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Post subject: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing strings
Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 3:27 am
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I have purchased a Jeff Beck Stratocaster that was playing perfectly. No issues at all

After replacing the old strings (they were little bit rusted) with a new set of D'Addario NYXL 10/46 there is a nasty buzz at the first and second open strings, and the sound decays immediately leaving only an harmonic.

After removing the old strings I have just cleaned everything and added a little drop of lubricant at both the roller nut and the bridge edges.

Any advice?

Thank you


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Post subject: Re: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing str
Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 3:47 am
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NYXLs are balanced tension strings.
You might find that they exert less pull on the neck, and you have a minor back bow.
Releasing the truss rod adjustment nut by a tiny amount should compensate for it.

I had a similar problem a few years ago with EXL-110s, bought in a 3 pack, and with a set of the BT strings thrown in for good measure.
When I put the BT set on things went weird and buzzy at the money end of the neck.
A minor turn of the truss rod cured the issue.

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Post subject: Re: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing str
Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 5:40 am
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stratmangler wrote:
NYXLs are balanced tension strings.
You might find that they exert less pull on the neck, and you have a minor back bow.
Releasing the truss rod adjustment nut by a tiny amount should compensate for it.

I had a similar problem a few years ago with EXL-110s, bought in a 3 pack, and with a set of the BT strings thrown in for good measure.
When I put the BT set on things went weird and buzzy at the money end of the neck.
A minor turn of the truss rod cured the issue.


Yes! A small turn of the truss rod has solved the problem! Now it rings beautifully

Thank you very much for the help :)


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Post subject: Re: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing str
Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:01 am
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You're more than welcome :D

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Post subject: Re: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing str
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2018 10:43 pm
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Oooops... I made an idiotic mistake: :?

I didn't notice that I had to pass the first 3 strings below the small rods inside the nut. They were resting above it :oops:

When mounted properly there is no buzz at all, no matter how the truss rod is adjusted.

Now I understand the main advantage of this old Wilkinson over the new LSR roller nut: these rods are helping to press the strings firmly against the nut rolls. That may be the reason why Jeff Beck is still using this Wilkinson nut.

BTW: I am amazed with the sustain of this guitar, specially at the highest frets. I suppose that the thick baseball neck is helping with the sustain.
At the beginning I found the neck a bit weird (I am used to play with the thinnest Ibanez necks) but I got used to it very fast. I am loving it! :D


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Post subject: Re: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing str
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2018 1:25 am
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I have the LSR nut on my Am Deluxe, and haven't played with the split nut.
I can see why Jeff Beck prefers it, as the top three strings are held in by an integral string tree arrangement.
Image

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Post subject: Re: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing str
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2018 1:35 am
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So, the magic rod is called "Needle Bearing Roller String Tree"

Thank you for sharing the picture.

I am wondering why they have discontinued it (except for the guitars that JB is still using... Perhaps his luthier is keeping a cache)


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Post subject: Re: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing str
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2018 4:08 am
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Cost generally dictates why something gets dropped.
The current LSR nut is capable of handling much heftier string sets than the Wilkinson can, which in today's low tuned climate makes more sense.

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/parts/str ... 12000.html

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Post subject: Re: Buzz at Jeff Beck Strat Wilkinson Nut after changing str
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2018 7:46 am
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Pingfloid wrote:
So, the magic rod is called "Needle Bearing Roller String Tree"

Thank you for sharing the picture.

I am wondering why they have discontinued it (except for the guitars that JB is still using... Perhaps his luthier is keeping a cache)


Indeed, the Fender Custom Shop has stated they have a small stash of Wilkinsons reserved for future guitars for Jeff.

As for the discontinuation, it's all guesswork.

My guess: Wilkinson hoped the roller nut would be popular. That manufacturers would start putting them in a broad range of models, and consumers would retrofit them to other guitars.

So they shopped it around to manufacturers. Having a big manufacturer use your product can be a huge boost for aftermarket/retrofit sales, so when Fender expressed interest they offered to sell them cheap, maybe even at a loss.

Other manufacturers didn't flock to the roller nut, and players didn't want to modify their existing necks for the roller nut. Graphite nuts were introduced around the same time and won the sales battle (more traditional look and easy drop-in interchangeabilty with normal nuts).

So Wilkinson said to Fender, "we need to raise the price, or we're going to stop making them."

And Fender said, "been nice working with you but we don't want to pay more -- we'll just design our own being careful not to infringe on your patents, and make it a little cheaper and easier to build."


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