Hello,

I have an American Deluxe Strat from 2004. My problem is that when I bend the high E string, it requires a lot of effort, and even when it's bent to the perfect pitch (one tone up), it doesn't sound like it should. It sounds "thin", fake, I don't know how to explain it. The G and B strings are not so hard to bend and they sound good when I bend one step up.

I initially thought the action was too low, and since the frets are somewhat used, I raised it. It's now a bit easier to bend, but has the same sound. Then I went to a friend who has a Squier with 0.10 strings (I'm using 0.9) and his strings were much easier to bend ! And sounded right. Anything else I'm missing here ? Any idea what other causes could be ?

I am using Ernie Ball strings 0.9-0.46. My tremolo is blocked, in contact with the body. My technique is far from perfect, but I know how to bend correctly and I can do it right on 2 other guitars (my friend's Squier and my Gibson Les Paul Studio which I don't play much these days).

Thanks for any advice you may have. By the way, the guitar was setup by a tech before I bought it.

It may not be the string as much as it could be the pickups... What position is your switch in? Check the distance from the string to the poles on the magnets with the high E depressed on the last fret. If you have the owner's manual it will give you the distance it should be for noiseless pick ups. I believe that they need to be alot closer than the regular single coil. The farther away from the pole the string is the weaker the magnetic field and the thinner the sound you will get from the Pup... It can also affect intonation...

_________________
I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...

How does it sound when that string is played open?

Does it make any difference which fret you're playing at?

The string seems to sound a bit strange when played open too. I think it sounds worse when bending it on the higher frets (>12).

If it does not sound "right" played open try adjusting the pickup height on the high E side. Higher should be louder less sustain, lower should be quieter more sustain. Also, is it the same outcome regardless of which pickup position you use?

The sound is the same no matter what pickup I play through. I decided to take the guitar to my tech tomorrow. I will let you know the result

Probably the wiser choice, yes let us know.

Yeah, the curious case of the E string - let us know the diagnosis!

I got the guitar back and it plays great ! The strings are easier to bend, and the sound is clearer (the pickups were raised slightly).

He said that the nut slot where the E string fits had become too wide, and the neck had no relief, which accounted for the strings being so tight and hard to bend. I don't know how he fixed the nut part, but the guitar is now so much easier to play and most importantly, the E string sounds just like the other strings, event when bent a full step !

I wish I knew so much about guitars so I could have fixed it myself...

Good to hear that all is well. I suppose he replaced the nut? Anyway, sometimes it's best to leave some things to the experts. I rarely tinker with any of my guitars. Enjoy your Strat.