String action question

[sroux]

Hola...

Trying to learn to setup my own stuff. Gotta save the money I usually pay someone, must get more gear!!!!

Anyhow...

I noticed the action on my friends Strat is fairly even all the way down the neck. If you measure the action at the 12th fret on his, its 4/64, and it's about the same at the 21st fret.

On mine, it's a hair about 4/64 at the 12th, but it's at 6/64 at the 21st.

Is that normal, or should I shim the neck to get the "butt" up???

I looked at a couple of my other guitars, and it seems that the action is more uniform as well..

Thanks for any advice!

[Steve Foley]

sroux,

If you have a bolted neck, with an adjustable angle, it may be an option to tilt it back JUST SLIGHTLY and see how it works for you. Different instruments will vary, as to this requirement. Often acoustics, in particular, will need a bit of a dive off, where the neck meets to body, to allow a lower action on the rest of the neck. If the neck is absolutely flat, except for the relief bow at the 7th or 8th fret, and the neck is joined at the 12th or 14th fret, as some acoustics are, you may need to dive the frets some, at that point. This can be accomplished by your tech (or yourself, if you're adventurous) by adding four or five layers of tape at the twelfth fret or so, when leveling and crowning the frets, to provide a bit of a drop off - this will allow the string clearance at the rest of the playing area of the neck to be slightly lower, without buzzing.

If the neck is joined at the 20th or 22nd fret area, it usually doesn't have much of a drop off in this area. It's not "unusual" for the neck to curve or twist slightly, where the neck joins the body, particularly if it's a low-end instrument, but it shouldn't be very much. If it's an adjustable tilt neck, be sure to let the slack off the strings a little, before trying it, and just loosen the attachment screws a turn or two, and tighten (usually) the adjustment screw. This should cause the neck angle to be pushed up a little, then re-tighten the neck attachment screws. This would be a typical adjustment for a Fender type adjustable neck. A turn or two goes a long way. Try it, and see where you like it. Keep track of your changes, so you can go back, if you find it's not "right" after your changes.

If this doesn't get you where you need to be, possibly a fret leveling and re-crowning may be needed. This will require more tools: crowning files, fret shields, leveling stone or file, sanding and polishing papers, masking materials, straight edges of various lengths, etc., and can be a little costly, if it's not something you're going to do frequently, or if you just have a guitar or two. If you have several instruments, or do it on the side, it can be a fun challenge. Probably hard to really make any money at it, unless you have a regular shop, and such, so that may be better left to the "pro's", unless you're already handy, and have a lot of the tools already. I do my own, and have learned a lot from my own mistakes, but there's a wealth of information online and in books. This really is something that just needs to be learned from experience, though. I still learn a lot from every one I do. I do a lot of my friends and stuff, but mainly just a service, not for the money.

Good luck with it - be careful, and work slow....

El Steve-0

[nateclark]

I typically only adjust strat neck angles if the neck angle is such that the action cannot be lowered enough at the saddles. Also, I don't advise that anyone do their own nut work or fret work on an instrument they care about unless they have the necessary experience and tools.

Here's how I set up a strat:

http://fingerlakesguitarrepair.com/p...rat-set-up.php


I hope this helps.

Nate

[sroux]

Originally Posted by nateclark

I typically only adjust strat neck angles if the neck angle is such that the action cannot be lowered enough at the saddles. Also, I don't advise that anyone do their own nut work or fret work on an instrument they care about unless they have the necessary experience and tools.

Here's how I set up a strat:

http://fingerlakesguitarrepair.com/p...rat-set-up.php


I hope this helps.

Nate

Hey Nate...

It's actually a very playable guitar, and I'm thinking I'm worrying about nothing. I can get the action down to where I want it at the 12th fret. I actually can get it down below 4/64 on the E's, but it starts to buzz.
I just was wondering if the measurement at the 21st fret should be the same, or is it natural for it to be more of a gap. If I adjust the action at the 21st, then it's buzz city!!!

[nateclark]

Sroux,

In re-reading your original post, I see that I answered the wrong question, so to speak. Sorry about that.

If the nut slots are of a reasonable depth in relation to the first fret, the action at the last fret should definetly be higher than the action at the 12th. Simply put, guitars are designed this way so that the strings may vibrate without hitting the frets.

I'm glad to hear it's so playable. You know the saying, if it aint' broke, don't fix it

[sroux]

Originally Posted by nateclark

Sroux,

In re-reading your original post, I see that I answered the wrong question, so to speak. Sorry about that.

If the nut slots are of a reasonable depth in relation to the first fret, the action at the last fret should definetly be higher than the action at the 12th. Simply put, guitars are designed this way so that the strings may vibrate without hitting the frets.

I'm glad to hear it's so playable. You know the saying, if it aint' broke, don't fix it

Yeah...I'm a worrywart when it comes to equipment!!!!!

Thanks for that link!

[Tone_Terrific]

http://fingerlakesguitarrepair.com/p...rat-set-up.php

Good one.
Couple+ of spelling errors, but who's counting?