Members mike-o Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 So on the first few frets of the partscaster i just put together (like frets 1-3), where I fret a note, I get fret buzz at the next fret up. How do i fix this? Truss rod? I've been making very small increments but they haven't done much to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 Check your neck relief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members danhan1113 Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 It could be the nut. What string guage are you using? What tuning are you in? Maybe it's the heel block. The neck could be sitting too high or at an angle. I wouldn't rule out the truss rod though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 Well it doesn't happen on open strings which leads me to believe that the nut is high enough. 10 gauge strings, standard tuning. I am pretty sure that the neck is not at an angle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 Well it doesn't happen on open strings which leads me to believe that the nut is high enough. 10 gauge strings, standard tuning. I am pretty sure that the neck is not at an angle Check relief and action first. Unless you changed something it's probably the neck relief drifting. If the relief checks out, start looking for high frets, and low frets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nevermind Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 fret the 3rd fret and then using your first finger along the first fret push each string down individually. If you nut is cut correctly there should be just a slight bit of clearance on the first fret when the 3rd is fretted, if not the nut is cut to low. Also, it could be a back bow situation, where the truss rod is actually over tightened and forcing the headstock end frets to be progressively lower when compared to a straight edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Orange Jackson Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 If you are buzzing on the first few frets that means that the truss rod is too tight. The neck is going into back bow and the nut is dropping down below the frets. I would take a half turn off of it and see where that gets you. You know how to check the neck relief right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 I've always wondered, how long are you supposed to wait after adjusting the truss rod before you check the relief again? edit: yea i have basically no relief so i'm adjusting. it's a brand new allparts neck, i guess the tross rods come all the way tight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 and it's not the nut, thanks for that how long are you supposed to wait after adjusting the truss rod before you check the relief again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 Id give it overnight to settle in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members webwarmiller Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 how long are you supposed to wait after adjusting the truss rod before you check the relief again? About 90-95% of the change will happen almost immediately, so you can pretty much measure immediately. Then just check again over the next day or so to see if any further adjustment is needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DonK Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 If it's definitely coming from the adjacent fret (i.e., definitely the NEXT fret when you're fretting in the 1 to 3 position, then it's probably the relief). But if it it doesn't move up a fret when move from say, fret 1 to fret 2, but is just there until you move a particular distance up the neck, then you could have a high fret. It's not uncommon with parts guitars, because a lot of aftermarket necks are sold w/o the frets having been given a final dressing/leveling (for example, Warmoth includes a disclaimer at their site to note that a neck may need a final fret dressing after it's assembled with a body). You could use a short straight-edge (one that spans three frets at a time) and rock it back and forth to check for a high fret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 All the frets are straight. The neck isn't responding to my truss adjustments. {censored} you allparts When I check relief i fret at the 1st fret and the 14th fret and check frets 5, 6, 7, and 8 and they have hardly any gap whatsoever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 And when I go to adjust the rod, it feels really loose... like it's really easy to turn compared to my other strat neck. Do they usually vary or is it typically the same? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DonK Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 All the frets are straight.The neck isn't responding to my truss adjustments. {censored} you allpartsWhen I check relief i fret at the 1st fret and the 14th fret and check frets 5, 6, 7, and 8 and they have hardly any gap whatsoever Not sure what you mean by "straight"; do you mean you've checked them with a straight edge and they're level. Generally, it's not reliable to check this by sight: you need to use a straight edge. You're going about the relief check the right way, but "hardly any gap" is relative; even when properly adjusted, there's not much of a gap. For example, Fender factory standard on most of their guitars is .010" - that's not much. Can you slip a high E string in the gap without disturbing the installed string? If so, you have enough relief. The truss rod looseness could indicate a problem. I've probably owned a 100 guitars, and I don't remember a single one where it didn't require a modest amount of effort to adjust the rod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 I can't fit a high-e string in the gap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 could it have something to do with the weather? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Orange Jackson Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 Ok, ..Relief. If you already know this sorry, if you don't then here you go. Fret your fat E string on the first fret.using your other hand, fret that same string on the very last fret. This turns your E string into a straight line over the top of your frets. Now you look down around the 8th to 12 fret and size up the gap that you have there. It should be something like width of 1 to 3 business cards in width. That is the gap between the E string and the top of the fret at 12 to 8th fret. All guitars are a little different so this a general starting point. But that is a good range for relief. I like to get it to about 1 cards width myself. If you have 24 frets the bottom of the curve will be closer to the 12th fret and if you have 21 frets it will be closer to the 8 or 9th fret. If it is a lot bigger than that, then you tighten a little bit till it is right. If there is no gap then loosen till you see some. A new neck is going to take a little time to come around. If you are using 9s there will be less pull on the neck and so it might take a few days for neck to settle into the tension. 10s of course are going to pull more. If you think the truss rod is messed up, which I kind of doubt it is, then you can carefully send it into a very slight back bow. Once you see that it goes into back bow you can bring it right out. This way you will be sure the neck is doing what it is suppose to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members doc oc Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 It's possible you may have overtightened the truss rod and snapped it. Have you tightened it since you got the neck? Did you feel a sudden change in resistance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Orange Jackson Posted January 9, 2010 Members Share Posted January 9, 2010 It's possible you may have overtightened the truss rod and snapped it.Have you tightened it since you got the neck? Did you feel a sudden change in resistance? That is a pretty rare event. Again, you can easily check it to see if it is working properly by sending it into a slight back bow. Use the method above to keep track of where the bow, or relief, is at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 10, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 10, 2010 I've only turned it counter clockwise to add relief, so there's no chance I {censored}ed it up with the back bow or whatever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Orange Jackson Posted January 10, 2010 Members Share Posted January 10, 2010 Back bow is when the truss rod is too tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 10, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 10, 2010 The truss rod shouldn't be too tight, I havent tightened it at all since I got the neck and its brand new Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike-o Posted January 16, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 16, 2010 I got an email from them that said I have to loosen it all the way first, then tighten it back in until it stops rattling. Weird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.