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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:29 am
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Blertles wrote:
Take it to your nearest shop for a setup. Part of being a guitarist is getting to know your instrument and identifying what feels right. Some day you'll acquire the knowledge to fix the issue by yourself..

Nice guitar to learn on. I remember I played an old Korean Vester Strat copy when I was learning to play.


Yeah... I sort of did a good enough setup on it last night. In any case, I will take it to the shop today to have a look at the nut (which I think requires some cutting on the low E) and do some fine tuning in the action (neck and saddles).

As for it being a nice guitar to learn on........ I learned on a Yamaha Pacifica 112V. My American Standard Strat, I hope, will be a guitar for my life!!! :)


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:12 am
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Generally speaking, if you purchased the guitar at a local mega store, then you will need to get it properly set up. Remember, these are widgets to these stores. They pull these guitars out of the box and put them on the rack. The last set up that guitar received was at the factory.

As to the pot, have the store replace it.

The fret buzz could be caused a variety of things (back bow in the neck, saddles too low, neck tilt at the joint to name a few). A good set up by a proper luthier (not Guitar Center, or even yourself) will solve most, if not all, of your problems.

For myself, when I purchase a guitar, I take it to my local luthier, Phil Jacoby, in Baltimore. He will go over every inch of the guitar when he does a set up. For instance, he felt the pot on my Andy Summers inspired Tele was pretty crappy and the neck pickup was bit too muddy. He opened the guitar up and fixed the problems on the spot. I came in for a set up, and I left with a better guitar.


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 5:36 am
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Intonation, it really seems to be at the 1st frets of the low E. Just rechecked after doing a bit of a setup myself, and all are sport on at the open/12 fret/ 12th harmonic (not the 1st frets of the low E though...).


Intonation is only checked with at the 12th fret, opened note, or harmonic at the 12th fret, and then the fretted note @the 12th fret.

There are a number of things that come into play once you start fretting notes, especially at the first or second fret. Someone already mentioned this,, the nut may not be cut deep enough, (a common thing and usually fixed with a setup) and it's pulling the tuning sharp when the string is pressed down. Another cause would be just pressing the string too hard, and this also pulling it sharp.

if your intonation is on at the 12th fret, then your ok. if your trying to set intonation up and down the neck, you're going to drive yourself insane.


Anyway... How easy is it to change a pot? Does it require soldering?

Keep in mind on the Strat Standard, the tone pot for the bridge pickup is a No Load tone pot. there's a detent at 10 which bypasses the tone control completely. Turning it from ten to say 9, you should feel some resistance as you get past the detent in the pot.
once your at say 9, now the tone pot is engaged. at 10, it's bypassed. So if you are planning on replacing that pot, be sure to be aware of this.

I can see from the photo what you are talking about,. but I don't think it's a problem, it looks fine to me. Maybe it's not bent, just not completely "flush" with the pick guard. IMO, I would not worry at all about this, if the tone pot works, than I think it's fine.

and yea, replacing that will require removing the soder on the existing pot, and then resoldering to the new pot. not hard to do, you want at least a 40watt (the hotter the better) sodering iron, some flux, some soder and patience,

There are probably a lot of youtube clips to show "how to use a sodering iron".


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 6:48 am
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milcs wrote:
Hello everyone,

...I have recently bought myself a beautiful Olympic White (with maple fretboard) american standard stratocaster. It is AMAZINGLY beautiful! I have been dreaming for a while of getting a strat made in the USA. So, you can imagine I had lots of hopes for my new guitar.

Unfortunately, it came with a few issues...

What do you guys think I should do?

Cheers everyone!


Send it to me straight away and buy another one. :D :D :D

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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:05 pm
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After my own setup, I think I got it where I wanted it!

Plus, after a guitar class in which my teacher played it and said... "Where is the problem?" and "You will have a bit of acoustic buzzing in all strat guitars!" and "You are lucky... I have a student with 3 custom shop and 2 of them are buzzing like crazy!", I feel a bit more relaxed! I think I was obsessing too much... In fact, while he was playing his G&L with me, I could hear the exact same thing (which you can't really notice on the amp).

Bottom line... If I had a reticent love, now I have an ultimate, unconditional love for this thing!!! :)

Now to start modding... :) Already put some strap locks (Fender Schallers) and got myself a nice set of Fender Locking tuners (which, ironically, are made in Taiwan........ :evil: ). After changing these and putting a set of .10-.46, this is going to be the most amazing guitar ever! :)

Cheers all!


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:24 pm
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The noise on the G sounds like vibration above the nut, that is, between the nut and the tuner. You can confirm by touching the string there while you pick it to see.

My American deluxe did that when new. I think a new nut is required to really fix it, but a new set of strings made it largely go away.


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 11:28 am
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Maybe it's just me, but from the last photo you posted, the back of the bridge seemed awfully high from the body. That may account for your running out of room for the intonation adjustment.

Add: I read your other post about the "problem with the nut". It sounds like you tried nearly everything except adjusting the neck tilt "micro-tilt adjustment". Tilting the neck back a hair may eliminate the buzz at the 1st fret, but may then require saddle height and intonation readjustment after, as it will lower the strings at the heel as well.


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:54 am
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To give a "closure" to this topic...

I took my guitar back to the shop where I got it from. They filed the nut to change the angle at which the string entered the nut, and the buzzing noise at the nut is gone.
After I have changed the strings to .10-.42 and played a bit with the setup, now it is playing great and I am totally in love with my beautiful, great playing, great sounding Strat!!!

And given that the only "setup" the guy at the store did to me after changing the strings to a higher gauge, was to tighten the springs on the bridge to lower the tremolo... I have no doubt that if I take it to a professional luthier, it will be an even more amazing wonder! :)

LOVE IT!!! :D


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:05 am
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Glad to hear that the guitar is working out for you.


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 4:11 pm
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Sorry to come back to my "issues"!!! :)

My guitar is quite nice to play now, but I can't help feeling I have yet a bit of tweaking to do in order to get it to it's perfect setup for me.
In any case, I just wanted to have you guys opinion on whether I am imagining buzz, or whether what I hear is normal.

I have done a quick track of me playing a minor pentatonic. I think that there's far too much buzz on the bass side of the strings. Would you guys mind listen to it and share your opinion with me? Is this buzz normal/acceptable?

https://soundcloud.com/milcs-2/clean-strat

I am asking this, because I quite like the action as it is now and, if this is "normal" for a strat, I would prefer not to go and increase the action on the guitar.

Cheers all

EDIT: One more little riff to show the "buzz": https://soundcloud.com/milcs-2/little-rif


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 11:18 am
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Hello again!!!
Another quick question...
I was following Fender's setup guide for the Stratocaster: http://www.fender.com/support/articles/ ... tup-guide/

Their recommended setup is 0.10'' (0.25mm) relief at the 8th fret and 4/64'' (1.6mm) action at the 17th fret. I mean... is this even possible? Can anyone actually have this setup and play without the guitar buzzing everywhere? Can you guys share your experience with me?

At the moment, I lowered the action to 0.33-0.4mm, but the action is around 2.5mm on the bass strings (and around 1.6mm on the trebble). And yes, I do try to follow the shape of the neck when setting the saddle height. Like this, my guitar is too sensitive to any kind of more strong strumming and it starts buzzing (the A string is really the most "sensitive" at the moment).


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 12:16 pm
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Quote:
Can anyone actually have this setup and play without the guitar buzzing everywhere?

You didn't believe me when I suggested taking the guitar to a pro for a setup, so you probably wouldn't believe me now if i just answered "yes" (actually, I like almost no relief). :mrgreen:

So, here's an "almost official" list of How the stars set up their guitars
Check e.g. Jeff Beck.


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 1:18 pm
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jmattis wrote:
Quote:
Can anyone actually have this setup and play without the guitar buzzing everywhere?

You didn't believe me when I suggested taking the guitar to a pro for a setup, so you probably wouldn't believe me now if i just answered "yes" (actually, I like almost no relief). :mrgreen:

So, here's an "almost official" list of How the stars set up their guitars
Check e.g. Jeff Beck.


Of course I believe you! :D
I just been trying to get to know my guitar better by talking with people, watching videos on youtube and reading a lot! I think there is no better way than getting to know my new guitar inside out! And I think that people's experience is a gem, when it comes to going in depth! :)

In any case, I find it very surprising that you can go lower... It goes against physics! Where do the strings vibrate?
I am planning on keeping trying to get my guitar to a better setup, changing things slowly and trying to keep track of what I do. On Friday, I'll have a look at it with my guitar teacher and next week, I will probably take it to a luthier (in Paris, having two kids, it is not that easy to find the time to do this!!! :) ). So yeah... I believe you! But I can't believe that my guitar can improve much more! :D


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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 6:30 pm
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milcs wrote:
...Their recommended setup is 0.10'' (0.25mm) relief at the 8th fret and 4/64'' (1.6mm) action at the 17th fret. I mean... is this even possible?...I lowered the action to 0.33-0.4mm, but the action is around 2.5mm on the bass strings (and around 1.6mm on the trebble)...


Double-check your math. 1/10" = 2.54 mm, not .25 mm. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: New Stratocaster American Standard with a few "issues"
Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:55 pm
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Strats can buzz depending on technique and how low the action is. My action is pretty low and can buzz if I hit the strings hard enough. That is where technique comes in. Innotation is a comprimize. Remember its a fretted instrument and you can drive yourself nuts with it . You also dont mention what type of tuner you use. I agree with everyone else to take it to a tech. I have been playing for quite a while and just in the last couple of years have done my own set ups . Strats are probably some of the more challenging guitars to set up IMO.


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