"tight" high E and B string--action too low?

[Jesse_Dylan]

I'm not totally sure if I'm hearing what I think I'm hearing, or even if this is something I just never noticed before...

 

...but it seems to me that the sound of my B and high E on my J-15 have gotten rather "tight". I have to wonder if maybe the action is just a bit too low. It is still a very loud, projective guitar and sounds great, but yeah. "Tight" is the only word I can think of. No buzzing really, though.

 

Anything I should do or try? Ideas that come to mind: different strings, truss rod tweak, shim... I think a shim would be beyond my ability, and I am a little leery of adjusting the truss rod, too.

 

Or is this not what I think it is?

[BigKahune]

New strings is the easiest thing to check.

 

"Tight" - meaning not ringing full and clear? I've noticed that before on a coupla my electrics. Easy enough there, just raise the bridge a tad.

 

Do you hear it all along the fingerboard as you fret, or more in the area of 5 & 7?

 

If it's in the area of 5 & 7 a truss tweak should take care of it. If you hear all along the fretboard it's probably the action. Check that with a shim or higher saddle (maybe a borrowed higher saddle).

 

 

.

[Jesse_Dylan]

Thanks, BK--

 

I went and had a check just now. I don't think it's any different in the 5-7 fret area. I think it's about the same all the way through. I probably hear it most on big open chords, like I think with a standard E chord is where I hear it most. And the G string does maybe almost buzz if I hit it really hard (maybe that's the case with any guitar though).

 

Yep, just not ringing out as clearly. Or maybe it's always been like this? At one point I remember the G and maybe B strings, especially open, being almost a little too sizzly (when I first got it).

 

Probably better try a different set of strings, and then I better try to raise the action somehow to test that out. Thanks for saving me from trying to tweak the truss rod unnecessarily.

[jvi]

sometimes seasonal humidity can alter tension a bit, tops can swell or dry up a little, after your string change, an intonation check couldnt hurt...and check for clean contact and height at nut and saddle,....

[kidblast]

how's the relief looking?

 

open string issues are often due to a slight, sometimes almost imperceptible back bow.

[OldCowboy]

Have you gone to lighter strings than the ones you had on it previously? Sometimes, if the tolerance is close, that will throw the setup just enough to be noticeable....

[Jesse_Dylan]

I wish I was better at judging setup. I don't know if it's because I'm seemingly so technically non-minded or what. Everything looks good to me, but I could definitely be missing something.

 

Cowboy, that is a good point. I had D'Addario nickel bronze mediums on before this, I believe, and I think now it's D'Addario PB. It's also been a bit dry here lately, but I don't think it's been significantly drier in here than last year. It's 30% humidity for a few hours per day, but it's 40-50% otherwise (I have a room humidifier and just close the window and the door), and otherwise it's in its case.

 

It was pretty humid for a while, though, so maybe the shift of days upon days of humidity, then more regular conditions... and/or the change of strings... Maybe it will settle back down. It has been a month or two with the "tightness" though.

[capmaster]

how's the relief looking?

 

open string issues are often due to a slight, sometimes almost imperceptible back bow.

This has been my first thought, too.

 

What about nut slot height? Is the action at 1st fret slightly larger than at the 2nd fret when fretted at the 1st?

 

Furthermore, despite of the rumours spread around since decades, all strings from E1st to E6th basically need quite the same action. To my experiences lots of electric players live with increased buzz of the plain strings because magnetic pickups transduce it less obtrusive. As soon as acoustic tones are desired, and may it be on piezo'd hybrid solid-bodies that I use extensively, giving the top strings the same room to move is a good idea.

 

Just my two cents...

[Mafy31]

You could get a new tusq saddle, it is kind of cheap, sand it down slowly and check if you get something better.

I did this and never went back to the old saddle (my luthier had lowered action too much). Found it to be an easy check before thinking of adjusting tuss rod and other things.

And if you have a digital caliper it is even easier cause all you have to do is add xx inc. (height you want to add) to your old saddle measurement and then sand the new one down till you get there, put it back...

[Jesse_Dylan]

This has been my first thought, too.

 

What about nut slot height? Is the action at 1st fret slightly larger than at the 2nd fret when fretted at the 1st?

 

Furthermore, despite of the rumours spread around since decades, all strings from E1st to E6th basically need quite the same action. To my experiences lots of electric players live with increased buzz of the plain strings because magnetic pickups transduce it less obtrusive. As soon as acoustic tones are desired, and may it be on piezo'd hybrid solid-bodies that I use extensively, giving the top strings the same room to move is a good idea.

 

Just my two cents...

Hmmmmmm. If I understand correctly, yes, I do think the action at the 1st fret is higher than the 2nd when fretted at the first. However, examining my other guitars, it seems to be about like that on all of them...

 

You could get a new tusq saddle, it is kind of cheap, sand it down slowly and check if you get something better.

I did this and never went back to the old saddle (my luthier had lowered action too much). Found it to be an easy check before thinking of adjusting tuss rod and other things.

And if you have a digital caliper it is even easier cause all you have to do is add xx inc. (height you want to add) to your old saddle measurement and then sand the new one down till you get there, put it back...

That's not a bad idea. I think I do have a couple saddles lying around, maybe even a buffalo horn saddle, although I think that one might not actually be fitted. If not, I could just buy one and give it a shot. And some sand paper, come to think of it. Not sure I have any.

 

Maybe I could even try sticking in saddles from some of my other guitars just to see what happens. I'm not even sure if I'm hearing what I think I'm hearing. But I think I am. Like maybe it's finally settled in, and it's just settled in a tad bit too low.

[Josee]

I, too, have that similar problem with my J-15...for all 3 treble strings (G-B-e). I'm already at a 4th change of strings in a month. First 2 sets were Masterbilt Premium PB 12-53, last 2 sets were Masterbilt Premium PB 11-52. Open chords as well as barred chords sounded tight on the treble side. The guitar's humidity has been maintained to a steady 40% monitored on a daily basis.

 

I've done a thorough inspection last weekend as some things were bothering me sound wise. Got my specialty tools out (fret rocker, notched straight edge, straight edge and feeler gauge).

 

The 15th fret was THE main problem; the fret was so high that the fret rocker was almost dancing on its own! Ha, ha! So I got the magnifying glass out to check that fret upclose. It was sitting properly and didn't need to be hammered down, but it definitely needed some leveling... Although I usually do my fret leveling work, I decided to wait a few days and call up the store I purchased the guitar at. They referred me to their luthier to check it out. I was lucky to see the luthier that same day, during the afternoon. The 15th fret wire had to be sanded down level-wise. But, according to the luthier, my guitar needs a "neck reset" and he kept the guitar for further investigation, which should fall under a different topic.

 

If you don't have a "fret rocker", you can make your own by using one of those plastic "pre-paid gift cards", then cut it on one of the narrow side in order to be able to sit the card over 3 frets in the upper register. This will give you a good idea if the level of the frets wouldn't be the cause as to why the B and e strings sound "tight".

[Jesse_Dylan]

Yikes. Thanks, I'll have to check that. I hope mine doesn't need a neck reset! I did check to see where the nearest warranty service center is, and apparently there are none in ND. That is kind of a kick in the crotch. I guess I'd have to send it to Montana (either Music Villa or the Gibson factory itself, both in Bozeman).

[capmaster]

... But, according to the luthier, my guitar needs a "neck reset" and he kept the guitar for further investigation, which should fall under a different topic.

...

Honestly, I doubt that. A neck reset makes no sense when low action is the issue. Probably looking for a second, unbiased opinion would be helpful.

[Jesse_Dylan]

Man, it's hard work swapping saddles on a guitar. I was restringing my SJ-200, so I took the (very chimy--nice tap tone!) Tusq saddle out of it and stuck it in my J-15. If anything, it sounded even more pronounced. I swear I can't see the strings touching the fret anywhere, but the treble strings all just sound kind of tight, the way things do if action is too low. But the action does not look too low...

 

Seems like there is a difference in tone between Tusq and bone (I know, duh). couldn't tell you what that difference is, or even 100% that it's noticeable, but I think it's there. If it wasn't such hard work, I'd love to swap saddles back and forth, see what my SJ-200 sounds like with the J-15's bone saddle and vice versa.

 

I really love my J-15. It reminds me so much of a J-45, just different. Makes it all the more frustrating that I can't figure out what's "wrong" with it. Guess I should have stuck with the factory setup and I wouldn't have had any issues. :)

 

Guess I need to get some saddle blanks or some shims or something. Suppose the next thing to try is different strings, and after that, maybe deliberately getting the action really high to see. Or, glory forbid, I could take it in and have work done on it. For an inexpensive guitar (the J-15 is arguably the best deal in American guitars), I sure have put a lot of extra money into my J-15 with all my fiddling (tuners, pickup, pickguard, nut/saddle.... now setup).

[QuestionMark]

A great shim and easy to make is from an expired credi card or a hotel key swipe that along the way forgot to give back when ya checked out. Simply cut it the size of the bottom of your saddle and put it in under your saddle. Need the saddle even a bit higher, cut another slice of the card and double up the shim underneath the saddle. It even works good if you need to cut a slice a quarter or half an inch and only put it under the saddle , say where the 1st or 6th string is, if the saddle is too low under those strings. And, then don't worry about until sometime in the future when you feel ambitious and have the time to carefully carve a new saddle that matches the size of the old one with the shim underneath.

 

The credit card material seems to blend quite seamlessly with a bone or tusk material with no sound loss that I have ever detected in my guitars. Been using this easy shim method for quite some time now.

 

Hope this helps.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff