Help setting up my new guitar?

[Ayanami]

Hello, I finally built my project guitar, but Im having some problems:

• Offset V body with recessed Wilkinson tremolo cavity
• Warmoth Pro neck with 22 frets and LSR roling nut

The problem im having is string action and buzzing.

The first time I put the guitar together the high E string was low and would play open, it played the first fret. So I put a shim on both sides of the nut(treble and bass side) -- Should I put it only on the high E side?

After that, the guitar played okay but my action was way too high. Over around 3mm on the bass side and around 2.5mm on the treble side(thats on the 12th fret).
I lowered the bridge and used the side adjuster and currently Im at 1.5-2mm on the bass side, but im getting buzzing ad super short sustain due to choking strings after the 12th fret. The side adjuster seems like it can go on more, because i left it a point where it wasn't hard to turn.

When I installed the neck I did NOT adjust the heel adjust(because i forgot...), but it seems like the neck was already straight. Im using the back cover of the body to verify that.

What should be the procedure to follow here?
I wanted to reset the side adjust but im not sure how to proceed. Completely loosening the heel nut means taking out?

Thanks for your time.

 

[Cagey]

Just for starters, you need a precision straightedge and a set of feeler gauges. It's also a good idea to have a fret rocker.

Then, you need to reset your neck, following the instructions here.

Once the neck adjuster is reset, you need to flatten the neck. This is the first place the straightedge and feeler gauges come into play. Lay the straightedge along the fretboard, and you may be able to visibly see whether it's high or low in the middle. If it's high, you need to add relief by turning the heel adjust counter-clockwise, and vice-versa if it's low. When it gets close, you'll need the feeler gauge to get it as perfectly flat as you can get it.

After you've got the neck as flat as you can get it, then the fret rocker is used to find frets that are too high. You use the appropriate side of the rocker to span three frets, then see if the tool will rock. If so, the center fret is likely high. Mark it. Move up one fret, and do the same, continuing on for the length of the neck. If you've led a charmed life, you won't find any high frets. Chances of that happening are slim to none.

So far, you're only down about $40 in tools, but here's where it starts to get more expensive. The high frets need to be filed down, and good fret files aren't cheap. You can shop around a bit, but StewMac is usually where everybody ends up. You're also going to want some finishing papers to clean up after the file work. Don't forget to tape off the fretboard so you don't tear it up with the files and papers.

Re-check everything to make sure you're done, then using the straightedge and a .008" feeler gauge turn the heel adjust counter-clockwise until you can get the feeler gauge between the straightedge and the 8th fret.

Install the neck and string it up. You should be able to lower your bridge saddles substantially and not encounter any buzz.

If you really wanna get fine about it, you need a set of nut files so you can lower those slots as well. I typically take them down to ~.012".

Or, you could just send the neck out to someone like me or take it to your friendly neighborhood tech and have it all done for you. If this would be your first time trying to do all this, I'd recommend finding a raggedy old guitar to practice on before you start gnawing on a Warmoth part. Lotsa old guitars sitting under beds, in closets, basements, attics, etc. that nobody cares much about. Grind on one of those first to get a feel for it.

 

[Ayanami]

Thanks for your answer, its very informative.
but I have some questions:

In the guide to reset the adjuster it says to loosen the heel nut completely, but how much is that?
Currently its easy to move both ways and it starts to protude if I loosen not to much.

How much should I expect to pay if someone else does the job?

Is it safe to leave the neck as it currently is for some time or should I leave it with a certain setting until I'm able to work on it?

Thanks

 

[Cagey]

The heel adjust should only be turned counter-clockwise until you don't feel any tension. If you go too far, you'll unthread it from the truss rod completely and getting it back on requires magic, sorcery, x-ray vision and divine intervention, all of which are in short supply.

How much someone else will charge depends on a number of things. Some shops are shamelessly literal about what they're going to do, so they can quote low prices. Problem is, many procedures aren't worth much without some accompanying procedures. So, unless you specifically ask for everything you want done, it may seem like a good deal until you find out they didn't do a lot of the things you expected to have done.

For example, levelling the frets is one thing, crowning them is another. Thing is, any time you level a fret, you have to re-crown it. Then you have tool marks, so you really need to polish those out. In some shops, that would be three different jobs. Others aren't quite so misleading, but their prices will be higher.

Then, there's fret types. Most shops charge more for gold or stainless frets than they do for nickel-silver because those alloys are hard on tools and they take more time to shape and finish. So, you've got tool wear charges and additional time.

It's also possible you'll encounter techs or luthiers who won't do partial or half jobs, because a properly set up neck involves a number of things that all need to be done, or the job comes off seemingly half-assed and can impact their reputation.

So, you can probably expect to hear prices that range anywhere from $25 to $250, depending on what you ask for. Best thing is to decide how good you want the the thing to be and shop around to find out exactly what you're signing on for. Bare minimum, you want the frets levelled, crowned, dressed and polished, the nut cut properly, and the relief set using the string gauge set you use.

As for leaving the neck as-is, I wouldn't worry about it unless you're thinking in terms of years or highly variable environments.

 

[Ayanami]

Wow, that can become really expensive.

I wild try doing it, learning should be good.

 

[Cagey]

Learning is always a Good Thing. Keeps you off the streets, lets you take care of your own problems RFN instead of waiting for when you have the time/money, allows you to buy parts that may be in less than ideal condition at good discounts, makes for highly comfortable/playable instruments, and all your guitar-playing friends/family will love you long time as like having a doctor or a computer guy in the family, they assume you'll solve all their mysterious and expensive problems on demand for somewhere near free  :laughing7:

Setting up a neck isn't really that difficult given the right tools, guidance and a generous mittenful of patience. Tools are easy enough - you just have to throw money at that problem. If you intend to set up a number of necks, it's easier to amortize the cost. Otherwise, job it out or you'll spend more on tools than what it would cost to just have it done. Guidance is available here and other places on the 'net or from books. Patience comes with experience and the creation of many new cuss words as you make mistakes.

As I think I mentioned earlier, find some old guitars nobody cares about to play with before you start grinding on a Warmoth neck. Removing metal is more or less irreversible, so you wanna be comfortable before you start on finer pieces.

 

[swinginguitar]

If you really wanna get fine about it, you need a set of nut files so you can lower those slots as well. I typically take them down to ~.012".

.012" with respect to what - top of the first fret?

 

[Cagey]

Yes. I use one of these nut slotting gauges to measure it...

 

[Michael Bolt-on]

Just give her a little time, love, and tenderness.

 

[Ayanami]

Luthiers tools are interesting, too bad they can become very expensive...

 

[Cagey]

Luthiers tools are interesting, too bad they can become very expensive...

Tell me about it. I shudder to think of what I have invested in tools, and I'm not done by any stretch of the imagination. Friends and family think I'm nuts, and have threatened an intervention  :icon_biggrin:.

But, it's a matter of supply and demand. Millions of people need screwdrivers, but only hundreds or maybe a few thousand need fret crowning files or nut slot gauges. As a result, they're kinda pricey. The manufacturers of such things just don't make that many of them, but they still need to tool up to do it. It's like gunsmithing or jewelers tools. Highly specialized and low production. You almost have to think of them as custom tools.

 

[Ayanami]

Im gonna use this thread for another issue that I just encountered...

I am no longer able to pull up the tremolo. I was able to do it before i tried lowering the action.

I can see why it happens: The plate is resting on the body. I do not know if this was happening before, but I guess not because i was able to pull.



Do you have any idea of a solution?

 

[stratamania]

Some of the questions you are asking really need a little more information on how you went about things so far.

If you lowered the action by the bridge mounting studs that's why the tremolo plate is now on the body. Raise it back up and then adjust the action with the saddle heights.

Obviously we can't see the rest of what is going on. But mostly with guitars if you move one thing something else needs to be adjusted.

It might be an idea for you to take it to a local luthier for a set up and fret level, crown and polish if you don't have the tools etc.