps - I haven't heard a coil split that sounds good.


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 10:18 pm
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Thought about that, as the trem is now the bar needs to be bent up at an angle away from the body, to low for me. As stated, I definitely like it. Agree about coil split, very thin to me. Appreciate the input.


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 3:19 am
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GTG wrote:
I would keep it and get used to it. If you blocked the tremolo it wouldn't feel so spongy and it would probably help with the action. If you don't like that guitar, you need to give up on Strats. :D
ps - I haven't heard a coil split that sounds good.

Agree on that keep & get used to idea, playing both a Gibson and a Strat will give new dimensions to your playing style.
The spongy feel can also be cured by adding more (and/or stiffer) tremolo springs, so you have the trem available if you want to. Anyway, a Strat is very different to set up compared to the Gippers, so get the hang of it first: Strat Setup Guide
And: lube every string/whatever contact point.

PS: I haven't heard a coil split that sounds like a single coil :wink:


Last edited by jmattis on Sun Jan 11, 2015 11:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 6:10 am
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Thanks, I do believe this is a keeper.


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 1:47 pm
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The Strat is a longer scale instrument than a Les Paul, and most Gibsons. So, perhaps what you're feeling is somehow related to the differing tension that happens when moving from a shorter scale (typically less tension at same pitch) to a longer scale?

Seems counter-intuitive, but the scale length thing is huge sometimes, feel-wise.


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:11 pm
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Thanks for posting. It is definitely less tension, I'm also thinking it is due to this being a new scale radius thing for Fender I believe. Definitely forces me to play differently, not a bad thing.


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:26 pm
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The strings on the Strat have a higher tension as the length of a vibrating string is longer. Therefore a same set of strings will feel very different, that could be what is bothering you.
I use 11s on my Gibson LP and 10s on the Fender Strat. They feel roughly the same.

I assume the fret buzzing comes on the E and A strings, possibly D?
In that case, you can try lighter gauge of those strings (or of all strings, of course), as heavier gauge can, on a low action guitar, mean more fret buzz with extremely aggressive playing, that's especially true for drop-tunings. If your playing style is moderate, as far as aggressiveness goes, heavier gauge will yield less fret buzz.

You can also try leveling frets, in case one isn't leveled, or decreasing their height in general. But that kind of mod is irreversible, unless you want to refret the whole neck in case you don't like the outcome, and diminishes the fret-life, so I would suggest doing that only if you really can't get used to the different action.

Also, the bridge might need a setup if you use heavier gauge than the originals on Strats (usually 9s), as higher tension means the bridge won't be flat and pressed towards the body (something that increases sustain and lowers action as well). Easily reversible, you only need to unscrew the panel on the back and increase the tension of the springs that hold the bridge & tremolo in place. The downside to this is that you can't use your tremolo as a way to shift notes higher, you will only be able to shift them lower, so dive-bombs and stuff.

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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 8:34 pm
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Thanks for posting, cool graphics...


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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 11:58 pm
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I would go through the complete setup whenever I changed my string gauges (typically heavier, for Surf) and it was totally worth it. I worked my way up from .009"s up to .012"s. Truss rod, bridge height, trem spring tension, adding up to 4 springs and, especially, intonation. A little dot of graphite lube on bridge and nut for each string.
Now, whenever I try a Strat with the factory strings, it feels unplayable to me. The .009"s are like spaghetti.

That being said, I keep to the .010"s on my Epi Les Paul (same as factory strings), because they're just bendy enough.

Funny story: My first Strat was a Squier Bullet Strat, and it had this buzz on the B string, 4th fret. I couldn't get rid of it, until I finally somehow figured out that it was actually a cold solder joint on the Volume pot, and it would resonate only on that string and that note, which caused an intermittent connection. Touching it with a soldering iron to reflow the solder fixed it right up.

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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2015 5:44 pm
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jmattis wrote:
The spongy feel can also be cured by adding more (and/or stiffer) tremolo springs, so you have the trem available if you want to. Anyway, a Strat is very different to set up compared to the Gippers, so get the hang of it first: Strat Setup Guide
That's a dead link now, but this will work for most models, not just Strats: http://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Origi ... Manual.pdf
Jump down to page 21 for the good stuff.

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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:17 pm
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jmattis wrote:
And: lube every string/whatever contact point.


So true.

Here in the dry humidity snow bound North, we have frets that don't want to cooperate, and, when the neck shrinks, a luthiers filing of the frets' edges, sometimes sharp, will sometimes be needed to correct matters so the fingies don't get cut. This was recently done to my 2012 Amn. Deluxe Strat. I was hesitant at first, but I know I have a great tech who has worked for me before, and he did a great job smoothing the edges.

I then had a low setup, my trem set, and 10 gauge strings. All was good except for 2 strings that buzzed, Setup was perfect, and a typical lube was done. Still, after investigating, we found another lube of the nut, and tree solved the problem.

In short, don't give up on that Strat. I love mine as others do.

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Post subject: Re: New member and unsure
Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 5:42 pm
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I've been a heavy handed blues player for a it and I've learned that I like heavier strings and a higher action. I generally play with the bridge flush to the body, or very stiff if floating. This allows me to really dig into the strings. I'm not a shredder. My lead attack is close to Albert King, RSV and Buddy Guy, but my frasing is more a kin to Clapton, Robert Cray and Alvin Lee.

I've never been much of a Gbison fan (and I've owned four of them). I recently purchased a new Dlx Strat Plus in Mystic Ice Blue Mettalic. Really nice guitar what sounds really very nice overdriven. The guitar comes with three "Personality" cards which allows me to alter pickup configuration and tone cut. It's been pretty handy for a getting some very "non-strat" like tones. The compound radius is very comfortable.

I hope all this helps. Good luck!


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