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Post subject: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro tilt
Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2015 10:50 pm
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I received a deluxe telecaster in the mail and am having some fret buzz problems. Is it possible to completely remove all the fret buzzing, or will there always be a little?

I raised the action by raising the saddles. It seems to me they are way too high now. The action at the 12th fret is slightly more than 3/64" on the big E-string, and slightly less than 3/64" on the little E-string (normal?). The relief seemed correct to me the way it came. the neck isn't 100% straight but slightly curved the way my previous guitars have been. The micro tilt neck angle adjustment came not "engaged" the way it's supposed to.

But there is still buzzing, from the 4th fret to the 15th fret, primarily on the bigger strings. It doesn't buzz when played very softly.

Here are 3 images I uploaded that might help you see. Sorry they aren't great quality. http://learn-hindi-online.com/temp/temp.html


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Post subject: Re: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro til
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 1:48 am
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condoravenue wrote:
I received a deluxe telecaster in the mail and am having some fret buzz problems. Is it possible to completely remove all the fret buzzing, or will there always be a little?
Yes


Here are 3 images I uploaded that might help you see. Sorry they aren't great quality. http://learn-hindi-online.com/temp/temp.html
Poor pictures , not useful


The guitar must stay in in you home many days to acclimate ,
After you do a complete set up

. Neck curve may change with weather and humidity , not saddle height or micro tilt . Wrong neck bow = fret buzz .

Scroll down the page , Support , How to guides.

With a professional set up if guitar buzz ,the neck is wrong or may have some wrong fret , return on waranty


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Post subject: Re: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro til
Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 5:55 am
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I'll put a link here, may help also someone else: Telecaster SetUp Guide
It'll tell you what to do, and in what order; and give the factory recommendations which almost guarantee a buzz-free, easy-to-play setup.

Now, looking at your pictures, first thing I noticed is that the neck seems to have a lot of relief. The pic&perspective may of course lie, but that's my first impression. Too much relief alone can be a cause for the buzz. Also: your action is on the low side and if you have a heavy playing touch, you may need to raise the action, too.

The saddles are high(ish), but I wouldn't worry about it (in fact, I tend to set my own guitars sort of that way). Oh, you have checked that the screws in the neck plate are tight? (Note: don't overdo the tightening, you don't need max torque here - just loosen the strings and tighten till the screws are nice&snug, retune.)

And, as st52 so wisely pointed out, the first initial setup for a new guitar is best done by a pro unless the happy new owner is experienced enough to know what to do him/herself. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro til
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 5:30 pm
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condoravenue wrote:
I received a deluxe telecaster in the mail and am having some fret buzz problems. Is it possible to completely remove all the fret buzzing, or will there always be a little?

I raised the action by raising the saddles. It seems to me they are way too high now. The action at the 12th fret is slightly more than 3/64" on the big E-string, and slightly less than 3/64" on the little E-string (normal?). The relief seemed correct to me the way it came. the neck isn't 100% straight but slightly curved the way my previous guitars have been. The micro tilt neck angle adjustment came not "engaged" the way it's supposed to.

But there is still buzzing, from the 4th fret to the 15th fret, primarily on the bigger strings. It doesn't buzz when played very softly.

Here are 3 images I uploaded that might help you see. Sorry they aren't great quality. http://learn-hindi-online.com/temp/temp.html

Your saddle adjustment is way to high, however, the neck appears to have a lot of "relief" or concave shape to it.
If you lower the saddles, you would likely not have any further adjustment (counter-clockwise) in the truss rod to eliminate the buzz.

I recommend that you shim the neck of the guitar in the following manner:
I would first take some of the relief out of the neck by adjusting the truss rod at least 1/2 to one (1) full turn, clock-wise.
Then unstring and remove the neck and mounting plate from the body.
Now, drop the bridge saddles to a reasonable level at least half (1/2) as high as they presently are adjusted.
Just use your common sense as to what looks right.
Adjust the height of the bridge saddles on a progressive basis, with the height of each saddle replicating the radius, or curvature of the neck, with the center saddles raised slightly higher than the end saddles.

Shimming the neck with a strip of masking tape just above the top screw holes is a relatively easy procedure, but is time consuming.
You have to check the low E string height each time you add a shim strip.
Even one strip of masking tape will significantly alter the geometry of the neck, tilting the neck forward.

I use a small strip of masking tape, just above the top screw holes on the back of the neck, as shown below on a Fender neck that was being mated to a Mighty Might body.
It took three (3) strips of masking tape on this neck to achieve the proper neck geometry, as the low E string sat on the frets when I bolted the neck to the body.
Your guitar would probably only need one, or possibly two strips of masking tape.

Image

After adding a shim of masking tape, bolt the neck onto the body of the guitar.
When the low E string height looks generally acceptable, install the rest of the strings at somewhat reduced tension, but enough to stretch out the strings.
Check how both the low E and high E strings run relative to both edges of the neck.
If necessary, loosen the neck mounting bolts slightly and adjust the neck side to side in the neck pocket so that both E strings have a relatively equal amount of neck under them, and then tighten the neck mounting bolts.

Tune the guitar and check for string buzz of each string at each fret.
If the buzz problem continues, you may need to add another shim.
Repeat the process and add another shim.
If the buzz has been eliminated, set the intonation of the guitar.

Fender guitars are .25.5 inch (648mm) scale guitars.
To correctly set the intonation, measure the distance from the bottom of the nut on the high E string to the contact point of the high E string at the high E bridge saddle.
Adjust the distance to exactly 25.5 inches to these two points using the bottom adjusting screw on the high E bridge saddle.
Make any final bridge height adjustments to the stings.

Re-tune all of the strings.
Check the tuning of the high E string at the 12th fret, which should be the exactly the same as when played open.
Adjust string length of the high E string if necessary.
This should not be necessary because the high E string has been measured to be exactly 25.5".
Check all of the rest of the strings and adjust them to where the tuning is the same at the twelfth fret as when the string is played open.
All other strings should run slightly longer than 25.5" from the nut, with the low E string being the longest string, with the low E bridge saddle being the furthest back on the bridge plate.
Re-tune each string after each adjustment and check the intonation tuning at the 12th fret.

You will find instructions on line, including from Fender, as linked above, that use feeler gauges to determine string height when a string is compressed at a certain fret.
I believe that such approaches to string height adjustment are unnecessary.
Just use your eyes and common sense.

In the alternative to all of this, if you can still return the guitar, you may want to do so and purchase a different guitar.
Good luck!!


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Post subject: Re: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro til
Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:08 am
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I too have the same issues post pics soon


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Post subject: Re: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro til
Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 12:02 pm
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Sounds like one or more of the frets may not be seated properly.

cheers!

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Post subject: Re: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro til
Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 4:40 pm
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Lightnin MN wrote:
Sounds like one or more of the frets may not be seated properly.

That's of course possible, but in the OP's case: a brand new mail order guitar, an owner not very experienced - and, it's a Deluxe series...
So, first a proper setup, IMHO.


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Post subject: Re: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro til
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 2:25 am
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jmattis wrote:
Lightnin MN wrote:
Sounds like one or more of the frets may not be seated properly.

That's of course possible, but in the OP's case: a brand new mail order guitar, an owner not very experienced - and, it's a Deluxe series...
So, first a proper setup, IMHO.



+1


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Post subject: Re: New guitar setup - action, truss rod, saddles, micro til
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 10:00 am
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Thankyou for that masking tape trick MJ , just did i on my modern player tele plus and It's worked a charm. the fret buzz I had is gone and now all I need is a decent nut, my new pickups and I'll be 100% happy ;)


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