Setup Questions !

[ChristianFS1]

hi there !

i'm the happy owner of a Warmoth strat, i like the tone and playability, but it has two quirks; i've got buzz and fretout on some strings, in specific locations.

i have fretting out on the high e string from the 10th to the 15th fret, and i have fret buzz in that area on that string too.
also, on one fret (on the 14th fret only), on the b string, i get a weird sitar-like sound. it's fine if you move one fret up or down.

i have d'addario 10's on it. the whole thing about the truss-rod confuses me. i can see that i have alot of relief though, just from eyeballin' it.

does it need a new nut? do i need to adjust the truss-rod? do i have a proud fret ?

i know a good guitar tech, that will be able to resolve any problem with it, and i'm gonna let him have a look at it anyway; i just want to make sure i don't get fooled or anything. 

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Without looking at it, it sounds like the bridge is set too low on the e string, and the neck has too much relief or bow.  You'll have to adjust the truss rod to get the neck straighter.  If it has a side adjust, be sure to loosen all of the strings before adjusting, or you'll strip it.  I am sure more will chime in to help out, but as a first impression, that is what I'd look at.
Patrick

 

[MikeW]

... do i have a proud fret ?

Yep. I had this exact issue on my latest W neck. A good fret job and the problem went away. I was able to squeeze the action a bit lower as a result of it as well.

 

[Cagey]

It's a proud fret.

You may be able to get rid of the problem by adjusting your string saddles up, or raising the bridge overall, but it'll have a negative impact on the playability. If you don't do fretwork, take it to your local guy. Or, send it to me.

 

[ChristianFS1]

It's a proud fret.

You may be able to get rid of the problem by adjusting your string saddles up, or raising the bridge overall, but it'll have a negative impact on the playability. If you don't do fretwork, take it to your local guy. Or, send it to me.

i know how you raise a bridge saddle, but how do you raise the entire bridge ? 

 

[Cagey]

It depends on the type of bridge - some aren't adjustable - but most are and in general there are two posts that hold the bridge in place. They'll either have knurled knobs on threaded posts or the posts themselves will screw into bushings in the body, or the posts will have internal setscrews that you access from the top but protrude out the bottom into cups. Threading any of those in/out will raise/lower the bridge.

Usually, if most of the strings are close enough to the correct height to play the thing, the bridge height is ok. It's more of a gross adjustment. The saddles are then used for finer adjustment by adjusting their height with the whatever method the bridge design provides. Sometimes, as in the case of Tune-O-Matics, there is no saddle height adjustment. Other bridges have set screws on the saddles, while still others use shims.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Everything must be adjusted in this order:

1: Neck relief

2: String height (bridge saddles)

3: Intonation

If there is still a problem, the frets may need leveling, or the nut slots may need to be filed to the correct width and depth (or the nut may even need to be replaced).