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Post subject: Setup with 11's ?
Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 11:07 am
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I recently purchased a telecaster American Special, which shipped with 9's.

I got some 11's and just need a bit of advise on the setup.

So, logic would say that with heavier gauge strings, I'd want to have less relief, however, as this is a new guitar, that likely hasn't been setup OR has been setup for 9's, what's the correlation between this and the bridge height?

The recommended height of the strings on the 17th fret, across all of them, is 1.6mm - but is this for all gauges of strings, or 9's ?

With the 11's on, it's currently around 2.3mm which is just a bit too high, however, lowering at the bridge results in some fret buzz on the higher strings at around 2.1mm.

Bottom line, should I adjust both the truss and the bridge height, or just one of them?

Also, with 11's, is 1.6mm at the 17 fret even possible without getting fret buzz?

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Setup with 11's ?
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 10:20 am
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With any gauge of strings, bridge height will not move and it will keep string at same height.
It is like putting different string gauge on your kitchen table, did the table height move ? :lol:

Any new guitar may need a set up.
New gauge may need a truss rod adjustment in first :
0.010" to 0.014 under the string and 8th or 9th fret ( where you read more space) is a standard
Use spark plug gauge.
Capo on first fret and press string at last fret

After you adjust bridge / saddle height.
Mesurement is made by pressing string at las fret , read between strings an pole pieces


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Post subject: Re: Setup with 11's ?
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:48 am
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You're right, st52, except the kitchen table bends (or bends more) with the thicker gauge… 8)

bb_matt wrote:
The recommended height of the strings on the 17th fret, across all of them, is 1.6mm - but is this for all gauges of strings, or 9's ?

With the 11's on, it's currently around 2.3mm which is just a bit too high, however, lowering at the bridge results in some fret buzz on the higher strings at around 2.1mm.

Bottom line, should I adjust both the truss and the bridge height, or just one of them?

Also, with 11's, is 1.6mm at the 17 fret even possible without getting fret buzz?

The change from a .009 set to a .010 set means something like 35-40% more string tension, so the neck bends, and the string height reading on the 17th fret changes. Adjust the truss rod first, so you get the neck in the shape you want (my relief recommendation is about a half of what Fender recommends, max).

The string height is adjusted after the truss rod for the reason that a bent and straight neck give different results for the 17th fret action. (Reading between the lines, that's what st52 says; saddle height does not affect relief, but adjusting the truss rod affects action. Setup order to skip going back and forth...)

The "1,6mm all over" recommendation is one way to do it - many, maybe most players modify that to their liking. Maybe try 2mm all over after you've adjusted the truss rod, see how you like it. If you do big bends, you may need to set the highE and B strings a slice higher on a 9.5" (= still roundish) neck.

While that 1,6mm recommendation is usually treated as a general-multipurpose-all-gauges-thang, in my experience players who use thicker strings also play hard with the pick hand - thus they often use higher string heights. So, the 1,6mm buzz free is possible - with a light picking technique. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Setup with 11's ?
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:31 pm
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You need to get the truss rod adjusted properly before you touch the action.
If the truss rod is adjusted for 9s and you just switch to 11s you'll find that you get fret buzz. Adjust the truss rod accordingly and the fret buzz goes away.

It's quite possible to get a slinky action with 11s.
My son and I both use 11s, and neither of us likes to have to fight the instrument.

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Post subject: Re: Setup with 11's ?
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:42 pm
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stratmangler wrote:
You need to get the truss rod adjusted properly before you touch the action.
If the truss rod is adjusted for 9s and you just switch to 11s you'll find that you get fret buzz. .



With more heavy gauge neck will have more concave bow = high action = less string buzz


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Post subject: Re: Setup with 11's ?
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 1:23 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
With more heavy gauge neck will have more concave bow = high action = less string buzz


You'd think so, wouldn't you?
It's not the case.

Go to the bottom of the page, to where it says How to Check for Fret Buzz https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/ar ... uss-rod-2/

Too much relief causes buzzing problems further up the neck.
My recent experience backs this up - my son's guitar wouldn't fret properly around the 12th fret area, so I did a relief check, and found that the relief at the 8th fret was 0.020".
A quick neck off, adjust the rod and refix the neck (vintage style instrument), recheck, take off the neck again for the tiniest of tweaks, reattach the neck and this time the relief was bang on.
The buzzing around the 12th fret had gone.

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Post subject: Re: Setup with 11's ?
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 2:07 pm
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Since nobody has mentioned making a slight nut adjustment, I'll add that as something that will allow a lower action. Providing the strings ample width/depth for each string to move and rest in the slots can be carefully done by an owner provided very small corrections are made w/ a good nut file or similar fitting tool.
Also, you could try mixed sets of strings. Reg bottom/light top for example or if your looking for more bottom end then hvy bottom/reg top.


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Post subject: Re: Setup with 11's ?
Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2019 3:41 pm
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sfceric64 wrote:
Since nobody has mentioned making a slight nut adjustment, I'll add that as something that will allow a lower action.

That's something I have neglected to bring up - you're usually OK going up a gauge without any nut slot adjustments.
In this case it's another jump up again, so some nut adjustments could well be in order.

Well spotted :)

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