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Post subject: American Deluxe Tele - fretting out problem
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 4:11 pm
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Hello, bought this AMD Tele off "Fleabay" and it seems to be in good shape except it is fretting out bad on the upper half of the fretboard. Bad buzzing and muting the strings terribly. I am not experienced at all when it comes to setting up or adjusting guitars, but if anyone knows what they think it might be, please give me your thoughts because if it is something major or will cost alot to fix, I'm sending this thing back. Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe Tele - fretting out problem
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:05 am
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fretlesswonder wrote:
Hello, bought this AMD Tele off "Fleabay" and it seems to be in good shape except it is fretting out bad on the upper half of the fretboard. Bad buzzing and muting the strings terribly. I am not experienced at all when it comes to setting up or adjusting guitars, but if anyone knows what they think it might be, please give me your thoughts because if it is something major or will cost alot to fix, I'm sending this thing back. Thanks.


Hey fretlesswonder,

It is probably best to take it to a luthier or tech in your area. You don't mention the year of the Am Dlx, but IIRC, they all have modern radius which would not typically fret out. It could be in need of a simple TR or saddle adjustment.

Let us know what happens.


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe Tele - fretting out problem
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 2:33 am
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fretlesswonder wrote:
Hello, bought this AMD Tele off "Fleabay" and it seems to be in good shape except it is fretting out bad on the upper half of the fretboard. Bad buzzing and muting the strings terribly. I am not experienced at all when it comes to setting up or adjusting guitars, but if anyone knows what they think it might be, please give me your thoughts because if it is something major or will cost alot to fix, I'm sending this thing back. Thanks.

Here's how to set-up your guitar.

First make sure that the Fender micro adjustment in your guitar body at the neck plate is completely released, and is not tilting the neck backward. This is done with an alan key turned in a counter clockwise direction through the whole in the neck plate. If the screw resists loosening, see below.

I assume that your neck appears to be straight when you sight down the neck and not "back-bowed". If it is back-bowed, with the strings tuned, adjust your truss rod counter clockwise until the neck appears to be straight when you sight down the edges of the neck. The truss rod should NOT be used to attempt to adjust the action or string height. The truss rod adjustment is to make the neck straight.

Your bridge saddles may already be roughly in the proper intonation position. But if you wish to check the initial bridge saddle intonation position, here is what you do. To initially set your bridge saddle intonation, measure down the neck from the bottom of the nut to 25 1/2" with a tape measure. This is where the High E bridge saddle contact point should be located. 25 1/2" from the bottom of the nut is where the High E bridge saddle should contact the High E string.

If you have individual bridge saddles for each string, initially stagger the B string saddle backward about the width of the B string from the High E saddle location. Then stagger the G string saddle back from the B string saddle location about the width of the G string.

The D string bridge saddle should initially be placed more forward, but about the width of the D string back from the 25 1/2" position of the High E string. Then stagger the A string saddle back from the D string saddle location by the width of the A string. Finally, stagger the Low E saddle back from the position of the A saddle by the width of the Low E string. This will give you an initial intonation starting point.

Next, make sure that your bridge saddles are adjusted to a reasonable height. Fender offers string height measurements that you can try to use. I perfer to use common sense for the initial bridge height and string height. If the string height is still too low and the frets buzz, and the neck is straight with reasonable bridge height, then you may need to shim the neck forward to have the top of the neck to lean further forward, relative to the base of the neck, in order to raise the string height.

Again, first make sure that the Fender micro adjustment in your guitar body at the neck plate is completely released, and is not tilting the neck backward. If the alan key will not easily loosen the neck adjustment screw in a counter clockwise direction, release the tension of strings and loosen all four neck screws on the plate. Then loosen the neck adjustment screw with the alan key. Retighten the neck and tune the guitar. Make sure that the neck is perpedicular to the bridge (see below). Re-check the strings for fret buzz. If the neck is straight and original to the AM Deluxe guitar, shimming the neck should not be necessary. But I will outline the procedure in case it is.

This is my approach to shimming the neck forward.

Release the tension of the strings and unbolt the neck. Get some masking tape. Cut a piece of masking tape that is the width of the neck and about 1/4" wide. Put the strip of masking tape at the top of the bolt-in portion of the neck, near the top screw holes on the neck so that it will contact the top of the neck pocket in the body. Do not cover the screw holes with the tape. Put the neck back on.

Make sure when you tighten the neck screws that the distance from both the high E and low E strings to both edges of the neck, is approximately the same distance on both sides at the base of the neck near the 21st fret. This will assure that the neck is set perpendicular to the bridge and that the nut is parallel to the bridge. Then tune the guitar. Check each string for fret buzz at each fret. If the strings buzz and are still too low, repeat the process.

You will find that single strips of masking tape will make a big difference in the string height. So while it may be a pain in the asss, you need to reassemble and test the guitar strings after each single strip of masking tape that you apply to the neck. When you get close to the action you want, you can make final adjustments to the height of the bridge saddles.

This approach should get you to an acceptable string height, with an acceptable bridge height, with proper action, without fret buzz. A minimal buzz at one or two frets, on one or two strings, may not be noticeable when the guitar is plugged in, and the action at that point may be more preferable than continuing to raise the string level with additional shims, or by raising the bridge saddles.

With individual bridge saddles for each string, each string saddle should be adjusted with the 2 alan key adjustment screws so that each saddle sits level. The six bridge saddles should also be adjusted so that the height of the saddle adjustments are proportionate to the fretboard radius curvature, with the D and G string saddles adjusted the highest and the High and Low E sting saddles adjusted the lowest.

Adjusting the Intonation

After you have assured that your neck is straight, and the string height and bridge height is adjusted without fret buzzing, with acceptable action, re-tune the guitar. To adjust the intonation, depress each string at the 12th fret and check the 12th fret note tuning. The tuning for each string at the 12th fret should be the same as the tuning of each open string.

With new strings that have been fully stretched out and tuned, depress each string at the 12th fret and check the tuning at the 12th fret. If the 12th fret note is sharp (higher) in comparison to the open string note, lengthen the string length by moving the bridge saddle backward by tightening the adjustment screw. If the note is flat (lower) in comparison to the open string note, shorten the string length by moving the bridge saddle forward by loosening the adjustment screw.

After each movement of the bridge saddle, re-tune the string or stings affected and again test the intonation at the 12th fret. Repeat the process until the open string notes and the 12th fret notes for each string are as closely in tune as possible. Now your intonation is correct.

If you have followed all of this very closely, and are willing to commit even more time and patience to adjusting your guitar, than I've committed in writing these instructions, then there should be no need to for you to take your guitar to anyone for any further adjustment. You should be capable of setting-up your own guitars for the rest of your life. It's not rocket science. The intonation should be checked after every string change and periodically between string changes.

Good Luck!!!


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe Tele - fretting out problem
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 10:40 am
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MickJagger wrote:
Here's how to set-up your guitar.
Good Luck!!!



These are all great tips, but if he is inexperienced and this is a used guitar, it is my opinion to take it to a qualified tech. It could need a fret leveling or a refret, and all of those steps would not address that problem.

The Fender setup guide is excellent for those with a bit of experience or those starting with a guitar without an obvious problem.

Don


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe Tele - fretting out problem
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 4:23 pm
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Doth wrote:
MickJagger wrote:
Here's how to set-up your guitar.
Good Luck!!!



These are all great tips, but if he is inexperienced and this is a used guitar, it is my opinion to take it to a qualified tech. It could need a fret leveling or a refret, and all of those steps would not address that problem.

The Fender setup guide is excellent for those with a bit of experience or those starting with a guitar without an obvious problem.

Don

He said that Tele "seems to be in good shape except it is fretting out bad on the upper half of the fretboard." I assume that he can look at the frets and make a determination that they are in "good shape," even though he is inexperienced at adjusting the guitar. It takes some really worn frets to make the guitar unplayable. Secondly, it would be highly unusual for the frets to be worn out half way down the neck, or in the alternative, that the frets on an American Deluxe would need to be dressed to be playable. Could the neck possibly be warped? Sure.

That being said, there is nothing that he could likely do to damage the guitar by adjusting it in the manner that I suggest, unless he tries to test his strength in adjusting the truss rod. Anyone who owns a guitar should become familiar with how to properly adjust it. You can only do that by learning as much as possible about adjusting the guitar and then by actually doing it.

My goal was to impart detailed knowledge that may save him some money and allow him to understand how to adjust his instrument. It's not rocket science. And I think those instructions are as good as you are likely to find anywhere on the Internet for the problem that he is having, or for anyone who wants to adjust their own guitar. If that doesn't work out, obviously, he can always obtain a professional opinion and servicing of the guitar.


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe Tele - fretting out problem
Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:22 pm
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Thanks for the help guys, I really need to be educated in guitar set-up. I am a long time drummer who is learning guitar and want to know the ins and outs of how a guitar works. Thanks again.


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Post subject: Re: American Deluxe Tele - fretting out problem
Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2011 1:58 am
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fretlesswonder wrote:
Thanks for the help guys, I really need to be educated in guitar set-up. I am a long time drummer who is learning guitar and want to know the ins and outs of how a guitar works. Thanks again.

Let us know how you make out.


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