It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:11 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:18 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:44 am
Posts: 17
Location: New Jersey
Hi Guys,

I just got an American Special Strat and everything was great until I changed the strings. I have some really bad fret buzz. The action is at the highest I'm willing to go (4/64"). I need to adjust the truss rod but have never had a guitar with a non-biflex truss rod before.

Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question but here goes: is a vintage style truss rod only capable of providing neck relief or back bow? I don't want to make any adjustments without knowing this first.

Thanks in advance for your help.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:25 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:02 pm
Posts: 1978
Location: Manchester
Vintage style rods do the same job as a biflex rod, they can be adjusted to correct back bow very satisfactorily if done right. I do it the traditional way with a capo, feeler gauge and a radius gauge to set the saddles afterwards but I've known repairers who can just give the rod a few tweaks and get it spot on.

_________________
Image
Image my stuff on soundcloud


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 8:06 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:53 am
Posts: 4242
Quote:
The standard truss rod can counteract concave curvature in a neck that has too much relief, for example, by generating a force in the neck opposite to that caused by excessive string tension.
(Quote from Stratocaster setup guide)



That 4/64" action you mention is exactly the factory recommendation (9.5" radius neck). You can get lower action without buzzing, but the guitar must then be in good setup.

One question: which frets buzz? The procedure to correct buzzing is highly dependant on this... :wink:


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:03 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:44 am
Posts: 17
Location: New Jersey
The buzzing is consistent throughout


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:11 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:32 pm
Posts: 235
Location: Rossendale, UK
jestremera wrote:
The buzzing is consistent throughout


Sounds like the truss rod needs loosening a touch!

_________________
Chris


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:16 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:53 am
Posts: 4242
Not necessarily. No harm in testing the truss rod, of course.
But: 1. a guitar should play OK with the neck straight as an arrow, and 2. if the neck has back bow, the buzz should not appear in the high fret area.

So, some "idiot checks" first (no offense meant to the OP, that's just how they're called):
Proper tuning (= the tuner is not by mistake set on lower tunings)?
Sure it's fret buzz (not something loose somewhere)? Edit here: what about the pickup height?
Is the neck straight or evenly bent (not a propeller, although even then there should be buzzless areas)?

And: what is the action, what is the relief?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:26 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:44 am
Posts: 17
Location: New Jersey
No offense taken, LOL. The tuning is E standard and the neck is pretty straight. The pickups are also at the factory recommended setting. Nothing is loose that I can tell. I tried several different string brands including Fender and am still getting buzz. The action is set at the factory recommended 4/64". I will try the neck adjustment tonight and see what happens.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 1:00 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:53 am
Posts: 4242
Saw your pic on the other thread: Congratulations, that's a very beautiful Strat. The red compliments the maple fretboard (my favorite) nicely, and if you allow a personal opinion, a 3ply white pearloid pickguard would make it perfect.

On the buzz: don't worry, you will eventually get it right unless the neck is faulty - and that is really quite rare.
Do the setup once again from scratch, following precicely the info in the the StratSetUpGuide
Better yet, take it to a good pro who allows you watch the procedure & learn.
A Strat can be adjusted in just about every point - and that's the beauty and agony in its setup.

(Once I spent a small eternity trying to get the B-string buzz free - eventually I found a tiny bit of string under the bridge saddle... :facepalm: )


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 1:11 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:44 am
Posts: 17
Location: New Jersey
Thanks so much, jmattis. Funny that you should mention it; I was just looking at the pearloid pickguard. I totally agree that it would be a nice upgrade.

I'll try some tweaks tonight and if it doesn't work out, I'll take it to a pro. I've setup a lot of guitars before but haven't done too much with a Strat. I've never had a buzzing issue that was this persistent before. Cheers!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Setup Help
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 1:49 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 7:44 am
Posts: 17
Location: New Jersey
After numerous attempts to get the setup right, I gave up and took it to Sam Ash and had my worst fears confirmed. The neck on this guitar is warped. A new one was ordered directly from Fender. I'll have it in about two weeks, or so. Sucks but I'm not put off in any way. This thing sounds awesome and I'm sure there will be more Strats added to the collection very soon.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: