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Post subject: John Mayer strat dead tone bends above 12th
Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:21 pm
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I put a thread on here a few weeks ago commenting on upon playing a few John Mayer strats, when I bent higher than the 12th fret, the note would go dead. Most people thought it was fret buzz, but it didnt sound like fret buzz. Upon further research, I came upon quite a few comments saying this is somewhat common with those strats. The reason given was because they use African rosewood, or something like that, and that's what causes this phenomena. Does this make sense to anyone?


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Post subject: Re: John Mayer strat dead tone bends above 12th
Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:27 pm
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[quote="windwalker9649"]I put a thread on here a few weeks ago commenting on upon playing a few John Mayer strats, when I bent higher than the 12th fret, the note would go dead. Most people thought it was fret buzz, but it didnt sound like fret buzz. Upon further research, I came upon quite a few comments saying this is somewhat common with those strats. The reason given was because they use African rosewood, or something like that, and that's what causes this phenomena. Does this make sense to anyone?[/quote

9.5 radius and narrow jumbo frets according to specs?? I'd check neck alignment and overall setup.

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Post subject: Re: John Mayer strat dead tone bends above 12th
Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:29 pm
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[quote="zzdoc"][quote="windwalker9649"]I put a thread on here a few weeks ago commenting on upon playing a few John Mayer strats, when I bent higher than the 12th fret, the note would go dead. Most people thought it was fret buzz, but it didnt sound like fret buzz. Upon further research, I came upon quite a few comments saying this is somewhat common with those strats. The reason given was because they use African rosewood, or something like that, and that's what causes this phenomena. Does this make sense to anyone?[/quote

9.5 radius and narrow jumbo frets according to specs?? I'd suspect neck alignment and overall setup. If you''ve been auditioning guitars off the wall after the headbanger's ball lets out, that's a tough go.

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:32 pm
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I know, but they were all the same, I tried 3 at two different stores, and they were always at the 12th on. Like I said, I'd read on a few differnent places its due to the wood they use on the fret board. Does that make any sense.


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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:18 pm
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windwalker9649 wrote:
I know, but they were all the same, I tried 3 at two different stores, and they were always at the 12th on. Like I said, I'd read on a few differnent places its due to the wood they use on the fret board. Does that make any sense.
.

I had a rosewood board with a 9.5, medium jumbo frets and a V-neck on the CS strat I just swapped out for my Gilmour and the guitar played wonderfully. I personally don't think the Mayer Artist series guitars are generally finished well.

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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 4:31 pm
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The string shouldnt even touch the rosewood. I'd say its the setup. Its very easy to get strings to choke on a 9.5 board. They are not the cure-all people make them out to be. Their more of a compromise between 7.25 and 12" radi'i. Curved enough to chord easily and flat enough to solo easily.

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Post subject: 12th fret bending problems on a john mayer
Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:33 pm
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i gave it a few moments thought, this is what i came up with.
1. vintage necks are sometimes said to fret out or give your problems.
i beg to differ, with the correct set up, it shouldnt be a problem.

2. this is what i think happens. john mayer sig, uses a thicker c shaped neck. as you get past the 12th fret. your hands may be too small for the guitar. having an impotent grasp on the guitar. :wink:
thus, giving the problems you describe.



my 2 cts.


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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:37 pm
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The ppl above said it all :D


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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 6:49 am
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Could it be a "characteristic" of the JM signature pickups?

If you perform a bend at say the 15th fret, the string is moved further away from the centre of the pole-piece than if you do a bend at the 5th fret. (put your trigonometry hat on for a minute).

I have no experience of this with any pickups on my guitars (although on my $1800 Ibanez the strings dont even start above the pole-pieces on the neck bucker :evil: ), but thinking outside the box a bit and not assuming its the frets/action/neck, its certainly a possibility since the signature pickups are one certainty across each of the different guitars the OP tested?

[Scratch all of the above if you tested them unplugged]


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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:49 am
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[quote="SpacePig"]Could it be a "characteristic" of the JM signature pickups?

This is ''choking" or '"fretting out". Not related to magnetic damping. :wink:

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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:05 am
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OK, African rosewood instead of Indian. But what difference would that make to the frets at the dusty end?

Are we saying that an African rosewood fingerboard would have a tendency to "rise in tongue" (the 'board curling upwards at the top few frets)? I don't believe it for a second, but if it were true it would certainly then be an odd choice of timber for a signature guitar...

'Fraid it's far more likely just a setup issue. Perhaps the factory specs for that signature instrument are a touch on the low side. Or perhaps this batch of guitars were all set up by the same person who just did it a mite off...

Cheers - C


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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:30 am
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[quote="Ceri"] Bear in mind that this is an Artist Series guitar....with all that implies.

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Post subject: Re: 12th fret bending problems on a john mayer
Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:50 pm
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[quote="bluesstrattone"]i gave it a few moments thought, this is what i came up with.
1. vintage necks are sometimes said to fret out or give your problems.
i beg to differ, with the correct set up, it shouldnt be a problem.

2. this is what i think happens. john mayer sig, uses a thicker c shaped neck. as you get past the 12th fret. your hands may be too small for the guitar. having an impotent grasp on the guitar. :wink:
thus, giving the problems you describe.



It's not a choking problem, and seems much worse than a typical fretting out. Not a buzz, as much as just dead.


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Post subject: Re: 12th fret bending problems on a john mayer
Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:59 pm
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It's not a choking problem, and seems much worse than a typical fretting out. Not a buzz, as much as just dead.[/quote]

Neck placement; orientation and setup need to be verifed. Seems to be consensus here.

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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:47 pm
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After I had my Hwy One Strat professionally set up with bridge flush against the body and low action, I had the same problem. It doesn't buzz, it just goes kinda dead. I raised the action on the bridge just the tiniest little bit (about a 1/4 turn each with the allen wrench) and Viola! fixed. Sorry dude, but it really is just an action/setup problem. Promise. That's just the way it is with a 9 1/2" radius neck. Actually, given the problem you're having, I'd say the guitar is setup perfect, just a tiny bit too low on the action.

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