It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:34 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 29 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:52 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 2:56 pm
Posts: 1
I just purchased a new modern player telecaster plus and I am having a difficult time setting it up. It has a lot of string buzz that I should have noticed before I bought it. I adjusted the truss rod and each of the six saddles on the hardtail bridge in an effort to minimize string buzz. The middle two saddles are almost all the way up and at the end of the screws. I was able to get some to the buzzing to go away but not all. Now the action feels too high for my liking. If I lower the saddles any more the buzzing doubles and can be heard through the amplifier between the fifth and tenth frets on the E, A, and D strings.

I am new to setting up guitars and just recently started reading how-to instructions and gave it a shot. Are there any other things I could be adjusting to help? Is there anything I should be doing differently?

Thank you in advance for the help.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:16 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
Did you read the setup guide:

http://www.fender.com/support/articles/ ... etup-guide

Sounds like you have no relief in the neck and that the neck is actually bowed higher in the middle than at the ends requiring you to raise the action so high. Perhaps you should take the guitar to a good tech and have a proper setup done. :wink:

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:12 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
Posts: 14049
Location: Province de Québec, Canada
You have to do set up in proper way, step by step and with mesurement

First you ajust truss rod ( ONLY if needed ) for proper neck bow

After you do other guitar adjustments.


Do you know a truss rod adjustment must be do very slowly ( 1 /10 turn ) and wait few hours between them ? You must be able to take some accurate mesurement . With this you will be sure neck bow is in the "middle" of his curve and a little move with wheater change won't make string buzz.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 6:05 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
stratele52 wrote:
...Do you know a truss rod adjustment must be do very slowly ( 1 /10 turn ) and wait few hours between them?...


This is a new one on me.

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:32 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 8:29 am
Posts: 4238
Location: Pgh Pa
That would take a long time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:01 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
I adjust mine 1/4 turn, wait a couple of minutes, check it and adjust it again if necessary.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:10 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
Posts: 14049
Location: Province de Québec, Canada
bluesky636 wrote:
I adjust mine 1/4 turn, wait a couple of minutes, check it and adjust it again if necessary.


Tooooooo fast , check few hours later or tomorrow after you do it ; It not the same. Or you are very very lucky. Or your mesument gauges/ straight edge are ...false.

The way a truss rod work with the strengt of the wood , this can't be finish in few minutes.

I see some guitar's neck take 12 hours to stop to move.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:27 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
stratele52 wrote:
bluesky636 wrote:
I adjust mine 1/4 turn, wait a couple of minutes, check it and adjust it again if necessary.


Tooooooo fast , check few hours later or tomorrow after you do it ; It not the same. Or you are very very lucky. Or your mesument gauges/ straight edge are ...false.

The way a truss rod work with the strengt of the wood , this can't be finish in few minutes.

I see some guitar's neck take 12 hours to stop to move.


I've been doing it that way for years and never had a problem. The luthier I work part time for does it the same way and he builds custom guitars on a par if not better than the Fender Custom Shop. If he had to wait 12 hours for a neck to settle with every guitar he sets up, he would never finish. Its called the law of diminishing returns.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:45 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
Posts: 14049
Location: Province de Québec, Canada
bluesky636 wrote:

I've been doing it that way for years and never had a problem. The luthier I work part time for does it the same way and he builds custom guitars on a par if not better than the Fender Custom Shop. If he had to wait 12 hours for a neck to settle with every guitar he sets up, he would never finish. Its called the law of diminishing returns.


What can I say ? That is what I see . If he had to wait 12 hour ......He must wait....... I often re do this job from a guitar just coming from the luthier.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:18 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 5:16 pm
Posts: 26
Location: KY
I normally set up my own.
I start with the neck truss rod.
Putting a capo on the 1st & 14th (or 12th on acoustic) fret, I check the gap around the 6th fret. My preference is .003"-.005" for acoustics and .008"-.010" for electrics. This is just a mater of preference. They're always higher coming from the factory.
Next I set the saddle height to get the strings where I like them. I measure at the 12th fret. I like .06" for the acoustic and .075" for the electrics. If I'm in a bending phase, I'll set them a little higher. There's a lot more settings and checks you can get information on from the net or books.
Having said all that, I let the fender service shop setup my latest Tele Select because I hadn't done any variable fret radii. I love the way they did it. If you're not comfortable with the truss rod, take it to an certified tech.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 11:41 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:33 pm
Posts: 11
This is the process I usually follow:
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/pro1.htm

It has always worked well for me and gets everything in sync.
Key thing though is the measurements. If you are eyeballing it, it's probably wrong.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 1:14 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
Posts: 14049
Location: Province de Québec, Canada
withfoam wrote:

Key thing though is the measurements. If you are eyeballing it, it's probably wrong.


Right


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 2:36 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 8461
Location: Mars, the angry red planet.
stratele52 wrote:
withfoam wrote:

Key thing though is the measurements. If you are eyeballing it, it's probably wrong.


Right


I totally disagree. Further, and not to start a pissing contest, if one still must rely on measuring devices for basic setups, then one hasn't mastered the task yet.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

_________________
You dig?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 2:51 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:35 pm
Posts: 1212
Location: No way
Martian wrote:
stratele52 wrote:
withfoam wrote:

Key thing though is the measurements. If you are eyeballing it, it's probably wrong.


Right


I totally disagree. Further, and not to start a pissing contest, if one still must rely on measuring devices for basic setups, then one hasn't mastered the task yet.


+1 . Am I pissing ? :P

bluesky636 wrote:
I adjust mine 1/4 turn, wait a couple of minutes, check it and adjust it again if necessary.

+1 . Though I've been criticized for that on this forum earlier :?

_________________
ImageA-man


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Need help setting up my new guitar
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:44 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
Posts: 14049
Location: Province de Québec, Canada
Martian wrote:

I totally disagree. Further, and not to start a pissing contest, if one still must rely on measuring devices for basic setups, then one hasn't mastered the task yet.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.


Mesuring is the key of easy and better set up . I try this method before buying some basic mesuring tool. I will never go back now.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 29 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


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: